RNR identity cards

[Lorraine Murphy]

Hi Doc,
It is my understanding that the Royal Naval Reserves is the Merchant Navy (is this correct?)
All of his ADM papers from Kew, London state Mercantile Marine on the top. I have always been very confused as to what is what.
Looking at a page I have in my possession, with his appointments in the RANR, there are a few miscellaneous notations.
One in particular took my eye:
4/6/1917 - recommendation by ?/Commander Feakes for promotion and on 21st Feb 1918 WB Wilkinson qualified for a
Ship Marine Surveyor. He was then sent to Henderson Naval Base to observe currents and storms etc for 12 months. I have some of the work that was carried out over there pertaining to a new break wall etc at Cockburn Sound.
That photo that you may have seen with the three diving helmets on the foreground is it not a possibility that it could have been taken at Henderson???
I can upload a copy if you do not have it, let me know?
Thanks
Lorraine

[j.sabourn]

Which State do you live in Australia. As he held a commission the the RANVR during wartime, there will probably be some record of him in the Archives in the War Museum in Canberra. I had a Relative killed at singapore in 1942. Although in the British Army there was more info. there than what could be gleaned from the old British Ministry for war. Regards John Sabourn

[Lorraine Murphy]

Hi John,
I live at Terrigal, NSW but have not found much at the NAA. Is there an on-line search for the war memorial?
My aunt was killed in Singapore in 1942, Alice Gwendoline Wilkinson. She is supposed to have been commemorated at the Krangi War Cemetery but we couldn't find her. My uncle was Patrick Ormond Howard Wilkinson, a Lieutenant in the RN. After the sinking of his tug 'Ying Ping' in the final stages of the evacuation he was ordered to stay with another vessel that was having some sort of distress but they were torpedoed off the Banka Straits. His wife was on board and apparently died in his arms. As the Captain of the vessel was also killed, my Uncle had to resume responsibilty for the survivors. He,among others were taken prisoners by the Japanese and spent the next 4 years in various prisoner of war camps.
I have some sketchy info on my Uncle & Aunt but nota real lot. I have no idea where to look for that sort of info. We went to Changi but my Uncle was listed as deceased and she listed at all, so I presumed that the records were very incomplete.
This uncle is the son of my Grandfather that I am researching.
Regards, Lorraine Murphy