robertb Posted 20 February , 2004 Share Posted 20 February , 2004 My grandfather served throughout the Great War on HMS Benbow as a stoker (1st class). He joined the RNVR in October 1914 and was demobbed in October 1919. Can anyone help with the whereabouts of HMS Benbow during this period? Thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Seymour Posted 20 February , 2004 Share Posted 20 February , 2004 HMS Benbow: Siegfried Breyer,Battleships and Battlecruisers 1905 - 1970 simply gives: Grand Fleet 31/5/16 - Jutland 19/8/16 - action against German fleet operations in North Sea. No doubt someone will have more information. Best wishes, David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hooter Posted 21 February , 2004 Share Posted 21 February , 2004 Conway's 'All the World's Fighting Ships 1906-1921' adds that Benbow joined the Grand Fleet on 10 December 1914 for service with the 4th Battle Squadron. She was flagship of Sir Douglas Gamble until replaced by Sir Doveton Sturdee in February 1915. In 1919 she went to the Mediterranean, providing gunfire support for White Russians in the Black Sea until 1920. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorts Posted 21 February , 2004 Share Posted 21 February , 2004 Hi, How good is Conway's book? I've got a copy of Jane's but often finding myself wishing for a list of actions undertaken by a vessel. For instance, can I ask what it says about HMS Theseus? Often I find it easy to find out where a vessel was serving but not what actions it took part in. Even a list of what vessels sank other vessels (or participated int he sinking) would be useful, e.g. HMS XYZ sunk U.123 by ramming 12/12/1?. Regards, Alex. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted 21 February , 2004 Share Posted 21 February , 2004 You'll find everything you need to know in these documents at the PRO. ADM53's are ships logs and ADM101's are medical journals Michael ADM 156/21 Court of Enquiry into bullying among junior officers of HM Ships; Sub Lieut A H H Doelberg RN and others; HMS BENBOW 1916-1917 ADM 53/35120 BENBOW 1914 Oct. 7 - 1915 Feb. 28 ADM 53/35121 BENBOW 1915 Mar. 1 - 1916 May 31 ADM 53/35122 BENBOW 1916 June 1 - 1917 Aug. 31 ADM 53/35123 BENBOW 1917 Sept. 1 - 1917 Sept. 30 ADM 53/35124 BENBOW 1917 Oct. 1 - 1917 Oct. 31 ADM 53/35125 BENBOW 1917 Nov. 1 - 1917 Nov. 30 ADM 53/35126 BENBOW 1917 Dec. 1 - 1917 Dec. 31 ADM 53/35127 BENBOW 1918 Jan. 1 - 1918 Jan. 31 ADM 53/35128 BENBOW 1918 Feb. 1 - 1918 Feb. 28 ADM 53/35129 BENBOW 1918 Mar. 1 - 1918 Mar. 31 ADM 53/35130 BENBOW 1918 Apr. 1 - 1918 Apr. 30 ADM 53/35131 BENBOW 1918 May 1 - 1918 May 31 ADM 53/35132 BENBOW 1918 June 1 - 1918 June 30 ADM 53/35133 BENBOW 1918 July 1 - 1918 July 31 ADM 53/35134 BENBOW 1918 Aug. 1 - 1918 Aug. 31 ADM 53/35135 BENBOW 1918 Sept. 1 - 1918 Sept. 30 ADM 53/35136 BENBOW 1918 Oct. 1 - 1918 Oct. 30 ADM 53/35137 BENBOW 1918 Nov. 1 - 1918 Nov. 30 ADM 53/35138 BENBOW 1918 Dec. 1 - 1918 Dec. 31 ADM 101/407 BENBOW - BERWICK 1916 ADM 101/471 BENBOW - BIRMINGHAM 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertb Posted 22 February , 2004 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2004 Thankyou. It's quite amazing the level and scope of knowledge that individuals have (out there!). This information shall help me in my endeavours. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 22 February , 2004 Share Posted 22 February , 2004 HMS Benbow, Iron Duke Class Dreadnought Battleship. 25,000 tons, launched 12th November 1913 by Beardmore, 623 ft X 89.5 ft X 29 ft, Turbine 29000 shp = 21 knots. Armed by - 10 x 13.5 inch guns, 12 x 6 inch, 2 x 3 inch AA, 4 x 21 inch torpedoes. Armour was 12 inch sides, 2.5 inch deck, 11 inch guns. Sold in March 1931 to Metal Industries, Rosyth. She appears in the 4th Battle squadron, Grand Fleet from January 1915 until January 1917 then in 1st Battle Squadron, Grand Fleet till 1918 4th Battle Squadron in 1916 was Benbow, Bellerphon, Canada, Dreadnought, Emperor of India, Superb, Temeraire. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWMDgen Posted 31 December , 2018 Share Posted 31 December , 2018 Greetings all I’m reactivating this topic [hopefully] as I’m in a similar position to Robertb… trying to get a better picture of a stoker on HMS Benbow over the whole period of the War. I’ve a copy of his 4pg Certificate of Service so have the broad dates, and have checked various wikis etc and read a lot of the Jutland stuff… BUT I’m really trying to get a picture of what went on over the other 5yrs!! I note Michaels’ very helpful list of the ships logs which I will check out when I’m next in the UK …..BUT is anyone able to recommend a book/website/ blog that might have come into existence in the past 14yrs that gives any kind of overview of where this vessel went, where it was based, what it was up to over these years…. Currently I’m reduced to …. “HMS Benbow, was assigned to 4th Battle Sqn in Dec 1914. She appears to have been principally involved in activity in the North Sea and was one of the 200 ships involved in the Battle of Jutland 31 May – 1 June 1916. Her engagement included the firing of 40 rounds of 15“ shells and 60 rounds of 6” shells and she was fortunate enough to be undamaged and recorded no casualties”. Frankly this doesn’t seem to me to be a fair rendition of more than 500 sailors difficult and dangerous experiences over this thorny period. Any recommendations greatly appreciated….all the best for your researches in 2019 Cheers MH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm12hl Posted 31 December , 2018 Share Posted 31 December , 2018 The quote you give is mistaken with regard to BENBOW's main armament, which was made up of 10 13.5 inch (not 15 inch) guns. The ship joined the Grand Fleet immediately following completion and trials at the end of 1914, and remained with the fleet for the duration of the war. As such she participated in a large number of sweeps of the northern part of the North Sea, although (in common with the rest of the main body of the Grand Fleet) her only contact with the enemy was at Jutland in the late afternoon/early evening of 31 May 1916. Like all but two of Jellicoe's battleships, she sustained no damage in the action. The literature on Jutland itself is massive, and includes a mass of new books published in 2016 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the battle. If you are primarily interested in the human side of the battle, you might start with Richard Osborne's book in the Voices From The Past series, which is completely devoted to contemporary accounts, many of them first hand. If you wish to get an idea of your ship's war on either side of Jutland, you might start with two recent books, Before Jutland and After Jutland, both written by James Goldrick, a retired Rear-Admiral in the Australian Navy and one of the most accomplished modern historians in the field of WWI naval history. I hope this helps to get you started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWMDgen Posted 6 January , 2019 Share Posted 6 January , 2019 Thank you very much Malcolm12hl ..I've come across a bit of the Jutland material but it really was the wider experience that I was after..and Jutland seems to have been so much the focus for writers because it was such a massive engagement in terms of number of vessels... and the last of its kind. The Goldrick references are great..very accessible,..being local..so to speak. Thanks for the armaments correction... I'll chase where I found it...possibly wikededia All the very best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
penfold Posted 25 May , 2019 Share Posted 25 May , 2019 The crew list of HMS Benbow at the Battle of Jutland www.jutlandcrewlists.org/benbow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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