Photos of Crew of submarines C37 in 1911 and C23 in 1914

[Cliff Roffey]

My grandfather Alfred Frederick French (1885-1921) served on the China Station in C37 in 1911 and later in 1914 the C23. Does anyone have photos of the boats and  crews (hopefully including him) around these dates? He later served on the E13 for the tragedy in 1915 and ended up as a POW in Denmark  and finally lost his life on the K5 disaster in 1921.

I am trying to write a work on his career but missing photos of him or  the C boats at these times.

[Hyacinth1326]

For C23 I would suggest you should contact the Submarine Museum Curator and ask to view the Album of Signalman Blowers.  This album contains crew photographs.  There are general images of C23 in 1692, 7784, 7785, 7786,7788, 7865 and 7869.

 

For C37 I would ask to view 10226 (China Station) 10227, 10228, 1677 and 4163

How accommodating the Submarine Museum will be at this time (or any other for that matter) may be open to question. My hunch is that you will already have this image taken at Barrow in the pre-war years.

 

Edited 30 April , 2020 by Hyacinth1326

[Cliff Roffey]

Thanks for your reply. Just to check, you do mean the submarine museum at what was HMS Dolphin in Gosport?

[Hyacinth1326]

The Archive was indeed at Gosport, within the confines of the former HMS Dolphin.  I believe it still is but I do not know how you access that Archive today as I understand the formerly independent Submarine Museum has thrown in its administrative lot with Portsmouth Royal Dockyard.  You could try posting a question on the Submarine Museum facebook page. Some erudite people use that site and may well be able to help you further.

Edited 30 April , 2020 by Hyacinth1326

[horatio2]

The National Musuem of the Royal Navy (NMRN) which includes the Submarine Museum has been closed to all enquiries of this type since Xmas 2018. The whole NMRN is now closed (Covid 19).

[Cliff Roffey]

Thanks all. Guess I will just have to wait until this pandemic lifts to a degree