Hi

Can anyone help intrepet a Royal Navy service record. His record says that Ralph Gregory was engaged between 7 May 1917 - Hostilities

Pembroke 1 7 May 1917 to 25 July 1917
Cereo/Ceres/Series/L eres/B eres 26 July 1917 to 7 December 1918
Pembroke 1 8 December 1918 to March 1919

Pembroke 1 (SS to hospital via Calypso ??y left thigh)

Promoted to AB from OS August 1918

I can see HMS Pembroke 1 but what is the next ship's name in the second line down? Unfortunately I can't upload it as it is too big. Am I doing something wrong?

Did he see any action or would it have been sea defences at this time? I'm struggling to find a good website with the information on it.

Any information, would be welcome.

Thanks

Yvonne

Hi Yvonne,
I am not the best to advise on computers, but try scanning the service record, saving it, & then trimming it down to isolate the bits you want to send.
There was a light cruiser named Ceres completed in 1917 but we need to see the relevant bit on the service record to confirm it.
Calypso was also a light cruiser completed in 1917.
Regards,
ARABIS.

Thanks - I'll try to scan it in tomorrow - I can't print at the moment so I'll have to print it at work and scan it in at home.

Yvonne

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1231/119108...0e6fd5467_o.jpg

I have saved a copy of Ralph's service record on Flickr - see link above.

Please could you now take a look as I'm interested in your opinion about what it is telling me, particularly about the name of ship on the second line down - is it Ceres - I wish they had written a bit better!

Yvonne

Ceres.


Kath.

Yvonne,

Whilst he was onboard HMS Ceres he was with the 6th light cruiser squadron, Grand Fleet.

Regards Charles

Hi Yvonne,
As Kath & joseph have said it is H.M.S. Ceres, a light cruiser of the Grand Fleet which had moved down from Scapa Flow to Rosyth in April 1917. Hopefully a kind Forum member will post a photo of her for you as she was in 1917-1918.
Regards,
ARABIS.

There's been several HMS Ceres over the years, but I think this is the one you're after - HMS Ceres

Les

Thank you Les, that`s the one.
ARABIS.

More pictures of Ceres
http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/cere...htm#HMS%20Ceres

Gregory worked with horses and was a driver of horse teams.
He was sent down to Chatham RN hospital aboard His Majesty's Ship Calypso because of an injury to his left thigh. Demobilised and discharged ashore.

Thanks to all for this information.

How can you tell that he worked with horses? I didn't see this on the service record - I'll have to have another look!

So were there any sea battles about this time or was it just defensive. How can I find out where Ceres went - ship log at NA?

Any ideas of how I can take this research further?

Thanks

Yvonne

Civilian occupation - team driver. Horses were the primary transport of the day and he was the driver of a team.

The major battle by the Royal Navy throughout WWI was the blockade of Germany preventing them getting supplies; the Grand Fleet was kept in readiness to contest German naval power. The ongoing battle of 1917/1918 was the war's Battle of the Atlantic usually called the Uboat war.

I can find, on a quick check, when she was launched and when she completed, but not when she commissioned. He was probably a member of the first crew. Her logs are in ADM 53/37484 to ADM 53/37501.