nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Attached is the record card of one Frederick Watcham. I can just about decipher the names of the bases where he was stationed, but what was the first one? Also, when he was with Attentive III (which I believe was at Dover) there's something about a "rescue." Just for interest, down in the bottom right hand corner is the reference to the wrecking of the "Corinthian" in the Bay of Funday in Decmeber 1918. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Whoops, here's the attachment...I hope... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Sorry about that. It seems that the file size is too big, even though it's a .pdf file. I'll try to attach the relevant part only. RecordCard.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Hi, The first ship on your attatchment is Attentive II, then Attentive III serving on the (Prince of ...........) cannot make out the last word. The word that appears to be Rescue is in the ships book number column, this could be him serving with a rescue and salvage unit. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Thanks Charles. I cannot read the name of the vessel "Prince of ..." either. Would there be a list somewhere of the vessels attached to Attentive III? Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarvis Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Yes the document is very hard to read. I have made a short list of HMS ships containing the name Prince .... that have WW1 links. I don't know if thats any help - it hasn't helped me to make any definite connection to Attentive III yet. But will try again (if the office stays quiet). HMS PRINCE OF WALES HMS PRINCE EUGENE HMS BLACK PRINCE HMS PRINCE EDWARD HMS PRINCE HMS PRINCE CHARLES Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarvis Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Yes the document is very hard to read. I have made a short list of HMS ships containing the name Prince .... that have WW1 links. I don't know if thats any help - it hasn't helped me to make any definite connection to Attentive III yet. But will try again (if the office stays quiet). HMS PRINCE OF WALES HMS PRINCE EUGENE HMS BLACK PRINCE HMS PRINCE EDWARD HMS PRINCE HMS PRINCE CHARLES HMS PRINCE EUGENE appears to have connections with the Dover Patrol. I'll check out some more. HMS Prince Eugene Monitor, Lord Clive Class. Ex M.11 Launched by Harland & Wolf Govan, Yard No 477G, on 14/7/1915 and sold 9/5/1921, Ward, Preston, arriving for BU 8/1923. 6150t deep load 102.3m x 26.6m x 2.9m 2 shaft, 4-cyl VTE, 2 boilers, coal, 2310ihp giving 6.5 knots 2 x 12in 35cal Mk VII (1 x 2), 2 x 12pdr QF Mk I, 1 x 3pdr AA, 1 x 2pdr AA. Her 12in guns came from the Hannibal. Crew 194 Commissioned in August 1915 and joined the Monitor Squadron at Dover 1917-18 was modified at Dover to take an 18in gun but she never received it before the wars end. Paid off 12/1918 and laid up at Immingham. Seen here on the right lashed to a Landing Pontoon with Prince Rupert. Landing Pontoon: 2,500t 540ft x 30ft, with a tapered draught of 20in at the bow going to 9ft at the stern. 3 were built and each was to carry several thousand men, with tanks, guns and transport. Each was lashed between the bows of two monitors and they were to land between Nieport and Ostende under the cover of smoke and Naval gunfire to turn the German Flank. The landing was to occur in August 1917, but in the end it did not take place due to the lack of advance at Ypres Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarvis Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Then of course there is HMS PRINCE RUPERT HMS Prince Rupert, M10, Monitor Lord Clive Class. Eight more Monitors were ordered using the 12in guns from the old majestic Class Battleships Her guns came from the Victorious, the elevation being increased. Three were built on the Clyde. Launched by Hamilton, 20/5/1915 and sold for BU 1921. 6150t deep load 102.3m x 26.6m x 2.9m 2 shaft, 4-cyl VTE, 2 boilers,. 2310ihp giving 6.5 knots 2 x 12in 35cal Mk VII (1 x 2), 2 x 12pdr QF Mk I, 1 x 3pdr AA, 1 x 2pdr AA. In 1916 a 6in Mk XII (salvaged from M30) was added to the forecastle. Crew 194 Commissioned in June 1915 and joined the Monitor Squadron of the Dover Patrol. Later was the Tees guardship, laid up at Immingham, and then to Chatham as accommodation ship. 1922 renamed Pembroke. Seen here at Clydebank where she was towed to have her guns fitted by Elswick. Barham is in the background completing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Jarvis, Because its in brackets means it is a tender to a depot ship, anything (generally) with a ships company over 60 did its own administration. Ive not found anything but more likely a Trawler/Yatch/minelayer? Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarvis Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Jarvis, Because its in brackets means it is a tender to a depot ship, anything (generally) with a ships company over 60 did its own administration. Ive not found anything but more likely a Trawler/Yatch/minelayer? Regards Charles Oops ... sorry about that. I wonder how many minor vessels have a Prince in the name ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiegeGunner Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Ive not found anything but more likely a Trawler/Yacht/minelayer? I can't read it either, Charles, but agree it's going to be a trawler or similar. It's definitely 'Prince of ....', so probably something of the 'Prince of Zetland', 'Prince of Denmark' ilk. Mick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 RecordCard2.pdfDoes this make it any easier? I've played around with the image, so that it's in the positive rather than the negative, and sharpened it up a bit. The name is definitely "Prince of...." The first four letters of the next word seem to me to be "Sand." "Prince of Sandwich" perhaps? - some of these trawlers had the most unlikely names. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Noel, What was Fredricks rank whilst he was on that ship? Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Charles, He was an A.B. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Noel, Sorry, no help, I have trawled through what I have to no avail. I'll have a good look through the 'Dover Patrol' tomorrow. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 OK Charles. I'll keep checking the forum and hope to see something from you again soon. Thanks again for you assistance and interest. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 2 February , 2007 Share Posted 2 February , 2007 Noel, According to Toghill there were no Admiralty owned or Admiralty reuisitionrd trawlers with the name of "Prince of ." Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 2 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 2 February , 2007 David, Thanks very much for checking. When you look at the record card - the second one that I posted - do you agree that what is shown there is the name of a vessel of some sort? It's just that we cannot make out the word after "Prince of." From what I understand there were many vessels of many types attached to the Dover Patrol, so I suppose that she could have been anything from a launch upwards. Thank you again. Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 2 February , 2007 Share Posted 2 February , 2007 Is this a download from the National Archives site? If so it might be clearer on the microfilm at Kew or on the original document. I can't find a match in JJ Colleege Ships of the Royal Navyvol 1 or 2 (Navy built trawlers, drifters tugs and requisitioned ships) or as a shore establishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nhclark Posted 3 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 3 February , 2007 It's a fragment of a digital image of the microfilm of a record card at TNA. The image on the film has been photographed again, but we're all stumped by both the "original microfilm" and the photograph. I've played around enhancing the image, including sharpening, and this is the best that I can get. I'm now wondering whether we've all been on a sandbank. We've been looking for a boat named "Prince of ...", but it has just struck me that perhaps she was just the "Prince" of Sandwich. I know that the old port is silted up, but my understanding is that small craft still operate out of Sandwich. And I think that the boat was a small launch or similar. Any thoughts on the "Prince" of Sandwich? Noel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
james_harvey Posted 5 February , 2007 Share Posted 5 February , 2007 Looks like Prince Frederick to me guys What do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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