1883-1885

Sidney Sandoe entered the Royal Navy as a boy entrant at Devonport, HMS Impregnable.

This is HMS Impregnable in 1896, formerly HMS Howe, at Devonport since 1888.

Sidney’s HMS Impregnable was the former HMS Implacable, at Devonport 1862-1888.

Boy entrants drilling on HMS Impregnable.

1885

Sidney served on HMS Royal Adelaide while waiting for his first posting, while she was on harbour duties at Devonport. Left, HMS Royal Adelaide near Plymouth in 1850.

HMS Royal Adelaide was finally hulked for accommodation at Chatham

1885-1888

HMS Thunderer, ferrying replacement crews between Malta and Corfu, and artillery training.

Picture from the Illustrated London News 1877

Sidney was promoted to Ordinary Seaman in Aug 1886

HMS Thunderer at Malta in 1889 (bottom left).

1887

HMS Cruiser, a sailing training ship in the Mediterranean 1866-1890

A coloured lithograph 1880

1888-1890

HMS Excellent, the School of Gunnery at Portsmouth

The hulks of HMS Excellent and HMS Calcutta. Undated painting, probably 1860s

HMS Excellent was moving ashore to Whale Island while Sidney was there.

1890

Sidney spent part of this time at HMS Vernon, the Torpedo School on the old gun wharves in the dockyard.

A 1919 postcard showing the dockyard and gun wharves across the harbour from Gosport.

Gun Wharf Quays shopping centre today.

1890-1894

HMS Melpomene in the Pacific, with RN Pacific Squadron at Valparaiso, then with the US Revenue Services Bering Sea Patrol during the seal poaching dispute

1894-1896

HMS Pembroke (Chatham) and HMS Wildfire (Sheerness).

Hulks used for living quarters: HMS Pembroke, HMS Royal Adelaide, HMS Forte (left to right).

Promoted Leading Seaman July 1894 and Petty Officer 2nd Class in 1896.

1896-1897

HMS Anson to Hong Kong

Hong Kong looking towards the Chinese mainland, “HMS Anson sitting in the foreground in the bay” (Life Magazine, photo 1897, from an auction catalogue)

White superstructure, distinctive masts.

The crew of HMS Anson in 1897 – is Sidney there?

1897-1900

HMS Swallow to the West Indies, Montevideo and Rio de Janeiro.

Left, at Sheerness soon after launching in 1885

HMS Swallow at Montevideo (advert for Beechams Pills in the Illustrated London News Dec 1889)

1900-1902 HMS Pembroke

Promoted Petty Officer 1st Class in Jan 1901.

Group photo 1900 – is Sidney there?

1901

HMS Edinburgh, the harbour tender at Sheerness.

1902-1904

HMS Robin, a river gunboat, patrolling the West River and Pearl River (the Sikiang) from Hong Kong and Canton, after the Boxer Rebellion.

By this time Sidney had met Annie Barber (1877-1926) and he carried this small photograph with him while on HMS Robin.

The West River at Canton

1904-1906

HMS Pembroke (Chatham) and HMS Wildfire (Sheerness)

Left, the first Admiral’s Inspection of the new RN Barracks at Chatham about 1903. Sidney should be there somewhere.