Royal Navy Records

ROY M · Post by **ROY M** » Wed Feb 18, 2009 1:27 am

I recently got the service records of a relative from the National Archives. He was in the RN and the RFR from 1902 to 1921. This is an actual copy of his record, all hand written. At the top between his name and physical description is written " PIC371514 ". Does anyone know if this might refer to a photograph and if so where these would be archived.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 11:40 am

Hello Roy,

I keep reading that prior to 1972 all Royal Navy personnel were given their service record on discharge and that only the basic details were retained which is probably what you have. http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... 91355.html

I don’t know whether mug shots were taken of R.N. personnel at the time of WW1 and earlier although I think it unlikely. I have seen a few photos that certainly look like mug shots. But even if there were I really don’t think there would have been much sense in keeping them in a separate archive when they belonged on file.

This is the description of the records given by the National Archives but I can’t see anything useful there. http://userdoc.ancestry.com/userdocstor ... Q4=.boards

Is this the type of record, see the writing under the surname. It looks a bit like what you’ve described but doesn’t look like it would be a reference to a photo unless he’s written it with his feet. http://userdoc.ancestry.com/userdocstor ... Q4=.boards

So I’m none the wiser as to what it means unless it’s something to do with rank or branch or a discharge certificate. If no one comes up with an answer here it may be worth trying the 1914-1918 forum linked above.

All the best,
Alan

Post by **emanday** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 3:25 pm

Currie wrote:I keep reading that prior to 1972 all Royal Navy personnel were given their service record on discharge and that only the basic details were retained

When my husband came out in 1984 he was given his service record. After serving for 24 years it was quite a sizable file

.

Some of it made hilarious reading! As a young sailor his behaviour reports etc... seemed to vary depending on which ports the ship had called at during that draft

Thankfully, as the years passed and he got more responsibility as his rate improved (up to Chief Petty Officer) his behaviour was most often described as "excellent"

ROY M · Post by **ROY M** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 6:32 pm

Hi Currie and emanday
Thanks for your replies. Currie I can't get your last two links to open it's says access forbidden.
I've put the document on the gallery ( I think ) so you can have a look, I could also do with help to decipher what the payments at the bottom of the sheet were for.

http://talkingscot.com/gallery/displayi ... ?pos=-1777

Gallery URL added - AndrewP

Post by **emanday** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 7:42 pm

It looks as though he received contributions towards to his uniform and bedding, etc... costs.

My husband used to have to pay, by way of a deduction from his pay, for his uniform and he had to pay the cost of laundering (done by the "chinkies" - no offence meant, but that IS what the on-board, usually chinese laundry staff WERE called).

Lovely bunch they were too! The best chinese food I have ever tasted was done by them as a treat for wives visiting the ship on a Sunday when our other halves were stuck with Sunday duty in home port.

Currie · Post by **Currie** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 3:36 am

Hello Roy,

Sorry about the links. The first one I must have fumbled the copy and paste and I think it should be http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/docu ... ervice.asp

The second one is the right one but isn’t now working for me either. I think it was to one of the two jpg attachments to this thread (if it works) http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forum ... pic=116631 Yesterday they were showing as thumbnails rather than just links. Maybe only registered members can see them?

And further down the thread there’s the answer to your question, that I obviously didn’t get as far as when I first skipped through it but at least I guessed that it may have been something like that.

“PIC 364627 - Number of the Protection and Identity Certificate issued to him on being demobilised.”
“The number on the PIC has nothing to do with the man's number. They were just sequentially numbered certificates torn from a pad. His service number (or official number) by which he was identified was J.73960 (which would have been entered in the appropriate place on the PIC. Few PICs have survived.”

As to the entries on the form I can’t add anything to what Mary has posted but there’s some info about War Gratuities in the 1914-1918 forum thread.

Love Chinese food,
Alan

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Sat Feb 21, 2009 8:27 am

Mary
As an ex sailor RAN, I can back you up on the term "chinkies" we had similar on our ships when deployed "up top" it was never meant in a derogatory way, just that now the PC brigades decry everything and anything

ROY M · Post by **ROY M** » Sun Feb 22, 2009 1:07 am

Hi Currie.
Thanks the links worked this time. There was a lot of good info on that forum.
Thanks to everyone for your help on this.

q98 · Post by **q98** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 11:34 am

Ex-RN sparker here. In the Persian Gulf in the late 60s, we used to call them "dhobie-wallahs", probably because we were closer to India than Asia. Washing powder was known as "dhobie-dust", talcum powder was "foo-foo", butter/margarine was "slide", a cool drink was "goffer", and so on.

StewL · Post by **StewL** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 10:45 pm

Jim Deoderant was RN Dhobie in the RAN

, we used the term dhobie for general bathing, cleaning, Dhobie wallah was mainly used in Singers by those posted there- ex RAN Signalman

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