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Archiver > Mariners > 2001-11 > 1004825329


From: "Ken Wilson-Wheeler" <>
Subject: Re: [Mar] Royal Navy ships 1896-1915. Too many for title!
Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2001 22:08:49 -0000
References: <E15zazt-0006Tc-00@wing4.herald.ox.ac.uk>


Adrian,
Just a few additions to what Paul has told you:
Duke of Wellington
A screw ship of 1852.

Warrior
Iron ship of 1860. Became Vernon III in 1904

Erebus
Either Floating battery of 1856
or ex-Invincible, renamed c. 1905. Renamed Fisgard II in 1906

Mercury
Either 5th rate of 1826. Sold in 1906
or some other vessel not identified in the book mentioned below
or Cruiser of 1878. Renamed Columbine in 1914.

All of the above information is taken from "British Warship Names" by
Captain T.D.Manning CBE VRD RNVR (retd) & Commander C.F.Walker RN (Retd),
published by Putnam (London) in 1959.

If "Mercury" was indeed the 1826 ship she would almost certainly have become
an accommodation hulk by 1906. If your rellie was only with this ship for a
short time it probably was that one. But, if it was a longer posting it was
probably the 1878 cruiser or the unidentified one, which was either some
small vessel and / or not a warship.

HMS Terrible participated in both the Third China War ("Boxer Rebellion")
and the Second Boer War between 1899 & 1902 so your rellie would probably
have qualified for one or both the medals awarded for those conflicts.

As you are probably aware, the submarine E22 was sunk by the German
submarine UB18 in the North Sea, off Yarmouth. Only two of her crew
survived.
Ken.
(In West Sussex, UK)

----- Original Message -----
From: "Adrian Gray" <>
To: <>
Sent: 02 November 2001 09:52
Subject: [Mar] Royal Navy ships 1896-1915. Too many for title!


> I have recently obtained a copy of the Royal Navy service record of a
relation killed during WW1, and it gives a long list of ships he served on.
I would be very interested in finding out more about at least some of them.
Can anyone help? (a silly question - after my previous questions I have no
doubt I will be swamped with replies!) I am confused by a number of things -
for example, why are there so many Victory IIs with different numbers?
>
> The ships (listed under "Ships &c., served in" - does "&c.," explain the
roman numerals after some of them?) and approximate dates are:
> Victory II No 9031 (from "List & No" column) 1895-6
> Royal Sovereign No 8 1896
> Victory II No 511 1896
> Victory I No 456 1896
> Victory II No 511 again 1896
> Sharpshooter No 322 1896-98
> Victory II No 511 (again) 1898
> Terrible No 124(?) 1899-1902
> " No 325 1902-1903
> Duke of Wellington No 8941 1903-1904
> Warrior No 173 No 1904 1903
> Erebus No 58 Two seperate periods of one week! 1904
> Frequent II No 182 1904 - 1905
> Erebus 1905
> Sapphire II No 183 1905-1906
> Victory No 10 1906
> Sapphire II No 183 1906
> Mercury 23 1906
> Thames 10, 82 1906 - 1911
> Pembroke II 3258 1911 - 1912
> Sirius 20 1912 - 1913
> Pembroke II 438 1913-1914
> Tyne 8 1914
> Bonaventure 73 1914
> Thames (C2) 4 5 August 1914 - 4 March 1916
> Maidstone 776 5 March 1916 - 25 April 1916
>
> As he was killed when HMS E22 was sunk on April 25 1916, I think that the
reference to C2 after HMS Thames is to the submarine of that name - was the
Thames a submarine tender like the Maidstone?
>
> Looking forward to hearing from anyone who can help (but with some
trepidation - I have great difficulty coping with the volume of traffic!)
>
> Adrian
>
> ______________________________

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