alf mcm Posted 10 December , 2020 Share Posted 10 December , 2020 I am currently reading the war diary of 31st Division, and there is mention on 5th of August of 'Flesh Sweepers', which appear to be a kind of boat. https://www.ancestry.co.uk/imageviewer/collections/60380/images/42871_625537_11828-00003?backlabel=ReturnSearchResults&queryId=dabf1e65e7ac16801a0e96f18703c597&pId=8384 Can anyone provide any more information on these boats? Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IPT Posted 10 December , 2020 Share Posted 10 December , 2020 Should be "fleet", or even "French"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 10 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2020 Thanks IPT, I guessed it might be a spelling mistake, but it's repeated twice. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 10 December , 2020 Share Posted 10 December , 2020 (edited) Could it be a soldier’s joke nickname for a fleet sweeper being used for medical evacuation of wounded from the beaches out to the hospital ships? Edited 10 December , 2020 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 10 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 10 December , 2020 That's a thought, but probably more likely after the assault. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Wales Posted 15 December , 2020 Share Posted 15 December , 2020 Alf, If you can arrow through to the next page on your Ancestry link you will see a manual alteration to 'fleet' and a list of the ships. one of them was HMS Honeysuckle which was an Acacia class sloop used for minesweeping duties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 15 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 15 December , 2020 Thanks Tom, I hadn't got as far as the next page, since I had already got all the information I needed on the guy I was researching. Thanks also for the information on Honeysuckle. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeCeeCee Posted 11 January , 2021 Share Posted 11 January , 2021 A "flesh sweeper"? iirc Grafton was modernised in the Med (Malta?) for service in the Dardanelles. Is "Flesh Sweeper" Jacks nick-name for these vessels and their net before the bow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 11 January , 2021 Share Posted 11 January , 2021 On 15/12/2020 at 11:45, Tom Wales said: Alf, If you can arrow through to the next page on your Ancestry link you will see a manual alteration to 'fleet' and a list of the ships. one of them was HMS Honeysuckle which was an Acacia class sloop used for minesweeping duties. As Tom pointed out, Flesh was written in error and was later corrected to Fleet. Exactly what that contraption on the Grafton was supposed to do, I have no idea, but I doubt that it was ever called a Flesh Sweeper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 11 January , 2021 Author Share Posted 11 January , 2021 42 minutes ago, TeeCeeCee said: A "flesh sweeper"? iirc Grafton was modernised in the Med (Malta?) for service in the Dardanelles. Is "Flesh Sweeper" Jacks nick-name for these vessels and their net before the bow? Thanks TeeCeeCee, It's an interesting photograph. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallace2 Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 It could be a device to explode or deflect free floating mines which appear to have been used in the Dardanelles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 Used for streaming paravanes. MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 On 11/01/2021 at 11:56, TeeCeeCee said: Grafton was modernised in the Med (Malta?) for service in the Dardanelles. If this picture caption is correct and refers to 1915 operations, then this particular piece of modernisation predates the introduction of the paravane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 (edited) The picture of Grafton clearly shows the Titanic dry dock and pump house, Belfast - so that’s where the conversion work must have been undertaken (not the Med). Also it is stated in Norman Friedman’s book British Cruisers of the Victorian Era, that EDGAR, ENDYMION, GRAFTON and THESEUS were given monitor-style bulges (the only cruisers thus modified), timber stiffening, and prominent bow gallows for paravanes." p. 287. MB Addl.info. According to ship’s logbook, HMS Grafton was re-commissioned in Belfast on 29th June 1915. And according to Cope Cornford’s book The Paravane Adventure, ‘In June 1915, the Admiralty approved of the ordering of a number of sets of Burney's new gear’ p.67 (the descriptive term ‘Paravane’ not yet in use’). Edited 13 January , 2021 by KizmeRD Addl. info. added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 HMS Grafton's Log book makes the following references to a mine catching gear, which I believe is device fitted to the bow. "Altered course South to secure mine catcher gear" (11th July, 1915); Divers "reeving the bow defence out hauls" (23rd July, 1915); "Secured bow defence" (24th July, 1915); "Divers inspecting mine catching gear" (30th August, 1915) The log book can be viewed herehttps://naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-05-HMS_Grafton.htm Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talesofaseadog Posted 13 January , 2021 Share Posted 13 January , 2021 (edited) In 1911 the RN tested bow mine catchers, this is an extract from the document I found. "bow mine-catchers had been tested on two torpedo-gunboats, seemingly effective in ‘fine weather up to 12 knots’, although less so in moderate conditions. Consequently, a strengthened version was to be fitted to one, with the eventual intention of issue to the rest of the fleet-sweepers." The arrangement shown in the photograph would seem very suitable for this purpose. Later in the same document it says "Ellison bow-catcher", I believe it being named after the man who developed it, he was probably a Naval Officer based at HMS Vernon where much of the anti mine systems were developed. Tony. Edited 14 January , 2021 by Talesofaseadog delete flush Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepoy Posted 18 January , 2021 Share Posted 18 January , 2021 (edited) Here are some further photographs of HMS Grafton, taken whilst it was being refitted at Belfast during the spring 1915. They clearly show the bow mounted Mine Catching Gear and the Anti-Torpedo bulges. Sepoy Edited 18 January , 2021 by Sepoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 18 January , 2021 Share Posted 18 January , 2021 (edited) On 14/01/2021 at 00:15, Talesofaseadog said: Later in the same document it says "Ellison bow-catcher", I believe it being named after the man who developed it, he was probably a Naval Officer based at HMS Vernon where much of the anti mine systems were developed. Tony. Captain Alfred Astley Ellison CB RN, Commanding Officer HMS Halcyon and Senior Officer East Coast Minesweepers, based at Lowestoft. Later Commodore, retired as Rear Admiral. It was Lt. Charles (Dennis) Dennistoun Burney RN (later Baronet and an MP) who was the chap based at HMS Vernon. MB Edited 18 January , 2021 by KizmeRD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 18 January , 2021 Share Posted 18 January , 2021 Mates, Interesting, no wonder they had such trouble clearing mines in March 1915 S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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