Great War and Second World War original Royal Navy documents to Stoker 1st Class S.J. Elson, Royal Navy, who came from Torquay, Devon, and saw service between July 1917 and September 1945. In the first war he was on convoy escort duty aboard the cruiser Berwick, and having originally enlisted for war service, then joined for regular service in February 1920. He received his long service medal in July 1933 whilst aboard the aircraft carrier Eagle, and was still with her just prior to the outbreak of the second war when in the Far East, but was back home on the outbreak of hostilities. He then saw service out of Swansea aboard the mine destruction vessel Bushwood between August 1940 and October 1941, with the battlecruiser Renown during late 1941, with the destroyer Onslaught on convoy protection duties between June 1942 and February 1943, and was with the submarine depot ship Forth from August 1944.
Royal Navy Parchment Certificate of Service, as issued to: Sydney James Elson, covering his service between July 1917 and 8 September 1945.
Royal Navy Parchment Qualifications in Stoker Ratings Sheet, issued to Elson, dating through to September 1927.
Royal Navy Certificate for Hurts and Wounds, issued to Elson on the occasion of his being injured when ‘working on watch on Distilling Plant’ on 9 June 1924, ‘having his right hand caught in pump’.
The above all contained in their original envelope.
Condition: Fair condition for age and use.
Sydney James Elson was born on 23 June 1899 in Torquay, Devon, and having worked as a general labourer, with the ongoing Great War he then joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class (Devonport No.K.44065) with Vivid II on 13 July 1917, and was posted aboard the cruiser Berwick from 28 September 1917, being aboard he when rated as a Stoker 1st Class on 19 June 1918. Berwick was then employed with the 4th Cruiser Squadron on the North America and West Indies Station and patrolled for German commerce raiders as well as providing convoy escort. Elson was posted back to Vivid II from 20 August 1918, and shortly after the end of hostilities was posted to Attentive II at Dover on 3 December 1918 for service aboard the minesweeping trawler Pug, and remaining with her until 14 May 1919 when he was demobilised ashore.
He however rejoined on 3 February 1920 when posted to Pembroke II, and from November 1922 to July 1923 he was with the destroyer depot ship Woolwich and serving variously aboard the destroyers Searcher, Sardonyx, Scimitar and Scout. He was with the depot ship Diligence at Constantinople when he injured himself on 9 June 1924, having his right hand caught in pump whilst working on watch on Distilling Plant. This was a piece of ship's equipment used to produce fresh drinking water from sea water by distillation. He suffered lacerations and a fracture to his fingers and was subsequently issued a Royal Navy Certificate for Hurts and Wounds on 14 June 1924.
Having spent time aboard the destroyer Seabear between March and October 1926, and the destroyer Stormcloud between January 1927 and October 1929, he was aboard the battlecruiser Renown between April 1931 and June 1932, and was aboard the aircraft carrier Eagle from November 1932 to August 1934, during which period he was awarded the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal on 9 July 1933, and appointed to Acting Leading Stoker whilst aboard her on 18 February 1934. Elson was then back aboard Eagle and out in the Far East from January 1937 to August 1939, he being a part of the ship’s crew who exchanged off her at Hong Kong, and he then returned home to the Devonport accommodation ship Drake, being with this establishment on the outbreak of the Second World War.
Elson was still with Drake when pensioned on 1 April 1940, but owing to the war, was immediately returned to service as a Pensioned Stoker 1st Class with Drake on 2 April 1940. He was then posted to Lucifer, the Royal Navy base at Swansea on 31 August 1940 for service aboard the mine destruction vessel Bushwood, but was posted back to Drake from 13 October 1941, and then aboard the battlecruiser Renown from 18 November 1941. With Renown he saw service with the Home Fleet but was posted back to Drake from 1 January 1942, and then joined the depot ship Tyne on 10 June 1942 for service aboard the destroyer Onslaught being a part of her first crew on commissioning. She saw service with the 17th Destroyer Flotilla as part of the Home Fleet, and participated in convoy escort duties. Posted back to Drake from 12 February 1943 and then joined the submarine depot ship Forth from 13 August 1944, he served with her until released from service on 8 September 1945. Entitled to the British War Medal and Victory Medal, and the Royal Navy Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, he presumably also gained entitlement to the 1939-1945 Star, Atlantic Star, Defence Medal and War Medal.
