G. Gandy, HMS Arabis.

[ARABIS]

Hello All,

I would be grateful for some help with a crew list I am compiling for the minesweeping sloop HMS Arabis which was sunk on the night of the 10th/11th February 1916. I have copies of the ships log for the 11th to 14th December 1915 & the 1st to 4th January 1916, and some of the entries are signed by G. Gandy who I cannot find as a casualty.

However, the British Red Cross informed the Admiralty that the Commander, Physician & "one Officer" were saved [plus some ratings, but I am concentrating on the officers for this post] & were prisoners of war. I know the identities the officers who died that night and the Commander & the Physician who were saved, so by process of elimination the "one officer" must be G. Gandy but who was he?

I have found two possibilities through the London Gazette & the Times:-

[1] G.L. Gandy.

Entered the Royal Naval College Osborne January 1914 [Times].

To be Sub-Lieut. 18/7/19 [L.G. 18/7/19].

[2] G.H. Gandy.

Gerard Horace Gandy. Acting Sub-Lieutenant to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant 15/3/16 [L.G. 17/3/16].

Gerard H. Gandy. Acting Lieutenant to Lieutenant 15/9/17 [L.G. 1/3/18].

Lieut. G.H. Gandy to Renown 3/2/19 [Times].

Lieut. Gerald H. Gandy. Placed on retired list at own request 5/5/20 [L.G. 11/5/20].

If anyone has access to the Navy Lists for 1914-20 then perhaps it would be possible to find out which one was appointed to Arabis in 1915 & was a P.O.W. from 1916-18? You will notice that G.H. Gandy continued to be promoted after the date of the sinking, once on 15/3/16 & then again on 15/9/17, would this happen if he were a prisoner of war?

Any information gladly accepted.

ARABIS.

[historydavid]

Hello ARABIS,

I have a total of 56 names from the Admiralty death records, which includes one man who must have been picked by the Germans but was dead or died same date, and one man who died much later. GANDY is not included.

If you think they mifht be of use to you send me your email address.

Best wishes

David

[ARABIS]

Hello ARABIS,

I have a total of 56 names from the Admiralty death records, which includes one man who must have been picked by the Germans but was dead or died same date, and one man who died much later. GANDY is not included.

If you think they mifht be of use to you send me your email address.

Best wishes

David

Hello David,

Many thanks for your kind offer, yes please that would be great. How do I send my e-mail address to you? Sorry to be so thick.

Regards,

David [ARABIS].

[per ardua per mare per terram]

The Ships Officers should all be shown in the Navy List, in the entry for the Ship.

[ARABIS]

Hello ARABIS,

I have a total of 56 names from the Admiralty death records, which includes one man who must have been picked by the Germans but was dead or died same date, and one man who died much later. GANDY is not included.

If you think they mifht be of use to you send me your email address.

Best wishes

David

David,

Casualty list now received. Thanks very much for your help.

Kind regards,

ARABIS.

[ARABIS]

The Ships Officers should all be shown in the Navy List, in the entry for the Ship.

Thanks for your advice. I was hoping that any members with the Navy Lists might look it up for me, however I have now ordered the 1915 & 1918 Lists on compact discs.

Thanks again,

ARABIS.

[ARABIS]

Having looked through the 1915 & 1918 Navy Lists it seems I can rule out G. L. Gandy as he did not become a Midshipman until 1/1/17. The 1915 October list [corrected to 18th September] does not include the ships which officers served in & Arabis would probably have missed the list as she was still fitting out at Hendersons on the Clyde 11/12/15. Gerard H Gandy is on this 1915 list as a Midshipman [seniority 15 Sept. 1913] as is Lt. Cdr. R. R. Hallowell - Carew [seniority 1 Apr. 1915] who was the commanding officer of Arabis.

By the time we get to the December 1918 Navy List Arabis has long gone & there are only two officers still alive. Now it is possible to check officers against a list of ships as each officer has a number before his name which corresponds to his posting. Both Gerard H. Gandy & Robert R. Hallowell - Carew are listed, not with a number but the abbreviation Intd. for Interned, i.e. interned in neutral Holland. Some prisoners of war were later transferred from Germany to Holland where they remained until the end of the war.

So it would seem I have identified G. Gandy & that he continued to be promoted while in captivity.

There is a letter to the Times [March 4th 1957], "Encouraging Savings" by Commander [retd.] G. H. Gandy. This would suggest he re-joined for service in WWII as he had left the Navy once in 1920. Coincidentally he was living in the Netherlands when he wrote his letter to the Times.

Arabis.

[per ardua per mare per terram]

It looks like she commissioned with new officers, all appointed after the previous Navy List and that Gandy was First Lieutenant. Here's the entry for January 1916 (corrected to 18 December 1915), the dates are those of appointment to the ship.

[ARABIS]

It looks like she commissioned with new officers, all appointed after the previous Navy List and that Gandy was First Lieutenant. Here's the entry for January 1916 (corrected to 18 December 1915), the dates are those of appointment to the ship.

Per ardua,

Thank you so much for your trouble, it is great to have it confirmed. I found all the other officers either through the CWGC website or in "Swept Channels" by Taffrail, but I had no idea Gandy existed before I found his name in the ship`s log.

I notice that before Samuel Smiley`s name on the list there is a [N] what does this signify?

Gratefully,

ARABIS.

[spithead]

I notice that before Samuel Smiley`s name on the list there is a [N] what does this signify?

Hello ARABIS

The letter (N) signifies 'In a ship, an Officer borne for Navigating Duties'.

Regards John

[ARABIS]

Hello ARABIS

The letter (N) signifies 'In a ship, an Officer borne for Navigating Duties'.

Regards John

Thank you John.

Regards,

ARABIS.