G Grandfather Merchant Navy - Rank Help?!

[seaweed]

So the big question is, is the photo of  AJS Senior or AJS junior?  
ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.][/color] Like I said an educated guess would be AJS junior

 Was the NA archive record you found the only AJSmith?- I have had a look at the links but am a bit worried I could be paying to look at the wrong Alfred at this stage.
ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.][/color] It was the only one for Alfred James Smith. Of course it may not be him but there is only one way to find out. The only certain way to find out if it is him is to look at the crew agreements for MILTIADES. Problem is which one.
Would you know where I could get the photograph deciphered? 

ErrorSPAM REPORT THIS POST AS SPAM (Use 'Report to Moderator'). DO NOT CLICK ON ANY LINKS IN THIS POST. DO NOT REPLY TO THIS PERSON.]You could send it to the NMM Greenwich for their opinion as to his rank and the timeline of the photograph. Wether they would class this as paid research. I don't know.[/color]

Purser would generally be a Merchant Navy rank. However in past centuries, RN Supply Officers had been known as the Clerk, Bursar, Purser and, later, the Paymaster. Logistics officers are still generally referred in  Royal Naval slang as "pusser", a derivation of purser. Hence Pussers Rum.
 His  MN sleeve insignia may have been for Chief Steward a rank closely akin to Purser.

[ladyhall]

Hi All,

I posted the NA record for AJSmith as I did actually have this and this is the decipher I got. 

Hi
The ship is HMS Tarlair. It is shown as the frontispiece in a book "Hush or the Hydrophone Service" by H W Wilson. You can find this on line by googling the book title.
All the best
Gobbo

Posted by: philipsearching    Posted on: Yesterday at 20:47:10
Insert Quote
Quote from: rutht22000 on Yesterday at 19:56:36
"3 January 1919 9 October 1919 informed the (something ) which appeared in the papers usually about officers (something - can't work it out what it says) to all RVNR officers who received a gratuity on demobilisation"

My reading is:

"9 October 1919 informed the notice which appeared in the papers (??) about officers retaining their rank refers to all RVNR officers who received a gratuity on demobilisation"
Posted by: rutht22000    Posted on: Yesterday at 19:56:36
Insert Quote
left hand side is

"temporary sub lieutenant 25 August 1917" and underneath it is "temporary lieutenant 23 (or 25) August 1918"

the going across "(something- name of the ship maybe?) for hydrophone service = 23 (or 25) August reappointed on promotion"

"20 January 1919 demobilised 26 January 1919 granted 12 days leave"

"3 January 1919 9 October 1919 informed the (something ) which appeared in the papers usually about officers (something - can't work it out what it says) to all RVNR officers who received a gratuity on demobilisation"

"Kinvarre Turriff Aberdeenshire 10.17 Father James Smith"

I was wondering if you could help Seaweed with further deciphering?  Would this give me more clues where to look?

Thanks so much,

Alex

[seaweed]

Yes. I did read your other post.  The post by Gobbo is somewhat misleading. HMS  TARLAIR was in fact a shorebase in Hawkscraig, Aberdour, Fife. If you read the book this will confirm it. The picture is of a hired Drifter which was  the designated base ship.
To an extent this is immaterial to your search and I have doubts that this is the man you seek. If I read the document correctly it give his fathers name as James, not Alfred James  and an address in Aberdeenshire which seems contrary to the rest of the known family history.
Again I stress the only way to confirm your man is to search the crew agreements of MILTIADES.
If I have time, I will endeavour to look at the relevent available documents next time I visit Kew. If he is not mentioned  there then its your call.