Ronald Ernest Beard / 5/5/1916 /Cook in the Royal Navy during WW2

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by Sambeard2603, Feb 7, 2019.

  1. Sambeard2603

    Sambeard2603 New Member

    Hello, I have recently researched my great grandfathers service records to see what I could find out and it turns out I found out pretty much everything I could possibly find out and my gran and grandad are chuffed to bits, especially as we believe he may now be awarded a medal for his service on the Russian convoys. They have started awarding medals for people involved In this fairly recently.

    Anyway, I’m here to find some more information, perhaps someone who has photos that might include my great grandad.

    I will leave below the timeline we have made for him and if you believe someone related to you may have been on the same ships, let’s get in touch and share what we have.

    Here’s his timeline :

    Ships served on

    Shore Establishment

    Ship

    From

    To

    Notes

    Royal Arthur


    4 Dec 1940

    9 Jan 1941

    Cosham, near Portsmouth. Training camp for ratings

    HMS Royal Arthur (shore establishment) - Wikipedia

    Drake


    10 Jan 41

    17 Jan 1941

    Devonport – training

    Raleigh


    18 Jan 1941

    4 Aug 1941

    Torpoint, Cornwall – Training

    HMS Raleigh (shore establishment) - Wikipedia

    Note that 44 sailors and 21 Royal Engineers were killed when a German bomb hit the air-raid shelter they were in at Raleigh on 28 April 1941 – your greatgrandad would have been there then.

    Drake


    5 Aug 1941

    1 Dec 1941

    Devonport – training (he was promoted to Cook (S) – senior?)

    Tyne

    HMS Punjabi

    3 Dec 1941

    5 May 1942

    HMS Tyne was a depot ship - HMS TYNE Depot Ship – he must have been attached to the Tyne, but posted to HMS Punjabi.

    HMS Punjabi was a destroyer, and was sunk in a collision with HMS King George V during an Arctic Convoy to Russia on 1st May 1942. 49 crew were killed. See HMS Punjabi, destroyer for more details including the Russian Convoys it participated in

    Drake


    6 May 1942

    8 June 1942

    Devonport (he would have had survivors leave during this period so would have gone home for a week or so

    Skirmisher


    9 June 1942

    23 Nov 1942

    Milford Haven – shore base. Was associated with Royal Navy coastal craft, including minesweepers

    Drake


    24 Nov 1942

    8 Feb 1943

    Devonport

    Orlando

    Beagle

    9 Feb 1943

    (this is on two lines in his record – not sure why)

    4 June 1943

    HMS Orlando was a shore base and gunnery school at Navy House, Greenock, Scotland

    HMS Beagle was a Destroyer which served in the English Channel, but then went to Freetown (Sierra Leone) in West Africa from Feb-June 43. See HMS Beagle, destroyer

    Ferret

    Panther

    5 June 1943

    30 June 1943

    HMS Ferret was a shore base at Londonderry, Northern Ireland

    HMS Panther was a Destroyer. During this period (June-Oct 43) she was in the Aegean (eastern Mediterranean), supporting attacks on German held islands in Greece and supported the landings in Sicily. On 9th October, after being attacked by German dive bombers, she sank in the Scarpanto Strait. 33 men were killed.

    HMS Panther, destroyer

    Victory III

    Panther

    1 July 1943

    9 October 1943

    As above (Victory III was another shore base)

    Drake


    10 October 1943

    12 Dec 1943

    Devonport – another survivors leave

    Raleigh


    13 Dec 1943

    9 Feb 1944

    Torpoint, Cornwall

    Drake


    10 Feb 1944

    23 March 1944

    Devonport

    Gadwall


    24 March 1944

    19 May 1944

    This was RNAS (Royal Navy Air Station) Gadwall. It was a Fleet Air Arm base in Belfast. It is now Belfast City Airport - George Best Belfast City Airport - Wikipedia

    Drake


    20 May 1944

    31 May 1944

    Devonport (I think this may have been a weeks leave between postings)


    Malaya

    1 June 1944

    14 May 1945

    HMS Malaya was a battleship that participated in WW1 (Jutland). By 1944 she was being held in reserve, but did participate in the bombardment of Ile de Cezembre off St Malo in France in September 1944. HMS Malaya, British battleship, WW2

    Vernon II


    15 May 1945

    16 May 1945

    Shore base in Portsmouth

    Drake


    17 May 1945

    24 July 1945

    Devonport (leave?)


    Roberts

    25 July 1945

    4 Jan 1946

    HMS Roberts was a Monitor. In July 1945 Roberts departed the United Kingdom for the Indian Ocean to support Operation Mailfist, the planned liberation of Singapore. She was near Port Said at the time the Japanese surrender on 15 August, but was not recalled until 11 September by which time she had reached Kilindini Harbour in Kenya. She eventually reached Plymouth on 22 November

    HMS Roberts, RN monitor, WW2

    Drake


    5 Jan 1946

    22 March 1946

    Devonport – and demob


    WSI on the page refers to War Service Increment – pay increase.
     
  2. James Harvey

    James Harvey Senior Member

    Apply for his arctic star via mod medal office
     
  3. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    As James says apply for a medal and they will yes or no after looking at his record and seeing if he falls inside the criteria - Apply for a veterans badge or a medal

    Medals: campaigns, descriptions and eligibility
    The Arctic Star is awarded for operational service of any length north of the Arctic Circle (66, 32 N) between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. The Arctic Star commemorates the Arctic Convoys that sailed to North Russia in support of the Russian allies.
    To apply for the Arctic Star, you must have:
    service of any length either afloat or as part of land operations north of the Arctic Circle in the army, Royal Navy, Merchant Navy, and RAF ground crew
    service of any length as RAF aircrew who landed or served in the air north of the Arctic Circle
    approved civilians who served in support of military operations north of the Arctic Circle

    I can see why he became a cook -
    1939 England and Wales Register
    Name: Ronald E Beard
    Gender: Male
    Marital status: Single
    Birth Date: 5 May 1916
    Residence Year: 1939
    Address: Pose Cottage Claycombe
    Residence Place: Stroud, Gloucestershire, England
    Occupation: Baker & confectioner
    Schedule Number: 114
    Sub Schedule Number: 3
    Enumeration District: ODQG
    Registration district: 327-2
    Household Members:
    Name
    Herbert W Beard
    Evelyn N Beard
    Ronald E Beard
    Gerald H Beard
    Ailker E Beard

    TD
     

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