Help to identify names of boats served in

[Allan1892]

I am looking at a Peterhead man who signed up on the 18th April 1917. Looking at the list of boats that he served on, I am struggling to identify them.

The first one is 'Vivid' but I can't find any reference to it.

I recognise 'Dreel Castle' -- a hired drifter

Can anyone assist with the names of the others please and what type of boat were they. (image courtesy of NA)

[RNCVR]

VIVID - shore base & barracks at Devonport.

[RNCVR]

CAESAR - old pre Dreadnought Battleship of 1896 -  Depot ship Black Sea, & Sea of Marmora from 2 Dec 1918. Later in Malta Oct 1919.

QUEEN - same but 1902 - Base ship Taranto, Italy  from May 1915 to March 1919.

HALCYON  II - Auxiliary Patrol vessel Depot ship  15 Mar - Aug 1919.

PROVIDER - I have nothing on  @horatio2  might know better than I

[RNCVR]

OSIRIS II -  (appears to be) - Aux Patrol Depot ship, Mudros, Aegean. Apl 1915  - March 1918

[horatio2]

His RNR service ran as follows:-

Mobilised in April 1917 and reported to Devonport naval base (HMS VIVID). Drafted on 15 June 1917 to the hired drifter HMS GOOD DESIGN II based at Mudros (Lemnos) in the Aegean on HMS OSIRIS II (depot ship). He remained serving in this boat when she was transferred first to HMS QUEEN, the depot ship at Taranto, Italy, on 14 March 1918, and then on to HMS CAESAR, the depot ship at Constantinople, from 1 November 1918.

In February 1919 he was drafted back to UK, joining the drifter HMS PROVIDER. He may well have crewed PROVIDER for her voyage back to UK from Constantinople where she too had been based since November 1918. From 15 February 1919 PROVIDER was based at Falmouth on the base ship HMS DREEL CASTLE.

On 1 April 1919 he was drafted to the base at Lowestoft, HMS HALCYON II, from where he was demobilised on 11 June.

GOOD DESIGN II, hired drifter, Adty No 2103. Built 1910, 79grt, Fraserburgh-reg FR.85. Armament: 1-6pdr AA. In service 1.15-1919 as net vessel.

PROVIDER, hired drifter, Adty No 1904. Built 1907, 99grt, Yarmouth-reg YH.999. Armament: 1-3pdr AA. In service 1.16-1919 as net vessel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[horatio2]

A bit more on the two drifters in which he served:-

GOOD DESIGN II was taken up by the Admiralty in mid- January 1915 and was fitted-out for her naval role at the drifter base depot at Poole, Dorset (HMS WHITE OAK). She remained there until mid-year 1915 and was then deployed to the Aegean as part of a large group of 31 drifters supporting the Gallipoli campaign. They were all based on HMS OSIRIS II at Mudros from 5 June 1915. By the time your man joined in June 1917 she had been based there for two years.

PROVIDER, the Yarmouth drifter, was taken up in late-September 1915 and was initially fitted-out at the Great Yarmouth base (HMS KINGFISHER) before moving down to Poole in mid-October. She was then deployed to the Adriatic drifter force manning the Otranto Net Barrage. She was based on HMS MANZANITA (the Brindisi base) from 17 November 1915, the parenting role being taken over successively by HMS ADMIRABLE in October 1916 and by HMS QUEEN at Taranto in March 1917.

Both drifters were, therefore, based together at Taranto (HMS QUEEN) from March 1918 and both formed part of the drifter fleet formed up under HMS CAESAR on 1 November 1918 for port-Armistice service in the Black Sea/Sea of Marmara. Initially based at Malta, this force arrived at Constantinople on 2 December 1918. The log of HMS CAESAR indicates that on 27 Febriuary 1919 GOOD DESIGN II was still at Constantinople but the date of her return to UK is uncertain. PROVIDER returned earlier (to DREEL CASTLE) as already reported.

Edited 14 November , 2023 by horatio2

[Allan1892]

Many thanks to you both. @horatio2 as usual, your replies are full of information