Troop ship Rosetta

[HantsandEssex]

According to his entry in the National Roll of the Great War my grandfather served as a fireman aboard the troop ships Magdalena, Saxon and Rosetta. I have found photos and information about the first two vessels but can find nothing about the Rosetta. The only ships of that name that I can find are a commandeered trawler and an 86 ton sailing ship sunk by a U-boat off Gaza. There was a P&O ship by that name but she was sold in 1900, renamed and scrapped in 1907. There is an archived thread on this site dating from 2008 which poses the same question. Can anybody help identify the Rosetta?

[MerchantOldSalt]

Might this be Lamport and Holts' ship ROSSETTI  Off.No. 113401?  She certainly served as a troopship on Government Service.  There is a 6 month set of Articles for her in 1915 Crew Lists maybe your GGrandfather is there?  Also several photos available online.  

[HantsandEssex]

Thanks for your reply. The thread from 2008 that I referred to also suggested that possibility and suggested the author check the spelling. The National Roll entry very clearly gives the name as Rosetta. I agree that the Rossetti is a possibility but I am intrigued by the other thread. There is only one entry for my grandfather in the 1915 crew lists. He was contracted to the London & South Western Railway Company working the "Home Trade" routes across the English Channel.

[DavidOwen]

Looks like HM Transport Rosetta did indeed exist in 1917 at least

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/4be66302-3be2-4f26-8e9c-33abe566798b

 

and maybe a  HM Trawler Rosetta too https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/94e9e20f-65e9-4181-8049-235cf88a7396 which could be the same ship as the HM Drifter Rosetta https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/91d9cbae-4b8b-427d-993e-b3f33b37fc79

 

Perhaps get in touch with the relevant Archive? https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/a/A13532079

 

A collision involving a Rosetta in 1918 https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/0213a137-ba61-41df-85a7-9a738596510c However 2340 Rosetta does not appear to be HM ship as per these articles https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10066426 and https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9991734

 

 

 

[DavidOwen]

Just to add that the hired Trawler Rosetta was indeed the 2340 mentioned above. It was built in 1907, 236grt, Fleetwood reg FD-100, Armament 1- 3 pdr in service 4/1915 until 1919 as a net vessel https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Dittmar3.htm.

 

I presume that is the Trawler you mentioned in your Original post. , whether the HM Transport referred to  above is indeed the same vessel probably needs to be confirmed via the archive concerned.

 

 

[MerchantOldSalt]

3 hours ago, DavidOwen said:

Looks like HM Transport Rosetta did indeed exist in 1917 at least

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/4be66302-3be2-4f26-8e9c-33abe566798b

I think the ROSETTA mentioned in in the TNA link posted by David is also the Trawler ROSETTA, the confusion at the TNA is possibly the use of HMT for Hired Military Transport as well as HM Trawler, see the link below concerning the HMT ST IVES Trawler working with the HMT ROSETTA on a salvage job. The SS Keltier having a wood cargo is a coincidence if it doesn't refer to the same occasion although I do appreciate the dates are different so coincidence it may well be, the date in the TNA may well be the date salvage was awarded though.

I cannot, at the moment, find a ship or transport called ROSETTA, in any of the lists of Fleet Auxiliaries ADM1/8490/134 for 1915 and 1917 or ADM1/8388/236, or in the Mercantile Navy List, but never say never!

 

Tony

 

https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~treevecwll/family/ivespender.htm

 

HMT ST IVES

1915 3^rd March. Requisitioned by the Admiralty;

             Converted into an "Auxiliary Patrol Vessel" 
1915  May - Entered service; Admiralty Nr FY 1192

 

11^th and 12^th Dec 1916 With HM Trawler ROSETTA and HM Tug ROVER, in salvage operation of the SS KELTIER.

SS KELTIER (1913; AZM, 2,360 grt) had been attacked by UB-29, but only damaged, 40 miles W of Isles of Scilly 49.29N : 07.58W; she was towed in to Falmouth with her cargo of 1,090 standards of wood for Calais.

She was repaired and was later, in 1918, transferred to Lloyd Royal Belge;

Torpedoed 31^st December 1917 by UB-55, with the loss of 37 crew.

21^st December 1916  – Struck a mine off St Anthony Head, Falmouth .

                Loss of ten men.

 

 

Edited 6 September , 2020 by MerchantOldSalt

[DavidOwen]

Thanks for sorting that out. Easily confused here.

[HantsandEssex]

Thanks for all the contributions. I am beginning to think he may have served on the Rossetti although we will never know for sure. The only reference to the Rosetta is on my grandfather's entry on the National Roll. I believe it was common for these biographies to be written and paid for by members of the family rather than by the person themself. This might explain why there is no reference to the LSWR ships he was on in 1914. It might also explain why the name of the ship is given as Rosetta. The only issue with that theory is that the entry states the Rosetta took troops to Egypt while the Rossetti appears to have operated cross channel.

[Ralph Currell]

It may interest you to know that the Lamport & Holt Rossetti was employed on Mediterranean service (stores and troops) beginning August 1917.

(Source: ADM 171/199, service lists of hired merchant vessels.)

 

Regards,

   Ralph

Edited 8 September , 2020 by Ralph Currell
corrected typo

[HantsandEssex]

14 hours ago, Ralph Currell said:

It may interest you to know that the Lamport & Holt Rossetti was employed on Mediterranean service (stores and troops) beginning August 1917.

(Source: ADM 171/199, service lists of hired merchant vessels.)

 

Regards,

   Ralph

Many thanks for that. May be QED.