TOPIC:

Hello, this is my first visit so please excuse me if I am in the wrong area! Can anyone tell me please what role HMS Naiad played between 19 March 1901-12 Sept 1902? I have recently discovered a great uncle serving aboard her. His name was Young F (boy)and his medal role QSA(0)ref206.81 1.He went on to become an able seaman and served aboard HMS Neptune between Sept 1914-July 1916. I would love to find out more. Thank you, Deb

Hello Deb and welcome.

HMS Naiad was a 2nd class Cruiser commissioned at Portsmouth 19/3/1901 and deployed on the Cape Station from 27/4/1901-30/11/1901. Her first deployment was to replace HMS Thetis as guardship at St Helena. After acting as guardship at Port Elizabeth she reverted to that role at St Helena for a time. Her next deployments were at Simonstown and then Mossel Bay where she relieved HMS Beagle as guardship. A small landing party was sent ashore to relieve HMS Beagle's landing party.

Following a report of Boers in the area, in October 14 Royal Marines were landed to defend the small port of Hoetjes Bay. Again following reports of Boers in the area, in November 130 crew landed and marched to Vredenburg. Although most returned when it was realised that this force wouldn't be able to defend the town an officer and 30 men with two Maxim guns stayed behind to guard the local area. Shortly afterwards Captain Bethell and 125 crew plus a field gun and two maxims landed and again marched to Vredenburg but the Boer commando reported in the area had already moved away. Naiad sailed for the Mediterranean at the end of November.

133 members of the crew, including F. Young, received a no clasp QSA indicating that they did not serve ashore in South Africa. 117 who did serve ashore received a QSA with clasps Cape Colony and South Africa 1901.

I hope this helps.

Regards

David

Deb,

Welcome to the forum.

If you have his service number for the Great War, we can have a look to see if there are surviving service papers.

Kind regards
David

Good Morning David and Deb.....

Would his not have been the same.....

His number in the BW (Naiad) was: 206.811 or later they would have used 206811

Mike

Good evening David and Mike,

Thank you for the welcome. I managed to get a copy of Frederick Young's service record after searching for him for years!

Mike is correct the service number was 206.811.

Fred was invalided out of the Royal Navy in Nov 1916. Diagnosis was Hemiplegia!

FASCINATING - THANK YOU SO MUCH

Deb