A Dartmouth MITCHELMORE family

 

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 HMS Vivid II, the Devonport depot, as an Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th Class.

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 HMS Vivid II at Devonport.

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.
(In Jan 1913, the 26,270 ton battlecruiser HMS Lion had become the flagship of the First Battlecruiser Squadron, commanded by Rear-Admiral David Beatty.)

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 HMS Vivid II.

5 Oct 1919

Posted to the Sviatogor, an ice-breaker captured from the Bolsheviks.

13 Feb 1920

Returns to HMS Vivid II.

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 HMS Vivid II.

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 HMS Vivid II.

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.

  

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