WW1 ships

[jscott]

Hi all

Apologies in advance for what may be a really silly question, but unfotunately my interest in the war has been confined predominantly to land so far.

I was wondering whether there are any ships of the Grand Fleet that are still in existence around the UK (and that can be visited?)

Any thoughts would be great.

Thanks, Jonathan

[IanA]

Not my area of expertise, but this is a very interesting project -

http://www3.hants.gov.uk/m33.htm

https://www.facebook.com/monitorm33?hc_location=stream

[SiegeGunner]

In addition to M33, HMS Caroline (light cruiser moored in Belfast, about to undergo restoration) and HMS President (ex-HMS Chrysanthemum, escort sloop, moored on the Thames).

Edit: Not Chrysanthemum but Saxifrage (see below).

[seaJane]

Steam pinnace 199, present at Jutland, in repair at St Vincent, Gosport. (More info when I'm back from leave)

[jscott]

Fabulous, thanks all! Surprisingly I actually ran past the President several times a week but had always assumed she was more ww2 vintage. It looks like I might need to book in a trip to Portsmouth too.

Cheers, J

[seaJane]

Can't remember whether/which of the RN Submarine Museum's boats were active in the GW but it's probably worth a visit anyway. And the National Museum of the RN Portsmouth is including GW material in its new 20th cent. gallery.

[meant to edit this into my previous post but the yacht suddenly adopted a /very peculiar angle/, hence the delay]

[super6]

In addition to M33, HMS Caroline (light cruiser moored in Belfast, about to undergo restoration) and HMS President (ex-HMS Chrysanthemum, escort sloop, moored on the Thames).

I think HMS President is/was HMS Saxifrage. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_President_(1918)

and for HMS Chrysanthemum http://www.flickr.com/photos/50256734@N05/6348627766/ both of the same class. I reckon that pictures of both vessels could be used to depict both vessels

[horatio2]

Here is another (although not exactly "Grand Fleet") - the world's oldest aircraft carrier:-

http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/712/seaplane-lighter-h21

[jscott]

Jane - do you know when the new 20th c gallery will open - its sounds very interesting (although I cant seem to find the details on their website).

Its great to see that some ships of this era still exist, even if the number is rather small.

[SiegeGunner]

I think HMS President is/was HMS Saxifrage. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_President_(1918)

and for HMS Chrysanthemum http://www.flickr.com/photos/50256734@N05/6348627766/ both of the same class. I reckon that pictures of both vessels could be used to depict both vessels

Thanks, Super6, you're right and I have got my flowers mixed up.

[sotonmate]

Js

You want to touch a piece of history a piece of the bows of HMS Vindictive is on display in Ostend, Belgium.

Plus an even more exciting piece,if irrelevant here and non- military,a huge slab of the Titanic in a San Francisco museum. I hadn't realised that such a piece had been removed from the wreck site.If you want to touch that it is a different matter,they have a small square set on a stand that you can touch but it didn't feel as good as the big slab !!

[seaJane]

Not sure about the 20th-century gallery although I know it can't be long as my own establishment has lent some material. Will try to find out once I'm back at work tomorrow.

Steam Pinnace 199 material:

http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/collections_boats_pinnace.htm

http://www.nationalhistoricships.org.uk/register/40/199

http://www.gosportheritage.co.uk/steam-pinnace-199-talk/

Re: submarines, Holland 1 is in the RN Submarine Museum but was sunk in 1913.

[seaJane]

Jane - do you know when the new 20th c gallery will open

I have just asked, and the gallery will open to the public in April 2014, exact date not known. Official opening ceremony some time later in the year.

[jscott]

Thanks very much SeaJane (and others) - this is extremely helpful. Im planning a trip to Portsmouth as I type. I might also plan a side trip to Ostend next time I'm in Belgium.

Thanks again!

J

[seaJane]

Steam Pinnace 199 is on the Gosport side of the harbour, which will give you an excuse to use the Gosport Ferry: I am not sure whether it's open all the time, but if you like I can find out (supposing the links don't tell you).

If you want to include the new Mary Rose ship hall in your visit (about four centuries off topic, but forgive me) I'd strongly recommend pre-booking a timed ticket, as the queues are still unpredictable.

And, just to pull myself back on to thread via the Historic Dockyard, HMS WARRIOR (1860) was renamed VERNON III in 1904 and was part of the RN torpedo training school through 1914-1918 until 1923/4.

[rolt968]

Bending the rules of the original question quite a bit.

I feel I should know, but don't.

Have any trawlers or drifters which served in WW1 survived? I have a vague idea that there is a CMB around somewhere?

Roger.

[SiegeGunner]

If you want to include the new Mary Rose ship hall in your visit (about four centuries off topic, but forgive me) I'd strongly recommend pre-booking a timed ticket, as the queues are still unpredictable.

You can only get a timed entry ticket, Jane, even if you have a 'season ticket' to the Dockyard. The problem is that the area in the middle of the museum, comprising cases containing a vast array of fascinating artefacts, contains so many pieces of written information that people mill around, trying to read them, and the flow of visitors through the exhibition comes to a standstill. The ship itself is a wondrous thing, but frankly, the old exhibition of a proportion of the found artefacts was much more accessible.

[seaJane]

Ah, thanks for straightening me out on that Mick.

[Adrian Roberts]

Have any trawlers or drifters which served in WW1 survived? I have a vague idea that there is a CMB around somewhere?

Roger.

I had an idea that there was a CMB around, too.

After a bit of googling I realised that CMB4 is at the Duxford, Imperial War Museum site. This is the craft in which Augustus Agar won his VC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Coastal_Motor_Boat_4

Adrian

[rolt968]

I had an idea that there was a CMB around, too.

After a bit of googling I realised that CMB4 is at the Duxford, Imperial War Museum site. This is the craft in which Augustus Agar won his VC.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_Coastal_Motor_Boat_4

Adrian

Than you, Adrian. I should have known that. I'm a friend of IWM.

I wonder if there are any others which are not known about. A lot were sold off for private use.

Roger.

[super6]

Bending the rules of the original question quite a bit.

I feel I should know, but don't.

Have any trawlers or drifters which served in WW1 survived? I have a vague idea that there is a CMB around somewhere?

Roger.

Google great war trawler as there is one at South Georgia

[horatio2]

Google great war trawler as there is one at South Georgia

The trawler is the VIOLA (Admiralty No.614).

[Safarigal]

The trawler is the VIOLA (Admiralty No.614).

[Safarigal]

Horatio,

I just found this site. My grandfather Alexander Vaughan #291857 was on the VIOLA

from 23 Oct 1917 to 12 July 1918. According to his papers,

He was a Q Boats special volunteer. (Stoker P.O.)

How can I find more information?

Any help would be appreciated.Thanks

Safarigal

[horatio2]

Get hold of "Q Ships and their Story" by E Keble Chatterton which has some detail of the operations of the two Q-Ships named VIOLA: one a sloop and the other a topsail schooner (alias VEREKER and VIOLETTA). As a PO Stoker I expect he served in the sloop HMS VIOLA (alias Q.14).