Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

WW1 RNR Q ships - Charles Brummitt


krathome

Recommended Posts

My Grandfather Charles Brummitt, who was a Hull fisherman, served in the RNR in WW1. I have his service record from Yeovil (RG 1171) as follows:-

Victory II 04.05.1915

Attentive III 06.06.1915

Vivid 23.07.1915

Dreel Castle 01.10.1915

Invalided from RN Hospital Plymouth 05.01.1916

Emperor 05.06.1918

This all started because he died in 1939 when my Mother was 2 and she has never seen a photograph of him. Whilst I've given up hope on that, I would like any information/photographs

of the above establishments/ships. I had never even heard of the Q ships before trying to find

out more information about him. I am aware that most of the above are shore based training

bases or establishments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes they are shore bases and depot ships, is there any names in parenthesis after the ships you have named?

Regards Charles

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

Yes they are shore bases and depot ships, is there any names in parenthesis after the ships you have named?

Regards Charles

No there isn't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello krathome, welcome aboard.

The Dreel Castle was a hired trawler, Admiralty No 2251, built 1908, 97 tons, armed with 1 6 pounder AA gun from 1/15 to 1919. Its name was changed in 2/18 to Mara Smith.

Best wishes

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Dreel Castle was the Auxiliary Patrol Depot ship at Falmouth, usually men where drafted to a ship but as the ship wasn't big enough to manage its own administration the ships had a 'depot' ship to carry out the administration functions. The actual ship was involved in one or two small incidents, recovering survivors outside Falmouth Harbour, but wasn't a Q Ship. Could you scan and post his record the pals may be able to get more information from it,

Regards Charles

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was also wondering about the reference to Q-ships, as the list of shore bases and depot ships doesn't immediately suggest a link with them. Falmouth sounds promising, though. Does Krathome have other information that indicates a link with Q-ships?

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was also wondering about the reference to Q-ships, as the list of shore bases and depot ships doesn't immediately suggest a link with them. Falmouth sounds promising, though. Does Krathome have other information that indicates a link with Q-ships?

Mick

A professional researcher said the Dreel Castle was the flagship of the Falmouth Q ships

and I think I have misunderstood and thought some of the other were too.

The Dreel Castle was the Auxiliary Patrol Depot ship at Falmouth, usually men where drafted to a ship but as the ship wasn't big enough to manage its own administration the ships had a 'depot' ship to carry out the administration functions. The actual ship was involved in one or two small incidents, recovering survivors outside Falmouth Harbour, but wasn't a Q Ship. Could you scan and post his record the pals may be able to get more information from it,

Regards Charles

Unfortunatley they were too big, I'll try to get a URL link set up

Link to comment
Share on other sites

krathome, my apologies.

I stated in my post No 4 that the Dreel Castle was a trawler, when I should have typed DRIFTER.

The rest of the info. I gave was correct.

Best wishes

David

ps. I have never seen any mention of the Dreel Castle being used as a Q ship.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Falmouth undoubtedly had Q-ship connections, but if Charles Brummitt served on a Q-ship whose admin affairs were handled by Dreel Castle, I'd expect to see the name of a ship in brackets after Dreel Castle in his service record. Experienced fishermen were employed in so many roles that it's very difficult to speculate what he might have been doing without further information to point us in a particular direction.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mick, I can't find any mention of Falmouth in connection with Q ships, either as a primary or secondary name.

Best wishes

David

Link to comment
Share on other sites

David,

Prize (Q-21) was fitted out at Falmouth, and Baralong put into Falmouth after her 'incident' with U-41.

I would also like to know, though, where Krathome's 'professional researcher' got his/her info about Dreel Castle being the 'flagship of the Falmouth Q-ships'.

Mick

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Falmouth was an assembly port for ships and convoys bound for places like Gibraltar, so perhaps the researcher meant that Dreel Castle was the 'mother ship' for the armed trawlers etc of the Auxiliary Patrol that patrolled and mine-swept the approaches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...