Sue Light Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Sorry if this is obvious, but I'm suffering from 'transcriber's fever' I think. This is from the WO95 diary of the Matron-in-Chief, BEF. The entry is written in Boulogne at the end of December 1914, and while visiting No.6 Ambulance Train she writes: 'Saw Miss Hartigan who is now in charge of 6 Train. Lady Brook who has been given permission to travel on the same train superintends the Red Cross stores only – they were on their way to Versailles with a train full of patients, mainly frost-bites. Went over the x........x which is most luxurious and carries about 40 patients – unfortunately the Sister and Officer in Charge were not on board.' Can anyone throw any light on what the X....... X was please? I sort of assume it was probably not 'one of ours.' Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelPack Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Sue It looks like 'S. Yacht Albeau' regards Mel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Sue, 'Went over the S. Yacht Albeau' ? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 tried something with Albeau but all I get is surfboarding!! cant find any reference to Albeau on a map either. maybe Yacht Albeau? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 29 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Thanks very much - YACHT! Of course it's Yacht! Steam Yacht? Belonging to some very rich worthy? I will investigate more. The transcriber's fever is definitely getting to me. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redradial Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 That might just be the yacht Albion and could then be the one mentioned here: http://www.navynews.co.uk/ships/albion.asp "Finally, there were also the Albion IIs – a trawler and a paddle steamer – and the Albion III, a steam yacht during World War I." Red Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 A mention of Albion in the Times 18-4-1911. The Duke of Somerset also cruised the mediterranean in it in 1913. It was also chartered by the King of Siam in 1906,. The Albion was acquired by Sir Thomas Lipton in 1930 and renamed the Erin. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Times 25-11-1904 Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 29 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Thanks chaps Steve - that sounds just the ticket - officer's only, titles preferred? If it is, then it's life as a carrier of the wounded was fairly short - it probably had other places to spread it's luxury. [You can still find them, even without an MM ] Red Presumably you see a few items of floating luxury where you are Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 All kidding aside, it was actually common to see yachts taken into Royal Navy service during the war, though they were more typically used as patrol vessels. The RN lost 13 such vessels; the U.S. Navy lost one as well, torpedoed by a U-boat. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stebie9173 Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Don't know why I didn't add it earlier (Times overdose?) Times 11-7-1938 Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Light Posted 29 August , 2006 Author Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Steve proves Michael right And I've just unearthed an account of several yachts which worked under the auspices of the British Red Cross Society, both in the Channel and the Mediterranean. Thanks very much - I shall now return to the muddy racecourse at Rouen and all those wooden huts! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 29 August , 2006 Share Posted 29 August , 2006 Sue The Steam Yacht ALBEAU may get a mention in "Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains" a small book about these modes of transport from WW1. I have temporarily lost the author and ISBN details but will find them shortly. However,a copy should be found in any large reference library. Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg1 Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Could it be the Steam Yacht Albion? Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc2 Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Could it be the Steam Yacht Albion? Greg I think Greg has it correctly. Plumridge's "Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains" lists (in appendix C) a Yacht Albion, which was a gift of 30 October 1914 which served until about 21 Feb 1915. No further information, unfortunately. There is no other hospital ship or yacht listed with any similar name, so I think this must be the one. Doc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc2 Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Steve proves Michael right And I've just unearthed an account of several yachts which worked under the auspices of the British Red Cross Society, both in the Channel and the Mediterranean. Thanks very much - I shall now return to the muddy racecourse at Rouen and all those wooden huts! Sue Plumridge's book "Hospital Ships and Ambulance Trains" lists the Yacht Albion as a hospital ship-- donated to the government 30 Oct 1914 and served until about 21 Feb 1915. Doc2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 Sue, Glad you have got to the bottom of this one, and that the mis-reading 'Albeau' didn't much delay finding the solution. Like you, I do a lot of reading/transcribing of old handwritten material (in German and French as well, in my case) and generally remember the more common 'confusible' syllables, but 'ion' and 'eau' is a new one. My excuse is that your comment that it was probably not 'one of ours' led me to 'see' 'Albeau' - and then a Google search on 'Albeau' and 'yacht' turned up some plausible references. It just goes to show that one should always keep a completely open mind and consider all the possibilities. Does anyone have a pic of the SY Albion? Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johng Posted 30 August , 2006 Share Posted 30 August , 2006 In the role of 'Erin'. I believe this was previously SY. Albion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lamlash Posted 18 October , 2006 Share Posted 18 October , 2006 Sue, I just found your topic. I've been looking at Albion III for a while as she escorted convoys out of Lamlash as an armed yacht in 1917-18. She was built as Albion, by Swan, Humter, Wigham and Richardson at Newcastle, in 1905. She was owned by C.L. Loeffler, Kensington. She was hired as an Auxilliary Patrol Yacht in 1915. Confusion arises because when Thomas Lipton challenged for the Americas Cup in 1930 she was his tender. She had been renamed Erin II. When Lipton challenged for the Cup before WW1 his tender was Erin ( ex Aegusa ). At the outbreak of WW1 Lipton put Erin at the disposal of the Red Cross. Her first duty was to ferry doctors to France and then to run a similar service from Marseille to Salonica. she was torpedoed in the Mediterranean with the loss of six lives. There are photographs of her in Saltwater Palaces, by Maldwin Drummond, publ. Debrett's Pearage Ltd. 1979. The photographs include one with doctors and nurses one with an ambulance being unloaded. These are credited to Radio Times Hulton Picture Library. She is the yacht in Johng's photograph. The National Maritime Museum say they have a photograph of Albion III with a Red Cross. I'd assumed that this was Erin. maybe not, maybe she served for the Red Cross before being armed. She has a distinctive belled funnel. If anybody can locate a photo of her, preferably armed I'd love to hear about it. Donald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeZe Posted 22 October , 2022 Share Posted 22 October , 2022 Hi Info from MIC & File WO 399/6849: Q.A.I.M.N.S. A/Matron, Margaret Scott RAM, served on Hospital Yacht Albion from 14/10/14 to ??. (She also served as A/Matron on Karapara from 27/08/15 to ?? & St Andrew from 16/03/16 to 07/06/16) Regards ZeZe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeZe Posted 3 November , 2022 Share Posted 3 November , 2022 Hi Additional staff of Hospital Yacht “Albion” WO 399/4004 & MIC: Florence Nellie HOBBS from 14 October 1914 to 11 January 1915. MIC: Isabel POPE from 14 October 1914 to 28 November 1914. regards ZeZe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeZe Posted 19 November , 2022 Share Posted 19 November , 2022 Hi Couple more additions to “Albion” staff Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. Sister Fanny Margaret STEELE, MIC 14/10/1914 Capt. R.A.M.C. George Austen LILLY, MIC 14/10/1914 regards ZeZe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeZe Posted 6 January , 2023 Share Posted 6 January , 2023 Hi Addition to “Albion” staff. Q.A.I.M.N.S.R. Alena Alexander MCCULLOCH, MIC 01/10/14 regards ZeZe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf mcm Posted 6 January , 2023 Share Posted 6 January , 2023 There was a solitary VAD on board for part of the time. VAD Quartermaster Margaret Helen COTTELL, from 15/10/14 to 30/01/15, was the daughter of Col. Cottell, R.A.M.C., and he had permission for her to accompany him on board. Regards, Alf McM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KizmeRD Posted 7 January , 2023 Share Posted 7 January , 2023 (edited) Not ‘Albion’ I know, but didn’t the hospital ship ‘Kanowna’ sail from Adelaide in December 1915 with 14 Australian VAD’s working onboard? (Causing a bit of an upset with trained Aussie nurses). MB Edited 7 January , 2023 by KizmeRD Adelaide, not Melbourne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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