On 28 September 1895

Royal Navy Service

Eli Few

Compiled by Peter Gerard Few

FOREWORD

On 28 September 1895, at the age of 24, Eli enlisted in the Royal Navy for a term of 12 years. He re-enlisted on 28 September 1907 “to complete time for pension”.

Eli served on a number of ships during his long naval career, which spanned 26 years. He was a Ship’s Cook, rising to Leading Cooks Mate and Chief Petty Officer by the time he was demobilised.

During his career, Eli was involved in three significant and historical naval actions. The first of these was in June 1900, when he landed with the Naval Brigade in China, during the Boxer Rebellion. For his involvement in operations at Tientsin, he was awarded the China Medal, with a relief of Peking clasp.

During the 1st World War, Eli saw action, whilst serving on the HMS Bacchante, at the Battle of Heligoland Bight and at Gallipoli, during the allied expedition to the Dardanelles. HMS Bacchante received battle honours for both actions. It was at Gallipoli on 6 August 1915 when Eli was ashore with a beach party that he was wounded in operations at Kaba Tepe. He was hit by a “shrapnel bullet” (see Certificate of Wounds and Hurts below). It was while he was recovering from these wounds that he was given the walking stick that is still in the family today. The wound Eli received bothered him for the rest of his life. Eli was invalided at Chatham 30 April 1919 and on 12 May 1921 he was demobilised.

During his service in the R.N., Eli’s character and ability were generally described as being “Very Good” and “Good,” but during the first years of service, his first two Good Conduct badges were alternately being granted, deprived and restored. After his third good conduct badge was granted on 16 August 1917, he seems to have settled down and kept all three until the end of his term in the navy.

After he left the navy, Eli, who was nearing 50, returned to his trade of boot making and was living at Iver Villa, Iver, in Buckinghamshire, where he met the woman who was to become his second wife, Mary Marlow. Eli’s first wife’s name, Elsie, is penciled in on his service certificate, the marriage probably occurred after Eli’s enlistment in the Navy. It is possible that Elsie’s death coincided with Eli’s request for a shore posting on 3 December 1912, which is co-incidentally; the same period that Eli’s Service Record shows a decline in the performance of his duties.

The following is a transcription of Eli Few’s Certificate of Service:

First Entry in the Service	Ship	Date	Official Number
First Entry in the Service	Division, Chatham	28 Sep 1895	340 877

Date of Birth: 20 December 1873

Where Born: Parish Willingham,

Town or County: Nth Cambridge

Usual Place of Residence: Siccamore Villa, Willingham, Nth Cambridge

Trade brought up to: Shoemaker

Religious Denomination: C of E Group 15.

Boot Maker

Can Swim: Yes

Continuous Service Engagements							Medals, Clasps, etc.
Date of actually volunteering	Commencement of time			Period volunteered for			Date Received		Nature of Decoration
9 May 1895	28 Sep 95			12 years			29 May 02		China Medal
28 Sep 1907				To complete time for pension			13 Jan 19		Duplicate China 1900 medal, relief of Peking clasp
10 August 14				To complete time for pension			30 Oct 1922		1914-15 Star British War Medal Victory Medal
Description of Person		Stature			Colour of					Marks, Wounds
		Feet	Inches		Complexion	(Hair)		Eyes
On Entry as a Boy		-	-		-	-		-		-
On advancement to man’s rating, or on entry under 28 years		5	5		Dark	Dark		Grey		Nil
On re-entry for O.S. or for Non-C.S. after attaining 28 years		5	4 1/2		Dark	Dark		Grey		Small mole left arm

Name Eli Few Service

Ship’s Name	List and No.		Rating	From	To	Cause of Discharge
Victory	16	15.1	Act 2^nd Cks Mte	28 Sep 95	8 Nov 95	Rated
Victory	16	15.1	2^nd Cks Mte	9 Nov 95	10 Jan 96	Ganges
Ganges	5E	71	2^nd Cks Mte	16 Jan 96	12 Nov 96	Vivid
Vivid	15	7962	2^nd Cks Mte	13 Nov 96	1 Mar 97	Thunderer
Thunderer	5E	29	2^nd Cks Mte	2 Mar 97	31 May 97	Rated
Thunderer	5E	29	Cook’s Mate	1 Jun 97	1 Jul 98	Vivid
Vivid	-	-	Cook’s Mate	2 Jul 98	5 Jul 98	Grafton (?)
Blenheim	16F	23	Cook’s Mate	6 Jul 98	30 Sep 98	Barfleur
Barfleur	15	2	Cook’s Mate	1 Oct 98	7 Oct 98	Grafton
Grafton	5E	100	Cook’s Mate	8 Oct 98	21 Jul 99	Tamar
Tamar	15A	107	Cook’s Mate	22 Jul 99	28 Aug 99	Tweed
Tweed	16	54	Cook’s Mate	28 Aug 99	26 Jan 00	Tamar
Tamar	?	107	Cook’s Mate	26 Jan 00	29 Jan 00	Centurion
Centurion	15	286	Cook’s Mate	30 Jan 00	19 Sep 01	Paid off
Vivid	15	?	do	20 Sep 01	11 Nov 01	-
A. of Wellington	15	-	do	12 Nov 01	4 Mar 02	Vivid
Vivid	15	?	do	5 Mar 02	9 Mar 02	-
Impregnable	16	132	Cook’s Mate	10 Mar 02	8 Apr 02	-
Lion	16	423	do	9 Apr 02	23 Apr 02	-
Impregnable	16	132	Cook’s Mate	.. Apr 02

Feet

On Entry as a Boy

-