HMS Genista

[auchonvillerssomme]

Does anyone have a picture of HMS Genista. mined 23/10/1916.

Mick

[Jarvis]

I have some notes on the Genista but no picture I'm afraid. My notes indicate HMS Genista was torpedoed by U57 on the 22 or 23 October 1916 and not mined.

HMS Genista

23/10/1916

Off W Coast of Ireland

Torpedoed

http://www.memorials.inportsmouth.co.uk/sh..._losses_ww1.htm

_____________________________________________

HMS Genista, Clyde Warship 1916-2-22

Launched by Napier & Miller, 22/2/1916, and torpedoed in 1916.

http://www.clydesite.co.uk/clydebuilt/wars...sel.asp?id=4573

_____________________________________________

HMS Genista 1916 Torpedoed by U-57 23 Oct 1916

SLOOP MINESWEEPER - 1,250 tons

_____________________________________________

Some of those killed

LUFF George Daniel Petty Officer Stoker 307166 Royal Navy HMS'Genista' Lost when the Flower Class Sloop was torpedoed in the North Sea 23 October 1916. Aged 28. Son of Mr & Mrs Luff of Strettington. Husband of Mrs Nellie Louisa Luff of Halnaker. Commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea.

FUNNELL Walter Stephen toker 1st Class K. 27981, H.M.S. "Genista, Royal Navy. Lost when the Flower Class Corvette was torpedoed in the North Sea on 23rd October 1916. Aged 18. Son of Peter & Eliza Funnell of East Lodge, Handcross Park. Commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Southsea. MR. 3.

42933, DARGAN, GEORGE, MEO, HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH, 1916, 23-Oct, SMN. 5062.B. RNR HMS"GENISTA".KILLED IN ACTION WITH SUBMARINE

42953, DAVIES, PERCY, MEO, HAMPSHIRE, PORTSMOUTH, 1916, 23-Oct, 22, 1894, STO.1ST.CL. K/28610. RN HMS"GENISTA". KILLED IN ACTION WITH SUBMARINE

Fowler Fred First J / 47458 Ord.Seaman HMS Genista Royal Navy 23 October 1916 21

Edward Daysh (son of Joseph Daysh and Caroline E Lowe) was born 1888, and died October 30, 1916 in At sea on HMS Genista.

____________________________________________

As for the U-57, she sunk fifty five ships for a total of 91,680 tons and one warship, HMS Genista, at 1,250 tons. Her greatest success was the sinking of the British vessel Rovanmore, at 10,320 tons, in October 1916. The submarine survived the war and was scrapped in Cherbourg in 1921.

[auchonvillerssomme]

DOH!!! i knew it was torpedoed, no idea why i put mined! she didn't have a long life.

I have an interest in William Warrener, named on local memorial.

Mick

[SiegeGunner]

Mick,

No pic of Genista, but this is Snapdragon, another Arabis class sloop, which was virtually identical.

Mick

[clive_hughes]

Mick,

some more HMS GENISTA casualties, from Anglesey:

COTTON, Charles Thomas AB Wales Z/2879 RNVR. Aged 23. Born Holyhead, Anglesey. Taken on strength 15 January 1916; previous employment in Carriage Dept., London & North Western Railway. No previous sea experience. Address: 3 Bodlondeb Terrace, Holyhead. His ?younger brother Harold Cotton was R/4256 in the RNVR, also died of wounds with the "Hawke" Battalion, Royal Naval Division in France on 9 October 1918 (nearly two years later).

JONES, William AB Wales Z/2881 RNVR. Aged 17. Address: 2, London Road, Bodedern, Valley, Anglesey. Taken on strength 18 January 1916; previous employment farm labourer at Carregfawr, Holyhead. A relative (? older brother) Robert Richard Jones of the same address was a Private in the 17th Battn., Royal Welsh Fusiliers and killed in action at Ypres on 28 August 1916 (two months earlier).

Both men came from a few miles apart and enlisted within a couple of days of each other: the families of both lost their brothers also. Like their ship, their war service was measured in months rather than years.

LST_164

[historydavid]

Mick,

On October 1916 Sloop HMS Genista, built 1916, 1,250 tons, was torpedoed by German submarine U 57 in 51.26N, 13.10W, SW from Cape Clear, , Ireland, Atlantic Ocean with the loss of 79 lives.

WARRENER, WILLIAM, O.S., J 47467 (Po), GENISTA, 23/10/2016, SHIP LOSS.

Best wishes

David

[auchonvillerssomme]

Thank you everyone. He's another one added to my list of rediscovered.

Mick

[Guest dehwall]

Does anyone have a picture of HMS Genista. mined 23/10/1916.

Mick

Take a look at http://www.oldships.org.uk/SHIPS/SHIP_HTM/Genista.htm

My father in law is looking for information on a ship (possibly a trawler) that his father served on, that was converted to have two bows for ramming?, and came in contact with a german submarine dropped a depth charge and reversed back over it and split itsself in two and the surviving crew were washed up in a remote part of Ireland. He can remember his mother having a telegram reporting his fathers death, but some of the crew, his father included turned up a few months later OK, or so the story goes. I'm not sure whether the submarine was sunk or not...

Any ideas?

[spithead]

Take a look at http://www.oldships.org.uk/SHIPS/SHIP_HTM/Genista.htm

My father in law is looking for information on a ship (possibly a trawler) that his father served on, that was converted to have two bows for ramming?, and came in contact with a german submarine dropped a depth charge and reversed back over it and split itsself in two and the surviving crew were washed up in a remote part of Ireland. He can remember his mother having a telegram reporting his fathers death, but some of the crew, his father included turned up a few months later OK, or so the story goes. I'm not sure whether the submarine was sunk or not...

Any ideas?

Dehwall

The picture above is the WW2 Genista, built 24.7.41 and scrapped 1961.

Regards John

[Guest stevecarter]

My Grand farther was one on the twelve survivors from the Genista. Looking for info on what happened to them, evidently picked up by a fishing boat. ( Theodore Carter ) age 16.

[horatio2]

From "British Warships Losses ..." (David Hepper):-

"A search by the sloops ZINNIA and CAMELLIA found only wreckage and bodies, but a determined search by Admiral Bayley in the light cruiser ADVENTURE succeeded in locating two floats with six survivors at 10.45pm and then a further six on another float twenty minutes later. Seventy-three men were lost." [Kew ADM 137/1254]

[Guest Allison white]

I have family medals belonging to lieutenant commander John white captain of HMS Genista. He was on HMS Africa previous to that, which I believe was the first aircraft carrier. Still trying to find any living relatives.

[The Inspector]

Hi Allison

Welcome to the forum.

How far have you got with your tree? It appears from the 1881 census that John has been given a middle name 'A' ?. The address 6 Dulwich Road on the baptism records (1.10.1879) is also that on the census but he doesn't have a middle name when baptised. He was born 23.7.1879. 3 sisters Jane, Mary and Florence.

1901 at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth.

Looked at Winifred Ethel Williams, his wife born 6.2.1879 died 1972 Aldershot but I can't find any living relatives either....will keep searching

Regards Barry

From the marriage cert. 18.10.1913 it appears that her father was Joseph Powell Williams, MP,PC. He died 1904 but the marriage cert. does not state deceased! Buried Key Hill Cemetery, Birmingham.

Edited 29 December , 2016 by The Inspector

[Guest]

On 2/15/2016 at 2:21 AM, Guest stevecarter said:

My Grand farther was one on the twelve survivors from the Genista. Looking for info on what happened to them, evidently picked up by a fishing boat. ( Theodore Carter ) age 16.

Hi Steve - My Great Grandfather survived the Genista sinking. His name was William Felton. It would be great to share any information we have on the event. All the best, George. 

gprow@hotmail.com - feel free to email me. Thanks

[PHoath]

I have just come across this thread. My great-aunt was Winifred White (nee Williams). She married John White in the church where the memorial is located. There are some descriptions of the wedding in newspapers of the time (18th October 1913). They had no children. Her father was Joseph Powell Williams M.P.. There is a description of the sinking if H.M.S Genista in 'Bayly's War' by Steve Dunn. Attached is a picture of John White.

regards

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

[PHoath]

Also attached is a picture of a cap band for H.M.S. Genista. 

 

regards

Mike

 

 

[Guest]

I am helping to research the backgrounds of the 1245 lads lost in WW1, named in the Stockton on Tees book of remembrance. One listing simply states James Beattie 'stoker' HMS Marguerite. I have spent a lot of time looking at this, and can only find one who fits the James Beattie, stoker and lost/died profile, and this person was lost when The Genista was torpedoed. These observations, and the fact that the two ships were exactly the same class suggest that this is 'our man', and that whoever compiled our remembrance book was given the wrong ship name. Can anyone shed any further light? Also This chap's birthplace was in Paisley, Scotland, and his family address after his death given as Paisley also. I am struggling to find the link to Stockton (Teesside, border of Durham/N.Yorks). There are a number of soldier/sailors in this book with only a tenuous link  to the town.

[seaJane]

This is the CWGC record for the James Beattie age 22 lost in GENISTA (sunk by U-57 on 23 Oct 1916), which I suspect you may have found - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2875647/beattie,-james/. His service record is here https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6981306 and I've had a look at the preview; there is no sign that he was ever on MARGUERITE.

 

The only other James Beattie on CWGC was an AB RNVR, in the Hawke Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, whose father lived in Arbroath.

 

I tend to agree with you that the ship is the error, but it's a fairly large one and I can't account for the lack of Stockport connection unless (say) his mother was from there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Thanks SeaJane, Yes I had seen the documents from your links. There are a number of WW1 dead who are listed in Stockton's book, for whom we cannot as yet link to the town. Their details etc tally but in many cases the last reference we have is the 1911 census if their war records were lost (and the Scottish 1911 census is difficult to access). One example is a soldier by the name of Joseph Bailey from established Midlands families, who was born and bred near Wolverhampton (still there in 1911) and ended up in the Tyneside Scottish/Northumberland Fusiliers, I found that he enlisted in Stockton. His parents still lived in Bilston Staffs after his death. As an iron worker I can only assume he moved to Teesside for employment. 

I digress, the book of remembrance doesn't have all of our lost WW1 lads either, we keep finding 'extras', so it may well be that much of the information was given to the compilers by family/friends.

[Helen]

On 17/05/2019 at 19:42, Guest said:

I am helping to research the backgrounds of the 1245 lads lost in WW1, named in the Stockton on Tees book of remembrance. One listing simply states James Beattie 'stoker' HMS Marguerite. I have spent a lot of time looking at this, and can only find one who fits the James Beattie, stoker and lost/died profile, and this person was lost when The Genista was torpedoed. These observations, and the fact that the two ships were exactly the same class suggest that this is 'our man', and that whoever compiled our remembrance book was given the wrong ship name. Can anyone shed any further light? Also This chap's birthplace was in Paisley, Scotland, and his family address after his death given as Paisley also. I am struggling to find the link to Stockton (Teesside, border of Durham/N.Yorks). There are a number of soldier/sailors in this book with only a tenuous link  to the town.

 

Hello. My Great Grandfather Victor Harry Mason was also serving on the HMS Genista when it was torpedoed in 1916. He did not survive. He was also from Stockton-on-Tees (as am I). He was an Engine room artificier. I was wondering if you were aware of any accounts of what happened from the surviving crew? 

 

Helen

[The Treasurer]

Helen

 

From the admiralty monograph:

 

U.57 was coming down behind U.20 and was to deal the next blow. On October 23, the Queenstown sloop Genista was on patrol some 120 miles west from Cape Clear. At 4.15 p.m. she had met the Leyland s.s. Alexandrian, homeward bound, and was escorting her in. At about 6.20 p.m. the Genista was suddenly struck by a torpedo on the port side, shattering the ship fore and aft and a second hit her abaft the main engine room a few moments later. There was just time to get the four Carley rafts afloat, when the ship broke in two. The Alexandrian turned and a torpedo fired at her just missed astern. She sent out a signal at 6.30 p.m. and Admiral Bayly at once ordered the sloops Camellia and Zinnia to proceed to the spot.

The Zinnia arrived at 10.30 p.m. but saw nothing. Admiral Bayly, knowing the difficulty sloops had in picking up a position, put to sea himself in the Adventure at 10.30 p.m. and arrived on the spot at 10 a.m. October 24. A strong south-south-east wind was blowing with a tumbling sea. At about 10.45 a.m. a Carley raft was seen and 12 survivors of the Genista were picked up from four rafts. After 16 hours exposure they were all cheery and wanted only sleep and warmth. The remainder, including the captain, Lieutenant-Commander John White, went down in the ship.

 

Genista, fleet sweeping sloop, torpedoed and sunk by U.57 off W Ireland

 ANSCOMBE, William A, Stoker 1c, 305726 (Po)

 BEATTIE, James, Stoker 1c, K 22918 (Po)

 BLAMPEY, John C R, Artificer Engineer

 BRIGGS, George L C, Sub Lieutenant

 BROWN, Fred, Act/Engine Room Artificer 4c, M 19159 (Po)

 BROWN, John B, Ordinary Seaman, J 47461 (Po)

 CARTER, Thomas W, Boy 1c, J 48197 (Po)

 COTTON, Charles T, Able Seaman, RNVR, Wales Z 2879

 CRAIG, William, Chief Engine Room Artificer, RNR, EA 1547

 CRESPIN, Albert V S, Petty Officer, 221371 (Po)

 DARGAN, George, Seaman, RNR, B 5062

 DAVIES, Percy, Stoker 1c, K 28610 (Po)

 DAYSH, Edward, Stoker 1c, 36678 (Po)

 DOLMAN, Robert, Stoker 1c, K 28589 (Po)

 DUNK, William H, Stoker Petty Officer, 310068 (Po)

 DYMOCK, Malachi, Able Seaman, J 13846 (Po)

 EMERY, James W, Able Seaman, RNVR, Tyneside 3/9765

 FOSTER, Bertie W, Boy 1c, J 48204

 FOWLER, Fred, Ordinary Seaman, J 47458 (Po)

 FOX, Joseph G, Leading Stoker, K 910 (Po)

 FUNNELL, Walter S, Stoker 2c, K 27981 (Po)

 GARDNER, Leslie F, Boy 1c, J 48202 (Po)

 HASKELL, Reginald, Able Seaman, RNVR, Clyde Z 7729

 HATCHER, Bertram G, Ship's Steward's Assistant, M 10731 (Po)

 HAYSON, George A, Officer's Steward 2c, L 2767 (Po)

 HEASELGRAVE, Sydney G, Ordinary Seaman, J 47448 (Po)

 HELYER, Archibald J, Shipwright 1c, 344096 (Po)

 HOLDEN, Cecil J, Boy 1c, J 48205

 JACKSON, Robert H, Leading Cook's Mate, M 1235 (Po)

 JOHNS, William H G, Officer's Cook 2c, L 739 (Po)

 JOHNSON, William, Petty Officer, 179122 (Po)

 JONES, David J, Signalman, RNVR, Wales Z 2453

 JONES, William, Able Seaman, RNVR, Wales Z 2881

 LAMB, George W, Boy 1c, J 44129

 LOVELL, Harold W B, Boy Telegraphist, J 45516

 LUCKHURST, Alfred E, Officer's Steward 3c, L 8230 (Po)

 LUFF, George D, Stoker Petty Officer, 307166 (Po)

 MADDEN, Robert, Stoker 1c, K 12276 (Po)

 MANNING, William A, Boy 1c, J 44143 (Po)

 MASON, Victor H, Act/Engine Room Artificer 4c, M 18430 (Po)

 MCKAY, Donald, Seaman, RNR, C 2115

 MCLUCKIE, Thomas, Stoker 2c, K 27908 (Po)

 MCNAB, William, Stoker, RNR, S 8322

 MEECH, Richard, Chief Stoker (RFR A 1785), 126508 (Po)

 MIDDLETON, Thomas E, Ordinary Seaman, J 47453 (Po)

 MOORE, Walter L, Stoker Petty Officer, 300013 (Po)

 MURRAY, Alexander A, Stoker 2c, K 29288 (Po)

 MYLES, Peter, Stoker 1c, K 27782 (Po)

 NEVILL, John B, Ty/Sub Lieutenant, RNR

 NEWTON, Edward F, Ty/Act/Lieutenant, RNR

 PALMER, Joseph, Chief Petty Officer, 175516 (Po)

 PALMER, Joseph W, Boy 1c, J 44131

 PARRY, Bertram, Stoker 2c, SS 117369 (Po)

 PRITCHARD, James, Stoker 2c, K 29292 (Po)

 REEVE, Arthur, Stoker 1c, 304082 (Po)

 RITCHIE, Arthur G, Chief Engine Room Artificer, RNR, EA 1072

 ROBERTSON, John, Stoker 1c, 276398 (Po)

 ROGERS, Charles T, Stoker 2c, K 29004 (Po)

 SAMPSON, Sydney F, Stoker Petty Officer, 312388 (Po)

 SAPSED, Harold J, Leading Signalman, J 10852 (Po)

 SHAW, Charles E, Stoker Petty Officer, 312112 (Po)

 SIMPSON, Thomas S, Stoker Petty Officer, 282571 (Po)

 SMITH, Edward, Stoker, RNR, S 9034

 SMITH, Walter R, Signalman, J 13157 (Po)

 SPARROW, James, Stoker 1c, K 28608 (Po)

 STRACHAN, Alexander L, Ty/Surgeon Probationer, RNVR

 SULLIVAN, John S J, Act/Leading Stoker, K 9533

 SWAIN, Arthur G, Boy 1c, J 48192 (Ch)

 TANSEY, John, Stoker 1c, K 28576 (Po)

 TAYLOR, James, Leading Stoker, K 5880 (Po)

 WARRENER, William, Ordinary Seaman, J 47467 (Po)

 WEST, George H, Chief Stoker, 281021 (Po)

 WESTON, Arthur, Stoker Petty Officer, 299761 (Po)

 WHALEY, John G, Telegraphist, RNVR, Tyneside Z 209

 WHITE, Henry J W, Stoker 1c, K 29245 (Po)

 WHITE, John, Lieutenant Commander

 WHITTINGTON, William G, Boy Telegraphist, J 41764 (Po)

 WINTLE, Francis A, Able Seaman, J 14795 (Po)

 WOODWARD, Wilfred, Boy Telegraphist, J 41605

Edited 22 December , 2020 by The Treasurer
added complete casualty list

[Helen]

Thank you so much. We are just beginning to learn more about him and the event that took his life at age 23 along with so many others.

 

I really appreciate your quick response and will add it to our family documents. I'm very grateful to you.

 

kind regards

 

Helen