U-BOAT ENIGMAS: Royal Navy Salvage & Secrecy in WW1 by Anthony Babb BEM.

[Talesofaseadog]

I would like to introduce my first, entirely self-published book, which has been available from June 2019.

 

There are a number of ways you can get hold of a copy, if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited the book is available to download as part of your subscription, otherwise it is available as an e-book or paperback from Amazon.

 

ISBN: 978107050123

 

Book Description

After the inconclusive Battle of Jutland in World War 1, German U-boats wreaked havoc on our merchant ships, and salvage of both ships and cargoes became of vital importance. Amongst these, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Racer and her riggers recovered U-boat UC-44 together with many documents, including her crucial and secret radio codebook.

Anthony Babb’s research has now established that this was used by Bletchley Park’s predecessor Room 40, to decode their messages and inform the Admiralty of German submarine movements, changing the course of the war.

U-Boat Enigmas is both a novel and a reference book, including many photographs collected by Able Seaman John Foulkes RNR who served at the Battle of Jutland and in RFA Racer.

The book provides a fascinating new insight into how the salvage riggers and Room 40 saved Britain in WW1.

 

To assist GWF members I include a list of Vessels featured from WW1 most of them with unique pictures:

HMS Centurion

RFA Racer

Sailing Ship Carl

H M Torpedo Boat 24

HMS Q19

HM Submarine C16

UC-44

HMS Haldon

SS Antwerpen

USS Armenia

SS Comrie Castle

SS Anchoria

SS India

SS Celtic

HMS Magic

SS Esperanza de Larringa

SS Manora

SS Oriana

HMS Mystic

HMS Shirley

 

Tony

[Talesofaseadog]

This is a review published in The News, our local paper.

The reporter was very unusual in that he was an expert on "Blinker" Hall.

Tony

[penfold]

Do you know Able Seaman John Foulkes, official number please? We might not have him on the Battle of Jutland Crew Lists Project.

https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org

 

[KizmeRD]

From what I've read to date with regards to the activities of Room 40, it appears to me that a lot of the hard graft in relation to the breaking of German naval codes had already been completed prior to RFA Racer's salvage of UC-44 in September 1917 (afterall, it wasn't the first occassion that enemy cyptographic material had been recovered).

 

I'm not saying that ID25 wouldn't have been extremely interested in what was retrieved from UC-44, only that it is somewhat of an overstatement on the part of the book reviewer to imply that this one particular salvage operation changed the course of the war.

 

Anyway, since I have an interest in naval signal intelligence and there's also a family connection to the Admiralty Mooring, Salvage & Boom Defence world, I will take great pleasure in downloading your book, and daresay I can look forward to a very entertaining read.

[Talesofaseadog]

The editor changed the reporters words apparently, but for me any publicity is worth having.

I hope you enjoy the book and look forward to any comments.

I put it on here with some trepidation as there are so many experts however constructive comments are good and I do sonewhat agree with you.

Tony

[horatio2]

On 17/01/2020 at 15:11, Talesofaseadog said:

Able Seaman John Foulkes RNR who served at the Battle of Jutland and in RFA Racer.

 

18 hours ago, penfold said:

Do you know Able Seaman John Foulkes, official number please?

I too was interested to identify this rating. I could find no John FOULKES in the RNR (and Able Seaman is not an RNR rating - they were plain "Seaman") nor in the RNVR. I thought perhaps he was AB RN? I eventually found a rating of that name in the medal roll of the Mercantile Marine Reserve (MMR), where he is recorded as having the rating of Rigger MMR in RFA RACER.

The OP has helpfully contributed to the RFA RACER page here - http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-racer - where images of Rigger Foulkes appear. 

I am still not clear where he served at Jutland.

Edited 23 January , 2020 by horatio2

[Malcolm12hl]

The man in question is AB JOHN ROBERT FOULKES 196912 - a recalled R.F.R. rating demobilised to serve in RFA RACER at the end of 1916.

[horatio2]

2 hours ago, Malcolm12hl said:

The man in question is AB JOHN ROBERT FOULKES 196912 - a recalled R.F.R. rating demobilised to serve in RFA RACER at the end of 1916.

Many thanks for that ID. An unusual service pattern: serving in the RFA as an MMR Rigger while still in the RFR (demobilised). Odd that he appears in both the RN and MMR medal rolls: he claimed a trio for RN service and claimed a pair for MMR service. Unless there were two men called John Foulkes serving in RACER (unlikely).

[Talesofaseadog]

On 23/01/2020 at 11:58, horatio2 said:

Many thanks for that ID. An unusual service pattern: serving in the RFA as an MMR Rigger while still in the RFR (demobilised). Odd that he appears in both the RN and MMR medal rolls: he claimed a trio for RN service and claimed a pair for MMR service. Unless there were two men called John Foulkes serving in RACER (unlikely).

Yes, that is the correct man. Unfortunately when I wrote the book I thought he was RNR, an error on my part.

John is my son's great grandfather, which is why I started the book. He left all the pictures you will find in it.

Tony

On 23/01/2020 at 09:39, horatio2 said:

 

I too was interested to identify this rating. I could find no John FOULKES in the RNR (and Able Seaman is not an RNR rating - they were plain "Seaman") nor in the RNVR. I thought perhaps he was AB RN? I eventually found a rating of that name in the medal roll of the Mercantile Marine Reserve (MMR), where he is recorded as having the rating of Rigger MMR in RFA RACER.

The OP has helpfully contributed to the RFA RACER page here - http://www.historicalrfa.org/rfa-racer - where images of Rigger Foulkes appear. 

I am still not clear where he served at Jutland.

John was on HMS Centurion at Jutland.

Tony

[Keith_history_buff]

I see from his service record that he was an Able Seaman aboard HMS Centurion from 25 August 1914 to 25 November 1916.

[penfold]

Thank you.

He is now on the HMS Centurion crew list.

https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/centurion

 

[Talesofaseadog]

On 27/01/2020 at 10:34, penfold said:

Thank you.

He is now on the HMS Centurion crew list.

https://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/centurion

 

Thank you, I may have another name for you, just need to check first as there were 2 that joined RFA Racer from Centurion at the same time.

Tony

[Talesofaseadog]

On 31/01/2020 at 11:52, Talesofaseadog said:

Thank you, I may have another name for you, just need to check first as there were 2 that joined RFA Racer from Centurion at the same time.

Tony

Thomas Moore is on the list however I can add his birthday. It is 17 Sept 1885.

Tony