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

Remembered Today:

S.S. St David


Doug Lewis

Recommended Posts

Can anyone confirm that the S.S St David was a hospital ship. I have a soldiers service record which states he was returned to England February 1915 on S.S St David.

Regards Doug

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers Dave

Thank you very much for the link.

Regards Doug.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Doug,

I can't find any reference to SS St. David being a hospital ship, but there was a HMHS St. David during WWII. The photo is that of SS St. Andrew which along with SS St. David and SS St. Patrick were built on the Clyde at John Brown & Co's, all three ships are of the same class and were commissions from Fishguard & Rosslare Harbour Railway Company and began work during the two ports in 1906, sorry it doesn't really answer your question but I thought it may be of interest,

cheers, Jon

post-15439-1192998096.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 7 months later...

I have found this document amoung a relatives Service Record. He is not named on the list, so I assume it is a straightforward misfile, but it may be a valuable 'jigsaw peice' for someone else!

Transcription (so that the names show up on searches):---

No. 13565 (cont...

TRANSFERED TO ENGLAND PER HOSPITAL SHIP ST. DAVID

4th March 1915

No. Rank Name Corps Casualty

?129 Pte. Thomas, F. 3rd Coldstreams. Frostbite

?1383 Pte. Woodhams, F. 3rd City of London. GSW leg

6673 L.Cpl. Blinkiron,W. 2nd Worcesters. GSW scalp

?1660 Pte. Furminger, F. 2nd Coldstreams. Metatarsalgia

15511 Gnr. Brown, J. RGA Bde Staff. Bronchitis

2318 Pte. Adams, V. 4th Rifle Bgde. Frostbite

?1603 S Mjr. Clegg, A. RAMC 16th F Am. Influenza

?3019 Pte. Tautz, C. R Flying C "A C Pk". VDH

?3037 Pte. Stevenson, W. 1st Royal Scots. Myalgia

2329 L.Cpl. Maghee, P. 2nd South Lancs. Myalgia

?3977 Pte. Richards, J. 2nd gren. gds. Bronchitis

?8988 L.Cpl. Bottomley, A N. 1st Norfolk. GSW Leg

?8119 CSMjr. Moss, C. 1st SW Boarderers. GSW finger

?2202 Pte. Waigh, E G. 3rd City of London. Psoriasis

Deaths 4th March 1915

10469 Pte. Crossfield, G. 2nd East Lancs. GSW head. Died 11.50 pm

5197 Cpl. Sharman, G. 3rd R Welsh Fus, GSW Shoulder, Septicaemia. Died 9.20 pm

post-15375-1211538007.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sgt/Major Clegg RAMC is mentioned in the 16th Field Ambulance war diary on the 28th February 1915 as being transferred to No 2 CCS 'Sick', so that's a 'jigsaw piece'.

Thanks

Barbara

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you Robmoff, For taking the time to type that out. It does add to my picture. Though they have spelt the name wrongly, 6673 L/Cpl W. Wilkinson of the 2nd Bn. Worcesters is down as being admitted to 1st Eastern General Hospital Cambridge on the 5th March 1915. I now know why ! The ship must have left Boulogne as the two men who died, Sharman and Crossfield are buried side by side in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery.

Regards Mike Jones

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that Mike. I had a quick look for L/Cpl Blinkiron's records, though he would be easy to find, now I know why he wasn't!

Also checked on Pte Waigh, who was going home with spots! Turns out that he returned to France and had quite a war, even found family to pass the information on to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

The St David was indeed a Hospital Ship. My Uncle Tom mentions it in his memoirs. He was wounded (in 9 places) on Sunday14th March 1914.

First he was taken to a Children's School in Armentieres that was been used as a temporary hospital and then on to St Omer.

Then by train (5 hours) to Wimereux to board the St David. It left Boulogne, arriving in Dover. Then a train took the wounded men to Eastern General Hospital in Cambridge.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards, Sooty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is a little more information...

St. David (1)1906Fishguard-Rosslare, 1932 renamed Rosslare, 1933 scrapped.2,529St. David (2)1932Fishguard-Rosslare, 1944 sunk at Anzio while hospital ship.2,700St. David (3)1947Fishguard-Rosslare, 1969 Holyhead-Dublin, 1971 sold to Greece, renamed Holyhead.3,352

<A name=fish>Fishguard & Rosslare Railway Company

The Fishguard & Rosslare Railway Company commenced passenger operations between Fishguard and Rosslare in 1906. The main objective was to provide a fast service for passengers wishing to board major liners at Queenstown (Cobh), Ireland.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In August 1906, the three new steamers on the Fishguard to Rosslare route were described as follows in a Times report:

"The new steamers are sister ships, identical in size, power, fittings, and accommodation. They are named after the patron saints of the three countries, St George, St Patrick, and St David, The St George, built by Cammell, Laird, and Co. at Birkenhead, has net yet arrived; the ether two, which are here, have been built by John Brown and Co at Clydebank.

The dimensions are:Length, 350 ft; breadth, 41 ft; depth, 17 ft. 8 in. The gross tonnage is about 2,500. The engines are Parsons' marine steam turbines driving three propeller shafts and driven by eight single-ended boilers; the indicated horse power is about 9,000. The boats are built to make 23 knots, and the engineers are as confident of their capacity to do it as engineers ever are of anything; but the turbine engine is not yet so familiar as the old kind, and they do not like to ask too much of it until they know it better. So far, however, them boats have given perfect satisfaction, both on the way from Glasgow and yesterday on the cross-Channel trip of the St. Patrick,

We went over in about three hours without putting on any pressure, and came back in two hours and 50 minutes. The time-table allows three hours, and there is no doubt that the boats will do what is expected of them with ease. The engines ran sweetly throughout, and vibration was hardly perceptible".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 years later...

I have the same postcard as Old Sweats (only covered in tea stain) of HMHS St David, that was sent to my great gran from my granda in1917 when he was heading to a war hospital in Bradford from France.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Grandpa Ted was evacuated to England on the St. David at the end of August 1916.

Jonathan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 years later...

My Grandad Frank Edward Sams came back from France on SSDavid on 1st March 1915. I would like to know where I can find these records and also where he ended up in the UK

Link to comment
Share on other sites

55 minutes ago, Sams said:

My Grandad Frank Edward Sams came back from France on SSDavid on 1st March 1915. I would like to know where I can find these records and also where he ended up in the UK

Hi Sams,

Welcome to GWF.

Hard to proceed with out a bit more info on your Grandad - do you have any more biographical or service details you can share please?

Alternatively - did he die 3.10.1962?  Wife/widow: Emily Beatrice? - if so the Western Front Association/Fold3 pension records reveal Frank Edward Sams, Essex Regiment, 8717 which may assist you and others.

Edit: Have looked at Sams 8717 Service record on Ancestry - served France 22.8.1914 to 1.3.1915 when was transferred home wounded with a Gun Shot Wound Skull & Eye 11.2.1915, was dangerously ill - returned on  SS "St David" 1.3.1915 = I'm beginning to think you have seen this SR - but no details of where went next in UK for treatment and then discharge, Warley, with a Silver War Badge [as per his medal index card at the National Archives & Ancestry]

Please let us know - others may be better at tracking treatments.

Good luck.

:-) M

Edited by Matlock1418
edit.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes that was my grandad. I have his service record but cannot find anything of where he docked in UK. He met my grandmother  Emily beatrice Lockwood whilst converlesing when he came back from France. I think she was a volunteer nurse helping the wounded. Is there any records who was on the ss david on the 1st March 1915. Thanks for your reply 

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...