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The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

H.M. Drifter "Morning Star IV."


Arnhem44

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Hi everyone,would anyone have any information on this boat,these two casualties are buried in my local graveyard,initially I thought they may of been brothers but found out later that they were not related,I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the boat,did it sink or was it just damaged and so on,any help would be very much appreciated.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2743817

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2743818

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Hi Arnhem

On naval history site both men are listed as Drowned.

Edit:

Also notice that Morning Star IV is described as a hired net drifter / minesweeper.

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Hi Arnhem

"British Vessels Lost at Sea 1914-18" lists two lost vessels of that name, neither of which match the dates of the casualties:

a. "Morning Star": Hired Drifter, 97 tonns, lost 08/01/1916, sunk by mine off Brindisi.

b. "Morning Star" (motor): 129 tonns, lost 12/11/1917 10 miles S.E. from Cape Barfleur, captured by submarine then bombed.

Regards

LIT

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Morning Star IV survived the war, serving from May 1915 to 1919.

Admiralty No. 2903, Port No. BCK.201[buckie], completed 1907, 84 tons gross, 1x6 pounder gun, Net, minesweeper.

David.

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Found another reference this time to a Hired Drifter called "Morning Star IV." It was in the book British Warships 1914-1919." This boat was a mine sweeper in service from May 1915 to 1919."

LIT

OOPs, David just beat me to it.

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Thanks for the reply lads,thats great.As a guess the two Bowie men must of been lost through some accident involving minesweeping and based out of Queenstown(now Cobh),would a boat of this nature have many crew?.A recent book called Secret Victory,Ireland and the war at sea mentioned many minesweepers and the actions they undertook but I don't recall the Morning Star IV been mentioned which is a pity.

Brendan

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There was also a Schoner Morning Star which was driven on to a reef of rocks in the storm off Dunabrattin Head, becoming a total wreck some two hours afterwards but this was in September 1917. Perhaps this is a different ship?

Regards.

Tom.

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......... would a boat of this nature have many crew?

Brendan

I've seen examples of Drifters being lost with all hands. The crew totals were 10 to 14 men.

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...these two casualties are buried in my local graveyard,initially I thought they may of been brothers but found out later that they were not related...

Do you have their service records? As they were in the Royal Naval Reserve (Trawler Section) their records are not online. Microfiche copies are held at the UK National Archives, Kew in BT 377/7 in service number order. The originals are held by the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

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As this vessal was Morning Star IV, I would expect there to be atleast three other Morning Stars involved in WWI.

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Thank you everyone for the replies,sadly I don't have there records but at least now I have a clearer picture of there background

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There are ships Logs at Kew for Morning Star, Morning Star III and Morning Star V, but not Morning Star IV.

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Auxiliary Patrol Weekly Reports, Areas XVIII, XIX, XX and XXI, Queenstown, 1917, January - June.

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Than sounds like my Morning Star. Sunk in 1917.

Regards.

Tom.

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  • 7 years later...
On 07/03/2010 at 21:28, Arnhem44 said:

Hi everyone,would anyone have any information on this boat,these two casualties are buried in my local graveyard,initially I thought they may of been brothers but found out later that they were not related,I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the boat,did it sink or was it just damaged and so on,any help would be very much appreciated.

 

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2743817

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=2743818

Hello Arnhem44.

 

James Bowie's (one of the brothers) Granddaughter, has just got in contact with me in regard her father a Burma Railway POW and her grandfather....

 

Regards 

 

Andy

Edited by HolymoleyRE
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