Dardanelles Trawlers

[michaeldr]

Two photographs of Trawler No.4:- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/G00227 & https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1273104

Does anyone have any more details regarding this ship at the Dardanelles, particularly in April 1915?

Thanks in advance, Michael

Edited 12 March , 2023 by michaeldr

[b3rn]

17 hours ago, michaeldr said:

Two photographs of Trawler No.4:- https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/G00227 & https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1273104

Does anyone have any more details regarding this ship at the Dardanelles, particularly in April 1915?

Michael,

Could it be this vessel?

LADYSMITH, hired trawler, Adty No 4. Built 1906, 254grt, Grimsby-reg GY.183. Armament: 1-12pdr AA. In service 8.14-1920 as minesweeper.

https://www.naval-history.net/WW1NavyBritishShips-Dittmar4AP.htm

[horatio2]

LADYSMITH was based at Sheerness for the entire war, never at the Dardanelles.

[Rockturner]

Michael, I think you'll find it's Auxiliary Sweeper AS4 Whitby Abbey which was assigned to Anzac.

I have a very grainy photocopy of a photo on which I noted 'Greek Suspect' with a towline still attached to may well be the Whitby Abbey and a picket boat alongside.

The stern of (i wrote) the PoW is also in view. I also have the photo of AS4 off Gaba Tepe with the Australian troops in a Maltese lighter.

On another piece of paper concerning the cable laying ship 'Levant 2' I wrote Whitby Abbey, a patrol vessel was engaged. This looks to be around 2 May 1915.

Regards

LonerangerVC

[KizmeRD]

Didn’t ‘Whitby Abbey’ served as Brigade HQ for 86th Brigade during the initial landings 25 April?

MB

[b3rn]

1 hour ago, Rockturner said:

Michael, I think you'll find it's Auxiliary Sweeper AS4 Whitby Abbey which was assigned to Anzac.

On another piece of paper concerning the cable laying ship 'Levant 2' I wrote Whitby Abbey, a patrol vessel was engaged. This looks to be around 2 May 1915.

There's an excerpt from an unpublished work by George Herbert Fluke, cook's mate on Whitby Abbey, in The Gallipolian, no. 159, Autumn 2022.

Quote

5 May “At 4:40am we weighed anchor and closed alongside cable ship Levant. At 5:30am took a Mr. Cotterell (sic) from her, round to Gaba Tepe to repair telegraph cable which was connected from Z andW Beach to Arcadian who is telegraph ship out here.”
The weather on the 5th and 6th was very rough (ship’s log May 1915).The close action and danger HMS Whitby Abbey faced are shown in the 6th May entry.
Plenty of bullets striking the ship’s side. At 4:30am we shoved off as it was then broad daylight and arrived at W. beach at 5:25am but were told to take troops to V. Beach but were not able to disembark them till 12:30pm.
The issue of floating mines returned in the diary at this time where a floating mine, almost certainly a mine that had broken its moorings, was found

Regarding Levant II, see https://atlantic-cable.com/CableStories/Spalding/index.htm - 5 May.

Quote

Last night about nine o’clock the Gaba Tepe cable was reported broken so I went ashore with Cottrell and took a rough test showing the break was at the far end. Steam down on ‘LEVANT’ so the ‘WHITBY ABBEY’ a patrol vessel was engaged and this morning at day-break Cottrell, Jordan and I with boat load of cable and men were taken to Gaba Tepe or Anzac as it is now called. Arrived there at 7.00am and finished repair by 9.30 am . The men working on the joint and splice in the boat were subjected to rifle fire from the Turks. This may have been stray bullets coming over the cliffs or direct sniping. If the latter, it was not very successful as no one was hurt.

 

[michaeldr]

Gentlemen, one and all,
Thank you for your interest and for your contributions here

I think that the minesweeper named Whitby Abbey was in fact a larger vessel than the trawler which we are currently looking for here

The ship which served as a Brigade HQ at the Helles landing on 25th April was almost certainly the WHITBY ABBEY, screw minesweeper, mercantile conversion, … … ... Built 1908, 1188grt. Armament: 2-12pdr. Mediterranean from 1915. In service 10.2.15-23.12.19. https://www.lner.info/ships/NER/whitby_abbey.php

regards, Michael

EDIT to add: quote from the Mitchell Report, p.98:- Five Fleet sweepers, "Clacton," "Hythe," "Whitby Abbey," "Lynn" and “Gazelle," arrived on the 14th April, and "Newmarket,” “Reindeer" and "Folkestone" later. "Goliath" arrived from Port Said shortly before 25th, as well as a number of trawlers.

Edited 13 March , 2023 by michaeldr

[michaeldr]

From the 86^th Brigade War Diary WO/95/4310

Gallipoli – April 25^th (1915) – 6.30am

“After bombardment by the battle ships the landing was begun in tows from H. M. ships and Mine Sweepers. The Mine Sweeper WHITBY ABBEY under Captain Townsend RN* stood in to within a few hundred yards of the beach, when she came under a considerable fire. Men were killed and wounded on board and in the boats alongside. Brigade Headquarters landed from this sweeper.”

* [edit] poss a ref to the Capt C S Townsend RN, Beach Master at W Beach, who would probably have been the senior ranking naval officer on board at this point

Edited 13 March , 2023 by michaeldr

[horatio2]

1 hour ago, michaeldr said:

I think that the minesweeper named Whitby Abbey was in fact a larger vessel than the trawler which we are currently looking for here

I agree, much larger. WHITBY ABBEY = 1188 grt and length 255 feet. Roughly four times the tonnage and twice the leength of a 'typical' trawler = c.300 grt and length 125 feet.

Edited 13 March , 2023 by horatio2