JOSEPH FISHER, born in Tipton in 1878
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES:
21 January 1878 His birth certificate shows his birthplace as 133, Park Lane West,
Tipton, Staffordshire.
1881 Census Aged 3 and living with his parents and younger brother, Charles, at 16
Waterloo Street, Tipton, Staffordshire
On 26 February, 1895 he joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry at Woolwich, London
(advancing his age by 2 years to do so!) and served in the Chatham Brigade until, as his
"Parchment Certificate" shows, he bought himself out (for £20! ) on 8 April 1904.
During his service he took part in the Boer War earning the Queen's South Africa Medal
On 14 June 1904 he had an examination for the Metropolitan Police in London. His
address was given as 7 Marshfield Street, Poplar, London. He joined on 18 July 1904in “R” Division.
On 3 April 1905 he married EMILY CHARLTON, (born in 1883 and died around 1906
in LONDON, the daughter of Nicholas Charlton)
He was awarded the Metropolitan Police Coronation Medal in 1911.
On 3 August 1913 he married ELIZABETH CHARLTON, (born on 21 October 1894 in
Newcastle, the daughter of Nicholas Charlton, and sister of his first wife.)
In 1914, following the outbreak of World War 1, he was recalled on 5 August 1914 to 
the Chatham Division of the Royal Marines. A brief summary of his service is given in the "National Roll Of The Great War 1914-1918. Initially he served in Belgium and
France earning the "Mons" Star. Later, as part of the Royal Naval Division he took part in the Dardenelles Campaign Not recorded in the "Roll" is the family story that when
his brother, Charles, was wounded at Gaba Tepe in his back to safety.
He was later invalided home from the Dardenelles and, after recovery, served as a gunner on "armed liners" for the remainder of the war. It is not clear whether "armed liner" in this context means an "armed merchantmen," e.g. a merchant ship armed with a single gun largely against submarine attack or an "armed merchant cruiser" which would typically be a requisitioned passenger liner converted into an auxiliary cruiser for the Royal Navy.
Amongst his papers is a pencilled account of pay received for unloading the "Afghan
Prince" in August 1918 together with a newspaper clipping concerning that ship’s
stranding on rocks off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Information
about the "Afghan Prince (2)" was found on the "Red Duster" website
pages relating to the "Prince Line" of Newcastle indicating, amongst
other things, that she was built in 1903 by Short Bros. at Sunderland and on
30th July 1918 was wrecked near Cape Gabarius on the coast of Nova Scotia. The
website also has a picture of the "Welsh Prince", a sister-ship.
It
is clear that the "Afghan Prince" could not have been an "armed
merchant cruiser" but it might have been an "armed merchantman"
with Joseph as a member of the gun-crew. On the other hand, it might just
be that his own ship happened to be in harbour and he seized the opportunity to
earn a few dollars "on the side"!
For
his war service Joseph Fisher was awarded the 1914
("Mons") Star, the British War Medal 1914-1920 and the Allied Victory
Medal 1914-1920. [Popularly known as "Pip, Squeak and Wilfred"]
On
his demobilisation in 1919 he resumed his police service on 17 February retiring on 22 July 1929 with a clock and a
pension of £153 13s 5d per annum! A description of him at that time was also recorded.
He
died in August 1951 in Lewisham, London and is buried at Plumstead Cemetery,
London.
