1914 BEF Embarkation Ships

[Nick1914]

Martin, just a quick update before logging off.  Checked Haig's " War Diaries & Letters" pg59. It seems Allenby & his GSO1 John Vaughan attended a conference at GHQ at Le Cateau on the 18th August.  We can now very much "bookend" the date to 16/17th August.  Can someone check any of the biograaphies perhaps written on Allenby?

 

Another angle I want to look at is ships.  Clearly  SS Comrie Castle must have been OK as Haig travelled on it.  I see 10 days later Pulteney goes out on SS Braemar Castle......I doubt either were cattle ships! Just another angle to narrow down possible ships A travelled on.

 

Cheers, Nick

[Pierce09]

does anyone know of or have an available list of units and corresponding ships to disembark at Le Havre on 8th August 1914? 

[Christopher9090]

12 field company R,E left Southampton on the 8/11/1914

[TEW]

On 08/03/2020 at 20:50, Pierce09 said:

does anyone know of or have an available list of units and corresponding ships to disembark at Le Havre on 8th August 1914? 

A year on I realise but W095/4030/1 states:

No. 1 base for Rouen, No. 2 base for Rouen, No. 3 base for Boulogne.

9/8/1914. Above three bases, together with that of the advanced based, and the inspector-general of communication, with staff, embarked 11.30am on SS Vera and sailed 4.45pm, crossing to the continent through a permanent patrol of British Warships on either beam. SS Vera anchored at Havre about midnight 9-10th August. (the first ship of the Expeditionary Force).

10/8/14. No. 1 base disembarked at Havre.

It appears that the SS Vera only carried the senior staff for the base and identifies all the buildings taken over by the different department. There is no mention of any stores etc.

There is no mention of any other ship arrivals although there is mention that the Secret Disembarkation Table was carried out.

29/8/14. Havre base was evacuated to St Nazire and returned 20/9/14.

Despite how the entry for 9/8/14 reads (to me it seems everyone was on the Vera?) the Rouen Base diary says they went by the 'Laura' and anchored off Havre before the Vera arrived.

The staff of the advanced base was on SS Vera and moved to Amiens,  first sign of any troops at advanced base is 12/8/14.

TEW

[Sinbad Glen]

I managed to track down SS Botanist which carried 1st Battalion East Surrey's from Dublin to Le Harve. She ended up bought by the Navy in 1916 and served as a troopship cum transport in Australia with a name change.
Main pic, Botanist with the Surreys on board, Le Harve. Inset is Botanist late in the war. She was lost in 1920.