6 Ships Royal Marines

[Guest Marnie]

Hello all, I am writing about my husbands grandfather Ch/20023 Private Jack Hilditch, R.M.L.I. enlisted on the 7th July 1915. He survived the war and died in the late 1980's. When I first met him he used to talk a lot about family history things and the Royal Marines. I just used to jot these stories down on a bit of paper. He was born on Dec 15th 1899, he did say he wasn't old enough to join up. I don't know how old you have to be? He was stationed at Deal Barracks and talks about Chief Instructor Hazelwood who he said started the Commandos. He says that they used to have to run from Deal Barracks to Dover Castle and were allowed only one smoke! In 1915 he was sent to Chatham because of the riots in Dublin and they were waiting to be sent out. They were waiting at Chatham Railway Station but were called back.

I only have a few dates attached to a couple of the ships and a few famous names involved, so if anybody can fill in any gaps then please do so.

HMS Swiftshore Battleship - 1915 Sierra Leone, West Africa.

HMS Sapphire Light Cruiser - 1915 or 1918? he talks about picking up Carl Donetiz? The Sultan of Muskat (afganistan) Persian Gulf. Talks about a mutiny, the ship was in dry dock at Columbo? and says about dropping off natives?

First trial of the Aircraft Carrier HMS Renown.

HMS Repulse Battlecruiser - Prince of Wales? round the world?

HMS Bellerophon Battleship

HMS Blenheim Battleship - Turkey. Mothership to Squadon of light cruisers/destroyers.

HMS Zulu Destroyer - Rebuilt 1/2 and 1/2?

The Mongolia troop carrier ship to Gilbraltar to the Repulse.

There was a story about Lloyd George coming onto one of these ships on a hush hush holiday with his secretary (LADYFRIEND)!!!! Mongolia liner. It said there was a ball on the ship. It states he was an awful man! Said he wore a Blue Velvet coat ,Collar? Airforce, Diamond Brooch. Something about a man who offered to fly to Berlin and bomb it.

Aussies made their own suits to take the mickey? Invalid chair invented

Sorry its so gobbley gook I just wish I had had a tape recorder at the time. I was only young at the time 17 or 18 writing it down.

He later left the marines and joined the P & O. Thats how he met his V.A.D. wife Daisy Goodwin. I have got to post her album of messages from soldiers soon and photos of the London hospitals she worked in Elvirington and London General.

I hope someone can make head to tail of this

Marnie x

[Yorts]

Marnie,

He would have been old enoigh to join the RMs as a boy, 14 being the minimum age. A battalion of RMs was sent to Ireland and took part in quelling the easter uprising of 1916.

HMS Swiftsure (note spelling) was launched January 12th 1903. She served in the Home Fleet until July 1906 when she joined the Channel Fleet until October 1908. She moved to the Mediterranean between March 1909 and May 1912, returning to the 3rd Fleet at Portsmouth in May. Swiftsure went into refit September 1912 to March 1913. After refit, she became the flag ship to the East Indies Squadron and during August 1914 began Red Sea patrols and escorted Indian troop ships to Aden. November 1914, HMS Swiftsure became the flag ship to the navy forces defending the Suez canal. She went to the Dardanelles in March 1915 and took part in the bombardments, staying until after the evacuation and returned to Chatham in December 1915 and went into reserve. After the first world war, HMS Swiftsure was used as a target ship in 1919, being broken up in June 1920. She was armed with four 10 inch guns in pairs, fourteen 7.5 inch guns in singles, fourteen 14 pdr guns, two 2 pdr guns, four maxims and two torpedo tubes. She displaced 11,800 tons and had a complement of 700 men. She could steam at 20 knots.

[Yorts]

HMS Sapphire Light Cruiser - 1915 or 1918? he talks about picking up Carl Donetiz? The Sultan of Muskat (afganistan) Persian Gulf. Talks about a mutiny, the ship was in dry dock at Columbo? and says about dropping off natives?

First trial of the Aircraft Carrier HMS Renown.

H.M.S. Sapphire was a light cruiser of 3,000 tons built in 1905. At the outbreak of the war the ship formed part of the 7th Battle Squadron and was on escort duty in the English Channel as the British Expeditionary Force crossed to France. Later on the ship took part in operations at Gallipoli and eventually was stationed at various Italian Naval Bases. Karl Doenitz was a German submarine commander during the great war. His sub, UB-68 and 6 crew members, were lost on the 4th of October, 1918 after some problems during a dive with an un stabilized boat. He spent the next nine months in British captivity. I won't detail his WW2 career, other than to state he orchestrated the U-boat campaign and was the second and last leader of the 3rd Reich after Hitler's death.

HMS Repulse was built by John Browns, Clydebank, Scotland, and was laid down on the 25th January 1915. She was launched 8th January 1916 and commissioned 18th August 1916. She cost over 2.5 million pound, and displaced 32,000 ton. She was lost to Japanese action in 1941 along with Prince of Wales.

The Bellerophon Class battleships, were slightly improved versions of HMS Dreadnaught. HMS Bellerophon was built at Portsmouth Dockyard. The Bellerophon was at Jutland and entered the reserve fleet after the Great war in September 1919, and finally scrapped in 1923. She displaced 18,800 tons and could steam at 21 knots. Her main armament was ten 12 inch guns.

[Guest Marnie]

Dear Yorts

thank you for your indepth reply, I most appreciate it. Its only a shame that these wonderful servicemen are no longer with us and all their war time stories are not archived for the future.

Jacks daughter (Johns mum) is still alive an is 79. I will try and see if she knows anything else.

Thanking u once again

Marnie

[Bob H]

HMS Zulu was a Tribal class destroyer of 1027tons built 1909. Armed with 2 4in guns and 2 18in Torpedo Tubes.

1914-16 part of Dover Patrol. 8th November 1916 had her stern blown off by a mine.

Her sister ship HMS Nubian in a night action on 27 October 1916 tried to ram a German destroyer but had her bows blown off by a torpedo.

Both ships survived and the bow of Zulu was joined to the stern of Nubian at Chatham Dockyard.

The repaired destroyer was commissioned 7th June 1917 as HMS Zubian and Joined the Dover Patrol. She is credited with sinking UC50 with depth charges 4th February 1918.

She was sold in 1919