Lt-Cdr Derwent Simmons, RNR (ret.): Captain and Officers group photo needed, aboard HMS Vienna, 1915-17

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

A portrait of Lt-Cdr Derwent Simmons, Royal Naval Reserve, who was recalled from retirement to command the Armed Boarding Steamer HMS Vienna (a former Q-Ship), is required, please.

Even better, would be a Captain & Officers group photo taken aboard HMS Vienna (for example on his having taken command in 1915), or later. Photos of any of the Officers shown listed, would be equally welcome!

A reward (a book from my military library) is offered for any of the above. One can never underestimate the powers of the GWF...!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[MerchantOldSalt]

7 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

 

Even better, would be a Captain & Officers group photo taken aboard HMS Vienna (for example on his having taken command in 1915), or later. Photos of any of the Officers shown listed, would be equally welcome!

 

Kim,

Not a huge help in your quest but the following Merchant Service Officers from your Navy List were employees of the Great Eastern Railway Company pre-war and would have been signed on T124 articles on VIENNA to continue doing the same jobs they did in peace.

S/Lt Arthur Thomas Thorn  was Mate of the DRESDEN   Photo on CR10 Identity Card on FindmyPast

S/Lt Frederick Woods  was Mate of the ST.PETERSBURG

Eng.S/Lt Leo Arthur Whyatt   was a Second Engineer

Eng S/Lt James Harry Haste  was 5th Eng. of the MUNICH    Photo on CR10 Identity Card on FindMyPast

Eng. S/Lt Reginald Cook was 5th Eng ST PETERSBURG

Eng S/Lt Frederick G Harrington was Eng on the BRANDON

Eng S/Lt George P Derry was 3rd Engineer of COLCHESTER

W.Teleg Harry Huckle was Wireless Operator of the BRUSSELS   Photo on CR10 Identity Card on FindMyPast.

I will have a look through the Great Eastern Railway Company Magazine but if there are photos of any of these officers they will not be of particularly good quality.

Tony

[michaeldr]

Does this old thread offer any help? 

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Michael,

You have done me a huge favour!

The HMS Vienna officer at left would seem to be Asst Paymr Herbert T. Bryson, RNR (formerly a Purser with the Elder Dempster Line, whose complete CR10 I need, please).

One can compare the Images - isn't the GWF a great thing?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[michaeldr]

5 hours ago, Kimberley John Lindsay said:

One can compare the Images

Certainly looks like a good match  though how Herbert T became 'Jim' is a puzzle

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Michael,

A possible scenario: 'My name is Herbert Tittensor Bryson, but just call me Jim...!' 

The rank of RNR Assistant Paymaster fits (a thin strip and a squiggle stripe), but most of all the ca. 1917 likeness aboard HMS Vienna vis-a-vis the 1922 ID card as Purser aboard the Elder Demptser ship SS Egba.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

...and the other part of the Bryson 1922 Card.

Any luck with a portrait of Lt-Cdr (later Cdr., RD) Derwent Simmons, RNR (ret.) ...?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[MerchantOldSalt]

Kim

In the other post concerning HMS VIENNA you make the following proposal:

"I suspect, but do not know, that the Canadian owner of the album was Harry Huckle, RNR, who boarded HMS Vienna (a former Q-Ship!), on 31 May 1915."

In my message above you will see that Harry Huckle and several of VIENNA's Officers, and probably ratings as well, were employees of the Great Eastern Railway Company prior to the war

Harry Huckle the Wireless Operator was not Canadian by birth, he was born in Ely 18 March 1888, married Ivy 1 Aug 1932 in Harwich, had changed his career to a Railway Clerk in 1939 and was living at 393 Main road Dovercourt, next door to Harwich, when he died in 1963.  Whilst it never pays to be certain in these things, I can find no evidence that he ever went anyway near Canada.

I have found a few more photos of Officers who served in HMS VIENNA in the GER Company magazine if you are interested.

Tony 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Tony,

Thanks for putting me right: much appreciated!

Yes, indeed, I would be thrilled to bits to see Images of former HMS Vienna officers - all no doubt well-known to Herbert T. (Jim) Bryson, at the time in the Wardroom and elsewhere...!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[MerchantOldSalt]

Here they are Kim,

Not the best of photos but gives you the idea

Tony

Tony

 

 Sub/Lt Frederick Woods

Eng Sub/Lt James Harry Haste

Eng Sub/Lt James Harry Haste

Wireless Operator Harry Huckle

Eng Sub/Lt George P Derry

Sub/Lt Arthur Thomas Thorn RNR

Sub/Lt Arthur Thomas Thorn

Eng Sub/Lt Reginald Cook

Eng Sub/Lt Leo Arthur Whyatt

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Tony,

Super!

Many thanks for going to the not inconsiderable trouble to beam these Images: most appreciated, believe me.

After all, I now have Portraits of no less that 50% of the officers aboard HMS Vienna, erstwhile Q-Ship and latter-day Armed Boarding Steamer. Many thanks!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All, and Tony,

By great good fortune and research effort a relative of erstwhile Asst Paymaster Herbert T. Bryson, RNR, has not only been found, but has acquiesced to beaming me a page from the photo album of his late grandfather - a brother of Herbert!

He, Herbert T. Bryson, is identified in the HMS Vienna officers, in the front row, far left. The captain was Lt-Cdr Simmons, RNR, Retd., and the photo was taken ca. 1916, at sea.

The other photo shows Asst Paymaster Bryson, at left, with (possibly) one of the W/T officers of HMS Vienna.

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

Having looked hard at all the newly-found photos, I see that the one with Herbert T. Bryson seated on a davit (or whatever) with another ship's officer cannot be aboard HMS Vienna, as is the group photo!

His cap badge is probably that of the Elder Dempster Lines and he was wearing 1915 Trio medal ribbons (!).

Therefore, the photo  - dated 1920 - probably shows him as Purser Bryson, aboard the SS "Egba".

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Edited 22 March , 2022 by Kimberley John Lindsay

[MerchantOldSalt]

Kim

Nice photos and well found!  There are certainly some officers in the 1915 photo on VIENNA who are recognisable from the GER Magazine Photos.

Bryson's CR10 Identity Card, which you have, shows that in Jan 1920 he was serving on The British & African Steam Navigation Co. (Elder Dempster) vessel PALMA of 1907 ON 124080, so the 1920 photo may be on that ship rather than the EGBA on which he served later. Just a thought. 

It is almost impossible to say if he is wearing an ED cap badge and as the Merchant Service company liveries were numerous and varied no conclusions can be drawn form the rank lace although his companion is probably an Engineer.  I do not have any photos of the PALMA or ED's livery I'm afraid.

Tony

 

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Tony,

Thanks for your interest: much appreciated!

Your "Palma" suggestion is also good to know. Of course I am thrilled to bits to have secured so relatively many photos of an - after all - ingnificant cog in the Naval armada, and later Merchant service.

Apart from putting substantial Background to Herbert T. Bryson's 1914-15 Star Trio (latterly a Paymaster Lieutenant, RNR), it is his single Q-Ship (HMS Vienna, aka Antwerp) voyage under that fire-eater Lt-Cdr Godfrey Herbert, RN, that puts Bryson into a historical perspective. His being asked for by Herbert for HMS Baralong (aka Wyandra), and this being cancelled, saved Bryson from being an accessory to the "Baralong Incident". 

Underlying all this, is the satisfaction of being helped by the generous and interested Great War Forum membership: many thanks for that!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[JohnH]

Hello Kim,

I have just come across this post when looking for photo of the Armed Boarding Steamer H.M.S VIENNA. I thought you maybe interested in this:

 

I understand that the Armed Boarding Steamer H.M.S. VIENNA arrived at the port of Lerwick in the Shetland Islands on 22 July 1915 to pick up 159 men from the RNR Shetland Section who had volunteered for general Royal Naval service. My great Uncle Bruce Henderson (1897 – 1918) RNR service no. L 465 from Levenwick, Shetland was one of these RNR volunteers.  

Sources: Lerwick port record book on 22 July 1915. Shetland News on 24 July 1915, page 4 and Shetland Times on 24 July 1915. RNR service no. L 465 TNA ref BT 377/7/75485.

Best wishes, John from Shetland.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear John,

How nice of you to kindly add to my increasing knowledge of the erstwhile HMS Vienna (aka Antwerp): much appreciated!

Your quite detailed information will be spliced into my on-going manuscript, about the Life of the HMS Vienna Assistant Paymaster at the time, Herbert T. Bryson, RNR. 

Seeing as L 465 Henderson, Bruce, sadly lived to the age of only twenty-one, indicates that his Great War service was somewhat more hazardous than that of Herbert Bryson. At least we are able to document the service of both, during those difficult times...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[JohnH]

Dear Kim,

As part of my research on the Armed Boarding Steamer H.M.S. VIENNA's visit to Lerwick on 22 July 1915 (to pick up men from the RNR Shetland Section who had volunteered for general Royal Naval service), I ordered up some of the ships log book pages from TNA. I now have 24 pages covering the period 20 July to 31 July 1915. If you are interested in seeing them, please let me know.

Kind regards, John