30 May 1889

Augustus joins the Royal Navy at the age of 26 as a Skilled Shipwright under the Official Number 148924, signing on for 12 years continuous service. He is credited with  1 year 58 days merchant service towards his Good Conduct Badges.

He is said to be 5 ft 5½ in tall with auburn hair, dark blue eyes and a fair complexion. His previous occupation is given as shipwright.

His first posting is to HMS Indus, flagship of the Admiral Superintendent at Devonport.

Re-rated as Shipwright.

Posted to HMS Magpie on her first commission on the Cape and West Coast of Africa station.

(The composite steam gunboat HMS Magpie, 805 tons, was launched at Pembroke Dock on 15 Mar 1889. She became a boom defence vessel in 1902 and a depot ship in 1915.)

Granted first Good Conduct Badge (three years service, including previous merchant service)

Augustus’s wife's occupation is recorded in the census as "husband RN".

Augustus is still serving in African waters when his brother, Nathaniel Walter Mitchelmore, dies at Dartmouth.

Promoted to Carpenter’s Mate.

To HMS Vivid II, the RN shore base at Devonport.

To HMS Impregnable, training ship and flagship at Devonport.

Returns to HMS Vivid II.

Granted second Good Conduct Badge (eight years service).

Appointed to the warrant (officer) rank of Acting Carpenter. His rating’s service record states: "Promoted to Actg Carp; vide Midsr97 Ledger, HMS Renown". This suggests he was serving in the battleship HMS Renown at the time of his appointment.

(The 12,350-ton HMS Renown, built at Pembroke Dock, had been launched on 8 May 1895 and was completed in January 1897 when she was passed into Reserve. She was commissioned in June 1897 for the Jubilee Review before going to the North America Station as flagship. The review at Spithead on 26 June consisted of a line of ships 30 miles long, including 21 battleships.)

To HMS Cambrian, then refitting at Devonport before joining the Cruiser Training Squadron.

(The Astraea class cruiser Cambrian, 4,360 tons, was built at Pembroke Dockyard, where she was launched in 1893 and completed the following year. She served in the training squadron 1899-1900.)

Appointed to HMS Curacoa, tender to HMS Northampton in the sea-going Boys’ Training Squadron on the Home Station.

(Curacoa was a 2,380-ton steam corvette launched by Elder at Glasgow in 1878.)

To HMS Cleopatra with the Training Squadron.

(HMS Cleopatra was another 2,380-ton corvette built by Elder, who launched her in 1878.)

In the probate of his sister Emily's will, his occupation is given as "carpenter in RN".

To HMS Retribution on the North America and West Indies Station 1902-04. She was laid up in the Firth of Forth in 1904 after being paid off on 30 September 1904. Augustus returned to Vivid, the Devonport depot, until March 1905.

(The 3,400-ton Apollo class cruiser HMS Retribution was built by Palmers at Jarrow and was launched in 1891. Sold in 1911.)

 Confidential report by Capt Lyon describes Augustus as ‘v zealous and hardworking - strongly recommended’. There is a caveat, however, from the C-in-C Vice Adm Archibald Douglas, who adds: "Condition of ship does not justify VGIs [Very Good Inspections?]".

Capt Lyon provides another good report on Augustus, commenting on his mechanical drawing.

To HMS Trafalgar, which was in the Reserve Fleet at Devonport April 1905 to May 1907.

(The battleship HMS Trafalgar, 12,590 tons, was laid down at Portsmouth in 1886, launched in 1887 and completed in 1890.)

Capt Lyon describes Augustus as "most excellent, strongly recommended".

Posted to HMS Cornwallis, then with the Channel Fleet. She went to the Atlantic Fleet in 1907 and underwent a refit at Gibraltar January-May 1908.

(The 13,745-ton Duncan class battleship HMS Cornwallis was built by Thames IW and commissioned at Chatham in February 1904. She was torpedoed and sunk in the Mediterranean 9 Jan 1917.)

The battleship HMS Montague, a unit of the Channel Fleet, is wrecked on Lundy Island, where she is broken up. Augustus participates in the attempt to salvage her.

 (The 14,000-ton HMS Montague was proceeding to a fleet rendezvous during dense fog in the Bristol Channel during the night of 30 May. Her commander, Capt Thomas B S Adair, considered it of prime importance to arrive at the rendezvous point at the appointed time and he pressed on through the fog, relying on dead reckoning. At 2.12am the ship ran ashore on the Shutters, a ledge of rock running out from Lundy. Despite long and costly efforts to refloat her, she became a total wreck.

Over several months some salvage of the ship did take place. The Liverpool Salvage Company managed to remove her big guns and many fittings before the ship was abandoned. The guns were lifted by the use of sheerlegs after the top plates of the turrets had been removed. The salvage vessel Plover was involved in the work.

Both Capt Adair and his navigating officer, Lt James  H Dathan, were criticised for the loss and found to have been negligent. Adair was severely reprimanded and dismissed his ship; Dathan was also severely reprimanded, lost two years’ seniority and dismissed his ship.)

Their Lordships express their satisfaction at the work performed by Augustus during the attempted salving of the HMS Montague.

Capt Charles Coke reports: "Zealous and very efficient; much above average. Specially recd. Distinguished himself in salving the Montague".

Capt William L Grant reports: "Most zealous and capable in all respects.Slight build but good health ...".

Capt Grant adds: "Excellent officer. Great zeal and ability, judgement and tact. Slight but active ...".

To HMS Nile with the 4th Battleship Division in special reserve at Devonport with a nucleus crew.

(The battleship HMS Nile, a sister ship of HMS Trafalgar, was launched at Pembroke Dockyard in 1888 and completed in 1891.)

Returns to HMS Cornwallis (Capt Robert H Anstruther), which is stationed in the Mediterranean from August 1910 to June 1912.

Capt Anstruther reports: "Excellent Carpenter, v zealous, hardworking, capable and tactful"

Capt Anstruther adds: "Zealous, diligent & tactful with men. Thoroughly good W.O. in every respect."

Capt Anstruther reports: "Exceptional Carpenter. Keen & scientific boat designer"

Appointed Chief Carpenter.

On the books of HMS Majestic for service in HMS Hannibal, which had recently completed a refit.

(HMS Majestic was the parent ship for reserve battleships at Devonport, where HMS Hannibal was in the Third Fleet. The Majestic class HMS Hannibal was completed at Portsmouth in 1898.)

Described by Capt Frank Ryan, then commanding HMS Cornwallis, as "most able & zealous".

Posted to Hong Kong for service at Kowloon Dockyard, working first in HMS Tamar and later in HMS Triumph.

Commodore Robert H Anstruther, now naval officer in charge at Hong Kong, describes Augustus as "very trustworthy, able and zealous".

To HMS Tamar again.

Appointment to Hong Kong dockyard extended by a year.

Confidential report describes him as "above the average, capable & zealous. Careful in dealing with stores".

Leaves Hong Kong in the SS Khyber, arriving in the UK on 3 June.

(The 9,114-ton Khyber was a P&O ship built by Cammell Laird at Birkenhead and launched in 1914. She was used on the route from England to India and the Far East until she was scrapped in 1932.)

Posted to HMS Attentive II for store and repair duties with the 6th Destroyer Flotilla, Dover Patrol.

Admitted to Chatham Hospital with an abrasion above his left eyebrow. Declared fit for duty 7 days later.

Appointed Shipwright Lieutenant.

A confidential report states: "Satisfactory above the average. Most loyal & capable officer in every way. Has his staff well organised & can always be depended on in an emergency. Done valuable work in DoverPatrol".

The award of his MBE is announced in the London Gazette "for valuable services in carrying out repairs to vessels of the Sixth Destroyer Flotilla". The full recommendation from the Vice-Admiral Dover Patrol, Sir Roger Keyes, read:

For constant good work in carrying out repairs to vessels of the Sixth Flotilla. This officer has had an exceptional amount of repair work caused by enemy action and collision casualties and by his energy and zeal has on many occasions reduced the periods of vessels being out of action. I fully concur with Capt Tomkinson’sremarks. The high state of efficiency of the Dover Patrol destroyers is due in large extent to the good work of Shipwright Lieutenant Mitchelmore

[Capt Wilfred Tomkinson was the captain in command of destroyers at Dover.]

Invested with the MBE at Buckingham Palace.

Retires from the Royal Navy, aged 56.

Augustus receives his silver British War Medal for service in 1914-18. The Admiralty medal roll confirms this was his only campaign medal for the First World War.

Augustus is promoted to Shipwright Lieut-Commander on the retired list.

Following the death of Augustus, an obituary outlining his distinguished career appears in the London Times.