9. A Life Fully Lived - Part 4

HMS WARSPITE - Queen Elizabeth-class battleship
3 September 1931 - 7 November 1933

HMS Warspite

Artist: Will C Cluett

The origins of the above painting and how it came into the possession of Lt Cross is unknown. It has regrettably incurred marks and damage over the decades, but it is said that Lt Cross spoke of HMS Warspite as his favourite ship, which may explain why this painting (11x7 inches) has survived at all.
An aspect which is intriguing to this embarkation is the Invergordon Mutiny which took place from 15-16 September 1931 - see links below:-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invergordon_Mutiny
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/thirties-britain/invergordon-mutiny/

Whether Mne. Cross was witness or spectator to this event we will never know, involved I don't think, because the mutiny was solely a sailors' mutiny within the Royal Navy and only affecting some ships.
Also mentioned in Wiki is that HMS Warspite "In March 1933 was rammed in fog by a Romanian passenger ship off Portugal, but did not require major repairs". (Wiki)
All of these events, the details of how it was experienced by a young Marine, will never be known.

HMS Dolphin - Royal Navy Submarine School, Gosport.

Lt. Cross was never a submariner, but his service record states his posting there from 20 November 1933 to 3 October 1934. It may be connected to his training and qualification at HMS Vernon, the shore-based Royal Navy Torpedo School in 1928, and further continuous training.

Gunnery Instructor

A lengthy period from 4 October 1934 to 20 November 1935 was spent as his 'home base' in Portsmouth. It culminated in Corporal Cross being selected for gunnery training and in qualifying for Gunnery Instructor on 23 July 1935. Upon qualification as Instructor he spent a period of three months instructing at the Sea Service Battery in Eastney, Portsmouth.

Note:- The rank of Lt. Cross at the time of the photo (course taken in 1935) is unclear. He attained the rank of Corporal in 1933, and of Sergeant in 1937, the NCO's (Non Commissioned Officers) in the photo below all appear to have Sergeant's chevrons on their sleeves, which may put a later date to these pictures. However, his Service Record states 'Passed for Gunnery Instructor' 23 July 1935.

Gunnery Instructors Course c1935.

Cross is 4th row 4th from the left.

Royal Marines Sea Service Battery c1935

Gunnery Sergeant Cross at Eastney, Portsmouth.

Three further pictures in his collection for which there is no timeline or any indication of where they were taken are the following:-

QF 12 pounder Naval Field Gun, used by Royal Marine's
up until World War II.

QF 18 pounder Field Gun widely used by British forces before
and during WWII.

Probably the breech of the Hotchkiss 3 or 6 pounder sub-calibre and it's protruding from the host gun's breech, the latter's breech block is sitting on the floor of the gun-shield to the left.
The Marines did man some of the main and secondary armament on warships. That one has taken the trouble to don ear protectors and they've summoned the aimer / trainer to his post (in whites to the left of the gun) would lend weight that the gun is being used and it's not a posed photograph.
(Credit: World Naval Ships Forums)

HMS Pembroke - Royal Navy shore base at Chatham, Kent.
21 November 1935 - 16 December 1935

This was a large shore base adjacent to the Chatham dockyard and most Royal Navy sailors and Marines passed through its gates at some stage before its closure in 1984. It had various barracks and accommodation facilities and was often the staging post for crews and sea-soldiers to gather before embarkation onto a ship. This too was the case with Cpl Cross because his record shows the name HMS ENTERPRISE in brackets behind the Pembroke entry. This indicates his imminent embarkation onto this Emerald-class light cruiser (D52). Enterprise had just had a major refit (Wiki) and so some excitement would have been felt by sailors and marines about to embark on her.

Cpl Cross was given time-off from Pembroke over the Christmas and New Year period, spending the time back in Portsmouth with his wife and only reported back to Pembroke on 23 January 1936, for what would be a lengthy time away - a period of more than two years.

8. A Life Fully Lived - Part 3

Marriage:-

According to his service records Lt Cross was back in Portsmouth by May 1928 having sailed from the China Station early in the New Year. His record also states that he spent the next 2 plus years based at the Royal Marines Depot in Deal, Kent. It is probably during this period that he met his future wife Amelia Cox, a local Deal girl. Wedding bells rang on 14 August 1930.

Courting, Milly (Amelia Cox) and Bert (William Cross) c1928

Walmer sea-front c1928

Wedding 14 August 1930 Walmer, Kent.

Marriage Certificate

The certificate bears the witness signatures of Henry Sharman Cox (Royal Marine retired) father of the bride and Frederick J. Cross, brother of the groom.

But it was not all romance and jollies, it was also a time of further training within the RM. An entry on his record states 'Controlled Mining Course' dated 22 June 1928 and was done at HMS Vernon, a shore base specialising in mining and explosives training. His service record states a 100% score rating and a VG (Very Good) rating for character.

Note:-

The mining course, if the date timeline is anything to go by, was done prior to his posting at RM Depot Deal.

During his time based at RM Depot Deal he also joined one of the fraternal organisations 'The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes'  (The Buffs) and became a member at their Per Mare Per Terram Lodge. This of course was a Lodge within the Royal Marines seeing as the name is the Royal Marines' motto - By Sea By Land.

'The Buffs' membership dated 16 May 1930

Promotion:-

He was back in Portsmouth by December 1930. Another milestone was reached on 16 May 1931 when Marine Cross was passed for the rank of Corporal. His service record states that he received his second Good Conduct Badge on 15 August 1931. However, by virtue of how the military machine 'works' the newly acquired rank was only bestowed upon him on 11 October 1933.

Note:
Some information on Good Conduct Badges
https://www.royalmarines.uk/threads/good-service-badges.44928/

Corporal - Certificate of Qualification

The following picture shows him wearing the rank on his right sleeve and close scrutiny of the photo reveals that the rank marking has been hastily affixed on a temporary basis for the sake of the picture. Corp. Cross is also wearing his dress uniform, neatly ironed and pressed and I suspect him holding his cap in his hands behind his back. It was often the done thing that with new rank markings on your uniform, a photo would be taken without headdress (cap) in order to fully show the face - for the benefit of those at home. Promotion is important and gratifying and any young man would like to send a picture home to share the achievement - in this case to his young wife Amelia.

Corporal Cross c1933 probably on-board HMS Warspite 

I surmise that the photo was taken on-board HMS Warspite because his record states that he was embarked on her from 3 September 1931 until 7 November 1933.

During his service with the RM a rating was continuously given on his service record regarding 'Character' and this consistently reads VG (Very Good) throughout his career. The period 1929-1933 his 'Ability' (Efficiency) is rated as Superior, clearly indicative of a confident young man comfortable with life.

7. China - pictures from the 1920's

Below are two images showing modern day Shanghai from the air, the idea being to focus on the area which was frequented by the Royal Marines in the 1920's and 1930's. Credits Google Earth.

Modern day Shanghai. See the pins on the picture for details. The Huangpu River and the former Bund area on the right.

Former horse racing circuit in the centre, where a Royal Marine contingent were probably encamped during the period of Marine Cross' deployment to Shanghai in 1926-28.

The Bund at Edward VII intersection (modern day Waitan at Yan'an Road), Shanghai, looking north from the old semaphore on the Huangpu River.

Credit unknown: Sourced from the Internet

Royal Navy ships on the Huangpu River, alongside The Bund, Shanghai. To the left HMS Wolverine (D78) and to the right HMS Verity (D63) and probably HMS Dauntless in the centre.

Coffins, empty I would think, being carted through Shanghai during the early disturbances surfacing in the late 1920's.

A very open air Shanghai scene - haircut anyone?

A tender with Royal Marine personnel, the emblem on the side is that of HMS Dauntless. Marine Cross is sat right in front on the prow. Location unknown, but possibly Hong Kong if the hills, shallow (warm) water and warm weather are anything to go by.

The following two pictures shows Hong Kong, easily identified by the profile of the hills in the background. Also of significance is the partly visual outline of HMS TAMAR, the former Royal Navy base in Hong Kong. HMS Tamar has a long history within the Royal Navy and a basic Google will reveal much. It was very well known by all who served in the China Squadron, sailors and sea-soldiers (Marines) alike.

HMS Vindictive in Hong Kong and the famous Peak in the background. HMS Tamar, the Royal Navy base in Hong Kong, was in its early days a former Royal Navy ship by that name. Part of the remains (still in use when this picture was taken) can be seen centre right.

Hong Kong and the Royal Navy base HMS Tamar (centre left) with the outline of the Peak in the background. Picture is taken from the porthole of a ship, name unknown. 

Walking in the footsteps of history .... seen through the eyes of a young Royal Marine in the 1920's.

His service record also states the award of his first Good Conduct Badge, dated 15 August 1926.

A notable occurrence during this period was the award of his Royal Marines Second Class Certificate of Education, dated September 1927. It was awarded to him whilst embarked on HMS Dauntless by Lieutenant Colonel R.M. Gardiner, President of the School Committee, on behalf of the Commandant. The small blue certificate measures 5 x 3.5 inches and has the stationery reference number R292. (Revised - Nov., 1915.)

For those with a keen eye to the use of punctuation refer the bold text above as found on the certificate. Wonderful!

Second Class Certificate of Education

6. A Life Fully Lived - Part 2

The first years of his service in the Royal Marines, which saw him sailing the Mediterranean Sea, was followed by what may have been one of, if not the most 'exotic' of deployments, to the China Station in Shanghai. The period of this deployment, February 1926 to May 1928, whilst embarked on HMS DAUNTLESS, saw a China awakening from isolationism and realising its potential as a nation-state in own right and by implication challenging the various colonial powers competing for the lucrative Chinese trading market.

There were at times trouble on the streets, skirmishes with colonial troops and a general awareness of budding Chinese nationalism. This period also saw the occurrence of the Wanhsien Incident (more later) on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Standing on parade at the Shanghai racecourse c1927.

Marine Cross is marked with the arrow. The imposing building with the clock tower was known as the China United Apartments, to the left is the unfinished YMCA residential building for foreigners, on the Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai. 

The China United Apartments on Bubbling Well Road, Shanghai 1920's.

The arrows and inscriptions were put there by me and used as aids to identify the previous picture.

Reference:-
*Virtual Shanghai*

The following photo is rare in the fact that it is not a postcard (which makes it unique really) and that it shows two vessels together of historical significance. The photograph can also be precisely placed on the Huangpu river which flows through Shanghai, a tributary of the mighty Yangtze. The photo shows HMS DAUNTLESS with the trader SS KIAWO, the latter being central to the uprisings and skirmishes on the upper Yangtze in the late 1920's.

Reference:-
*Wanhsien Incident*.

HMS Dauntless & SS Kiawo on the Huangpu river, Shanghai 1927.

Addendum

The above picture has great significance to this Blog, in that Lt. Cross was embarked on the Dauntless during the Wanhsien and various other incidents, in colonial China during the late 1920's. To have a photograph of the Kiawo alongside, obviously repaired and spruced up after her travails on the upper Yangtze during 1926, is significant from a historical perspective.

The original non-edited picture shows the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building to the left of the Dauntless' bow, which identifies the location of this picture to be The Bund on the Huangpu river, in central Shanghai.

A 22 year old Royal Marine witnessing world changing events, not that he realised it at the time, and here we are almost 100 years later putting picture(s) and events together, long after this sea-soldier had passed on.

I call it Walking in the Footsteps of History.

The collection of photographs and postcards in the album of Lt. Cross indicates a keen interest in his surroundings and experiences during his time spent in Shanghai. Pictures of warships, colonial style buildings, damage to property during trouble on the streets, to name the more numerous, are many.

View from where HMS Dauntless was moored, showing the central Bund area on the Huangpu river, Shanghai. The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation building on the right with Fuzhou Street between the two.

The upper (northern) part of the Bund c1927. HMS Dauntless was moored further to the left of this picture.

The following two pictures must also be indicative of where his RM (Royal Marine) service and duties, whilst deployed in eastern China, took him. My reason for saying so is that why would a 22 year old young man otherwise be in possession of them? It must have been a place he often saw, perhaps even billeted nearby as part of a Marine detachment, tasked with guarding the building during the many and various trouble spots all along the Yangtze river in the late 1920's. The pictures show the Jianghanguan (Hankow) Customs House, Wuhan, on the upper Yangtze.

Jianghanguan (Hankow) Customs House, Wuhan, on the upper Yangtze river. (Photo)

Jianghanguan (Hankow) Customs House, Wuhan, China. (Postcard c1927)

Below is a Google Earth view of the above picture, the yellow pin denoting the angle from where the above picture was taken. Amazingly the former Customs House building is still there and is a listed historical and cultural site protected at national level.

Reference:-
*Jianghanguan Building, Wuhan, Hubei province*

Google Earth view dated 3/2/2017; Jianghan (Hankow) district, Wuhan, Hubei province.

Once again walking in the footsteps of history, with a c1927 photograph showing the river view of the former Customs House and a postcard from the same period, and then a 2017 Google Earth view - history and technology marching side by side!

Some pointers to events in China during the late 1920's:-

• Britain, by her primacy in trade, appeared to locals the most evil of the 'foreign devils' and violent anti-British feelings were easily aroused.
• Detachments of Royal Marines were drawn from the China Station's larger ships and posted to the various concessions (trading posts) up and down the Yangtze.
• Sandbag protection (Sangars) for key points (like the Customs House above) were manned by small detachments of Royal Marines.
• During one major skirmish between British and communist backed Chinese forces, who tried to seize British owned trading steamers on the Yangtze, a few British servicemen were killed or wounded. This led to severe reprisals by the British "to put these bloody Chinks in their place". This was the quintessential gunboat diplomacy of the time. (Source: No Foreign Bones In China)
• These events and occurrences obviously reached the hallowed portals of Whitehall and were discussed in the British Parliament, as can be seen from official records.

Reference:-

*Hansard - British Parliament*

5. A Life Fully Lived - Part 1

He left the Nottingham home of his parents for the last time on Monday 5 February 1923, by nightfall he found himself in Portsmouth as a signed-up recruit of the Royal Marines. He was 17 years and 5 months of age. Until the preceding Friday he was a 'Puller on Hosiery' in a Nottingham factory producing stockings and socks. Life had certainly moved on for the young William Ernest 'Bert' Cross.

A period of in-house education and training followed for Private Cross, Po.21787 B Company, at his new 'home', the Royal Marines Portsmouth Division.

His full acceptance into the Royal Marines was secured upon reaching the age of 18, in August 1923 and the term Private gave way to the rank of Marine.

The first embarkation onto a ship, HMS Barham, for Marine Cross, occurred in May 1924. Life at sea as a Royal Marine saw him deployed to the Mediterranean, Mid and Far East over the next 20 years, serving on various ships. All will be told as this story progresses.

He finally returned to England in the summer of 1942 from his single longest deployment lasting three years. He was released from service in December 1945 and his commission of Lieutenant in the Royal Marines terminated in November 1950.

HMS BARHAM - Queen Elizabeth class battleship

12 May 1924 - 11 November 1925

Embarkation was in May 1924 and he witnessed his first 'Review of the Fleet' at Spithead in July, which for a newcomer to life at sea would have been a huge eye-opener. The Barham's records show that it sailed for the Med on 9 Sept 1924 and arrived in Malta 7 Oct 1924.

HMS BARHAM at Scapa Flow in 1917

(Credit: Wiki)

Mne. Cross Malta 1924/5

Watermark reads Grand Studio Malta

HMS BARHAM

At speed looking aft across a pair of 15" guns

The Med 1925

Visiting dignitaries. It is thought that the officer with the dark jacket between the two Royal Navy officers could be a member of the Greek monarchy, flanked by possibly Capt. Richard Hill on the left and Rear Admiral William Fisher on the right, both of whom served on HMS Barham in 1925.

The following photo is also part of his collection. It is documented that the Barham underwent a major refit from 1931-1934, unfortunately this picture has no date inscribed.

HMS Barham in dry-dock

A rare picture - HMS Barham c1924
The sign says "Orders taken now for boots or shoes made to measure. Boot stretching carried out at any time. Any requirements not in stock will be obtained as soon as possible. The Old Firm"

It is clear from the many pictures in his album that he was fortunate in those early years of his career to do some comprehensive 'sightseeing' sailing the Med. Place names inscribed on photos and postcards show Gibraltar, Malta, Lecce province in southern Italy, Palma Majorca, Valencia Spain, Sicily, Greece and the Greek Islands, Gallipoli and the Dardanelles etc. One has to remember that these were the inter-war years and much flying-the-flag would have been done by the Royal Navy as it sailed the Med.

Gibraltar as seen from the New Mole (South Mole) c1930

'Fleet Regatta' at Corfu (Greece) July 1925

The following three pictures from his album point to this event. Naval sources indicate that Royal Navy 'regattas' was a regular event whereby ships' crews and personnel would compete against each other in various physical activities - ship against ship so to speak. Sources indicate that in July 1925 there were four of the "Iron Duke" class battleships in the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet (Iron Duke, Benbow, Emperor of India and Marlborough). After the regatta BARHAM, on which he was embarked at the time, and Emperor of India visited Argostoli, Mudros, Thasos, Malta and then Gibraltar.

The inscriptions are as found on the pictures.

An Iron Duke class battleship off Corfu 

Rowing competition with seven boats

A mid-summer swim in the Med

The next picture is more evidence of their visitations all over the Med during his time aboard HMS Barham cruising the Med during the summer of 1925. The white border and sepia colouring of the picture is the same as the three pictures above, indicative of a family of pictures taken during the same timeframe. The picture has the inscription 'Port Pogon' on it which is the old name of the current Poros, an island to the east of the Peloponnese peninsula, Greece.

Looking south towards Port Pogon (Poros), with the hills of the Greek mainland in the background.

Zoomed in from the above;

the Greek Navy at Port Pogon (Poros) c1925. Moored are what is thought to be three Greek coastal defence vessels of the Hydra class of ironclads, probably Spetsai, Psara and Hydra.

Looking north towards modern day Poros, taken in 2014.

Fast forward to 2014

We travelled via Galatas on the eastern Peloponnese along the stretch of coastline that separates mainland Greece from Poros and the beauty is quite striking. Of course at the time we had no idea that I would be researching the military life and times of Lt. Cross, my father-in-law whom I never met. The modern day picture sadly showing the increasing mankind generated litter, in this case wrecked cars, spoiling the coast.

And without the litter ....

Poros 2014

4. Summary: Shore bases 1943-1945

This page covers his time from promotion to Royal Marine Lieutenant in March 1943 until the end of the war in 1945 and demobilisation in December 1945. I referred in a previous post to the anomaly of Lt. Cross skipping the rank of Warrant Officer (WO2 and WO1) in its entirety. It has been suggested and backs up my own view, that wartime promotions often occurred on a as-needs-be basis when circumstances so dictated. Being capable and experienced counted for much after 20 years in the Marines, including four years of war by 1943, having progressed through the ranks starting as a recruit.

HMS Dinosaur

Headquarters for tank landing craft training operations

HMS COPRA

Combined Operations Personnel Records and Accounts

The *COPRA* website defined its task as follows:-

"There were dozens of Combined Operations Training Establishments in WW2 which were primarily concerned with preparing Allied forces for the amphibious invasions of initially North Africa and later mainland Europe [Italy and France]. The crews of landing craft involved, the soldiers they carried and the RAF in support all required training singly and jointly as a unified force. It was an enormous undertaking involving hundreds of thousands of service personnel".

The shore-bound duties of Lt. Cross during his many and varied tasking's at COPRA, from soon after promotion to Lieutenant in March 1943, must be seen by keeping the above in mind. Some of the COPRA bases he served at were:-

HMS Westcliffe

HMS Excellent

HMS Turtle

HMS Robertson

All of the above had to do with training on LCG's (Landing Craft Gun) whilst the Allied forces prepared for assault landings in Sicily (July 1943), then mainland Italy and later the massive D-Day landings in Normandy (June 1944), France.

His Service Record does not show any direct combat involvement with any of these assault landings. It should be borne in mind that Lt Cross was by this time a decorated long serving member of the Royal Marines, wounded in combat at sea and almost 40 years of age.

He had the good fortune of spending Christmas 1944 at the Royal Marine base in Plymouth from where he sent this card to his wife Amelia.

Embossed on the front with the Royal Marine crest and a ribbon

For 1945 until the war's end in May 1945 (Europe) and September 1945 (Japan) he was seconded to further duties with COPRA in Wales and Kent.

He reported back to his home unit 'Royal Marines Portsmouth Division' in October for release from service in December 1945. His commission in the Royal Marines (the rank of Lieutenant) was terminated in 1950 upon his acceptance of a commision in the TA (Territorial Army) with the rank of Captain.

* * * * * * * * * * 

The next few posts, starting with Post 5, will be named 'A Life Fully Lived' telling and showing - with photos, pictures and cards - about his life and experiences sailing the seas as a Marine with the Royal Navy.

3. Summary: Ships and Shore Bases 1923-1943

This page covers his 20 years as a NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) from enlistment as a Private on 5 Feb 1923 to promotion as T/Lieut. (Temporary Lieutenant) on 31 March 1943. A short summary of known events is mentioned beneath some entries, this will be expanded with more detail in a following post.

From his Service Records it is clear that all deployments aboard ships would be followed by a period of land based service; training, further qualification, shore leave etc. Herewith a list of ships he served on and bases he served at including the date period. Short deployments to his home base at Portsmouth are not listed.

Portsmouth Division

5 Feb 1923 - 11 May 1924

HMS BARHAM (04)

12 May 1924 - 11 Nov 1925

HMS DAUNTLESS (D45)

2 Feb 1926 - 14 May 1928

Extended stay in Shanghai, China, after the *Wanhsien Incident* of Aug 1926. His direct involvement (if any) is not known.

Portsmouth Division

15 May 1928 - 2 Sept 1931. A lengthy deployment onshore. He married Amelia Cox during this period in August 1930 whilst posted to the Royal Marines Depot in Deal, Kent.

HMS WARSPITE (03)

3 Sept 1931 - 7 Nov 1933

Promoted to Corporal 11 Oct 1933

HMS DOLPHIN

20 Nov 1933 - 3 Oct 1934

Shore base; submarine / torpedo related training in Portsmouth.

Gunnery Instructor, Sea Service Battery.

Portsmouth Division

4 Oct 1934 - 20 Nov 1935

HMS PEMBROKE / ENTERPRISE

21 Nov 1935 - 26 Jan 1936

Large shore base and naval barracks at Chatham; gunnery school. Preparing to join Enterprise. Chatham is described in the following way:-

"Where you are just coming off a ship, preparing to join a ship; joining for a short time for courses or being accommodated whilst your ship is in the dockyard refitting".

(WNS) *World Naval Ships*

HMS ENTERPRISE (D52)

27 Jan 1936 - 4 April 1938

Evacuated the Emperor of Ethiopia, Haile Selassie from Djibouti in East Africa for passage to England.

Promoted to Sergeant 3 May 1937

Portsmouth Division

5 April 1938 - 28 July 1939

HMS DURBAN (D99)

29 July 1939 - 13 Feb 1942

War declared on 4 Sept 1939.

Ship bombed by Japanese aircraft during the attack on and evacuation from Singapore in Feb 1942.

HMS LANKA

Shore base at Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Rest and Recuperation from injuries after bombing of his ship

Portsmouth Division

29 Aug 1942 - 31 March 1943

Promoted to Colour Sergeant 13 March 1943

Promoted to T/Lieut. (Temporary Lieutenant) 31 March 1943

What is of interest regarding his last promotion in the Marines, is that he completely skipped the ranks of Warrant Officer (WO2 and WO1). I have as yet no explanation for that.

Addendum

As is the case with projects of this nature, new information and enhanced analysis is always a possibility, any such information will be added as and when available.