tom compton Posted 21 November , 2007 Share Posted 21 November , 2007 hello all. on the 14th of july 1915 my granddad sailed on the troopship st cecilia to france with the 6th dorsets part of the 17th div escorted by two destroyers .what i am wondering is did any other troopships sail with the st cecilia at the same time or were two destroyers per troopship normal .thanks tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 21 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2007 anybody any idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob carman Posted 21 November , 2007 Share Posted 21 November , 2007 On 27th July 1915, just 14 days after your grandfather sailed, Sjt Robert Tunaley, 1/4th Norfolks left Liverpool on board HMTS Aquitania and on his way to Suvla Bay. ".......A heavy sea was running and our escorts, two little destroyers, one on each bow, were cutting through the seas in a smother of spray, sometimes to the tops of their funnels. They remained with us till about midday when, I suppose to our superior speed and the increasing rough seas, they gradually began to loose speed and dropped behind and eventually left us." At that point the Aquitania was off the Portuguese coast and still some way from Gibraltar. Regards, Rob Carman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 21 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 21 November , 2007 thanks for your post rob thats interesting so two destroyers per troopship may have been normal .any more examples anyone.tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Gordon Posted 22 November , 2007 Share Posted 22 November , 2007 From the "History of the East Surrey Regiment" about the 8th Battalion. ......the s.s. Victoria, in which the Battalion crossed the Channel to Boulogne, was escorted by two destroyers..... Sorry, no names for the destroyers. Regards Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Gordon Posted 22 November , 2007 Share Posted 22 November , 2007 Sorry, that should be the 7th Battalion the East Surrey Regiment Regards Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 22 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 22 November , 2007 thanks nigel .well thats another one looks like two escorts for each troopship any more out there .tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 28 November , 2007 Author Share Posted 28 November , 2007 what i am wondering now is on the return journey did they escort hospital ships ? tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom compton Posted 3 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 3 January , 2008 hello all.i am just in the middle of reading "the last fighting tommy" by van emden and harry patch .harry recalls after leaving folkestone harbour."all lights on board were extinguished and we were forbidden even to smoke .for there was a genuine threat from submarines and an escort of TWO DESTROYERS would shepherd us across" .so looks like two destroyers per troopship was the norm .tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Lowrey Posted 3 January , 2008 Share Posted 3 January , 2008 Tom, I don't think you can jump to the conclusion that it was two destroyers per troopship based upon the limited data present so far. As for hospital ships, definitionally there should be no escort. Best wishes, Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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