Depot Ships et al

[bobloes]

Hi All,

I am doing research into my grandad - hopefully to be completed while his last surviving child is still with us. I have lots of questions of course but I would like to take a small chunk. His primary WW1 service was on HMS Cyclops 1911 - 1914, HMS Hebe 1914/15 and HMS Tyne 1916-1919. If I understand correctly Cyclops was a submarine depot ship, Hebe was a torpedo gunboat converted to a minesweeper and Tyne was a storeship/depot ship. While he was on board these ships were either part of the Home Fleet or Channel Fleet. I have yet to go to the National Archives to see the Logs in order to identify exactly where they were although I am confident that they did not see service in any 'exciting' location. (They also serve who only stand etc..) He had been in the Navy since 1904 when he joined as a 16 year old and from his record it would appear that he carried out torpedo gunboat training at Sheerness. I am guessing that even as a mid twenties young man he would have preferred to be in the thick of it rather than being on (what I assume is) a safe logistics ship. Can anyone throw a bit more light on the activities of these support ships or (more likely) support ships in general? He also spent Oct 1915 to May 1916 at Pembroke 1. I believe that was a barracks at Chatham. I cannot believe he would have been in pokey for that long, I would be surprised if he would have done a training course for that long so that leaves me with the possibility that it was recuperation after injury. Does anyone know if there was a hospital there? Sorry if I have been a bit long winded. Thanks

[sadsac]

Hello Bobloes, here are the Logs for CYCLOPS 1911-14 / HEBE 1914-15 / TYNE 1916-19 in PRO Files ADM 53 / ????? ;

CYCLOPS 39157 Aug 1913 - 39158 Feb 1915

HEBE 44034 Aug 1914 - Jan 1916

TYNE 63699 1916 - 63737 1919

As to Pembroke (Chatham), could be servicing Detention Centre or Hospital (Barracks or Gillingham).

Sadsac

[sotonmate]

bobloes

Your man could have been serving in a smaller craft, attached to the ships you name as their base ship for records and support purposes.As he seems to have served in a minesweeper(HEBE)this might indicate that this was the case,though some records I have seen will show the "mother ship" together with the smaller craft served in whilst attached to it.

Sotonmate

[horatio2]

HEBE had been converted to a Depot Ship in 1909 and was a submarine depot ship throughout WW1 first on the Tyne (6 SM), then at Leith (7 SM) and finally on the Humber (3 SM).

His record of service should indicate quite clearly (by ships' names in brackets) whether he served in ships/boats which were tenders to CYCLOPS, HEBE and TYNE.

[bobloes]

Thanks very much for those replies. His record does not have any of the ships in brackets so I am guessing he would not have been on a tender. Did the depot/support ships stay in safe waters or did they carry out their function away from ports? Given that he was on a minesweeper during 14/15 would he have been likely to have seen much action? Is there any reference which would tell me where the major mine activity was?

HEBE had been converted to a Depot Ship in 1909 and was a submarine depot ship throughout WW1 first on the Tyne (6 SM), then at Leith (7 SM) and finally on the Humber (3 SM).

His record of service should indicate quite clearly (by ships' names in brackets) whether he served in ships/boats which were tenders to CYCLOPS, HEBE and TYNE.

[horatio2]

"...he served on a minesweeper". Since HEBE was not a minesweeper, which sweeper did he serve in? From what you have told us, his entire war was spent in depot ships, which were invariably based in port, where they could service their tenders.

[bobloes]

Horatio2. Thanks for pointing out my error. I made the mistake of thinking that Hebe was still a minesweeper when my grandfather served on her. And as you say that means that he spent all of the war years on depot ships except for two stints in Pembroke 1. I would have thought that a 'career' sailor would have been trained for something more demanding? Does not look like I will have much of an exciting story to pass on.

If I could ask for another steer. On his record it has a "List and Number" column beside each ship. Almost all of his are marked 15^2. Could anyone throw some light on what the list and number is for and what his particular numbers mean? Thanks again.