SS Gascon

[Andy Twynam]

hello again

 

I appreciate that more than one ship can have the same name, I'm just trying to pinpoint which SS Gascon transported a relative of mine (in the medical corps) from London to Salonika in November 1915.  I've read about a Gascon, built in Belfast in 1897, which was a hospital ship but apparently "during 1915 she served in the German East African campaign and spent the remainder of the war in that area" so I've sort of discounted her.  The only other Gascon I can find is one shipwrecked in Canada in 1895.

 

any thoughts on this please ?? - thank you

[wightspirit]

There were 2 vessels of the same name in 1915 - the other was far too small to be your ship. The crew agreement for Gascon, official number 106907, should be held by the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. You may find the answer you are looking for there - just apply for a copy of the crew list/agreement.

 

Dave W

[Rockturner]

Andy,

Seems the 1897 ship out of Belfast is your ship. See the following website;

http://www.anzac-22nd-battalion.com/hospital-ships/

LonerangerVC

[apwright]

The ship's log of the French cruiser Latouche-Tréville records the British hospital ship Gascon arriving in the Bay of Salonika, in company with the cargo ship SS Beachy, at 0800 hrs on Friday 26 November 1915.

 

Adrian

[Andy Twynam]

many many thanks for all your suggestions. 

 

My understanding is that my relative left London on 10 November 1915 arriving Salonika 7 December - though I am getting that information from another man's service record who arrived the same day.

[apwright]

Again according to the log of Latouche-Tréville, HS Gascon departed FROM Salonika on 7 Dec (at 1545 hrs). So maybe your man stayed aboard until then, tending incoming wounded from the Macedonian Front, and then disembarked to join his unit just before the ship left to take the wounded home.

 

Adrian

[Andy Twynam]

5 minutes ago, apwright said:

Again according to the log of Latouche-Tréville, HS Gascon departed FROM Salonika on 7 Dec (at 1545 hrs). So maybe your man stayed aboard until then, tending incoming wounded from the Macedonian Front, and then disembarked to join his unit just before the ship left to take the wounded home.

 

Adrian

 

ah yes, I understand what you are saying.  His record says disembarkation 7 December but the ship could have arrived 26 November.  That makes complete sense to me.  The difference between "arrival" and "disembarkation".

 

Many thanks.

[midge15]

Hi - I can add a small bit of information to this thread. The Gascon was a Union Castle line steamer and was sailing between the port of London and Durban in South Africa in 1914. My grandmother who was a Salvation Army officer came home on it, arriving in London on the 18th November 1914 after the war had begun.

Regards

Barry

[frev]

On 11/07/2016 at 21:36, Andy Twynam said:

 

ah yes, I understand what you are saying.  His record says disembarkation 7 December but the ship could have arrived 26 November.  That makes complete sense to me.  The difference between "arrival" and "disembarkation".

 

Many thanks.

 

I'm aware it's probably way too late to clarify this info - but it may come in handy for someone else at some stage...

 

Info from the H.M.H.S. Gascon War Diary:

The H.M.H.S Gascon sailed from London on the 11/11/1915 with the personnel of 29 British General Hospital on board – 34 Medical Officers and 201 R.A.M.C. other ranks

She arrived at Salonika and anchored in the harbour on the 26/11/1915

Disembarkation of the 29 BGH began on the 5/12/1915 and concluded at 11.30 am on the 7/12/1915.  The ship then left Salonika for Alexandria at 3.15 pm that afternoon.

[Patients for Egypt were embarked during this period]

 

Cheers, Frev