alexBrixham Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 Hi everyone, I'm researching the Tuscania and specifically looking for the role of HMT Samuel Barkas, my great-grandfather was skipper and won the British Medal for helping the survivors of the Tuscania, but I can't find any reference to the role of the boat, his name was Clark Willard Mead, can anyone help please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 Your GGF's RNR record is here -https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8586994 That record tells that he was "Noted for good services rendered in rescuing the survivors of TUSCANIA 5 February 1918." but I can find no record of any other award to him. Your note: "...won the British Medal ..." makes no sense as there is no such medal. He claimed the 1914-15 Star, Victory & British War Medals after the war. The Admiralty trawler HMS SAMUEL BARKAS was based at Larne (based on HMS THETIS from 24 Oct 1917 and, from 5 Jan 1918, on HMS VIGOROUS). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
horatio2 Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 6 minutes ago, charlie962 said: Have you read this article via FindmyPast newspapers ? I believe this to be a different Skipper - William Arthur MEAD DSC 1518.SA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie962 Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 Yes, which is why I hid the post hoping you hadn't spotted my error ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBrixham Posted 23 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2020 (edited) 29 minutes ago, horatio2 said: Your GGF's RNR record is here -https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8586994 That record tells that he was "Noted for good services rendered in rescuing the survivors of TUSCANIA 5 February 1918." but I can find no record of any other award to him. Your note: "...won the British Medal ..." makes no sense as there is no such medal. He claimed the 1914-15 Star, Victory & British War Medals after the war. The Admiralty trawler HMS SAMUEL BARKAS was based at Larne (based on HMS THETIS from 24 Oct 1917 and, from 5 Jan 1918, on HMS VIGOROUS). Thanks for this, I did find the RNR record, but as I'm new to this kind of research struggled a bit to understand. I separately found his medal record, saw the record on Tuscania and put 2+2 together and got 5! Even without the medal for Tuscania, I still can't find any note of the involvement of the Samuel Barkas (most of things I've read only discuss the Grasshopper, Pigeon and Mosquito), which I think he was skipper of at the time, and what role it/and my GGF played in the Tuscania rescue beyond – that one line in the RNR Record. Any advice on where I should look next is gratefully received, thank you so much for your time! Edited 23 December , 2020 by alexBrixham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Treasurer Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 From: THE MERCHANT NAVY, Volume 3, Spring 1917 to November 1918 by Sir Archibald Hurd but no mention of rescue work The Tuscania (14,348 tons) was carrying troops and general cargo from Halifax to Liverpool. On February 5th she was torpedoed, and sank about two hours afterwards. The loss of life was heavy, forty‑four of the crew and about a hundred soldiers, but might have been less if the boats had stayed near the ship instead of trying to make land. The master, Mr. P. A. McLean, considered that in narrow waters on a dark night a vessel like the Tuscania, capable of making sixteen knots, would be safer proceeding independently than in convoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBrixham Posted 23 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2020 1 minute ago, alexBrixham said: Thanks for this, I did find the RNR record, but as I'm new to this kind of research struggled a bit to understand. I separately found his medal record, saw the record on Tuscania and put 2+2 together and got 5! Even without the medal for Tuscania, I still can't find any note of the involvement of the HMS Vigorous (most of things I've read only discuss the Grasshopper, Pigeon and Mosquito) in the rescue. Any advice on where I should look next is gratefully received, thank you so much for your time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Treasurer Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 (edited) The records for the Auxiliary patrol based at Larne in 1918 are in ADM 137/808 at Kew. You might find something in there, but these records can be hit and miss. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4112473 Edited 23 December , 2020 by The Treasurer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBrixham Posted 23 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2020 28 minutes ago, The Treasurer said: The records for the Auxiliary patrol based at Larne in 1918 are in ADM 137/808 at Kew. You might find something in there, but these records can be hit and miss. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C4112473 Thanks very much! I'll take a look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helpjpl Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 (edited) 1. Posted here: https://www.greatwarforum.org/topic/179601-hms-tuscania-and-otranto/ 2. Trawlers Elf King, Cardiff Castle, Gloria, Corrie Roy and Walpole are mentioned in this pdf (see page 108 for example) but I didn't spot the Samuel Barkas: https://www.tuscaniamemorial.org/uploads/1/2/4/2/124253177/the_sinking_of_the_tuscania.pdf JP Edited 23 December , 2020 by helpjpl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 23 December , 2020 Share Posted 23 December , 2020 The Tuscania was the first troopship laden with Dough Boys to be torpedoed by a German submarine. The ship was torpedoed at 6:26 on the evening of 5th February 1918, and it was abitterly cold night. After the explosion Tuscania listed heavily to starboard, making it impossible to launch its port side lifeboats. Therefore a large number of US troops weren’t able to abandon ship and take to the lifeboats,so they had no option other than to standfast and await assistance. Fortunately, the troopship did not sink immediately and took well over a couple of hours to go down. The destroyers escorting the convoy were therefore able to close in and take off a large number of survivors from the stricken ship. As far as I can tell, HMT Samuel Barkas was involved in the rescue of other survivors - those who had sucessfully gotten away in lifeboats/floats and who subsequently became in great jeopardy of being washed up on the rocks under the cliffs of the Mull of Oa (where others less fortunate did in fact perish that night). MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBrixham Posted 23 December , 2020 Author Share Posted 23 December , 2020 29 minutes ago, KizmeRD said: The Tuscania was the first troopship laden with Dough Boys to be torpedoed by a German submarine. The ship was torpedoed at 6:26 on the evening of 5th February 1918, and it was abitterly cold night. After the explosion Tuscania listed heavily to starboard, making it impossible to launch its port side lifeboats. Therefore a large number of US troops weren’t able to abandon ship and take to the lifeboats,so they had no option other than to standfast and await assistance. Fortunately, the troopship did not sink immediately and took well over a couple of hours to go down. The destroyers escorting the convoy were therefore able to close in and take off a large number of survivors from the stricken ship. As far as I can tell, HMT Samuel Barkas was involved in the rescue of other survivors - those who had sucessfully gotten away in lifeboats/floats and who subsequently became in great jeopardy of being washed up on the rocks under the cliffs of the Mull of Oa (where others less fortunate did in fact perish that night). MB That's great, thanks MB really appreciate it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 11 October , 2021 Share Posted 11 October , 2021 My grandfather Henry Watson ES 4279 was also noted for 'Good Service rendered in rescuing survivors of the Tuscania 5th Feb. 1918' He was an engineer on Trawlers sailing out of Hull and Scarborough. He is mentioned on Samuel Barkas-12/10/17. He is the one -Middle front row Petty officer? Do crew lists exist? http://www.scarboroughsmaritimeheritage.org.uk/admin/kcfinder/upload/images/articles/henrywatson.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexBrixham Posted 11 October , 2021 Author Share Posted 11 October , 2021 Do you know who else is in the image? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 12 October , 2021 Share Posted 12 October , 2021 ‘He was an engineer on Trawlers sailing out of Hull and Scarborough. He is mentioned on Samuel Barkas-12/10/17. He is the one -Middle front row Petty officer?’ His official rating was ‘Engineman’ (which equated to a Petty Officer). It was a rank title used exclusively in the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve - He would have been the person in charge of the engines. At the time that Tuscania was sunk Henry Watson was based at Larne and appears to have been serving onboard the trawler ‘Vigourous’. His service sheet is available to download from TNA (BT 377/7/133684). MB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted 12 October , 2021 Share Posted 12 October , 2021 Sorry Alex, I have no idea who the others are! I assumed they were stokers on his ship? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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