HMS Vivid 2 HMS Dartmouth and HMAS Australia

[Steve @ Keene]

Hi my grandad served on HMS Vivid 2 HMS Dartmouth and HMAS Australia during the 1st world war. I have tried to find as much info as I can on him including visiting the British and Austrailian (Melbourne) war records departments. He was a stoker and I know that he was on Dartmouth when it was torpedoed and they got the ship back. I have foto copies of his records but they dont show much but dates, it would be nice to find some crew pictures from Dartmouth era 22 Nov 1916 to 27 May 1917. I thank you all in anticipation of any help you can give me Steve Keene.

[GavinH]

'HMS Vivid II' was the name of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. The Navy call shore establishments 'Ships' for some reason!

Regards

Gavin

[kin47]

'HMS Vivid II' was the name of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. The Navy call shore establishments 'Ships' for some reason!

Hello

All Royal Naval shore establishments had a boat or old ship attached which techniquely bore the name of the shore establishment. One command's "ship" was a ship's cutter. Other commands had hulks. HMS PRESIDENT today is a '30s sloop in the Thames.

A matter of protocol.

All best

don

[Tim]

Steve,

What's you grandad's name and service number?

What kind of info are you after? Do you want info on the two ships he served on etc?

From the Volume IX – The Royal Australian Navy, 1914–1918 (9th edition, 1941) by Arthur W Jose - The Australia and The German Squadron

HMAS Australia is currently lying on the bottom of the ocean floor, some 20 miles off the Sydney Heads, after being scuttled. A victim of the Washington Treaty.

Cheers,

Tim

[Steve @ Keene]

'HMS Vivid II' was the name of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. The Navy call shore establishments 'Ships' for some reason!

Hello

All Royal Naval shore establishments had a boat or old ship attached which techniquely bore the name of the shore establishment. One command's "ship" was a ship's cutter. Other commands had hulks. HMS PRESIDENT today is a '30s sloop in the Thames.

A matter of protocol.

All best

don

[Steve @ Keene]

Steve,

What's you grandad's name and service number?

What kind of info are you after? Do you want info on the two ships he served on etc?

From the Volume IX – The Royal Australian Navy, 1914–1918 (9th edition, 1941) by Arthur W Jose - The Australia and The German Squadron

HMAS Australia is currently lying on the bottom of the ocean floor, some 20 miles off the Sydney Heads, after being scuttled. A victim of the Washington Treaty.

Cheers,

Tim

Hi Tim many thanks for taking the time to reply,

My grandads name was John Francis Joseph Keene and his Royal Navy service number was K36212

he was a stoker and served on the said named ships and shore bases after that it is difficult to trace anything about him. I know he was torpedoed on HMS Dartmouth but that is about it. I would be grateful for any info really about the torpedoing although I do know it was UC25 (U Boat). I have copies of his war records but they dont tell me much. I also know he was based in Scotland on HMAS Australia

Many Regards Steve

[Steve @ Keene]

'HMS Vivid II' was the name of the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. The Navy call shore establishments 'Ships' for some reason!

Hello

All Royal Naval shore establishments had a boat or old ship attached which techniquely bore the name of the shore establishment. One command's "ship" was a ship's cutter. Other commands had hulks. HMS PRESIDENT today is a '30s sloop in the Thames.

A matter of protocol.

All best

don

Hi Don thank you for replying,

I didnt know why they called shore bases ships and now I do so once again thanks for the info.

Many Regards Steve

[Guest Galatea]

I have copies of his war records

Can you scan and post these? It would make it much easier for the Andrew lads to look and let you know.

Davie.

[Steve @ Keene]

Can you scan and post these? It would make it much easier for the Andrew lads to look and let you know.

Davie.

Thanks I will do that this week I dont have a scanner but I know a way around it.

[Tim]

Steve,

Some specs on HMS Dartmouth for you.

Builder: Vickers

Laid Down: Feb 1910

Completed: Oct 1911

Best speed: 23kts

Displacement, 5250 tons.

Complement, 433.

Length (p.p.), 430 feet. Beam, 48.5 feet. Mean draught, 15 feet Max Draught 17.5 feet. Length over all 453 feet.

Guns: Eight 6 inch (M. XI) ; one 3 inch anti-aircraft ; four 3 pdr. ; four machine guns (1 landing).

Torpedo tubes (21 inch): 2 submerged

Armour : (Nickel) 2" Deck Amidships ; 1" - .75" Deck (ends).

Machinery: Parsons turbine (compound re-action), 4 screws.

Boilers: 12 Yarrow. Designed H.P. 22,000= 25 kts.

Coal: normal 750 tons; maximum 1290 tons + 260 tons oil = 5600 miles at 10 kts.

Cheers,

Tim

[Steve @ Keene]

Steve,

Some specs on HMS Dartmouth for you.

Builder: Vickers

Laid Down: Feb 1910

Completed: Oct 1911

Best speed: 23kts

Displacement, 5250 tons.

Complement, 433.

Length (p.p.), 430 feet. Beam, 48.5 feet. Mean draught, 15 feet Max Draught 17.5 feet. Length over all 453 feet.

Guns: Eight 6 inch (M. XI) ; one 3 inch anti-aircraft ; four 3 pdr. ; four machine guns (1 landing).

Torpedo tubes (21 inch): 2 submerged

Armour : (Nickel) 2" Deck Amidships ; 1" - .75" Deck (ends).

Machinery: Parsons turbine (compound re-action), 4 screws.

Boilers: 12 Yarrow. Designed H.P. 22,000= 25 kts.

Coal: normal 750 tons; maximum 1290 tons + 260 tons oil = 5600 miles at 10 kts.

Cheers

Tim

[/quote

Hi Tim thanks for the reply I would like any info on the torpedoing she took if you got it as info on that seems sparse.

Regards Steve K.

[Tim]

No worries, Steve.

I'm a looking for ya!

Sparse doesn't seem to be the word for it!

Stuff all, might be a better term.

Cheers,

Tim

[frev]

Hi Steve

Below is a link to a site with a description of the battle in which the Dartmouth was involved in - just before she was torpedoed on the 15/5/1917:

http://www.firstworldwar.com/battles/otrantostraits.htm

Cheers, Frev

[Tim]

Steve,

To add to Frev's effort.

From the "enemy's" prospective

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/j0300001.htm

Cheers,

Tim

[chaffeya]

The details below are from the Australian Archive data base fro RAN service record cards. They are online. You will need to request a digital copy takes about four weeks. The 8688 is his Australian number. All RN sailors on loan were issued one.

KEENE JOHN FRANCIS JOSEPH : Service Number - 8688 : Date of birth - 27 May 1898 : Place of birth - BARRY

[Zutch]

My Grandad, William Eades, was an Artificer shipwright on board on 15th May 1917. He went up top for a cigarette and the torpedo hit the POs mess, where he had been, so he was lucky, but as you know, some of his friends were not.

They threw a canvas over the side to slow the water up and got the pumps running and Grandad helped inside to sure up to hole with timber and matresses and anything else to stop the worst of the water coming in. After limping back into Brindisi, the Italians send down divers who made a "mould" of the hull shape and then they built a wooden coffer dam, which they used to patch the hole. Dartmouth then sailed back to Portsmouth at 15 knots with the coffer dam in place.

When they got back home and took the bolts out of the coffer dam, they had to crow bar it off, because the tallow (or whatever they used around the edge to help seal it) had completely stuck it to the ship.

I have pictures of the coffer dam, HMS Dartmouth, the grave at Brindisi and a piece of the twisted hull of Dartmouth mounted on a mahogany plinth, which Grandad cut off at some point!

I'll email the pictures to Steve. If anyone else is interested, I can post them here.

Richard

[scott 64]

Richard would very much like to see your pictures. Could you please post them? Regards Scott

[Zutch]

Richard would very much like to see your pictures. Could you please post them? Regards Scott

[Zutch]

Here's the coffer dam

[Zutch]

...the coffer dam being lifted into place

...and HMS Dartmouth.

[scott 64]

Richard thanks for the photos i have not heard of a coffer dam before. Like they say you learn something every day regards Scott

[Kath]

Richard, very interesting.

Thanks very much.

Kath.

[yeovil]

Hi my grandad served on HMS Vivid 2 HMS Dartmouth and HMAS Australia during the 1st world war. I have tried to find as much info as I can on him including visiting the British and Austrailian (Melbourne) war records departments. He was a stoker and I know that he was on Dartmouth when it was torpedoed and they got the ship back. I have foto copies of his records but they dont show much but dates, it would be nice to find some crew pictures from Dartmouth era 22 Nov 1916 to 27 May 1917. I thank you all in anticipation of any help you can give me Steve Keene.

Hi Steve, my grandfather was also a stoker on the HMS Dartmouth when it was torpedoed, I have the postcard that is on this site, his name was Thomas Murphy from Monkstown, Cork, Ireland, nice to know that your grandfather and mine obviously knew each other,he was on many ships and also at HMS Vivid, he was also on HMS Leander ( TB12) in Jan 08 which I have a postcard of, I will try and attach it, any more information would be greatly appreciated, thanks Clive Richards

[melliget]

Hi.

The report in The Times:

The Times, Saturday, May 19, 1917

NAVAL FIGHT IN THE ADRIATIC

14 BRITISH DRIFTERS SUNK

H.M.S. DARTMOUTH STRUCK BY TORPEDO

The Secretary of the Admiralty last night

made the following announcements:-

From reports received from the Rear-Admiral

Commanding British Adriatic Squadron, supple-

mented by an Italian communique issued to the

Press, it appears that early on the morning of

the 15 inst. an Austrian force consisting of

light cruisers, which were subsequently rein-

forced by destroyers, raided the Allied drifter

lines in the Adriatic and succeeded in sinking 14

British drifters:-

2284 ADMIRABLE

2114 AVONDALE

2112 CORAL HAVEN

2271 CRAIGNOON

1399 FELICITAS

1869 GIRL GRACIE

2714 GIRL ROSE

2274 HELENORA

2414 QUARRY KNOWE

2711 SELBY

2186 SERENE

2155 TAITS

2434 TRANSIT

1916 YOUNG LINNET

from which (according to an Austrian com-

munique) 72 prisoners were taken.

H.M.S. Dartmouth (Captain A. P. Addison,

R.N.), with the Italian Rear-Admiral on board,

and H.M.S. Bristol immediately chased the

enemy off, assisted by French and Italian

torpedo-boat destroyers.

The chase was continued, with the enemy

under heavy and continuous fire, till near Cat-

taro, when, some enemy battleships coming out

in support of their cruisers, our vessels drew

off.

Italian airmen, after a battle in the air,

attacked the Austrian warships outside Cattaro,

and they confidently assert that one of the enemy

cruisers was heavily on fire, and was being taken

in tow off Cattaro in a sinking condition. One

other enemy cruiser is reported by the British

Admiral as being "badly damaged."

During her passage back, H.M.S. Dartmouth

was struck by a torpedo from an enemy sub-

marine, but returned into port with three men

killed and one officer and four men missing -

believed dead - and seven wounded. There were

no other casualties to our ships.

The Dartmouth, which was launched at Barrow in

1911, has a displacement of 5,250 tons, and her princi-

pal measurements are:- Length 430ft., beam 48½ft.,

and draught 15½ft. Her speed is 25.9 knots; and her

armament eight 6 in., four 3-pounder, and four

machine-guns.

From Geoff's search engine, the 8 casualties (all Royal Navy) were:

BENNETT, ERNEST, Leading Seaman, age 36.

Son of Samuel and Mary Bennett, of Ivydene, St. Merryn, Padstow, Cornwall.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=641768

FANE, ROBERT GERALD, Commander, age 35.

Silver Medal for Military valour (Italy). Son of Capt. H. G. Fane and Blanche Louisa Fane, of Bicester House, Bicester, Oxon.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=641782

HELM, ROBERT, Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, age 26.

Son of Edward and Mary Helm, of Leckonby Bank, Gt. Eccleston, Garstang, Lancs.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=3041071

HORRIDGE, SAMUEL, Able Seaman.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=641798

JAMES, S., Shipwright 2nd Class, age 23.

Son of Richard and the late Ann James, of 43, Admiralty St., Stonehouse, Plymouth.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=641804

KINSELLA, CHRISTOPHER, Able Seaman.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=641806

MILLS, CHARLES SAMUEL, Leading Stoker, age 23.

Son of William and Elizabeth Kimmell Mills, of The Red House, Dunley, Stourport, Worcs.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=3044004

WORDEN, ARTHUR WILLIAM, Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, age 29.

Son of William and Rachel Worden, of Luton House, Church St., Preston, Lancs.

http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...asualty=3044550

As well as RN casualties, there was also at least 13 casualties from the crews of the drifters (there could be more). Using Geoff's search engine, a search by date and the word drifters in unit text returns 13 names (from some of the drifters listed above). One drifter not listed above that may have also been lost in the same action was FLOANDI.

regards,

Martin

[chaffeya]

There is a record of Keene in the Australian Archive.Digital file that is available on line. You may have it already.

Title

KEENE JOHN FRANCIS JOSEPH : Service Number - 8688 : Date of birth - 27 May 1898 : Place of birth - BARRY : Place of enlistment - Unknown : Next of Kin - ROSE

Series number

A6770 Control symbol

KEENE J F J Contents date range

1939 - 1948

Access status

Open Location

Canberra Barcode

5399708 View digital copy