Court of Inquiry document HMS Isonzo February 1917

[curious3]

We have found a lot of information about the death of my grandfather John Thomson leading seaman no.2697 who served on HMS Isonzo. The ships log is missing for the month of his death on 22nd February 1917 when he was lost at sea between Malta and Taranto. From information from surrounding ships we can get some information but we cannot find details of the Court of Enquiry. Can anybody help and why is this log missing? Thank you

[seaJane]

I see that the date for ADM 53/45072 in TNA is listed as simply January 1917, and that for ADM 53/45073 as 01 March 1917 - 30 April 1917; but I just wondered if item 45072 has actually been checked to ensure the absence of February rather than a slip by the cataloguer?

Is the occurrence of a Court of Enquiry actually noted somewhere?

[sotonmate]

c3

You need to peek at the file ADM53/5072 as suggested. Alternatively,if there is nothing there to help you there is a file ADM137/1603 with signals and WT traffic from SNO Malta over the period 1915-1918. There might just be something there.

[curious3]

Thank you for this. I am afraid I am a layperson and much of what you say means nothing to me. The info we had was from one visit to Kew some time ago. Are these documents to be found there? I spoke to the librarian in the War Museum in Malta when we visited but he wasn't able to help at that time. I am aware that documents seem to be more easily available these days. There was a Court of Inquiry held on HMS Topaze on 23rd February which was a nearby ship. Might this be it or would it be held on the ship where the incident happened?

[sotonmate]

I guess that TOPAZE might have had an RN Officer of sufficient seniority to conduct the Enquiry,unlikely to allow the ISONZO to conduct it's own.

The files are at Kew and need reading there as they are not digital.

The second file is of Senior Naval Officer Malta recording signal and wireless traffic for the years mentioned.

[curious3]

Thank you so much. We're planning a trip to Kew as soon as we can. I can't remember if we checked the end of the January log but it's a good idea as the numbers are consecutive. So far there isn't a lot of official information on my grandfather, not even his date of birth but we are trying to fill in the details of the person. He was a Hebridean fisherman from the Isle of Lewis. He left a widow and 4 children under 10 who lost their home as there was not a male breadwinner any more. It is a very sad story but my father at least benefitted from a naval charity scholarship to go on to study medicine and serve his country in WW2. Thank you again for your help.

[edwin astill]

Good luck ...keep us posted.

Edwin