Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 My Step Grandfather, William Skewes born 8th April 1869 in South Africa enlisted into the Royal Navy on the 8th April 1884 with his service commencing on HMS Ganges on 3rd March 1885. I hold his Service Record which shows that he was pensioned into the Royal Fleet Reserve on the 6th April 1909 with the rank of CPO after 25 years service. The Service Record records the names of all of the ships that he served on during that period and records also a regular attendance of about one week each time from 1909 until the 9th August 1913 at HMS Defiance. On the 2nd August 1914, it appears that he resumed full-time service, serving first of all at HMS Vivid until the 31st March 1916 and then HMS Defiance for just a month before joining HMS Princess on the 2nd May 1916 until the 17th August 1917. He went then to HMS Macedonia before returning to HMS Vivid on the 20th December 1918 until demobilisation on the 13 February 1919. Family legend has it that he served on a Minesweeper Trawler during the First World War which was sunk off Scotland, and that he returned home in borrowed clothes, and not mentioning to anyone for some years that his ship had been sunk. I would like to find out if HMS Princess could have been this ship, and I wonder please if any member of this forum could aim me in the right direction to find out. Tony - a new member! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 HMS PRINCESS, Pendant numbers MI.57 changed to MI.91 in 1918, 8,689 tons launched 1905, Armed Merchant Cruiser armed with 8 x 6 inch guns, 2 x 6 pounder AA guns, ( ex Kronrinzessin Cecille), ex dummy HMS AJAX, 9/1/1916 to 10/9/1917. This ship served in 10th Cruiser Squadron in Scotland patrolling the North about route to the Atlantic. All the other ships mentioned are depot ships. Aye Malcolm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Well, thank you Malcolm! That seems to have killed off that little "legend" and I guess I shall never know the truth about exactly what happened to him! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan johnson Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 H.M.S.Vivid was the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. Looks as if he may have rejoined as an Instructor possibly as he had served some time as a C.P.O.Being at H.M.S.Vivid for some time??? ( H.M.S.Vivid was renamed H.M.S.Drake in 1934.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 H.M.S.Vivid was the Royal Naval Barracks at Devonport. Looks as if he may have rejoined as an Instructor possibly as he had served some time as a C.P.O.Being at H.M.S.Vivid for some time??? ( H.M.S.Vivid was renamed H.M.S.Drake in 1934.) Although he was a South African by birth, his home was in Falmouth Cornwall - and would the Royal Navy have sent him to Devonport for his "Reserve" service as that was the nearest to his home, I wonder? Or would they not have been as considerate as that! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 At the top of his service record should be written: Chatham, Devonport or Portsmouth. These were the three main "home" bases (several threads on the forum about those), if you were lucky on the south coast it might have been near home, but don't forget the railways had a bigger network then and he had travel warrents for going home on leave. Defiance Devonport training establishment RMS Macedonia P&O liner 10,512 tons launched 1904, Armed Merchant Cruiser in WWI. Pictures: http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/PO_Liners2.html#anchor6717 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Thank you for that - "Devonport" it is! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 14 January , 2008 Share Posted 14 January , 2008 During his time on the Armed Merchant Cruisers he was might have been a seaman gunner, the grade should be shown in the sub trades. His WWI medals are on a separate medal roll; any previous medals he got, if any, would also be on other medal rolls - to find them you have to cross reference all his ships with the medal rolls. Does it say "Traced Med" or "Traced Medal" on his service record? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 ] During his time on the Armed Merchant Cruisers he was might have been a seaman gunner. There is a separate sheet with his Certificate of Service headed up "Gunnery and Torpedo History Sheet" showing that he initially attended HMS Cambridge in 1898 from which course he attained 175/200 for "Heavy Gun", 84/100 for "Ammunition" and 120/150 for "L.Q.F. and Machine" - not sure what that is. There are at least six other recordings of him going to HMS Cambridge in subsequent years of his service - so it would appear that you are probably correct in that he was a Gunner. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 14 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 14 January , 2008 Medals He was awarded four(?) medals which my son is holding - I will obtain details and post them on the forum - but I do remember that they are all engraved with his name. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 15 January , 2008 Share Posted 15 January , 2008 "L.Q.F. and Machine" Light Quick Fire and Machine Guns HMS Cambridge = the Plymouth gunnery school, became part of Vivid in 1907, so he was possibly instructing in gunnery. Gunner was a warrant rank in the Navy and would have meant a new service record; he could have been a Gunner's Mate, Gun Layer or Seaman Gunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 15 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2008 The mystery deepens! Whilst his Certificate of Service indicates that he was on HMS Vivid from the 2nd August 1914 until the 31st March 1916, his Marriage Certificate dated the 8th February 1916 to my Grandmother (who had been widowed 9 years previously) indicates that his address at the time of his marriage was "H.M.Trawler "Calliope" on the High Seas". There is no mention of the name of this vessel on the Service Record. Could this possibly tie in with the "family legend" mentioned in my opening posting? His Service Record consists of four sheets, one of which is a Gunnery and Torpedo History Sheet which covers the period from October 1898 until April 1906 - his first period of service. A further sheet seems to be an original hand-written copy of the first Certificate of Service, whilst the other two are his original Certificate of Service which runs into a second sheet. He was awarded a Long Service and GC Medal on 24th September 1902, and the 1914-1918 Star, the Great War Medal and the Victory Medal - in 1920, I think - the writing has faded. The document also records that he was paid three lots of money from the Naval Prize Fund in 1920,1922 and 1923. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spithead Posted 15 January , 2008 Share Posted 15 January , 2008 Hello Tony It would seem that H.M.S. Vivid was the parent ship (shore base/barracks for admin) and H.M.S. Calliope was the ship he served on. H.M.S. Calliope was a Milford Haven trawler launched 1907 240 tg, Port Reg. M.214. Requisitioned 1914 by the Admiralty No.367 and converted to a minesweeper. Renamed Calliope11 in 1915, she was lost on 5th March 1916 off the Butt of Lewis. So all those family 'Legends' were true. Regards John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 15 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2008 H.M.S. Calliope was a Milford Haven trawler launched 1907 240 tg, Port Reg. M.214. Requisitioned 1914 by the Admiralty No.367 and converted to a minesweeper. Renamed Calliope11 in 1915, she was lost on 5th March 1916 off the Butt of Lewis. Thank you John - the story is coming together! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 15 January , 2008 Share Posted 15 January , 2008 (edited) You could try downloading his online service register, which is the official copy of his Certificate of Service, His Majesty's Trawler "Calliope" 240 tons, launched 1907 sunk 5 March 1916 in collision off the Butt of Lewis, JJ Colledge, Ships of the Royal Navy Dittmar & Colledge British Warships 1914-1919 adds she was a Minesweeper with a 1-pdr. Admiralty number 367, port number Milford Haven 214. Edited 15 January , 2008 by per ardua per mare per terram Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 15 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2008 Thank you for that as well! Being new to all of this, I do not know how to download his online service register, but I guess this has already been covered previously on the Forum and I will do some research. Thank you again to everybody. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
per ardua per mare per terram Posted 15 January , 2008 Share Posted 15 January , 2008 Downloads £3.50 or free at Kew & FRC: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...amp;queryType=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 15 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 15 January , 2008 Thank you again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 31 January , 2008 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2008 I did subsequently download his online service register as kindly suggested by "Per adua" and that did throw up the names of other ships on which he served - including "Calliope II" which was not included in his own Record of Service. The particularly other interesting ones on which he served around the time of the loss of the "Calliope II" were the MFA "Vanessa" - what appears to be the "Manco" (poor writing) and the "Iolaire". Further research shows that the HMY "Iolaire" was lost on the 1st January 1919. Could it be, I wonder if the "Vanessa" the "Manco" and the "Iolaire" were all part of the same fleet of Minesweepers? The ship with which the "Calliope II" collided was the SS Dane, and I wonder if any member of this Forum could aim me in the right direction to find out what happened to her? And just as a matter of interest, the name of Seaman Alex Macrae, RNR, HMT "Calliope II" who drowned at sea on 3rd March 1916 is recorded on the Lewis War Memorial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 31 January , 2008 Share Posted 31 January , 2008 Minesweeper, here's an Award for Capt. of PRINCESS and is in the time that SKEWES was aboard. Also maybe of interest that it was in S.African waters !! Make of it what you will. Also could your MANCO be MONICA as mentioned ?? Go to it Sweeper !!!!! LEWIN Charles La P N/E Captain RN 81I041e Prncess C in C Cape of Good Hope 15.06.17 Gazetted In East Africa Mentioned in Despatches Operations against the three southern ports of Mikindani, Sudi and Lindi commenced on the 13th September, when 200 marines, 700 Indian Troops, 200 Zanzibar and Mafia African Rifles, 12 Naval Machine guns, 2 Hotchkiss guns and 950 porters was landed at Mikindani in boats from "Vengeance", "Talbot", "Himalaya", and "Princess" (Captain C.La P. Lewin), assisted by the gunboats "Thistle" (Commander Hector Boyes) and "Rinaldo" (Lt.Commander H.M. Garrett), and the Kite balloon ship "Monica" and the transport "Baijora". There was no opposition, and the town was occupied by 9.0 a.m. Regards Sadsac KOKO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadsac Posted 31 January , 2008 Share Posted 31 January , 2008 Minesweeper, find here two Awards for IOLAIRE in time scale for you. Note that IOLAIRE was later sunk in that area in a trajic episode when entering harbour - that MAY give IOLAIRE as the vessel that `your' man served on ?? ROBBINS William H N/E Chief Art. Eng. RN 84S188 Iolaire Rear Admiral Stornoway 24.05.19 Gazetted Auxiliary Patrol - 01.07.18 - 11.11.18 MBE(M) He is the Engineer Officer for duty with the A.P. Vessels attached to Stornoway. He has been entirely responsible for the efficiency and upkeep of the boilers and engines of the large number of A.P. Vessels attached to this Base. He has shown much energy and ready resource in cases of emergency,. He has undertaken and successfully carried through work which to many would have been considered beyond the resources of the Base. He has guarded the interest of the Admiralty in exercising economy to the utmost. No officer, of even commanders rank, could have done more. WENLOCK Arthur W N/E Lt. RNR 84S188 Iolaire Rear Admiral Stornoway 24.05.19 Gazetted Auxiliary Patrol - 01.07.18 - 11.11.18 Mentioned in Despatches He has carried out the duties of Coaling Oficer and Naval Harbour Master with marked ability and judgement. On any occasion of emergency he has always rendered assistance when required at all times of the day or night. Any duty which he undertakes, he carries out in a most conscientious manner. He has materially assisted in the efficiency and work of the Base. Regards Sadsac Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 1 February , 2008 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2008 Thank you, Sadsac! Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest W.McQuaid Posted 27 November , 2008 Share Posted 27 November , 2008 I did subsequently download his online service register as kindly suggested by "Per adua" and that did throw up the names of other ships on which he served - including "Calliope II" which was not included in his own Record of Service. The particularly other interesting ones on which he served around the time of the loss of the "Calliope II" were the MFA "Vanessa" - what appears to be the "Manco" (poor writing) and the "Iolaire". Further research shows that the HMY "Iolaire" was lost on the 1st January 1919. Could it be, I wonder if the "Vanessa" the "Manco" and the "Iolaire" were all part of the same fleet of Minesweepers? The ship with which the "Calliope II" collided was the SS Dane, and I wonder if any member of this Forum could aim me in the right direction to find out what happened to her? And just as a matter of interest, the name of Seaman Alex Macrae, RNR, HMT "Calliope II" who drowned at sea on 3rd March 1916 is recorded on the Lewis War Memorial. Vanessa, Manco and Iolaire were the Auxiliary Patrol Dept Ships at Stornaway, in that order Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 29 November , 2008 Author Share Posted 29 November , 2008 Thank you for that Mike! There is just one more thing that I would like to find out - is there any quick and easy way to find out what happened to the S.S.Dane, with which the Calliope II collided? Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minesweeper Posted 23 October , 2017 Author Share Posted 23 October , 2017 After several years, the attached picture of HMT Calliope 2 has just turned up amongst some old family pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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