Malta- Ships & Shore Bases

[Irishgirl]

My late father Patrick O' Hanlon served in the Royal Navy form 1915 to 1918 in the ships, Egmont, Albemarle and Campanula. I believe that these ships spent some time in Malta. I would appreciate any information about the ships, crew or land bases from that period. Also any infomation about HMS Victory which was a training facility in England. All I have is a copy of his service record which is very difficult to read. I fear I have a long task ahead filling in the blanks.

[joseph]

Hi,

HMS Egmont

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.

From a Naval history of Malta Peter Elliott

Regards Charles

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Welcome to the forum

If there is a name in brackets after HMS Egmont your father served on that ship, but had his pay and admin sorted by Egmont. If Egmont is on its own that's where he did all his service.

Of the results for His Majesty's Ship Albemarle I got this description accompanying an image at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich "A finished exhibition watercolour by Wyllie probably showing HMS ‘Albemarle’ in the Moray Firth in 1916. HMS ‘Albemarle’ was a pre-Dreadnought ‘Duncan’-class battleship launched at Chatham in 1901. She joined the Grand Fleet in 1914 serving with the northern patrol. In February 1915 she saw service with the 6th and the 3rd Battle Squadron of the Channel Fleet but was badly damaged in heavy weather while in the Pentland Firth in November 1915. She was repaired and then returned to Scapa Flow in December, before going in January 1916 to be used as an ice-breaker to get supplies through to Archangel, an allied-held Russian port city."

http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/explore/o....cfm?ID=PAF1766

Pictures and details of later service:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_albemarle.htm

HMS Campanula

Pictures of sister ships

[sadsac]

Hello Irishgirl, something on EGMONT / CAMPANULA ;

GODDARD Philip L N/E Cdr. RN 83P286

Campanula British C-in-C Mediterranean 21.06.18 Gazetted

Action with enemy submarines 18.01.18 DSO For his prompt action on the 18th January, 1918, resulting in the destruction by depth charges of an enemy submarine.

PALMES George DSO Lt.Cdr. RN 80E007

Egmont Vice Admiral Commanding Eastern Mediterranean

16.08.15 & 02.05.19 Gazett & Despatch

Dardanelles Operations prior to 25.04.15

Commended for Service in Action

Mine sweeping by night between 12th and 15th March, 1915, was conducted with great gallantry under heavy fire and the attempt made on the night of 13-14th March, 1915, was most determined.

See Vice Admiral Carden's Despatch of 17.03.15.

KOKO Sadsac

[SEASIDER]

I have a Death Plaque and WW1 trio too K/30 H G WALTERS. Petty officer stoker. CWGC has HMS EGMONT, but date of death 3/7/1919 and buried in Venice Italy, any information would be greatly appreciated.

[horatio2]

EGMONT was the base ship for a very large number of smaller ships (tenders to EGMONT). He likely died while serving in one of these. Check his ledger record to see where he was actually serving:- http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6910538