Leading Seaman Robert William Ralph Peto Royal Navy

The Man   Robert William Ralph Peto was born on 20th May 1900 in Winchester, Hampshire and lived at 18 St. Swithin Street with his parents William, a Bread Baker and Rose nee Ralph.  Interestingly it seems that some of his relatives lived at number 17, James, Sarah and Reginald Peto.  Little is known about Robert, except that by 1911 he was living at 96 The Crescent in New Town, Eastleigh with his mother who had re-married, William having died in 1903 at the young age of 38, and his step father Henry Yarney and step brother Albert Henry Yarney.  On leaving School Robert became an Errand Boy and was too young to see service during the early part of World War I, but enlisted into the Royal Navy as a Boy II Class with service number J46513 on 25th November 1915, aged 15, serving in His Majesty’s Ships Impregnable and Gages.  He was promoted to boy 1st Class on 1st July 1916 and saw the next year in HMS Monarch.  
He was promoted to Ordinary Seaman on 20th November 1917, and on 20th May 1918, he formally enlisted into the RN for 12 years and promoted to Able Bodied Seaman.  He was described as 5’.3” tall with brown eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion.  On 15th September 1918 he saw service in HMS Victory I, followed by Vernon.  At the end of the War he was awarded the 1914-18 British War and Victory Medals.  He remained in the Navy until his service expired being promoted to Leading Seaman in June 1919.  He saw further service in HMS Excellent, Dolphin, Iron duke, Dauntless and Wisteria as well as re-postings aboard some of his earlier ships and at Dartmouth.  During the third quarter of 1920, aged 20, Robert married Elsie Amelia Campbell in Portsmouth and they had three children, Robert William Junior born in 1922, Edna Joan 9th April 1924, and Margaret Rose - later a hairdresser 1933.  On leaving the Royal Navy Robert transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve with number PoB 17559, and also joined the Civil Service working for the Admiralty.  It seems he may have been posted to Bermuda to work as he and the family returned to the UK aboard the SS Bayano, part of the Messrs Elders and Fyffes Shipping Line, arriving at Avonmouth in Bristol on 17th August 1949; sailing again for Bermuda on 2nd November aboard the Empress of Australia.  On 17th April 1935 Robert was awarded his Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service &Good Conduct Medal.  His job in the Admiralty was described as Master Rigger and his address at the time given as 24 Belgrave Street, Southsea.  No further detail is known except that Robert retired from the Home Civil Service, as a Permanent Chargeman of Riggers in Portsmouth during June 1961 aged 60. He died on 22nd May 1967 aged 67 in Portsmouth, Elsie surviving him by seven years died in 1974. 
The Story   A single Imperial Service Medal purchased on 30th April 1978 from a coin fair for the princely sum of £6.00.  It sat in this collection for 34 years, unresearched until 2012 when the London Gazette and Ancestry.UK enabled Robert’s brief biography to be put together, thus at least partially enabling his  long forgotten details to be made available.  During 2014 Robert's Granddaughter made contact via this web site, and on 19th September 2016, 38 years after the Imperial Service Medal’s acquisition, contact was made from a gentleman who offered Robert's Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service Medal for sale.  Naturally this was acquired and thus becomes the first 'reunification' of a split group within this collection.  It also led to further research from Ancestry and a link to the National Archives web site, where it was discovered Robert had been in the Royal Navy during World War I and his service sheet was available.  This allowed an expansion of Robert's biography, including the fact he is also entitled to the British War & Victory Medals, thus this now, sadly, becomes a broken group.  
SS BAYANO
Built by Alexander Stephen & Sons Glasgow,
Yard No 464
Port of Registry: London
Propulsion: Steam
Built: 1917
Ship Type: Passenger Cargo Vessel
Tonnage: 6788 grt
Length: 425.5 feet
Breadth: 54.2 feet
Owner History:
Elders & Fyffes Ltd London
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 06/01/1956
Remarks: Broken up at Ghent.
Previous update by Paul Strathdee
Photo supplied by Harris of Swansea
Last updated: by George Robinson from the original records by Stuart Cameron
With thanks to the Clydebuilt Database
Copyright http://www.clydebuiltships.co.uk and http://www.clydesite.co.uk
Medal Details
  • Royal Fleet Reserve Long Service Medal:  J,46513 (PO, B 17559) R.W.R.PETO. L.S.R.F.R.
  • ​Imperial Service Medal: ROBERT WILLIAM RALPH PETO       
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Page last updated   15 Nov 16