8 replies to this topic

[kin47]

Hello

This is a bit prewar, but I ran across HMS GIBRALTAR leaving Queenstown on 12 March 1914 and almost immediately returned to land three injured crewmen.

Does anyone have access to a contemporary newspaper or information to expand our knowledge on this mishap?

Many thanks in advance

don

[Lancashire Fusilier]

kin47, on 24 April 2012 - 09:40 PM, said:

Hello

This is a bit prewar, but I ran across HMS GIBRALTAR leaving Queenstown on 12 March 1914 and almost immediately returned to land three injured crewmen.
don

Don,

HMS Gibraltar's Log for 12th March 1914 only states :-

12 March 1914

Place: Queenstown

Lat 51.5, Long -8.0

Other: To sea with Royal Arthur & Hawke

Other: 8.45 Altered course for N21 W for entering Harbour, Royal Arthur and Hawke parted company, landed 3 cases for hospital

Other: To sea again

Place: Visited: 1.00 lit fire in No.4 boiler

Place: Visited: 7.30 Weighed and proceeded out of harbour speed 10 knots Royal Arthur & Hawk in company

Place: Visited: 4.25 Coningbeg Lt abeam 3-3 miles

Place: Visited: 5.56 Tuskar Lt. abeam 2.5 mile

No other details are entered in the Log regarding " landed 3 cases for hospital ", I am sure anything serious would have been recorded in the Ship's Log. As they are referred to as " cases " it sounds like a general illness or sickness.

Here are some details on HMS Gibralter and a good photograph of her.

Edgar-class, old 1st class Cruiser

Class of eight ships, Gibraltar built by Napier, Glasgow, launched 27 April 1892, completed November 1894, 7,700 tons, 387ft long, armed with 1-9.2in/12-6in/4-18in torpedo tubes, 20 knots, 544 crew.

In reserve at Portsmouth from 1905 to 1908 and then joined the Home Fleet at Devonport until 1912. In 1908 she carried drafts of troops to Australia and in 1910-11 escorted the new Australian destroyers, Parramatta and Yarra out to Australia. Commissioned for Queenstown Training Squadron in February 1913 and in August 1914 joined 10th Cruiser Squadron. Early in 1915 disarmed and converted to depot ship for the Northern Patrol at Swarback Minns in the Shetlands (arrived June 1915). Later formed put of the anti-submarine school at Portland, and served as a destroyer depot ship in 1919-22. Sold September 1923 to Cashmore for breaking-up.

LF

Attached Files

•  HMS Gib.jpg   47.97K   0 downloads

[seaJane]

Don, I've run a quick check through the Times Digital Archive but whatever happened doesn't seem to have made that paper - bit difficult to tell as the search is cluttered with references to ordinary Gibraltar; adding on HMS produces a nil result.

The ship's log for the date in question is at TNA, ADM 53/42698 - rather a long way from Western Ohio, sorry...

sJ.

whoops, Lancashire Fusilier found the real stuff while I was searching...

[Lancashire Fusilier]

Don,

Here is a copy of HMS Gibralter's Log for 12th March 1914, unfortunately it is too small to reproduce. The entries from the Log are shown above.
You can view the page of the Log for 12th March 1914 on the following link -
http://oldweather.s3...2698/0030_0.jpg

LF

Attached Files

•  Gib log.jpg   31.79K   0 downloads

[khaki]

Just giving it some thought,  I wonder if in the case of 'infectious disease' such as measles, that the ship would return immediately to port and hospitalise the sailors to protect the rest of the crew and therefore the effectiveness of the ship.  I would have thought that in the case of minor illness the sick berth on a cruiser could handle three patients.

khaki

[Lancashire Fusilier]

khaki, on 24 April 2012 - 10:33 PM, said:

Just giving it some thought,  I wonder if in the case of 'infectious disease' such as measles, that the ship would return immediately to port and hospitalise the sailors to protect the rest of the crew and therefore the effectiveness of the ship.  I would have thought that in the case of minor illness the sick berth on a cruiser could handle three patients.

khaki

Back then, even Influenza was a killer disease, and would have required their removal from the ship.

[khaki]

Lancashire Fusilier, on 24 April 2012 - 10:40 PM, said:

Back then, even Influenza was a killer disease, and would have required their removal from the ship.

Hi LF,

Thats exactly the point I was trying to make, for a ship to leave her position in a "group" exercise with other ships and return to port , it must have involved a very serious threat to the ship and  the ships's company. The fact that it involved three sailors tends to suggest to me serious infectious disease rather than injury. An accident at sea, such as minor explosion, burst high pressure pipe or fire resulting in serious injury would have required a definitive entry in the ships log and would have resulted in  a formal enquiry
...
khaki

[kin47]

Hello

Good thoughts all.

It still rings a bit off.  What sickness could not be observed and in a half hour, it was serious enough to warrant return.

I may be paddling upstream, but it still seems some sort of accident involving going to sea:  Chain, Cable, howser, etc, etc.

For now, it is just unknown

Thanks to all

don

[Lancashire Fusilier]

kin47, on 26 April 2012 - 03:57 PM, said:

Hello

I may be paddling upstream, but it still seems some sort of accident involving going to sea:  Chain, Cable, howser, etc, don

Don,
I think you can count on it not having been an accident involving machinery or equipment, as such incidents would most certainly have been recorded in the Ship's Log.
The fact that they used the word " cases ", strongly indicates some type of infectious disease, which as khaki said, would put the ship and or her crew at risk.
Many of the diseases which today are not life threatening, back then, they would have been life threatening and required that those infected be put ashore immediately.
LF