HMS VULCAN

[george1]

Hi All,

I wonder if someone can help me please? My granddad Charles Guy Bristow (Chas), from records I have found, was on HMS Vulcan which appears to be a submarine depot ship. However, my Dad is adamant that his Dad was involved with minesweeping and although I don't doubt him, I'm not quite sure what HMS Vulcan was? His service number was J83625 and I believe he was an Ordinary Seaman. If anyone can shed some light on granddad's activities during the war, that would be fantastic.

Kind regards,

Janice

[horatio2]

Janice

It would help if you could post his record of service (if that is what you have - if not: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6886169 ). Without that we cannot guess his "activities".

VULCAN was a submarine depot ship but that does not necessarily mean he served in submarines. He may have been involved in post-WW1 minesweeping as part of the Mine Clearance Service (MCS).

[wightspirit]

Janice

Could have been the tug Vulcan or possibly another tug, Vulcain (classified as a rescue tug). Some of these vessels might have seen serive as minesweepers, although Vulcan only saw service in 1914. However, as Horatio2 says, his service record would be most useful and would name the precise vessel you're seeking.

Dave W

[TeeCeeCee]

It's possible. A minesweeper is a small ship and is not likely to carry clerks, writers or pay staff amoung the crew. What happened then was a bigger entity such as a shore base, a bigger ship or a depot ship would do the accounting for pay, leave, etc, for the smaller.

If this happened his records would note the big entity first and the actual vessel he served on would follow in brackets. So you may see:

Vulcan (minesweeper name)

This means he served on the minesweeper but all paperwork was done by the former.

[dabtoe]

Hi,

This link might help:-

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/vulcan.htm

[Alyn Avison]

I've been led to believe my granfather served on HMS Vulcan  he was called Fredrick Madin and was only young at the time in WW1 .

[horatio2]

Only one Frederick MADIN found  -  https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D7098128

He served in HMS VERNON but not in VULCAN. Seven months service during WW1, nine months in total. Aged 20-21 so not "young at the time".

Edited 27 January , 2023 by horatio2

[Alyn Avison]

Thank you so much it's very appreciated .

[horatio2]

Also found this RNR rating of similar age  -   https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8573235   

Frederick MADIN RN born Liverpool 7 Sep 1897

Frederick MADIN RNR born Sheffield 15 Oct 1897. He served successively as a trimmer (TS.4999) and then as an engineman (ES.5585, ET.130 and EU.291. His four RNR records (including WW2) are here:- 

 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_fn=fred*&_ln=madin&_pl=&_q=&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=BT+164++&_cr2=BT+377++&_col=200&_hb=tna

Edited 27 January , 2023 by horatio2
Added RNR detail.