keithchristmas Posted 19 May , 2007 Share Posted 19 May , 2007 I am trying to find out more information with regard to these ships, and where they may have served during the dates below. I have established so far that HMS Blenheim was a Destroyer Depot Ship, and that Scourge and Wear were both Destroyers. I cannot read the name of the other Depot Ship. Any ideas? HMS Blenheim ( Scourge ) 1 July 1917 and 24 August 1917 HMS Blenheim ( Wear )25 August 1917 and 31 March 1918 HMS Eg......t ? ( Wear ) 1 April 1918 to 31 January 1919 Would any one have a photograph or postcard of these ships? Many thanks, Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 19 May , 2007 Share Posted 19 May , 2007 Keith, HMS Egremont, Depot Ship at Malta. Both Egremont and Blenheim where in the Med. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithchristmas Posted 20 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 20 May , 2007 Many thanks Charles, I assume that in the Med these destroyers would been used as escorts for convoys. Is it possible to establish to which Destroyer Flotilla would these ships have belonged during this period? I am researching a Stoker Petty Officer who served on these ships. I understand that the 'G' Class destroyers only had a complement of 96. How many stokers would have be included in this number? Would the SPO have been the senior stoker on board? Regards, Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 Keith, Found a picture of HMS Scourge, http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/Janes_1919/De...rs/G_Class.html About a third of the crew would be engineroom men on this coalburner, there would probably have been a Chief Stoker, an SPO would be in charge of a watch in the stokehold/outside machinery. Not sure which squadron. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 HMS Egremont, was a hulk pressed into service as an accomodation ship at Chatham Egmont was the Depot Ship at Malta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 "HMS Egremont, was a hulk pressed into service as an accomodation ship at Chatham Egmont was the Depot Ship at Malta" The Egmont was the depot ship at Malta until June 1916 when she changed her name to Egremont, in April 1918 she was in Malta moving to Chatham in June 1919. (Colledge) Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 20 May , 2007 Share Posted 20 May , 2007 Picture of His Majesty's Ship Wear http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/rive....htm#HMS%20Wear Picture of HMS Scourge http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/beag...m#HMS%20Scourge Scourge was one of the ships that picked up survivors from HMHS Britannic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 21 May , 2007 Share Posted 21 May , 2007 The Egmont was the base ship/ stone frigate at Malta from March 1904-30/6/1933 (Warlow) Firefly was renamed Egmont 3/4/1914- 1/3/23 (Warlow & Colledge) Iron screw ship Achilles was renamed Hibernia 1902, then Egmont March 1904; Paid Off 4 May 1914, allocated as Training Ship vice Actaeon same date altered to be training ship and to join Actaeon (Sheerness Torpedo School and Auxiliary Patrol base) 10/7/14. Renamed Egremont 1/11/16 hulk. Commissioned as accomodation ship Chatham 7 January 1918. Renamed Pembroke July 1919 and finally sold 26/1/1923. (Warlow) The SPO in question was on "HMS Eg......t ? (Wear) 1 April 1918 to 31 January 1919" which is more likely to be an active base than an accomodation ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph Posted 21 May , 2007 Share Posted 21 May , 2007 I stand to be corrected, ‘A naval history of Malta’ Elliott The need for a depot ship to be based on Grand Harbour and to supply spare ratings to make up shortages in the fleet had been recognised as far back as the early years of the 19th century. Various sailing warships had been used, but in 1855 HMS Hibernia, a first rate ship of 110 guns, was specially fitted out at Portsmouth as the 'Receiving and Guard Ship' for Malta, replacing Ceylon; another first rate which had been performing the duty. Hibernia continued in service in Grand Harbour until 1909, when she was broken up locally. Her successor was Achilles, a first class armoured cruiser built in Chatham in 1863, and she in turn was specially fitted out for service in Malta. At first re-named Hibernia, she was re-christened Egmont in 1904 and she had three other ships as tenders, Cruiser, Bulldog and Firefly. Egmont was towed back to England in 1912, and Fort St Angelo took on her name as the base ship for the fleet. To conform to the British Naval Discipline Act, the commissioning pendant of the Captain of St Angelo must be flown afloat and until 1945 this was proudly carried by a small brass-funnelled picket boat moored in Kalkara Creek. HMS Blenheim was the depot ship for the ‘Otranto Barrage’ moving to Malta in September 1918. Regards Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithchristmas Posted 21 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 21 May , 2007 Many thanks to all. Mention has been made of Scouge picking up survivors from HMHS Britannic. When did this occure? Where might I find more information about this event? Do we known of any other events in which these ships were involved during this period? Regards, Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historydavid Posted 21 May , 2007 Share Posted 21 May , 2007 Keith, On 21st November 1916 HMHS Britannic, built 1915, 48,758 grt, was sunk by a mine laid by German U-boat U 73 off Kea Island, Greece, Aegean Sea. Medical staff and troops (8 lost) were on board on a voyage from Southampton & Naples to Mudros. Owned by Oceanic Steam Navigation Co Ltd of London and managed by the White Star Line. 21 members of the crew died. Best wishes David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 21 May , 2007 Share Posted 21 May , 2007 I haven't found a specific reference to Scourge and Wear for your dates; they are mentioned in 'Taffrail's' Endless Story in connection with their Dardanelles/ Gallipoli service. Have you looked in the ships logs at Kew? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 21 May , 2007 Share Posted 21 May , 2007 Amongst other threads for Britannic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 22 May , 2007 Share Posted 22 May , 2007 The 1st rate (launched 1804) Hibernia was broken up in 1902 (Captain T.D. Manning RN & Cdr. C.F. Walker, Britsh Warship Names) or sold 14/10/1902 (J. J. Colledge; revised Ben Warlow, Ships of the Royal Navy Chatham Press,2006; also Ben Warlow, Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy, Maritime Books, 2000) “… Hibernia continued in service in Grand Harbour until 1909, when she was broken up locally. Her successor was Achilles, a first class armoured cruiser built at Chatham in 1863, and she in turn was specially fitted out for service in Malta. At first re-named Hibernia, she was re-christened Egmont in 1904 and she had three other ships as tenders, Cruiser, Bulldog and Firefly. “Egmont was towed back to England in 1912, and the fort took on her name as the base ship for the fleet. During the First World War, when the French Fleet was also to be based on Malta, an old French three-masted sailing ship, Tourville, was moored at the foot of St Angelo to provide depot facilities for the French warships. “A further and happier change was to come in 1933, when Admiral Sir William Fisher changed the fort's name back to HMS St Angela, a more fitting link with the past.†Peter Elliott The Cross and the Ensign A Naval History of Malta 1978-1979 pp. 66-67 In Elliott’s unreferenced account the fort itself was renamed Egmont between 1912 and 1933; in Ships of the Royal Navy and Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy it was Firefly that was so renamed; either way Egmont was the name of the stone frigate/ base ship, Malta during WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithchristmas Posted 22 May , 2007 Author Share Posted 22 May , 2007 Many thanks to all who have contributed. I am very greatful for the information you have been able to provide with regard to the destroyers and their base ships. Any many thanks for the links to the photographs. Many thanks, Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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