The Naval Service Record of
FREDERICK THOMAS NATHANIEL MITCHELMORE
The following information is mainly based on the beginning of Nat's service record, obtained from the UK National Archives (Records of the Admiralty, Naval Forces, Royal Marines, Coastguard and related bodies, ADM188/1021). (The remainder of his service record is still held by the Ministry of Defence.) Additional information has been kindly provided by the Royal Navy Museum, Portsmouth, and Richard Taylor, Secretary of the Naval Historical Collectors and Research Association.
9 Apr 1910 |
Nat joins the Royal Navy at the age of 26 as a Stoker 2nd Class under the Official Number M1747, signing on for 12 years continuous service. He states that he was born on 16 Mar 1888 at Dartmouth, Devon. Nat is said to be 5 ft 9 in tall, with a 37 in. chest, dark brown hair, dark blue eyes, a dark complexion and a scar at the rear of his left eye. His previous occupation is given as boiler maker. His
first posting is to
|
12 Jan 1911 |
Posted to HMS Hibernia. (The 16,350 ton battleship HMS Hibernia was at the time flagship of the Rear Admiral, Home Fleet, and in January 1912 became part of the Nore Division of the Home Fleet.) |
26 May 1911 | Confirmed as Engine Room Artificer 4th Class. |
23 Jan 1912 |
Returns to
|
30 Apr 1912 | Posted to the 14,100 ton armoured cruiser HMS King Alfred in the Second Fleet, and attached first to the 5th and then the 6th Cruiser Squadron. |
12 Feb 1913 | Returns again to Vivid II at Devonport. |
4 Mar 1913 | Posted to HMS Lion. |
8 Apr 1913 | Granted first Good Conduct Badge (3 years service). |
9 Apr 1913 | Promoted to Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class. |
28 Aug 1914 | HMS Lion joins the Grand Fleet and is immediately involved in the Battle of Heligoland Bight. |
24 Jan 1915 | In action off Dogger Bank, HMS Lion sustains damage from three hits, which flood the port engine room and stop the starboard turbines. HMS New Zealand, with Nat's cousin Enos aboard, takes over command. HMS Lion is towed to Rosyth by HMS Indomitable and undergoes temporary repairs before arriving at the Tyne for permanent repairs. On completion, she rejoins the fleet with the newly formed Battle Cruiser Force. |
1 Jun 1916 | In the Battle of Jutland, HMS Lion sustains serious damage after being hit by shells from the German warship Lutzow. Fire breaks out in the Q turret and the nearby magazine was only stopped from being blown up by an order to flood it from a fatally wounded Marine Officer. (Enos was also involved in this action.) HMS Lion returns to Rosyth for repairs, where the Q turret is removed. From 20 Jul 1916 to 23 Sep 1916, she goes to sea without the damaged Q turret. |
Nov 1916 | HMS Lion becomes the flagship of Rear-Admiral Pakenham. |
9 Apr 1917 | Promoted to Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class. |
1 Nov 1917 | Appointed as Acting Chief Engine Room Artificer II. |
17 Nov 1917 | HMS Lion involved in light cruiser action at Heligoland Bight. |
7 Apr 1918 | Granted second Good Conduct Badge (8 years service). |
15 Apr 1918 | HMS Lion participates in light forces raid on the Kattegat. |
9 Nov 1918 | Confirmed as Chief Engine Room Artificer II. |
6 Jun 1919 | Returns once more to
|
5 Oct 1919 | Posted to the Sviatogor, an ice-breaker captured from the Bolsheviks. |
13 Feb 1920 | Returns to
|
About 1920 | Awarded 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. |
13 Sep 1920 | Posted to the 28,500 ton battlecruiser HMS Tiger in the Atlantic Fleet's Battle Cruiser Squadron. |
16 Jan 1921 | Posted to 26,500 ton battlecruiser HMS Repulse, under refit at the time. |
13 Jun 1921 | Returns to
|
13 Aug 1921 | Posted to the 930 ton S-class destroyer HMS Tuscan and attached to the destroyer depot ship HMS Blenheim. |
12 Sep 1921 | HMS Tuscan attached to HMS Diligence, a destroyer depot ship for the 7th Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean. |
6 Feb 1922 | Signs up for a further period of service "to complete". He is now 5 ft 10 in tall and has a 40 in. chest. |
22 Jul 1922 | HMS Tuscan attached to HMS Egmont, the Malta naval base. |
1 Sep 1922 | HMS Tuscan attached to HMS Diligence again. |
9 Apr 1923 | Granted third Good Conduct Badge (13 years service). |
1 Jul 1923 | HMS Tuscan returns to HMS Egmont in Malta. |
12 Aug 1923 | HMS Tuscan attached to HMS Woolwich, a destroyer depot ship stationed with the reserve fleet at Devonport. |
12 Oct 1923 | Returns to
|
1 Nov 1923 | Promoted to Chief Engine Room Artificer I. |
3 Nov 1923 | Posted to the Devonport training establishment HMS Defiance. |
20 Feb 1924 | While at HMS Defiance, serves in the minelayer HMS M31 (renamed HMS Melpomene on 1 Dec 1925). |
16 Apr 1925 | Receives Long Service and Good Conduct Medals. |
27 Jul 1926 | Returns to HMS Vivid II. |
6 May 1927 | Posted to HMS Adventure. |
1 Dec 1928 | Posted to HMS Victory II at Portsmouth. |
2 Jan 1929 | Returns to HMS Vivid II. |
22 Feb 1929 | Lent to the battleship HMS Malaya, under refit at the time. |