Halstead Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 I Know my father was based at Lowestoft during the latter part of WW1and that he was a radio operator on a minesweeper. His service record shows that he served on HMS Halcyon from 25th Nov. 1918 to 18th Feb 1919. However I have a photo of what looks like a converted trawler with a name written on the photo that looks like Samerla. I found the photo among my mothers papers after her death and she had written on it saying this was the ship my father served on at Lowestoft. Would I be correct in thinking that HMS Halcyon was in fact the depot ship to which crews were allocated on their service records but in fact they served on other ships at sea. I would welcome any information anyone might have on either Halcyon or Samerla. Hopefully this is all in order. It is my first go at this forum lark Dennis Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seaJane Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 Haven't the foggiest myself Dennis - sorry - but a click around the links on this page might help: http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/wwi_minesweepers.htm From my experience, S and L in script of that date can be confused so may be worth checking more letters than one. I'm sure someone else on the forum will be able to help, especially if you are able to post an image of the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARABIS Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 Hello Dennis, Welcome to the Forum. Halcyon was the Auxiliary Patrol depot ship at Lowestoft from August 1914 until 14th March 1919. Is there another name in brackets after Halcyon on his service record? This should tell you if he served in another vessel while on the books of Halcyon. I can't find Samerla in my reference books. David. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piorun Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 Dennis: can you post the image so that we could see whether we can help clarify your interpretation of the name? Cheers, Antony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 16 February , 2011 Share Posted 16 February , 2011 (edited) Hi, Welcome to the Forum There is a trawler named Samurai 221/1914, 1 x 6 pdr. Hired 1915 - 1919 listed in Ships of the Royal Navy Volume 2 by J.J. Colledge but I cannot find any more on her! Cheers, Terry Corrected spelling to end ai a former Grimsby trawler GY 175 more info. here: Link Edited 17 February , 2011 by TcM59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 17 February , 2011 Share Posted 17 February , 2011 Hello Dennis Alan (Me), here is award to crew of HALCYON. Gives `flavour' of service on ship. BARNE Michael N/E Cdr. RN 85U151 Halcyon C-in-C Lowestoft 11.04.19 Gazetted Destroyers on Convoy Escort & Patrol Duty Lowestoft 01.07.18-11.11.18 DSO Commander Barne was appointed to H.M.S. "Majestic" on the 15th September, 1914. First sent on Western Patrol. On the 25th September, he captured a large German sailing vessel "Panoppe". Escorted First Canadian Army Corps in October. In December, 1914, he bombarded the Belgian Coast with "Revenge". On the 25th February, 1915, he arrived off the Dardanelles, where he was employed against shore batteries and ships, direct and indirect fire. He joined in combined attacks on Narrows on the 18th March, and employed against the enemy as covering ship to troops landing. On the 14th April, Commander Barne was in charge of a night picket boat operation, creeping for observation mine cables. On the 29th May, 1915, "Majestic" was torpedoed by an enemy submarine and sunk. On the 6th September, he was appointed in command of Monitor M.27, joining the Dover Patrol. On the 6th November, he was appointed for regular service with the Belgian Coast barrage Patrol. He was Senior Officer of a small squadron which engaged four hostile destroyers on the 27th May, 1917, driving them back to their base. M.27 was slightly damaged. On the 14th February , 1918, he was appointed in command of "Halcyon" engaged in North Sea Patrol, and the protection of fishing fleets, etc., on the 31st July, he engaged five hostile seaplanes, and rescued three out of five of the crew of a British boat plane which had been brought down by them. Commander Barne is a very zealous and competant officer and is very highly recommended for recognition. His Royal Humane Society's Medal in 1914, was given for diving overboard at sea and saving the life of a man who had fallen over board. More such if required, Sadsac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 19 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2011 Hello Dennis, Welcome to the Forum. Halcyon was the Auxiliary Patrol depot ship at Lowestoft from August 1914 until 14th March 1919. Is there another name in brackets after Halcyon on his service record? This should tell you if he served in another vessel while on the books of Halcyon. I can't find Samerla in my reference books. David. Hello ARABIS Thank you very much for your response. No, unfortunately there is no name in brackets after Halcyon. In the list column of the service record there is an entry that I cannot decipher followed by an entry in the "No." column which again I cannot decipher. After that the entries become more readable listing his rating as O Tel which I amagine stands for Ordinary Seaman Telegraphist, followed by the dates he served on the ship. Piorun asked if I can send a photo of the minesweeper. I will endeavour to do so when I have solved the mysteries of this site and beaten it into submission. Dennis Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 19 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 19 February , 2011 Hello Piorun Thanks to everyone for kindly replying to my plea. Hopefully I shall now be successful in attaching a photo of Samerla or Samurai or whatever. As you can see the name SAMERLA? has been written on the photograph. But very faintly underneath that writing it appears to say HMT (which I amagine stands for HM Trawler) followed by a word which could be SAMURAI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 19 February , 2011 Share Posted 19 February , 2011 Dennis, If you intended to include the photo in your last post, it didn't show. Once you have uploaded a photo file, (image sizes must not exceed 100Kb), you need to select it and click on the "Attach This File" box. Then check all is OK by selecting "Preview Post" before posting by clicking on "Add Reply" Hope this helps. Cheers, Terry P.S. There is a link to a photo of 'Samurai' on the link in my previous post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 20 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 20 February , 2011 Thank you TcM59 for your very helpful reply and for your patience with an old wrinkly. Having reduced the size of the file I will now try again Dennis Alan Samurai Minesweeper scan2076.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 20 February , 2011 Share Posted 20 February , 2011 (edited) Dennis, Pleased to have been of some help. I would say that is 'Samurai', the appearance compares favourably with those images on the Bosun's Watch / Fleetwood trawlers site And I'm fairly confident I can see a 'U' in the faint writing. Interesting to see the ship's boat rigged for a quick launch. A wise precaution in those hazardous times. Cheers, Terry Edited 22 February , 2011 by TcM59 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 February , 2011 Share Posted 22 February , 2011 I am certain that the boat is the Hired Trawler SAMURAI. She was based on HMS HALCYON at Lowestoft from 11 April 1915. Her first skipper was Tom S Lapidge RNR, followed by Skipper Alexander F Wood RNR from 27 Feb 1917, followed by Chief Skipper John Crampton RNR from May 1918 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Munson Posted 22 February , 2011 Share Posted 22 February , 2011 horatio2 I am as well but I seem to have a mental block with the spelling of the former Grimsby trawler's name. it is of course as you posted Samurai. I'll edit my previous post to correct my error Cheers, Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 22 February , 2011 Share Posted 22 February , 2011 Dennis, following on from post by Horatio, here is an award to Skipper Wood ; WOOD Alexander 974054 Skipper MMR 87X429 CinC Orkneys Admiral Herbert King Hall 12.07.19 N/E Post War MBE(M) Captain Dean-Pitt, reports that he has the highest opinion of this officer, as an honourable man and splendid seaman. He recently, by his tact and loyalty, saved what might have been an extremely unpleasent situation, when the whole crew of a drifter contemplated refusing duty, as a demonstation against the delay in their demobilisation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 February , 2011 Share Posted 22 February , 2011 By July 1919 Alexander WOOD was skippering the KUROKI out of Lowestoft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 22 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 22 February , 2011 Thank you everyone for your very helpful and interesting replies. I must say I am greatly impressed by your enthusiasm and knowledge. I'd be interested to know what your sources are. Have you any comments about my suggestion that my father was shown on his service record as serving on Halcyon, the depot ship, but actually crewed Samurai. His service was hostilities only and he just caught the last few months of the war. He enrolled on 8th May 1918 and was posted to Victory VI on 3rd June 1918 until (it looks like) 5th November 1918 then presumably ten days leave before joining Halcyon on 25th November 1918 until 18th February 1919 when he joined Victory X until demobilisation on 24th March 1919. I know his initial training was at Crystal Palace, so I assume Crystal Palace was HMS Victory VI. I also know he was demobilised at Lowestoft so I imagine the shore establishment there was HMS Victory X. Dennis Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 22 February , 2011 Share Posted 22 February , 2011 HMS VICTORY X was merely an accounting base (at Portsmouth) and the men on the pay books could have actually served in any number of locations. I think many men were drafted onto the books of VICTORY X for demobilisation. Signallers at Crystal Palace were on the books of VICTORY VI. I think it unlikely (but not impossible) that he served in SAMURAI. Was he RN or RNR? Details would help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 23 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2011 Thank you Horatio 2 I can cofirm from my father's service record that he was RNVR London Division no. Z/929/ Just a little more personal information about him when he first enrolled on 8th may 1918. His age was 17yrs 11mths. and to my surprise he was just 5' 11'' tall and weighed an amazing 95lbs. (6st 8lbs) . I am very short in stature but I comfortably beat (or should I say, uncomfortably beat) both those figs. He continued his interest in radio communications after the war as an amateur and member of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) and during WW2 was a member of the Security Radio Service. As you no doubt know their output went into Bletchley Park for deciphering. Dennis Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halstead Posted 23 February , 2011 Author Share Posted 23 February , 2011 Hello Horatio 2 A correction to my last response. His height was 5' 1'' tall not 5' 11''. Dennis Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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