My daughter has begun research on our family tree. She has found some documents on ancestry.com. My Grandfather, Joseph Paul Allen, was in WW2 in the Pacific. His Enlistment card shows his rank, at his discharge date, as an “FM 1/c”. He Served for just over 11 Months and according to my father, was blown off 3 ships. Having served myself in the Army for 30 years, I am assuming the 1/c means First Class. What I cannot find, is the FM abbreviation. I am under the assumption. It is Fireman’s Mate. Any and All help would be appreciated if I can find out what the abbreviation means, and what boats that he may have been on.
Given the length of his enlistment I would go with "Fireman" but the "1/c" is new to me. (I'm retired USN, and was a FN (Fireman) as I went up the ranks.)
Sir, thank you for the quick response. On his draft card, as I had previously mentioned, he was in the Navy from 2 DEC 43 - 16 NOV 44. The only info I found was the “F” for Fireman. I also know the word “Mate” is used after a lot of their titles. Having Served 30 years myself in the Army as a 19K, Abrams Tank Crewman, PFC is Private First Class. So, the ‘1/c” I am assuming is the same. I am not sure where to look on this forum, as I am a newbie. But I would like to know what boats he served on. My father has told me stories of him having PTSD, and would get frustrated with my grandmother when he saw hair in the sinks around the drains. he had told me stories from my grandfather about when he was blowing off the ships with the other service members hair being all over his face and head and in the water. I was born in 67 and he passed in 72. I vaguely remember him , but I am wanting to change that by conducting research on him. Also, as a fellow service member, he deserves that.
I found this ship manifest for October 1944. I don't think F1c refers to rank or position. It looks as though he was discharged for "Inaptitude". I'm not quite sure what that means, nor do I know what F1c refers to. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me can help.
With eleven months active duty he would be a "Fireman, First Class" if promotion was at the usual rate. I was a Fireman 1c in 1969 for three months, fast tracked due to particular skills that were need. (If you put a mosquito at one hundred yards and told me to shot an eye out I'd ask you "which one, right or left". Came in handy. Your father could have worked in the main engine rooms, the boiler rooms, or worked on auxiliary equipment anywhere on the ship. It was usually hot, hard, and dirty work, but the ships wouldn't function without us. You can find fuller descriptions here: HyperWar: Destroyers--Enlisted Billet Descriptions (NAVPERS 16,486) Those are WWII positions but I can verify not a lot changed in the intervening 25 years.
I don't think it was a ship. According to this site, I think it was a place in the Admiralty Islands. Navy Numbers
Firemen were the engineering ratings, including electrians, plumbers, machinists, etc., so they would be found on shore installations as well and ships.
Phraseology is problematical when it comes to military lingo. The bottom level is some Ricky Recruit who fakes it when he can't figure out what to put on a form. (My mother got TWO KIA-BNR* letters for me.) *Killed In Action/Body Not Recovered.
