Missing British Submarine E26

[WW1RGAfinder]

Whilst on holiday in Tershelling I took this photo of a plague stuck on the original conning tower of the missing submarine E26(E-Boat E-26). Thought I'd share it as no mention of E26 in this forum.

West Frisian Islands

Dit is de commandotoren van een Engelse onderzeeboot.

Zeer waarschijnlijk is het een type E-boat en waarschijnlijk gaat het dan om de E-26. Deze boot is voor het laatst gesignaleerd voor de Eems boven Schiermonnikoog op 29 juni 1916. Commandant Lt. Ryan en de overige 30 opvarenden staan sinds die tijd als vermist opgegeven. Deze toren is in Augustus 2006 bij Schiermonnikoog opgevist door de Terschellinger viskotter TS 6 met behulp van duikers van het eiland.

Google - Translation

This is the conning of a British submarine.

Very likely it is a type E-boat and it probably goes to the E-26. This boat was last reported to the Eems top Schiermonnikoog on June 29, 1916. Commander Lt. Ryan and the other 30 people on board are missing since that time as specified. This tower in August 2006 when Schiermonnikoog taken by the Terschellinger viskotter TS 6 with the help of divers of the island.

RGA

[historydavid]

RGA, thanks for posting that.

Best wishes

David

[alancheshire]

I understand that this was incorrectly attributed to E26 and is in fact the tower from E36, which was lost off the Dutch coast on 19th January 1917 with the loss of all lives on board, including my Great-Uncle Lionel Rickards, who was Acting Leading Stoker at the time.

[Michael Lowrey]

I understand that this was incorrectly attributed to E26 and is in fact the tower from E36, which was lost off the Dutch coast on 19th January 1917 with the loss of all lives on board, including my Great-Uncle Lionel Rickards, who was Acting Leading Stoker at the time.

Incorrect. Dutch divers have found the wrecks of both E 26 and E 36 and raised the conning towers of both of them. The one on Terschelling is believed to be from E 26 — the location where the wreck is is consistent with E 26's patrol area and the conning tower is consistent with known photos of E 26.

The conning tower from E 36 is elsewhere. It's a definite match to E 36 (yard number found).

Best wishes,

Michael

[alancheshire]

Hi Michael, Thanks very much for clarifying. Regards, Alan

[sadsac]

Michael. Yes, correct in all.

The tower of E.36 is in Belgium (or was when I last saw it some years ago). Have photo of same.

Interesting to hear that a `yard number' has been to match E.36. Presumably from the `Builders Number' to be found on the engine-room bulkhead.

Sadsac

[Michael Lowrey]

Sadsac,

The identification of E 36 has nothing to do with a plate in the engine room. E 36 was John Brown yard number 437; that number was found stamped onto the conning tower. E 50, another John-Brown built boat, was found off the Danish coast recently, and its conning tower was marked in a similar manner.

Best wishes,

Michael

[Simon Gunn]

Submarine E26:  My own interest in this subject is my great-uncle, Lt Alexander Gunn (my grandfather's younger brother) was the 3rd officer on E26 and the Navigation Officer. I realise that the conning tower was found and is on the beach at Terschelling off the Netherlands. I don't know how much the wreck has been dived on, but wonder if any navigation instruments had been found. 

Simon Gunn, Ross-shire, Scotland.

[charlie962]

This site might be worth contacting? There's not much on E-26 but try contacting site owner.

"WRECKSITE - E-26 SUBMARINE 1915-1916" https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?16070

Charlie

[Michael Lowrey]

No particular reason to contact wrecksite; I handle the WWI material for uboat.net and was involved in identifying this wreck.