Royal Navy Service Records - Handwriting to decipher!

[goclimbbrancusi]

Hello all,

I have a lovely Royal Navy record belonging to my aunt's grandfather, which I'm hoping to introduce to her next weekend. I thought I was pretty good at deciphering old writing, but these two bits on the record have flummoxed me!

I was wondering if anyone could cast an experienced eye on them and give me their opinion?

heather grandad unclear writing.jpg

The top sentence might say "(tick) Shore on ?????" and is under the section 'If Discharged, whither and for what cause', right at the end of his service record.

The second sentence is something like "If this man ???? apply for ???" and is under the Character & Ability column (again at the end of his service record).

Any help I'd be very grateful!!
(oh and if if the image doesn't work please also let me know)

Thanks,
Cat

[goclimbbrancusi]

In fact having just looked at it on the post, do you think the first sentence might say "Shore on demob" ? Presumably they'd be demobilising at this point, as the year this is written is 1919!

[Olde Crone Holden]

If this man AGAIN apply for C H...

OC

[clematised]

I agree with all findings but looking at the elipse drawing above the arrow, could it possibly be a picture of a submarine or similar the two marks above so suggesting that the person be considerred for a position if applied again.

Just a thought

Edna

[AlanC]

I think the bottom section says "if this man rejoins apply for C H C"(?).....................an ex RN man should be able to help.

[merleyone]

I think the last comment reads "if this man rejoins apply for C & a", but the ampersand is the variant form of a plus sign written with a down stroke for the upright and a loop then from the upright to the cross stroke which continues to the letter 'a', and might suggest that the man's Character and Ability needed more space than available to record.

merlayone

[grumpy]

The comments are 'Shore on demob "and If this man rejoins apply for C & A (character and ability).

David (ex navy)

[goclimbbrancusi]

Thank you very much all! I agree definitely with what's been said on the last couple of replies - cheers! Sometimes you just need a fresh pair of eyes, and unfortunately none of my ancestors have RN records, so it's all rather new to me!

David, as an ex navy man, would you have any idea why they'd have noted he apply for C&A if he rejoins? Is it as merleyone suggested, that lack of room meant there was more noted down somewhere that would have needed checking out?

Thanks again all!

Cat

[Uncle John]

Perhaps his service history was a bit dubious, but with nothing proven.

[grumpy]

Cat,
Not positively but thinking about the problem, I'd suggest that it is also possible that the remarks were meant for a new recruiting authority as his record may have not been

all that clean but they didn't wish to commit their comments to paper.

Whilst it is possible for a rating to peruse their service certificates, there was (in my day) a confidential assessment kept of enlisted personnel which was kept under lock and key

which the persons assessing officer was in charge of. Unfortunately it was possible for an assessing officer to be a bit lazy and just put in the remarks 'ditto'thus blighting a record

for ever.

David