HMS Birkenhead (1845)

From Free net encyclopedia

de:Birkenhead (Schiff) HMS Birkenhead, also referred to as HM Troopship Birkenhead, was one of the first iron-hulled ships built for the Royal Navy.

She was built in 1845 at John Laird's shipyard at Birkenhead as a frigate and named Vulcan, but the Admiralty renamed her Birkenhead and had her converted into a troopship in 1848.

Contents

[edit]

Dimensions

  • Displacement: 1918 tons
  • Length: 64 m
  • Width: 11.3 m
  • Propulsion: Rigged as a brigantine, she also had two steam engines generating a total of 350 HP driving two six-metre diameter paddle wheels.
[edit]

The Final Voyage

In January 1852, under the command of Captain Robert Salmond, the Birkenhead left Portsmouth conveying troops to the Cape Frontier War, or Kaffir War, in South Africa. She picked up more soldiers at Queenstown (now Cobh, Ireland), and was also conveying some officers' wives and families.

In the late afternoon of 25 February 1852 the Birkenhead left Simon's Bay near Cape Town with approximately 643 men, women, and children aboard, under instructions to reach its destination at Algoa Bay as quickly as possible. In order to make the best speed possible, Captain Salmond decided to hug the South African coast, setting a course which was usually no more than three miles from the shore; using her paddle wheels she maintained a steady speed of 8.5 knots.

At 2 a.m. the following morning, the Birkenhead struck an uncharted rock near Danger Point (now near Gansbaai, Western Cape). The impact was so violent that the forward compartment of the lower troopdeck flooded instantly and over 100 soldiers were drowned in their hammocks. The surviving officers and men assembled on deck — Lt Col Seaton of the 74th Foot took charge of all military personnel and stressed the necessity of maintaining order and discipline to his officers. Distress rockets were fired, but there was no assistance available. Sixty men were detailed to man the pumps, while the rest were drawn up ito await orders. Thanks to poor maintenance and paint on the winches few of the ships' boats could be launched; eventually two cutters and a gig were launched, and all the women and children were placed in these boats which were rowed away from the wreck for safety. Only then did Captain Salmond order that those men who could swim should save themselves by swimming to the boats; Lt Col Seaton, however, recognising that rushing the lifeboats would risk swamping them and endangering the women and children, ordered the men to stand fast. The soldiers did not move, even as the ship broke up barely twenty minutes after striking the rock. Some of the soldiers managed to swim the 1.5 - 2 miles to shore over the next twelve hours, often hanging on to pieces of the wreck to stay afloat, but most either drowned or were taken by the frenzied sharks that quickly arrived on the scene.

Next morning the schooner Lioness discovered one of the cutters, and after saving the occupants of the second boat made her way to the scene of the disaster arriving in the afternoon, where she rescued as many people as possible. It was reported that of the 643 people aboard the Birkenhead only 193 were saved. The actual number of personnel aboard is in some doubt but, according to the Times newspaper of the day `as accurately as can be ascertained`, is put at 638. It is generally thought that the survivors comprised 113 Army personnel (all ranks), 6 Royal Marines, 54 seamen (all ranks), 7 women and 13 children but these numbers cannot be substantiated as muster rolls and books were lost with the ship.

This disaster was the origin of the phrase "Women and Children First!" which became the standard procedure in maritime disasters, while the "Birkenhead Drill" carried out by the soldiers became the epitome of courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances.

BIBLIOGRAPHY...

The Story of the Birkenhead by Albert Christopher Addison published 1902 by Gresham Press Unwin Brothers Ltd 27 Pilgrim Street London E C.

A Deathless Story of The Birkenhead and its heroes. - a full account of the Birkenhead disaster co-authors Albert Christopher Addison and W H Matthews 1906 published by Hutchinson & Co Paternoster Row London.

[edit]

The Treasure of the Birkenhead

There is a persistent rumour that the Birkenhead was carrying a military payroll of £240,000 in gold coins (about 3 tons) which had been secretly stored in the ships' powder-room before the final voyage. Despite many salvage attempts, from as early as 1854, no more than a few hundred gold coins which appear to have been personal possessions have been recovered.

[edit]

Roll of Honour

Those who perished in the loss of the Birkenhead:

[edit]

Royal Navy

  1. Robert Salmond - Master Commanding
  2. William Brodie - Acting Master
  3. Jeremiah O'Dwyer Davis - Second Master
  4. Robert David Speer - Second Master
  5. William Whyham - Chief Engineer
  6. Edward Deely - Assistant Engineer (1st class)
  7. George Kitchingham - Assistant Engineer (2nd Class)
  8. James McClymont - Assistant Engineer (2nd Class)
  9. William C. Hare - Master's Assistant
  10. Thomas Harris - Boatswain (3rd Class)
  11. James Roberts- Carpenter (3rd Class)
  12. James G. Heming - Quarter-Master
  13. Roger Reed - Quarter-Master

Able Seamen

  1. Francis Aldridge
  2. John Alterton
  3. Richard Blake
  4. John Butcher
  5. Henry Gilbert
  6. Joseph Hall
  7. Joshua Harrison
  8. Peter Thomas
  9. John Wallace

Ordinary Seamen

  1. James Burton
  2. William M.Butler
  3. Charles Carter
  4. Charles Lane
  5. John Patterson
  6. Charles Pratt

Leading Stokers

  1. John Kinsdale
  2. Samuel Stoodley
  3. James Tapscott

Stokers

  1. Daniel Brien
  2. James Darkinman
  3. Isaac Dibble
  4. John Dopson
  5. William Fiford
  6. Thomas George
  7. Alfred Hawkins
  8. James Hobbs
  9. John Jarvis
  10. William Lovell
  11. John J. Mayers
  12. William Monck
  13. Charles Scott
  14. James Wilkins

Captain's Cook

  1. Benjamin Gerrard

Gun Room Cook

  1. Ritchard Howard

Ship's Cook

  1. James White

Boys (1st Class)

  1. Charles Dortnell
  2. John Duffy
  3. Joshua Hodgskin
  4. Henry Lowry
  5. James Watts

Boys (2nd Class)

  1. John Haylock
  2. John Kelly
  3. Samuel Stone

Plus 9 other crew members records of whose names have been lost.

[edit]

Royal Marines

Corporal

  1. Jonathan Luff

Privates

  1. William Allen
  2. William Cinnamond
  3. Robert Doble
  4. James Major
  5. John Martin
  6. Henry Miner
  7. John Miner
  8. Isaac Payne
  9. Sidney Piper
  10. William Stone
  11. James Wittock
  12. John Woods

Fifer

  1. Thomas Saxton
[edit]

Army

[edit]

12th Lancers - now 9th/12th Royal Lancers

Cornet

  1. John Rolt

Sergeant

  1. John Abraham Straw

Privates

  1. John Englison
  2. George Hutchins
  3. Charles Colbey
[edit]

2nd Regiment of Foot - now Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment

Ensign

  1. George Augustus Boylan

Bandmaster

  1. Zwyker

Corporal

  1. Peter McManus

Privates

  1. Edward Burke
  2. William Clay
  3. James Coe
  4. Richard Coleman
  5. Charles Cornell
  6. Henry Cull
  7. William Day
  8. William Forbes
  9. James Green
  10. John Greenleaf
  11. John Howard
  12. George Knight
  13. Patrick Lavery
  14. Thomas McKenzie
  15. George Marsh
  16. John Martin
  17. John Mills
  18. Christopher Morney
  19. James Nason
  20. Michael O'Connell
  21. James Oxley
  22. George Price
  23. John Quinn
  24. James Rowley
  25. Francis Shaughnessey
  26. George Simmons
  27. Nathaniel Thomas
  28. Samuel Vesse
  29. James Walker
  30. Benjamin Webster
  31. George Weller
  32. William Henry Wheeler
  33. Thomas Woolfall
[edit]

6th Regiment of Foot - now Royal Regiment of Fusiliers

Ensign

  1. Lawrence Nickleson Growden Metford

Privates

  1. Abraham Bark
  2. Michael Beckett
  3. Joseph Bromley
  4. William Brown
  5. John Bryan
  6. Patrick Bryan
  7. William Bryan
  8. Dennis Caulfield
  9. Alfred Clifford
  10. Patrick Corrigan
  11. John C.Croker
  12. Hugh Dickson
  13. Richard Finn
  14. William Fletcher
  15. John Grady
  16. James Handley
  17. Joseph Harris
  18. Joseph Hudson
  19. Henry Jacob
  20. Henry Keane
  21. Michael Kelly
  22. William Kitching
  23. Henry Limbrest
  24. John Lewis
  25. Patrick McCann
  26. John Mayn
  27. Hugh Meara
  28. James Millam
  29. Cornelius Maloney
  30. Patrick Maloney
  31. Thomas Maloney
  32. Michael Morgan
  33. John Olorenshaw
  34. Charles Prince
  35. John Rennington
  36. John Rider
  37. Patrick Ryan
  38. James Smith
  39. Thomas Spicer
  40. Michael Starr
  41. Mark Summerton
  42. John Tierney
  43. Edward Torpey
  44. George Tully
  45. James West
  46. Thomas White
  47. George Worth
[edit]

12th Regiment of Foot - now Royal Anglian Regiment

Privates

  1. Thomas Archer
  2. James Armstrong
  3. Charles Barrett
  4. Thomas Bellingham
  5. William Boswell
  6. George Bradley
  7. James Byrne
  8. Moses Carrington
  9. Michael Cellars
  10. Mathias Clince
  11. Bernard Commins
  12. John Costello
  13. John Cragg
  14. William Demmack
  15. Joseph Durkin
  16. John England
  17. Thomas Field
  18. Thomas Fitzgerald
  19. Patrick Flanagan
  20. Thomas Flanley
  21. Owen Freeman
  22. William Fynn
  23. Ambrose Grimshaw
  24. Francis Hart
  25. Samuel Hayward
  26. Samuel Johnstone
  27. Thomas Kelcher
  28. John Kelly
  29. Charles Lambden
  30. Michael Lawler
  31. Edward Lee
  32. William Matravis
  33. John McDermott
  34. James McDonnell
  35. Timothy McMorrow
  36. Austin Meally
  37. John Moran
  38. Robert Morrison
  39. John Mullany
  40. Robert Munns
  41. Dennis O'Connor
  42. Jeremiah Owen
  43. William Palmer
  44. John Pettifer
  45. Thomas Purcell
  46. George Reynolds
  47. John Roche
  48. Robert Sheppard
  49. William Smith
  50. William Spriggs
  51. John Thompson
  52. William Tigue
  53. Thomas Wales
  54. William Wilson
  55. Joseph Wootton
[edit]

43rd Regiment of Foot - now Royal Green Jackets

Sergeant

  1. William Higgs

Corporals

  1. Benjamin Cozens
  2. Joseph Harrison

Privates

  1. John Anderson
  2. Daniel Brennan
  3. William Bullen
  4. John Butler
  5. John Byrne
  6. Thomas Cave
  7. John Cosgrave
  8. William Debank
  9. Thomas Dews
  10. William Donnell
  11. George Gillham
  12. Lackey McPartlan
  13. John McQuaid
  14. Edward Outing
  15. Joseph Penning
  16. Edmund Quinn
  17. Charles Ranshaw
  18. John Riddlesden
  19. Daniel Riordan
  20. Timothy Sheehan
  21. George Sheppard
  22. Timothy Sullivan
  23. Henry Tucker
  24. Edward Vickerey
  25. Morris Walsh
[edit]

60th Regiment of Foot - now Royal Green Jackets

Corporal

  1. Francis Curtis

Privates

  1. James Brookland
  2. James William Brown
  3. James Callaghan
  4. Henry Chapman
  5. Daniel Conlan
  6. Eli Elliot
  7. Thomas Frost
  8. Arthur Hamilton
  9. Simon Jacob
  10. Michael Keheler
  11. William Kelly
  12. Joseph Ladd
  13. Charles Edward Lucas
  14. Michael McAcy
  15. Daniel McQuade
  16. James Moore
  17. Patrick O'Brien
  18. Thomas Peacock
  19. John Rees
  20. William Russell
  21. Horace Scutts
  22. Patrick Stokes
  23. James Storey
  24. James Thompson
  25. John William James Wallis
  26. William Wilkins
  27. Samuel Wilkinson
  28. John Wilson
  29. William Woodward
[edit]

45th Regiment of Foot - now Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment

Privates

  1. George Cocker
  2. William Connell
  3. Martin Dockery
[edit]

73rd Regiment of Foot - now Black Watch

Lieutenants

  1. Audley Henry Booth
  2. Charles William Robinson

Privates

  1. James Bernard
  2. James Biggam
  3. Henry Birmingham
  4. Edward Brennan
  5. Edward Bryan
  6. William Buckley
  7. Daniel Buckley
  8. William Burton
  9. John Byrne
  10. Michael Caffery
  11. John Clements
  12. Martin Collins
  13. Patrick Cooney
  14. George Darsey
  15. Charles Dawson
  16. Hugh Deegan
  17. Patrick Doyle
  18. John Dudley
  19. Hugh Feely
  20. Mathew Fitzpatrick
  21. Michael Flanagan
  22. William Flynn
  23. Michael French
  24. Michael Gavin
  25. Maleck Gavin
  26. Lawrence Giles
  27. James Grant
  28. William Hall
  29. Patrick Hanley
  30. John Hannen
  31. Henry Holmes
  32. Robert Houchen
  33. Michael Hurley
  34. William Kearns
  35. Timothy Kelly
  36. Thomas Larkin
  37. George Lawrence
  38. John Maher
  39. Michael Maher
  40. James McMurray
  41. John Murphy
  42. Thetford Murray
  43. Patrick O'Brien
  44. William O'Connell
  45. George Randall
  46. Michael Ronen
  47. Phillip Scott
  48. Dennis Shea
  49. Timothy Sheehan
  50. Robert Shephard
  51. George Smith
  52. James Sullivan
  53. Charles Wells
  54. Joseph Wilson
[edit]

74th Regiment of Foot - now Royal Highland Fusiliers

Lieutenant-Colonel

  1. Alexander Seaton

Ensign

  1. Alexander Russell

Corporals

  1. William Laird
  2. Murdoch Matheson

Privates

  1. George Anderson
  2. Archibald Baxter
  3. John Bennie
  4. Robert Blackie
  5. Walter Bruce
  6. John Cattanach
  7. David Cousin
  8. John Cowan
  9. William Donald
  10. David Donaldson
  11. James Gibson
  12. David R.Gorman
  13. Charles Gowan
  14. James H.Graham
  15. Peter Hamilton
  16. Thomas Harrison
  17. Alexander Hendry
  18. David Hunter
  19. James Kirkwood
  20. John Lowrie
  21. Alexander Matheson
  22. Thomas Maxwell
  23. William McAuley
  24. John McElarney
  25. James McKinnon
  26. Edward McLeod
  27. David Miller
  28. George Miller
  29. Alexander Miller
  30. James Morton
  31. Alexander Murdock
  32. John Neilson
  33. Thomas Pride
  34. Thomas Robertson
  35. Ebenezer Rutherford
  36. John Sharp
  37. Duncan Shaw
  38. Robert Smith
  39. William Smith
  40. William Steward
  41. Robert Steward
  42. Adam Thompson
  43. John Thompson
  44. Francis Turner
  45. Robert S.Walker
  46. George Watson
[edit]

91st Regiment of Foot - Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders

Sergeant

  1. William Butler

Corporal

  1. Arthur Webber

Privates

  1. Joseph Birt
  2. James Brian
  3. Charles Buckingham
  4. James Cavanagh
  5. William Clarke
  6. Daniel Daley
  7. James Delaney
  8. James Drury
  9. James Evans
  10. Hugh Ford
  11. William Foster
  12. Patrick Gaffey
  13. Joseph Grant
  14. Francis Hackenley
  15. Patrick Hagen
  16. Stephen Hagen
  17. John Harper
  18. Henry Hayward
  19. Patrick Hussey
  20. Thomas Jays
  21. George Justice
  22. James Kelly
  23. George Kemp
  24. Alexander Ledgerwood
  25. William Mathieson
  26. Anthony McFadden
  27. John McGuyre
  28. William Measure
  29. Alexander Montgomery
  30. James Moon
  31. James Moore
  32. David Pratt
  33. John Smith
  34. Luke Smith
  35. Patrick Smith
  36. William E.Smith
  37. John Sweeny
  38. James Tarney
  39. James Walsh
  40. Alexander Winnington
  41. William Woodman
  42. William Wybrow
  43. Christopher Wyer
  1. Staff Surgeon Laing
  2. Staff Assistant Surgeon Robertson
  3. Andrew White, Civilian Servant
[edit]

External links

Retrieved from "http://www.netipedia.com/index.php/HMS_Birkenhead_%281845%29"