RNVR in WWII

[annpa]

hi all
Any idea how I can find out about my father's service during the war? All I have is his name and that he was a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve, and joined up 1942/43.
I have a photo of him in uniform, but the cap does not have a ship's name on it.
I know roughly some of the places he was, including Malta and Ceylon.
A couple of things puzzle me, in that he was also inland in Belgium (he had had to learn Flemish beforehand (??)), and also inland in France during the Normandy landings. (a naval officer on land??)
He was in cypher. Would that have anything to do with it?
He died 26 years ago so no problem with him being a living relative(!)

Cheers
Annpa

[bleckie]

Hi Annpa
Could he have something to do with what in modern parlance would be "signals" 2sneeky Beeky stuff", this would explain why he was on land during the normandy landings olso why he had to learn flemmish, try and obtain his service record from the MOD.

your aye

Brucel

[Currie]

Hello Annpa,

Was he wearing an officer’s cap in the photograph? I don’t think they have space for a name. I think also they may have banned the wearing of ship identification onshore during the war for security reasons.

Try the London Gazette. It contains information regarding promotions of Officers, awards etc. It may be the best way to start http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/Advanc ... ype=London

Also see this National Archives page re RNVR Officers' Records
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cata ... fletID=152

The Navy List
RNVR officers were first included in the Navy List in September 1903. The official Navy List, published from 1814, contains much information of value to the naval historian and genealogist alike. During the two world wars much of the usual information was omitted from the published editions of the Navy List and confined to confidential editions for service use only. This series Confidential Navy Lists (ADM 177 ) together with a complete set of published Navy Lists can be found in the Open Reading Room at The National Archives.

Service Records 1923-1958
These records are held by Navy Search, TNT Archives Services, Tetron Point, William Nadine Way, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 0PB (telephone: 01283 227913; email: navysearchpgrc@tnt.co.uk

According to the veterans-uk site: Prior to 1972 all Royal Navy personnel were given their service record when they were discharged. For pension purposes the Royal Navy retained pay details. Therefore the only data held on Royal Navy personnel who served prior to 1972 is their Service details (number, rank, name etc) and a list of dates and ships/shore bases.
http://www.veterans-uk.info/service_rec ... cords.html

I suppose that would include RNVR. If the full record hasn’t been kept by the ex-serviceman and passed on then it makes things difficult for anyone doing research.

It’s a bit difficult to speculate on what he may have been involved with during WW2 as all sort of thing were happening which were not made public. Some of these could easily have involved naval personnel on land if the situation demanded it or if a particular specialisation was required that was not otherwise readily available.
Hopefully, once you find out a bit more about him there may be a clue as to what it is he was up to.

Hope this helps,
Alan

[annpa]

Thanks all.

I'll have to ask my brother if he has the service records - he was the executor. otherwise, it's going to be a long trog.

One of my older cousins had some theories as to what my father was up to, but unfortunately, they appear to be only that - theories. Putting 2&2 together and coming up with ??

I'll try all your suggestions, thank you

cheers
annpa

[Beckenham1]

The National Archives are in the process of publishing Naval Officers' Service Record Cards and Files.
You can search and download over 5,000 selected officers' service records, recorded on cards and files, for men and women serving in the Royal Navy, Royal Naval Reserve, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and Women's Royal Naval Service. These records, held by The National Archives in the series ADM 340, generally detail an individual’s time as an officer recording a chronological list of ships served on, rank, training undertaken and promotions attained. At present the only cards available to download are(pieces 1 – 150). They hope to release the balance of service records held in files during 2012.

try:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... ueryType=1

Regards, Jim

[carlineric]

You will be familiar with the Enigma machine and Bletchley Park, what is not as well known is how the information was sent to the commanders in the field. Unfortunately a relative has borrowed my copy of "Voices of the Codebreakers" which gives details. The information was sent to Services Liason Units with a junior officer in charge of say a sergeant and some men who did the decoding and the officer then passed the information direct to the field commander. The make up of the group was intentional so as not to arouse suspicions about their activities. This often lead to the commander's adjutant demanding he take the information himself and not some junior officer. A quick message to London and a deflated adjutant with his tail between his legs would admit the officer to see the commander.


Eric

[Montrose Budie]

For straightforward security reasons ships' names did not appear on caps during WWII. That included shore establishments, i.e. so-called stone frigates.

mb

[Beckenham1]

A sub-lieutenant is the most junior level of officer.

Officer's have NEVER had ship names on their caps; thats for the lower ranks only.

Jim

[StewL]

Hi Bleckie
I could pretty well gurantee he was into the sneaky beaky stuff
There were different means of getting information into the field, by messenger, morse, or even voice communication. But voice communication would have taken too long to transmit and would be very prone to error. Just one letter wrong and the message is useless.
As for the junior ranks in the field decoding the message, they most probably never even saw the result, they just did the slow typing.
As for the officer giving the message personally to CO, this is because it was classed as a secure hand delivery, which has certain protocols attached.