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26th Nov 1888
- Born Lincoln, England
17th Sept 1904 -
Volunteered for 12 years service, aged 15.
Boy
II/Boy I
Sept 1904-Oct 1905 -
HMS
Ganges, Boys training establishment, Harwich, England.
Boy
I
Oct-Dec 1905 - HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham, England.
Dec 1905-Jan 1906 -
HMS
Repulse, battleship of the "Royal Sovereign"
class, (completed 1884, 14,100 tons, 4-13.5in and 10-6in
guns, broken up 1911). Serving in Home waters.
Jan-May 1906 - HMS
Hawke, large cruiser of the "Edgar" class,
(completed 1893, 7,350 tons, 2-9.2in and 10-6in guns,
torpedoed and sunk in North
Sea by German U.9, Oct 1914). Serving as Boys Training Ship
in 4th Cruiser Squadron on North America and West Indies Station; paid off Aug 1906.
May 1906 -
HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham, England
May-July 1906 -
HMS
Argonaut, large cruiser of the "Diadem" class,
(completed 1900, 11,000 tons, 16-6in guns, broken up 1920).
Apparently in reserve at Chatham until June 1906 when started refitting for
Special Service.
Boy
I to Signalman to Qualified Signalman
Aug 1906-Sept 1908 -
HMS
Cadmus, sloop of "Cadmus" class (last of long
line of sloops retaining some sail power; completed 1904,
1070 tons, paid off at Hong Kong 1920 after spending entire
career on China Station). Serving on China Station.
Sept- Dec 1908 -
HMS Crescent, large cruiser of "Edgar" class
(completed 1894, 7,700 tons, 1-9.2in, 12-6in guns, broken up
1921). Part of Portsmouth Division of Home Fleet 4th Cruiser Squadron (until 1913).
Dec 1908-Mar 1909 -
HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham.
Mar-May 1909 -
HMS
Actaeon, shore establishment
May-Aug 1909 -
HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham.
Aug 1909-Jan 1910 -
HMS
Minotaur, large cruiser of the "Minotaur" class
(completed 1908, 14,600 tons, 4-9.2in and 10-7.5in guns,
broken up 1920). Serving with 1st Cruiser Squadron, probably
in Home
Waters until early 1910.
Jan 1910 -
HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham.
Jan-Mar 1910
- HMS
Hyacinth, light cruiser of "Hermes" class
(completed 1900, 5,600 tons, 11-6in guns, broken up 1923).
From Feb 1907 as Flagship East Indies Station; recommissioned
at Bombay in Mar 1909 and then paid-off at Chatham in Mar
1911. Serving on East Indies Station at this time.
Mar-May 1910 -
HMS
Philomel, light cruiser of "Pearl" class
(completed 1891, 2,575 tons, to RNZN 1914, sold 1947,
scuttled off New Zealand in 1949). Commissioned at Portsmouth
in July 1909 for East Indies Station, returning in 1913.
Serving in the East Indies.
 right
- HMS Fox
May-July 1910
- HMS
Fox, light cruiser of the "Astraea" class
(completed 1896, 4,360 tons, 2-6in and 8-4.7in guns, broken
up 1920). Left Devonport in June 1908 to relieve light
cruiser "Highflyer" in East Indies, recommissioning at Muscat, Gulf of Oman in July 1910. Probably left ship
there.
July-Aug 1910 -
HMS
Alert, steel screw sloop of "Alert" class
(schooner rigged, completed 1895, 960 tons, 4-6in guns, sold
1926); fleet messenger ship, believed on East Indies Station
Sept 1910-July 1912 -
HMS
Fox, light cruiser (as above). After recommissioning at
Muscat in July 1910, served on East Indies Station until recommissioning again at Aden in July 1912.
Took part in capture of
Persian Gulf gun-runners on 25th March and 11th July
1911, and 10th February 1912. Paid a gun-running
gratuity, 3rd November 1915
July-Aug 1912 -
HMS
Hermione, sister ship to "Fox" (details as for
"Fox", except broken up 1921). Serving with 4th
Division, Home Fleet so believed in Home waters.
Signalman
to Leading Signalman
Aug-Dec 1912 -
HMS
Pembroke, shore base, Chatham.
Dec 1912-Jan 1914 -
HMS
Hecla, destroyer depot ship (ex-"British
Crown", launched 1878, 6,400 tons, 4-12 pdr guns.
Originally torpedo depot ship and played important role in
developing British torpedo forces).
1914 Chevron awarded
Jan 1914-Apr 1915 -
HMS
Woolwich, destroyer depot ship and HMS Forester,
destroyer of "Acheron" class (launched 1911, 780
tons, 2-4in guns and 2-21in torpedo tubes, sold 1921). Joined
1st Flotilla around 1911-12 and part of Home Fleet from Aug 1914 until 1916. Possibly
with 1st Flotilla as part of The Harwich Force, commanded by
Commodore Tyrwhitt.
28th Aug 1914 -
HMS
Forester took part in the Battle of the Heligoland
Bight and was possibly involved in the sinking of German destroyer
V.187.
1915 Chevron awarded
Apr-June 1915 -
HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment
Leading
Signalman to Yeoman of Signals
June 1915-27th Mar 1916
- HMS Dido, destroyer depot ship and HMS MEDUSA, destroyer of "Medea" class
(launched 27th Mar 1915, completed July 1915, 1,000 tons,
3-4in guns and 4-21in torpedo tubes). Joined Harwich force.
28th Oct 1915 - Awarded
Naval General Service Medal with Persian Gulf 1909-14
clasp
3rd November 1915 - Paid
gun-running gratuity for captures made in 1911/12
1916 Chevron awarded
25th March 1916 -
Harwich Force of light cruisers and destroyers
screened "Vindex" for a seaplane attack on the
Zeppelin sheds near the island of Sylt off the North Sea
coast of Germany. "Laverock" accidentally
rammed "Medusa" amidships, leaving her with an
enormous hole in the engine-room and had to be taken in
tow by flotilla leader "Lightfoot". They were
only 40 miles from Heligoland and as "Medusa" was towed north to join the
cruisers, were bombed for a number of hours by German
seaplanes. Weather worsened with heavy seas and violent
rain-squalls alternating with snow. Towing was reduced to
6 knots - (quote) "with the seas breaking over her ("Medusa") as she lay over at an appalling
angle .... looked more like a half-tide rock than a
ship". They met Admiral Beatty's battlecruisers, but
were too close to German forces and the weather was
getting even worse. The tow parted and the decision made
to abandon ship at 10.00 pm in pitch darkness. Most of "Medusa's" ship's company (including Yeoman of Signals
George Smith) were
saved by destroyer "Lasso".
Mar-Apr 1916
- HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment
Apr-May 1916 - HMS
Woolwich, destroyer depot ship and HMS Forester,
destroyer (details as above). Possibly with 1st Flotilla as
part of Harwich
Force, until Spring 1916
when attached to 3rd Battleship Squadron believed to consist
of old pre-Dreadnoughts of the "King Edward VII"
class serving with the Grand Fleet based at Scapa Flow.
May-Dec 1916 -
HMS
Dido, destroyer depot ship and HMS Forester
(details as above, including presumed service with 3rd
Battleship Squadron).
Dec 1916-June 1917 -
HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment.
1917 Chevron awarded
June 1917-5th Dec 1918
- HMS
CASSANDRA, light
cruiser of "Caledon" class (launched Nov 1916,
completed June 1917, 4,120 tons, 5-6in guns). Joined 6th
Light Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet from June 1917; with sister ship
"Caradoc" ran aground on Fair Isle on 15th Aug 1917
and towed to Lerwick for repairs. Then in Nov 1918 to the Baltic to be sunk by mine in the Gulf of
Finland on 5th Dec 1918 with 11 dead. Numerous offensive and
defensive minefields laid by the Germans and Russians in the
Baltic.
Yeoman
of Signals George Smith
awarded Distinguished
Service Medal for
bravery under fire while serving on the bridge during
operations against Bolshevik forces on shore
Dec 1918-Mar 1919 -
HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment.
Mar-June 1919 - HMS
Fox, light cruiser (details as above). From 1915 to 1918,
served in East Indies and Egyptian waters and then Red Sea,
but then paid off in Mar 1919.
20th May 1919 - War
gratuity paid; recommended for Chief Yeoman of Signals
 June-Oct
1919
- HMS Fox, light cruiser and HMS Borodino,
fleet messenger ship (Scrapbook VIII, Part 1 covers
service in these vessels in the North Russian
Expeditionary Force)
Oct 1919-Oct 1920 -
HMS
Vivid, signals shore establishment.
21st Jan 1920 -
Awarded Distinguished Service Medal.
20th May 1920 -
Paid Naval prize money
7th July 1920 - Awarded
1914-15 Star
Yeoman
of Signals to Chief Yeoman of Signals
right - HMS
Wolverine, sister ship to Vanquisher
Oct 1920-Jan 1922 -
HMS
Columbia, destroyer depot ship and HMS Vanquisher,
destroyer of the "V" and "W" classes
(launched 1917, 1,100 tons, 4-4in guns and 4-21in torpedo
tubes, broken up 1947). Possibly with Atlantic Fleet or based
at Rosyth. (Scrapbook VIII, Part 2
covers service in
HMS Vanquisher during a Baltic cruise)
August 1921 - Awarded
Victory and other war service medals
Jan-Nov 1922 -
HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment.
24th Apr 1922 -
Awarded Long Service Good Conduct medal
5th May 1922 - Paid
medal gratuity
20th May 1922 - Paid final
share of Naval prize fund
right - HMS
Curlew
Nov 1922-Oct 1925 -
HMS
Curlew, light cruiser of the "Ceres" class and
close sister to "Cassandra" (launched 1917, 4,190
tons, 5-6in guns, sunk by German air attack, Norway in May
1940). Recommissioned Nov 1922 for North America and West
Indies Station, and
escorted battlecruiser "Repulse" on 1923 World Tour by Prince of Wales accompanied by Lt
Louis Mountbatten.
9th September 1923 -
Photographed the six grounded United States
"Clemson" class destroyers that went ashore in
poor visibility in the San Francisco area (Scrapbook VIII, Part 3 includes these
photographs)
4th May 1924 - Paid
supplementary final share of Naval prize fund
Oct-Dec 1925 - HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment.
Dec 1925-Sept 1926 -
HMS
Britannia, Royal Naval College, Dartmouth
Oct 1926 - HMS Vivid
I, signals shore establishment.
Oct 1926-Aug 1928 -
HMS
Durban, light cruiser of "Danae" class
(launched 1919, 4,970 tons, 6-6in guns, scuttled as part of
Mulberry harbour off Normandy beaches, 9th June 1944).
"Durban" joined 5th Light Cruiser Squadron on China
Station in Nov 1921, but not known if there between 1926 and
1928.
Aug-Nov 1928 - HMS
Vivid I, signals shore establishment.
26th November 1928 -
Pensioned after 24 years service at age 40 and enrolled in Royal
Fleet Reserve until age 50.
1st January 1929 -
Discharged from Royal Fleet Reserve and enrolled in Royal
Navy Shore Signal Service (RNSSS).
1929- c early 1950's -
RNSSS
Service until after World War 2. Served in and later in
charge of such Shore Signal Stations as Dunnet Head and St Abbs Head in Scotland, Deal
(during the Battle of Britain), Flamborough Head (later in the war) and the Isle of Wight, all in England
June 1977 - Died Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England
Much
missed
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Main Sources
of Warship Information:
"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships,
1860-1905"
"Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships,
1906-1921"
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