"Anglia" Hospital Ship lost 17th November 1915

[FionaBam]

Rest in peace Mr Bycroft.

[seaJane]

On 19/06/2023 at 12:49, alf mcm said:

06.12.15
Saw Miss Batteson Q retired in a disgraceful hat

Apologies for butting in, Alf, but I am wondering if the word above should be attired rather than retired.

Regards,

seaJane

[alf mcm]

Seajane,

  'Retired' is actually correct.

Violet Louise BATTESON joined Q.A.I.M.N.S. on 24th May 1906.

Resigned 19th July 1913.

Volunteered for active service 7th August 1914

Acccepted for Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. on 17th August 1914.

Resigned in France in January 1916.

In another comment Maud referred to Miss BATTESON as 'retired Q'.

Violet married Sergeant Alfred Henry CHIVES, R.A.M.C. on 9th May 1916.

Regards,

Alf McM

Edited 22 June , 2023 by alf mcm

[seaJane]

6 hours ago, alf mcm said:

'Retired' is actually correct.

I do beg your pardon! It looked a bit strange in the context as it was.

sJ

[FionaBam]

On 19/06/2023 at 10:07, ZeZe said:

Hi, 

A timeline for H.M.H.S. Anglia. 

A few snippets from the nurses service files and ships war diary:

In the spring of 1915 a hurried conversion from the London and North Western Railway mail-packet to hospital ship had only taken seven days. Some of the stores were left on a railway truck at Gravesend, Anglia was at the Royal Albert Docks, London.

A telegram states ‘No hospital mattresses, pillows .. on board H.S. Anglia …. no towels or bed pans supplied, can borrow 50 towels emergency from ship and improvise mattresses with numerous spare blankets ..’ There’s no mention of what was improvised for the missing bed pans!

5th May: H.M.H.S. Anglia sailed for Dover where the nursing staff joined, she crossed the channel to Boulogne on the 8th and returned on the 9th with 142 cases, her first trip as a hospital ship.

15th May: A/Matron Mary Mitchell reported sick. Her file confirms she had measles and was temporarily replaced by A/Matron Violet Batteson until the 30th June when well enough to return to duty on Anglia. For much of June, Anglia had been in dock undergoing further alterations to the hospital part of the ship.

10th August: At 12:30 midnight a Zeppelin air ship circled over Dover harbour. Several bombs were dropped – two, close to Anglia, a little astern. The R.A.M.C. detachment behaved well.

17th August: (Boulogne) Miss D. Hubbard left for 4 General Hospital and Miss E. Walton joined for duty.

28th August: (Southampton) Major J. Maynard Crawford left Anglia and Captain W. J. Gow took over command.

31 October (the last entry in the war diary): .. orders to prepare the Officers ward for the use of H.M. the King…

Alice Meldrum was awarded the A.R.R.C. in 1921. By then, due to the large numbers of awards H.M. the King was no longer handing out all the decorations personally. Alice writes: “As I had the honour of being on duty on board H.M.H.S. Anglia when we took his Majesty to England as a patient, I naturally should have liked to be personally decorated by His Majesty.” Alice’s requested was granted and she was awarded the A.R.R.C. privately by the King, with no publicity given to the fact that she attended at the Palace to receive the decoration.

*   *   *

Much has been already written about the sinking of H.M.H.S. Anglia and the loss of Mary Rodwell, a few more snippets:

Captain W. J. Gow R.A.M.C. was reduced unconscious by the initial explosion and Lieut. P. L. T. Bennett R.A.M.C. assumed control.

All three surviving nurses were in the water for about 30 minutes.

Alice Meldrum suffered shock but was fit by the 11th January 1916, returning to duties as A/Sister, No.4 General Hospital, Etaples. Her last posting terminated in 1920.

Evelyn Walton also suffered from bruising and shock from the explosion and being thrown into the water but she was fit by the 18th January 1916. She was posted to No.3 General Hospital, France. Later, during December 1916 Evelyn was awarded six weeks sick leave after suffering a nervous breakdown caused by ‘the heavy work on the Somme’ …. (she) ‘worked single handed in the operating theatre at Rouen’. Evelyn Walton continued to serve in France until the summer of 1918.

Mary Mitchell’s Medical Board states ‘She was thrown into the sea when the Hospital Ship “Anglia’ was sunk by a mine off Dover on November 17th 1915. She was helpless when rescued, but did not lose consciousness. She has shown no signs of severe shock, she has slept well and her mental state is good’.

The event however proved to much for Mary and she resigned from the service on 1st March 1916. The two other nurses were compensated for the loss of their kit but the strict War Office rules applied to Mary …‘loss of kit on active service can only be granted to you solely for the purpose of enabling you to re-equip yourself for further service. In view of your resignation, therefore it is regretted that compensation from Army funds is not admissible’.

A source of information regarding the actions of Mary Rodwell and the other the nurses during H.M.H.S. Anglia’s final minutes:

https://maritimearchaeologytrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Hospital-ships-booklet_FOR_PRINT_V1.pdf

Regards ZeZe

Am looking to link in 

@Getafix

here as they did commented back in 2009 that they had dived to view the H.M.H.S. Anglia in her resting place  , now the protected graveyard for those who were drowned on board with her when she sank after hitting a mine .

Am planning a small article for the Crystal Palace Foundation magazine which will include Nurse Mary Rodwell. Mary  was living in Crystal Palace before her WW1 service and she was actively involved in the  local Suffragists  organisation - that's  the topic of my article for the C.P.F

Anything Getafix could offer in terms of description of the ship on the sea bed would be much appreciated.  Mary was the Nurse who refused to leave the ship staying on board with her  cot bound patients who were unable to leave the sinking ship .

Photo of Nurse Mary attached here- previously provided on this thread 

Thanks

Cheers

Fiona 

 

[FionaBam]

On 20/06/2023 at 12:54, alf mcm said:

It's a pity the court of enquiry records aren't available online, but if Fiona could copy them that would be great.

14 Ambulance Train was turned into a Royal Train to convey the King from AIRE to Boulogne to then board the 'Anglia'.

It was divided so that it wouldn't include any empty carriages, and the Royal Train was made up of;-

Coach F, comprising a vestibule {R.A.M.C. Attendants}, treatment room {the King's apartment}, office {2 Nursing Sisters} and lavatory.

Coach G, 1st half; 2 Medical Attendants, French Railway representative; 2nd half; Senior Officer, King's staff, 2 Junior Officers, King's staff.

Coach H, O/C Train, Personnel mess room, kitchen.

Coach J. The King's servants; Train personnel - R.A.M.C.; 2 English Police Inspectors; Clerk of Royal Household.

Goods wagons at both ends of train. The engine crew would be French.

The war diary for 14 Ambulance Train gives further details. The train would normally have a complement of 3 Nursing Sisters. However, 2 of them, C.M. PIERCE and M.P. KAVANAGH had resigned on the morning of 31st October, leaving only Miss WAKELIN. The 2 nurses on the Royal Train next day would probably be Miss WAKELIN and Miss E. WARD, the King's private nurse.

Lines of Communication Troops. 14 Ambulance Train | The National Archives

Regards,

Alf McM

 

Here is my summary of the findings of the Court of Enquiry (hereafter C of E )  report  entitled “Loss of H M Hospital Ship Anglia off Folkestone on 17^th November and the measures taken for the rescue of survivors “, which I viewed in the file at NA Kew :  ADM 1/8443/367.

The Court was held on 18^th November 1915 as directed by Navy Dover Patrol Vice Admiral  R.H Bacon so a speedy response to the tragic loss of 169 people- serving men, crew and nursing staff and orderlies, after the ship struck a mine,  one of many mines laid by  a German U boat whose commander was fully aware that the corridor into Dover  as marked by buoys was reserved for Allied Hospital Ships and medical vessels.

Bacon informed the Enquiry that , quote, “the  absence of Naval Discipline led to the Engine Room Staff leaving their posts without orders and to neither the Captain nor Officers taking measures to see that the engines were stopped according to orders”  .

Bacon continued that had the engines been stopped, he was of the opinion that all on board, not killed by the explosion, might have been saved.

 Bacon added that the ship was struck at 0.34 pm and sank at about 1.20pm, taking 45 minutes to sink.  The fact that the engines were working he said “ prevented either the HMS Hazard or the HMS Ure from getting alongside, and further the speed through the water must have assisted to flood the ship.”

Evidence taken from witnesses at the C of E concurs that one of the ships’ propellers was visible above water still turning and that the ship was being driven in a circle at a speed of about 8 knots by the other propeller still working below the water. Photos of the ship taken by HMS Ure illustrate this.

The verbatim record of the Anglia’s Captain’s evidence shows us that he stated under oath to the Court that he gave a telegraph order (only the right telegraph order was still functioning he said) to stop the engines at approx.. 6 or 7 minutes after the explosion. The evidence of the 4^th Engineer was that he was alone at his post in the engine room following the explosion and that he left the engine room after about 7 minutes when the ship took a steep list having not heard such an order.

 Hmm… “7 minutes” -  Coincidence or collusion before giving evidence , one might wonder . It was also stated that the force of the explosion close to the bridge would have  likely dazed the Captain and that  others on the bridge were wounded and one was missing.

 Regards the work of the Nursing Staff on board : The file contains a Draft Army Order commending that thanks to the diligence of Matron Mrs Mitchell and  the nursing sisters  most of the cot cases were evacuated from the ship, praising also Lt Bennett and Lt. Hodgson who were most conspicuous aided by Privates Darwen and Mcguire of RAMC in saving the wounded from the lower  wards when the wards were awash and almost submerged.

Here I am curious that no mention was made of the courageous Staff Nurse Mary Rodwell who as we have evidence here on this thread was reported to have refused to leave her ward of cot cases of service men whose injuries meant they were unable to leave the sinking ship. Mary was drowned along with those men on board the stricken HMS Anglia on 17^th November 1915.

The file contained a  letter sent to the Board of Trade on behalf of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty along with  a copy of extract from the  Court Report  and submission from Bacon to the Enquiry  stated  that "my Lords consider it undesirable that a Public Board of Trade Enquiry should be held to investigate the circumstances ". 

I am attaching a few photos of the C of E report and some of the Memos & letters included in the file-  they make such interesting reading .

I can add more - perhaps the verbatim evidence  would assist to draw  your own conclusions

CC -ing some earlier members in this thread-apologies if this proves an  unrequired notification...but hope its of interest.

@Jim Strawbridge

@Sarah Reay

@dabtoe

@Mike763222

@depaor01

@RaySearching

@John_Hartley

@Carmania

@Ken S.

@ZeZe

@seaJane

I have photos   of:

-the evidence given by  Anglia's Captain Manning,  by  the Chief Officer Horner, by  Mr Pierce 2nd Engineer, by Mr Williams 4th Engineer,   by Lt Commander Boxer of HM Torpedo  who managed to get his vessel alongside the moving HMHS Anglia to rescue many on board  and who concurred with Bacon's view that " had it not been going ahead more people could have been saved ",  and by Lt Commander Sturdee of HMS Hazard,

-article from Evening Post about nearby steamer Chanel Queen rescuing survivors from the sea,

-and other Memos from Bacon to  Dover Patrol staff and vice versa

-the photos of the stricken Anglia are improved when viewed individually 

@KizmeRDhere is my so called summary .

Edited 3 January by FionaBam
Amend my wording

[alf mcm]

Fiona,

  Thanks for posting these details. They make interesting reading. Many lives could have been saved if the engines were stopped, This probably explains why there was no public enquiry, I would have been very embarrasing for the navy. It's good that the Matron's actions were recognised although the Nurses should have been mentioned as well.

Regards,

Alf McM

 

[FionaBam]

10 minutes ago, alf mcm said:

Fiona,

   This probably explains why there was no public enquiry, I would have been very embarrasing for the navy

. It's good that the Matron's actions were recognised although the Nurses should have been mentioned as well.

Regards,

Alf McM

......

Hi Alf

I agree with you.The only reasonable  justification for not holding a Public Enquiry was possibly how it would not have been " good for morale" ( that old chestnut) with the added sting of the public losing faith in and withdrawing their support for the Navy.

I ll post the final words of Lt.Boxer later today - quite risky what he said but then he was a risk-taker as we can see from his actions saving lives of those still on board the Anglia

I have a wee theory regards not mentioning Staff Nurse Mary Rodwell- could it have led to criticism of the crew for failing to  remove  Mary to safety  and the injured  men on her ward too? Especially as there was the potential for a Public Enquiry ?

Cheers

Fiona 

 

 

[Sarah Reay]

Hello All,

I'm sorry that I'm coming into this discussion a little late, but someone kindly re-tagged me into the conversation. 

Mary Rodwell was attending to my grandfather, a badly wounded Army Chaplain at the time of the explosion. My grandfather survived. After the war he wrote some private notes about what had happened to him on the Anglia. In 2016 my grandfather's story was published, 'The Half-Shilling Curate'. I'm sorry to sound as though I am promoting my book, but it gives a full account of the sinking of HMHS Anglia, much of which is in my grandfather's own words. He went on to be awarded the Military Cross Medal for his gallantry on that fateful day. He never talked about it, but he saved many lives and he stayed on this ship until the very end!

Kindest regards, Sarah 

[FionaBam]

Hi Sarah

Congratulations  on your book and how wonderful to do this.  I shall Google your book now! 

Cheers 

Fiona 

[FionaBam]

 Am attaching the evidence given by Lt  Commander Boxer of HM Torpedo ship "Ure"  to the Court of Enquiry   report .  His final two sentences  struck me as courageous  to effectively focus attention on the early arrival of members of the HMHS Anglia's  engine room crew onto his ship, the HM Ure as one of the rescuing ships.

Boxer said : "The 2nd and 4th Engineers were among the first to arrive on board torpedo boat No.4. They came on board with the majority" 

I don't mean to imply the two engineers should have remained in the engine room and thus  potentially have lost their lives . I am assuming  Boxer was aware of the concerns  expressed by those witnessing the Anglia going down as to why her engines had not been shut down.

I gathered the importance of shutting down the engines following the explosion of the mine  from reading the  questions posed and answers given  by Captain Manning of HMHS Anglia ,here attached as well.

 

[seaJane]

On 29/09/2023 at 02:47, FionaBam said:

absence of Naval Discipline

 

On 29/09/2023 at 07:09, alf mcm said:

would have been very embarrasing for the navy

I am not sure that the RN was sufficiently involved as to have failed in discipline or to be embarrassed - ANGLIA was a hospital ship taken up from trade by the Army, with RAMC and QAIMNS medical and nursing staff aboard rather than the Royal Naval Medical Service or QARNNS.

As far as I am aware the  ship's sailing crew, accordingly, would have been the regular/former crew from the Mercantile Marine. Whether Bacon was directing a pointed comment at the Mercantile Marine for not having the institutional discipline of the Royal Navy I wouldn't like to say, but it's possible.

Regards,

seaJane

 

[FionaBam]

Thank you   Sea Jane  and of course , you are right, not the Navy on board Anglia.

and I now  understand why Lt Boxer felt at ease pointing out the early arrival of the engineers on the rescue ship- Boxer was not showing up fellow navy officers but merchant seamen.

I wonder how they prepared merchant seamen for finding themselves in the middle of a minefield . Also,  the seamen were  " war warriors by default " rather than by signing up for it voluntarily . Led to tensions?

Cheers 

Fiona 

P.S. " lack/absence  of naval discipline " were Bacon's words not mine - just to be clear!

[Borden Battery]

A footnote to the loss of Private McEachern of the Borden Motor Machine Gun Battery.  He was the first fatality of the Battery; having been wounded an in transport to "Blighty"  This short vignette is part of a much larger body of work regarding the men of the Borden Battery during the course of the war.  Borden Battery

 

† Private Archibald Ernest McEachern               Reg. 227

Private Archibald Ernest McEachern (Reg. 227) was the first fatality within the Borden Battery and his death came indirectly from drowning in a hospital ship while being transported to England for additional medical attention. Private McEachern was a large man, a 27-year-old bachelor and worked as a prospector in northern Ontario – being one of the first men recruited by Major Holland VC.  He Attested in Montreal on 20 January 1915 and was medically examined by Captain W. Ernest Nelson. His military experience consisted of a high school cadet course in Gravenhurst, Ontario as compared to the more elite St. Andrew’s College cadet course of another private in the Borden Battery, Private Meldrum from Peterborough, Ontario. Upon arrival in England, Private McEachern was one of 12 men selected for a course at Shorncliffe, along with Private Meldrum, for automobile driving and repair and was then granted a 50 cent per day “working pay” for this new skill set.

 

Later, Private McEachern spends his first three weeks in Vierstraat sector about 5.5 miles SSW of Ypres in Belgium setting up machine gun emplacements.  His wounding is best described in the following Borden Battery War diary which highlights the close relationship within the Battery in its formative year near Ypres:

Wed., Nov 3, 1915                      WESTOUTRE, BELGIUM

Raining all day. All trenches and dug outs caving in. The enemy dropped a number of high explosive shells on Maxim Farm but did no damage. Their attention was drawn to this vicinity by some fool French Engineers who were dismantling some buildings to secure timbers from the roof.

 

About 4.30 p.m. Pte. D. McRAE was returning from our advance headquarters on VIERSTRAAT ROAD driving one of the CLYNO MOTOR CARS with supplies and was carrying an Artilleryman of the 13^th Battery on the side car, while passing along the road immediately in the rear of SAND BAG VILLA several enemy shells burst quite close to him (the enemy were apparently searching for one of our Batteries which has been annoying them considerably of late), he speeded up his machine in an endeavor to get out of the zone of fire but a Shrapnel burst directly over him wounding his passenger in 5 places, wrecked the front wheel and stopped the engine.  Pte McRAE helped the Artilleryman to get to cover in a ditch and had barely left the car when a high explosive shell exploded in the road about 5 feet from the car totally wrecking it and scattering the wreckage over an area of 50 yards. He procured assistance and after attending to the wounded man had him taken to a dressing station.

 

Later in the evening Pte. McRAE returned to the machine accompanied by Ptes J. BRENNEN and A.E. McEACHERN to salvage what tools and spare parts they could and while doing this the Germans again shelled this locality Pte. McEACHERN was wounded by a Shrapnel bullet passing through his ankle. Ptes BRENNAN and McRAE carried him some 200 yards to a Belgian farm house where they gave him first aid and then carried him to the billet of the 16^th R.F.A. and from there summoned an ambulance and had him sent to the LA GLETTE clearing station. A good day done.  

--- signed P.A.G. MacCarthy, Capt. O.C., Borden's Motor Machine Gun Battery.

 

Private McEachern was first transported to the La Glette Clearing Station and then forward to the Rawal Pindi Hospital at Wimereux, France before transfer to England for further treatment.  Private Brennen will later be Killed in Action on 3 January 1916 while Private McRae will be wounded on 8 April 1916. The hospital ship transporting Private McEachern, HMHS Anglia was sunk by a mine laid by German U-Boat UC-5 in the English Channel just 1 nautical mile off the coast of Folkstone, England on 17 November 1915. 

The ship sinks quickly and the loss of 134 lives includes Private McEachern who was presumed drown and never recovered.  Incidentally, the passenger ship Lusitania was also sunk by a mine on the same day and by the same U-Boat UC-5 captained by Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Pustkuchen.  Pustkuchen would sink 80 ships before being killed in 27 May 1917 off the Isles of Scilly.

[seaJane]

33 minutes ago, FionaBam said:

lack/absence  of naval discipline " were Bacon's words not mine - just to be clear!

that was indeed clear - no worries!

 

[FionaBam]

On 02/10/2023 at 00:20, Borden Battery said:

A footnote to the loss of Private McEachern of the Borden Motor Machine Gun Battery.  He was the first fatality of the Battery; having been wounded an in transport to "Blighty"  This short vignette is part of a much larger body of work regarding the men of the Borden Battery during the course of the war.  Borden Battery

 

† Private Archibald Ernest McEachern               Reg. 227

 

Private Archibald Ernest McEachern (Reg. 227) was the first fatality within the Borden Battery and his death came indirectly from drowning in a hospital ship while being transported to England for additional medical attention. Private McEachern was a large man, a 27-year-old bachelor and worked as a prospector in northern Ontario – being one of the first men recruited by Major Holland VC.  He Attested in Montreal on 20 January 1915 and was medically examined by Captain W. Ernest Nelson. His military experience consisted of a high school cadet course in Gravenhurst, Ontario as compared to the more elite St. Andrew’s College cadet course of another private in the Borden Battery, Private Meldrum from Peterborough, Ontario. Upon arrival in England, Private McEachern was one of 12 men selected for a course at Shorncliffe, along with Private Meldrum, for automobile driving and repair and was then granted a 50 cent per day “working pay” for this new skill set.

 

 

 

Later, Private McEachern spends his first three weeks in Vierstraat sector about 5.5 miles SSW of Ypres in Belgium setting up machine gun emplacements.  His wounding is best described in the following Borden Battery War diary which highlights the close relationship within the Battery in its formative year near Ypres:

Wed., Nov 3, 1915                      WESTOUTRE, BELGIUM

 

Raining all day. All trenches and dug outs caving in. The enemy dropped a number of high explosive shells on Maxim Farm but did no damage. Their attention was drawn to this vicinity by some fool French Engineers who were dismantling some buildings to secure timbers from the roof.

 

 

 

About 4.30 p.m. Pte. D. McRAE was returning from our advance headquarters on VIERSTRAAT ROAD driving one of the CLYNO MOTOR CARS with supplies and was carrying an Artilleryman of the 13^th Battery on the side car, while passing along the road immediately in the rear of SAND BAG VILLA several enemy shells burst quite close to him (the enemy were apparently searching for one of our Batteries which has been annoying them considerably of late), he speeded up his machine in an endeavor to get out of the zone of fire but a Shrapnel burst directly over him wounding his passenger in 5 places, wrecked the front wheel and stopped the engine.  Pte McRAE helped the Artilleryman to get to cover in a ditch and had barely left the car when a high explosive shell exploded in the road about 5 feet from the car totally wrecking it and scattering the wreckage over an area of 50 yards. He procured assistance and after attending to the wounded man had him taken to a dressing station.

 

 

 

Later in the evening Pte. McRAE returned to the machine accompanied by Ptes J. BRENNEN and A.E. McEACHERN to salvage what tools and spare parts they could and while doing this the Germans again shelled this locality Pte. McEACHERN was wounded by a Shrapnel bullet passing through his ankle. Ptes BRENNAN and McRAE carried him some 200 yards to a Belgian farm house where they gave him first aid and then carried him to the billet of the 16^th R.F.A. and from there summoned an ambulance and had him sent to the LA GLETTE clearing station. A good day done.  

 

--- signed P.A.G. MacCarthy, Capt. O.C., Borden's Motor Machine Gun Battery.

 

 

 

Private McEachern was first transported to the La Glette Clearing Station and then forward to the Rawal Pindi Hospital at Wimereux, France before transfer to England for further treatment.  Private Brennen will later be Killed in Action on 3 January 1916 while Private McRae will be wounded on 8 April 1916. The hospital ship transporting Private McEachern, HMHS Anglia was sunk by a mine laid by German U-Boat UC-5 in the English Channel just 1 nautical mile off the coast of Folkstone, England on 17 November 1915. 

The ship sinks quickly and the loss of 134 lives includes Private McEachern who was presumed drown and never recovered.  Incidentally, the passenger ship Lusitania was also sunk by a mine on the same day and by the same U-Boat UC-5 captained by Oberleutnant zur See Herbert Pustkuchen.  Pustkuchen would sink 80 ships before being killed in 27 May 1917 off the Isles of Scilly.

 

Thank you . Really brings his life in the army to mind and you feel the loss of his life . Not being able to walk independently after being shot in the ankle would have really limited his chances of getting off the sinking Anglia .

[FionaBam]

On 29/09/2023 at 02:47, FionaBam said:

Here is my summary of the findings of the Court of Enquiry (hereafter C of E )  report  entitled “Loss of H M Hospital Ship Anglia off Folkestone on 17^th November and the measures taken for the rescue of survivors “, which I viewed in the file at NA Kew :  ADM 1/8443/367.

The Court was held on 18^th November 1915 as directed by Navy Dover Patrol Vice Admiral  R.H Bacon so a speedy response to the tragic loss of 169 people- serving men, crew and nursing staff and orderlies, after the ship struck a mine,  one of many mines laid by  a German U boat whose commander was fully aware that the corridor into Dover  as marked by buoys was reserved for Allied Hospital Ships and medical vessels.

Bacon informed the Enquiry that , quote, “the  absence of Naval Discipline led to the Engine Room Staff leaving their posts without orders and to neither the Captain nor Officers taking measures to see that the engines were stopped according to orders”  .

Bacon continued that had the engines been stopped, he was of the opinion that all on board, not killed by the explosion, might have been saved.

 Bacon added that the ship was struck at 0.34 pm and sank at about 1.20pm, taking 45 minutes to sink.  The fact that the engines were working he said “ prevented either the HMS Hazard or the HMS Ure from getting alongside, and further the speed through the water must have assisted to flood the ship.”

Evidence taken from witnesses at the C of E concurs that one of the ships’ propellers was visible above water still turning and that the ship was being driven in a circle at a speed of about 8 knots by the other propeller still working below the water. Photos of the ship taken by HMS Ure illustrate this.

The verbatim record of the Anglia’s Captain’s evidence shows us that he stated under oath to the Court that he gave a telegraph order (only the right telegraph order was still functioning he said) to stop the engines at approx.. 6 or 7 minutes after the explosion. The evidence of the 4^th Engineer was that he was alone at his post in the engine room following the explosion and that he left the engine room after about 7 minutes when the ship took a steep list having not heard such an order.

 Hmm… “7 minutes” -  Coincidence or collusion before giving evidence , one might wonder . It was also stated that the force of the explosion close to the bridge would have  likely dazed the Captain and that  others on the bridge were wounded and one was missing.

 Regards the work of the Nursing Staff on board : The file contains a Draft Army Order commending that thanks to the diligence of Matron Mrs Mitchell and  the nursing sisters  most of the cot cases were evacuated from the ship, praising also Lt Bennett and Lt. Hodgson who were most conspicuous aided by Privates Darwen and Mcguire of RAMC in saving the wounded from the lower  wards when the wards were awash and almost submerged.

Here I am curious that no mention was made of the courageous Staff Nurse Mary Rodwell who as we have evidence here on this thread was reported to have refused to leave her ward of cot cases of service men whose injuries meant they were unable to leave the sinking ship. Mary was drowned along with those men on board the stricken HMS Anglia on 17^th November 1915.

The file contained a  letter sent to the Board of Trade on behalf of the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty along with  a copy of extract from the  Court Report  and submission from Bacon to the Enquiry  stated  that "my Lords consider it undesirable that a Public Board of Trade Enquiry should be held to investigate the circumstances ". 

I am attaching a few photos of the C of E report and some of the Memos & letters included in the file-  they make such interesting reading .

I can add more - perhaps the verbatim evidence  would assist to draw  your own conclusions

CC -ing some earlier members in this thread-apologies if this proves an  unrequired notification...but hope its of interest.

@Jim Strawbridge

@Sarah Reay

@dabtoe

@Mike763222

@depaor01

@RaySearching

@John_Hartley

@Carmania

@Ken S.

@ZeZe

@seaJane

I have photos   of:

-the evidence given by  Anglia's Captain Manning,  by  the Chief Officer Horner, by  Mr Pierce 2nd Engineer, by Mr Williams 4th Engineer,   by Lt Commander Boxer of HM Torpedo  who managed to get his vessel alongside the moving HMHS Anglia to rescue many on board  and who concurred with Bacon's view that " had it not been going ahead more people could have been saved ",  and by Lt Commander Sturdee of HMS Hazard,

-article from Evening Post about nearby steamer Chanel Queen rescuing survivors from the sea,

-and other Memos from Bacon to  Dover Patrol staff and vice versa

-the photos of the stricken Anglia are improved when viewed individually 

@FROGSMILE you might like to read more here about Mary Rodwell and the result of the Court of Inquiry into the sinking of HMHS Anglia. 

[FionaBam]

@Sarah Reay

I bought your book! An excellent  read. The section describing  from your grandfathers  diary how events transpired aboard the sinking vessel is very vivid and emotive.

Hope it's ok to post a couple of pages here relating to Nurse Mary Rodwell.

Copywrite Sarah Reay " The Half-Shilling Curate ". Publ: Helion & Company 2016.

[FROGSMILE]

1 hour ago, FionaBam said:

@FROGSMILE you might like to read more here about Mary Rodwell and the result of the Court of Inquiry into the sinking of HMHS Anglia. 

Thank you for drawing my attention Fiona, I shall read and digest tomorrow. 👍

[dabtoe]

Hi to all followers of the Anglia story

I would like to know what question 20 was, and the reply, on the enquiry into the sinking of H.M.H.S Anglia  from records at public records office, as I did not take note of it when I visited Kew.

Regards

Dabtoe

24 Jan 2024