stanfree Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 Any help in finding information about HMS Diligence in the first world war, I’m trying to find information on a relative that is said to have served on this ship. His name is Albert Ernest Lowick Russell he was born in 1876 Caldera Chile, he left Chile in 1892 to complete his education and he served some time in the Chatham DockYard in the Engineers Dep. According to family history, he served on the HMS Diligence in the battle of Jutland. The only reference that I have of him is in the 1901 Census, living in Chatham. I’m new to looking for service members, so any help is very welcome. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 15 May , 2010 Share Posted 15 May , 2010 http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...ved=0CC0Q9QEwAw Scroll down to Tabaristan, the ship's name before she was bought and converted into a destroyer depot ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 15 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 15 May , 2010 Thanks for that, if I may ask, is there any sites that can give me the names of the men who served on the ship. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 16 May , 2010 Share Posted 16 May , 2010 Being a depot ship, Diligence was of course not present at Jutland, but destroyers attached to her may have been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinBattle Posted 16 May , 2010 Share Posted 16 May , 2010 As HMS Diligence was a Depot Ship, she would have acted as a "Post Box" and accounting, pay centre etc for the destroyers equipment, munitions and men serving aboard her attached destroyers. As such her crew might just be a "skeleton" plus sailors being posted to her destroyers "passing through". There are 8 recorded deaths for her crew, 4 of which would seem to have died ashore. There appears to have been an incident on 4th November 1917 as those 4 casualties have no known grave and are on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (apart from Lane who is on the Chatham Memorial). 001 ANDERSON J CLYDE 2/2702 HMS DILIGENCE 04/11/1917 ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER RESERVE 002 BOWEN R 283955 HMS DILIGENCE 03/12/1916 ROYAL NAVY 003 DEGNAN T CLYDE Z/4880 HMS DILIGENCE 04/11/1917 ROYAL NAVAL VOLUNTEER RESERVE 004 LANE MH J/28033 HMS DILIGENCE 04/11/1917 ROYAL NAVY 005 MACPHERSON A M/15860(CH) HMS DILIGENCE 17/02/1919 ROYAL NAVY 006 MASTERS GA 312517 HMS DILIGENCE 15/02/1919 ROYAL NAVY 007 SPENCER WJH J/16315(PO) HMS DILIGENCE 29/10/1917 ROYAL NAVY 008 WYATT WE 236702 HMS DILIGENCE 04/11/1917 ROYAL NAVY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 16 May , 2010 Share Posted 16 May , 2010 Welcome to the forum Stan, Are you sure he was in the Royal Navy rather than a worker for the Royal Dockyard? There are no crew lists for the RN at this time. Given the information you have, the only match I've found for some of his names doesn't seen very likely. Name Russell, Albert Ernest Official Number: M12003 Place of Birth: Liverpool, Lancashire Date of birth: 21 August 1879 http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...p;resultcount=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 16 May , 2010 Share Posted 16 May , 2010 stan There are Ship's Logs at Kew for this vessel for the WW1 period: ADM53/39956 DILIGENCE Nov 1915 to May 1917 ADM53/39957 DILIGENCE June 1917 to Dec 1918. These are not digital and would need to be consulted in situ at Kew. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 17 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 17 May , 2010 Thanks for your help, the Albert from Liverpool could be him as part of his family lived there. I will take a look at the line, again many thanks. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 18 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 18 May , 2010 Yesterday I downloaded the file from National Archives and I’m sure that it’s the correct person, as he had relatives living in Liverpool at the time of his birth also he could have thought that he stood a better chance of being excepted, if he said if he came from England. But what makes me so sure that this document is his, in the remark’s section its says “mans address discovered and communicated to Chilean Ambassador", he could have been found-out in the end. Many thanks to all that have given me help. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 18 May , 2010 Share Posted 18 May , 2010 Glad to help. Did it confirm that he was on Diligence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 19 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 19 May , 2010 Dear Per Ardua Per Ma.. Yes it did, its recorded that he was on the Diligence, and again many thanks. Stan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 19 May , 2010 Share Posted 19 May , 2010 Stan, does his record say just Diligence or Diligence followed by another name in brackets, which would be the name of a ship attached to Diligence? Does anyone know where Diligence was based as a depot ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 20 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2010 Per Ardua Per Ma. I have attached part of the service record, I apologise for not replying before now but work gets in the way. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 May , 2010 Share Posted 20 May , 2010 Does anyone know where Diligence was based as a depot ship? B Warlow, 'Shore establishments of the Royal Navy': Diligence served the 12th Destroyer Flotilla at Scapa Flow 9/12/15 - 1919 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 May , 2010 Share Posted 20 May , 2010 Pembroke II Diligence destroyer depot ship Woolwich destroyer depot ship Rosyth As there is not another name in brackets, he served on the depot ships, as part of the support team: maintenance and so on in his case. He was an Acting Engine Room Artificer Class I, 15 February 1915 to 14 June 1918 and 3rd Class (junior to a 1st Class) 15 June 1918 to 23 May 1919. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 20 May , 2010 Share Posted 20 May , 2010 Diligence was only recently converted and so almost certainly capable of putting to sea, but I doubt that she followed her destroyers out, and someone can probably confirm that. Although it's likely that Stan's relative was at Scapa during the battle of Jutland, it's not impossible that he could have sailed with one of the destroyers if he was, for example, engaged in a job of work that was still not completed when the ship had to weigh. Stan - do you have anything other than oral tradition to suggest that he was indeed at Jutland? Even if he was not, to be at Scapa when the Grand Fleet sailed and to be there when it returned after the battle would have been some experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 May , 2010 Share Posted 20 May , 2010 The problem is that no crew lists for RN ships survive for this period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 20 May , 2010 Share Posted 20 May , 2010 Indeed, which is why I'm asking Stan if he has anything concrete that might verify his family story. It seems very likely that his relative came much closer than most to the Battle of Jutland, but was not actually 'present' at it, and I think that is where this thread will eventually rest unless something else surfaces that puts him at sea on 31 May 1916. The anniversary is of course only 10 days hence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stanfree Posted 21 May , 2010 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2010 Siege Gunner, The only information that I have on him is the Census Return for 1901, this shows him living in 68 New Road Chatham and what we call "Uncle Alfred’s Document". See attached file. Please you and the other members have been more than helpful, I know that he survived the war, and I now must find what happened to him afterwards. Stan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oerdunn Posted 22 May , 2013 Share Posted 22 May , 2013 Hi everyone! I have been reading through this with interest today as I have recently found the ADM188. On it is mentioned Diligence (Noble) 14th Feb 16 - 6th Feb 17. Please would you mind explaining what this means to me? I am attaching the ADM188 to this post! I look forward to hearing from you soon! Thanks Oliver --bia-filer2.web.local-DODelFiles2-ADM-188-682-0-475.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 23 May , 2013 Share Posted 23 May , 2013 Welcome to the forum. It means that your man served aboard the M Class destroyer HMS Noble, which was attached to the destroyer depot ship HMS Diligence (12th Destroyer Flotilla at Scapa Flow .... see post #14 above). Some brief info on Noble here .... http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/viewship.asp?id=3547 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oerdunn Posted 23 May , 2013 Share Posted 23 May , 2013 Thank you very much indeed for this! Until yesterday I had no knowledge about my Great Uncle and it goes to show that there is a lot to be found out readily and easily! And much to be proud of! Thank you once again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnyclic Posted 11 January , 2016 Share Posted 11 January , 2016 Just found out my Grand Uncle served on this it was attached to wrestler last bit of thr war. I have a copy of his service record. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnyclic Posted 11 January , 2016 Share Posted 11 January , 2016 Here's a copy so you can see. Hope it helps you, they may have even known eachother! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnyclic Posted 11 January , 2016 Share Posted 11 January , 2016 Naval Record Walter Wickham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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