Royal Navy ERA 4th Class

[24140817 Eric The Viking]

This is my first post so please excuse me if I get it wrong. I have two questions 1. I amd trying to identify the insignia / badge that would have been worn by my late father-in-law whilst he served in WWII.

His service record details him as being an ERA 4 (Engine Room Artificer class 4) can anyone post an image of what insignia or badge he would have worn on his uniform to denote his job within a ships company?

2. Detailed in his service record are various names of "Ships" he served on, I realise some of these are shore based locations but can anyone tell me which ones were actual ships.
Drake - Raleigh - Ferret (Barbados) Eaglet (Barbados) - Golden Hind - Penguin - Tamar (Woodcock) - Nabcatcher - Tamar (Barbados) ?

Thank you

Eric

[Bill A]

Hello Eric, welcome to the Forum. Your account is active and open for posts.
You should have some answers to your enquiry shortly.

[Raymond Gilbert]

http://www.naval-history.net/WW2aaRN...nks-Badges.htm. If you scroll down you will find the ERA ones.

Raymond

[Fatboy Ken]

Hiya Eric,

Image of my father Tony Blake (age 19) 1943:- PO HMS Enterprise
And
Cap Badge of Engine Room Articifer

Dad RN ERA 4.jpg

PB041323.jpg

Hope this helps you


FBK

[24140817 Eric The Viking]

Many thanks to Fat Boy Ken and Raymond for your replies getting somewhere now cheers.

On his Certificate of Service it lists (somewhat abbreviated) various locations can anyone shed light on the list in my initial post. I know some of them are shore bases / training loactions but which ones are the actual ships he served on (if any)?

Cheers

Eric

[navyfred]

Eric,

Welcome to the forum. ERA's were highly technically trained and so carried a rank equivalent. However their uniforms did not usually have trade badges as such. As an ERA4 he would have worn a plain Petty Officer style jacket and trousers with a red cloth cap badge as per the illustrations kindly provided by FBK.

The 'ships names' that you have listed all seem to be shore establishment around the world. However it is possible that he was posted on secondment to ships. At a guess it looks like most of these bases had a Fleet Air Arm link so he may have been an aircraft specialist. His role may not have had the glamour of some but he played a vital role in keeping the whole show going.

Regards
fred

[24140817 Eric The Viking]

Again many thanks - with a bit more scrutiny and google searches the ships he severed on were HMS Barbados and and HMS Woodcock a sloop and a frigate. Just interesting to add meat onto the bones of his WW2 exploits or as he once described it "chasing pirates on the China seas" Thanks again to all for your help in answering my questions.
Eric

[Jim Maclean]

As an ERA4 he was a Petty Officer and would wear the appropriate uniform. Artificers in general did not wear branch badges. The red cap badge would have been worn by ERA5 and apprentices, in fact the badge would more accurately be described as for "men not dressed as seamen" which would be class I and III uniforms. This would include apprentices, 5th Class Artificers and Writers, Stewards, SBAs etc.

As to the ships, well google will have to be your friend for the details but I'll give you a few pointers.
Ferret, Egret and Tamar were shore bases and were the pay authority for the actual ship he was on-Barbados.
Raleigh is/was a shore base at Torpoint.
Drake was an accommodation ship at Devonport, it is now the Fleet Accommodation Centre.
The rest you should be able to find on Google.

Hope this helps a bit.