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Remembered Today:

S.S. "Argus"


robertb

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Could I please have some help in tracing the following person?

Chief Engineer D.J. Richard(s)

S.S. "Argus"

This chap is on the Roll of Honour of Maesteg War memorial, Glamorgan, but I cannot find any reference to D.J. Richard(s) on CWGC site, and have yet to find any reference to S.S. "Argus".

Cheers,

Rob

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There is no SS 'Argus' listed as being lost during WW1 (though there is an 'Argo').

No such ship appears on the Tower Hill Memorial. Perhaps he was a casualty but the ship was not lost.

Remember that merchant seamen only qualify for war grave status and CWGC recognition if they died on duty and due to a war cause - dying if the ship sank in a storm etc does not count.

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Robert,

If I remember correctly, one of the ‘missing’ replies suggested that the reference may have been to HMS Argus

You will find some info on this ship here

[see posts by salientpoints and myself under the Ark Royal thread]

Regards

Michael D.R.

Edited by michaeldr
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Robert

I have not had time to view the link given to you by Michaeldr but I can confirm that H.M.S. Argus was definitely not lost during WW1. She was a merchant ship converted into an aircrat-carrier (I think the first the Royal Navy had). I am definte because I was on board her in, I think, 1939.

Regards

Jim Gordon

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Jim,

In her Mercantile Navy days, do you know if she was known as S.S. "Argus", and then became HMS "Argus"?

Thankyou for that reply.

Robert

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robertb

You will find a full history of this vessel at www.fleetairarmarchive.net/../ships/argus.html

If you have difficulty getting it the summary is

It was laid down in 1914 as the liner Conte Rosso the contract being taken over by Beardmore in 1916. She was launched on 12 December 1917 and commissioned on 6 September 1918. She therefore never sailed as a commercial vessel. She was used as a training vessel between the Wars seeing some active sevice in WW2. She was scrapped in 1947.

Regards

Jim Gordon

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Jim,

Thankyou.

Rob

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  • 2 weeks later...

Unfortunately HMS Argus. was formerly Conte Rosso (Italy).

I'll find her soon.

Thanks again

Rob

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Rob

This could be a complete red herring.

Whilst looking for something else tonight I came across this reference:

New York October 1922

SS Argus arrived from Dunkirk

Dave

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Hi

There was an SS ARGUS, built in 1901 (1,025 tons). The only details I have was that it was owned in 1941 by Madrigal and Co USA and that on 25th December 1941 it was captured in Hong Kong being re-named by the Japanese as the "Hongkong Maru". Perhaps this is the vessel you are after.

Steve

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Thankyou all,

Chief Engineer DJ Richard(s) may have bee killed (died) on SS "Argus", but this does not necessarily mean that she sank. It may have been that Richard(s) may have died ashore.

It is, I think, pertinent to persue this elusive ship, on which a chap from my home town served, and is remembered on the Roll of Honour.

I shall continue.

Regards,

Rob

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There was a Coastguard & Fishery Protection Vessel named Argus.

Launched in 1904 she saw service at Berehaven, Ireland in WW1 before being sold in 1920.

Steve

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There is also a reference to Argus as being renamed Argon but I don't know when this took place. Argon was a 380 ton Coastguard Cruiser with 2 x 6 pdr's.

Steve

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Thanks Steve, its another avenue. Who would think it was so difficult to find a ship? So much for finding an individual!

Rob

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  • 6 years later...
On 19/03/2004 at 05:33, robertb said:

Could I please have some help in tracing the following person?

Chief Engineer D.J. Richard(s)

S.S. "Argus"

This chap is on the Roll of Honour of Maesteg War memorial, Glamorgan, but I cannot find any reference to D.J. Richard(s) on CWGC site, and have yet to find any reference to S.S. "Argus".

Cheers,

Rob

ARGUS

1,238 gross ton collier which left Lerwick for Tromso on 20th Oct. 1917 and went missing with a cargo of coal and coke...presumed mined in the North Sea, but SS ARGUS may have been lost at sea after a collision in fog with the "SS SORAKAI", but Miramar has no ship by that name.

COOPER, HENRY ARTHUR Initials: H A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Master Regiment/Service: Mercantile Marine Unit Text: S.S. "Argus." Age: 56 Date of Death: 21/10/1917 Additional information: Son of James and Elizabeth Cooper; husband of Margery Ann Cooper, of 73, Windsor Rd., Penarth, Cardiff. Born at Great Yarmouth. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: I. A. 8. Cemetery: FREDRIKSTAD MILITARY CEMETERY

 The above H.A.Cooper is on Cwgc- SEEMS STRANGE that none of th rest of the crew are on CWGC. --3 men from my home area where lost with this ship .

Could this be one for INFC project??

Wesley Wright

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COOPER, Henry Arthur Master MM SS Argus 21.10.17

ELLIS, Charles, Leading Seaman, RNVR, Sussex 3/224, Argus, steamship, 21 October 1917, collision

PINHEY, Charles T, Officer's Steward 3c, L 3882, Argus, 28 October 1918, illness

ROGERS, William T R, Stoker 2c, SS 117966, Argus, 26 October 1918, illness

WINGARD, Frederick H, Able Seaman, RNVR, Sussex 3/104, Argus, steamship, 21 October 1917, collision

These cames from The Cross of Sacrifice and two died from illness

Cheers Ron

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COOPER, Henry Arthur Master MM SS Argus 21.10.17

ELLIS, Charles, Leading Seaman, RNVR, Sussex 3/224, Argus, steamship, 21 October 1917, collision

PINHEY, Charles T, Officer's Steward 3c, L 3882, Argus, 28 October 1918, illness

ROGERS, William T R, Stoker 2c, SS 117966, Argus, 26 October 1918, illness

WINGARD, Frederick H, Able Seaman, RNVR, Sussex 3/104, Argus, steamship, 21 October 1917, collision

These cames from The Cross of Sacrifice and two died from illness

Cheers Ron

Thank you very much--obviously some men survived 21/!0/!9!7. The men from my home area are not on Cwgc.

Once again thanks.

Wesley Wright

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Hi Wright

Never noticed that, but I'll alter my datbase. Probably died from the Asian Flu, like thousands of others

Cheers Ron

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am sure this has been raised before--where can Death certificates be obtained for those merchant navy men who where lost at sea and their bodies never recovered.?

Thanks everyone who has already helped.

Wesley Wright

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  • 1 year later...

SS Argus lost on 21 Oct 1917

Official Number was 83990

She was owned by Shamrock Shipping of Larne (Thomas Jack) which may explain local men in her crew.

Two RNVR men listed in previous posts were probably the gun crew.

ernest james

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  • 6 years later...

Hello, My great grandfather and his brother both died aboard an S.S Argus on November 12, 1940, in the Thames Estuary.  Their names are included on panel  at the Tower Hill Memorial in London.  They were with Trinity House Service, Lighthouse and Pilotage Authorities.  I have been searching for information on her for years and can only come up with the HMS Argus.  Any luck since last post?  Anyone still looking?

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 Hello Amber

There are a few different ships named ARGUS in this post, the one you are interested in which appears on the Tower Hill Memorial is a Trinity House Lighthouse/Light vessel Tender built in 1909 in Leith, all Trinity House ships are known as THV not SS Trinity House being responsible for the maintenance of lights and buoyage around the UK coast, and in her day Pilots as well.

She was sunk by mine in the Thames Estuary on the date you mention with heavy loss of life as shown on the memorial.

An internet search will find you more information under Trinity House but there I will have to leave it as this is a website dedicated to WW1 and your ARGUS is very much a casualty of WW2.

Tony

 

 

THV Argus (2).jpg

THV Argus.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
On 16/04/2019 at 21:00, Amber said:

Hello, My great grandfather and his brother both died aboard an S.S Argus on November 12, 1940, in the Thames Estuary.  Their names are included on panel  at the Tower Hill Memorial in London.  They were with Trinity House Service, Lighthouse and Pilotage Authorities.  I have been searching for information on her for years and can only come up with the HMS Argus.  Any luck since last post?  Anyone still looking?

Hello, Amber, I think you might have been researching the Luton brothers?

If that is the case, then I will be very happy to comunicate with you, as they were my father and uncle.

If not, then any assistance I can give I will. best wishes. Mary

 

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