The backbone of the Navy

Vessels in this theme

• Gannet

  January 1915 — PRESIDENT (ex-GANNET) receives her first cadets as the dormitory for the Training Ship MERCURY

• William Riley of Birmingham and Leamington

  This lifeboat WILLIAM RILEY OF BIRMINGHAM & LEAMINGTON was involved in attempting to rescue survivors from the ROHILLA

• Cob

  COB, under the informal name of MARY, was one of a number of tugs at Scapa Flow and was in the vicinity when H.M.S. VANGUARD exploded

• Feasible

  24 November 1917–FEASIBLE was involved in the destruction of U-BOAT 48 in the North Sea near the Goodwin Sands.

• Helen Smitton

  5th September 1914–HELEN SMITTON was the St Abbs, Berwickshire, lifeboat which went to the rescue when HMS PATHFINDER was torpedoed and sunk.

• Cyclops

  CYCLOPS was a pinnace on HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN and was used for ferrying supplies during the First World War.

• Shamrock

  SHAMROCK carried 18lb shells from Canadian supply ships anchored in Plymouth Sound to Oceans Quay in Plymouth.

• Hospital Boat No. 67

  HOSPITAL BOAT No.67 was used throughout the war to transfer casualties from hospital ships to hospitals on land.

• Undine

  In 1914 the auxiliary steam yacht MOLLY was requisitioned by the Admiralty for harbour patrol duties in the Solent and renamed UNDINE

• Charles Henry Ashley

  On 16 December 1914 the life boat CHARLES HENRY ASHLEY went to the assistance of the steam trawler ANGLIA of London.

• Alfred Corry

  During the First World War ALFRED CORRY was one of the busiest lifeboats, involved in 14 rescues off the Suffolk coast.

• Sundowner

  During the First World War SUNDOWNER served as a steam pinnace for the Royal Navy

• Steam Pinnace 199

  PINNACE 199 is thought to have been on the 'super-dreadnought' H.M.S. MONARCH

• Collie

  During the First World War COLLIE carried out harbour duties for the Navy at Devonport

• Dorian

  DORIAN was built in 1915 at the Royal Naval Dock Yard in Portsmouth as a pulling launch rowed by 38 men. During the First World War DORIAN operated as a harbour launch in Portsmouth Harbour.

• Fusil

  During the First World War FUSIL was an ammunition launch, used to tow ammunition barges

• Vere

  VERE is believed to have been the admiral's steam barge assigned to H.M.S. DREADNOUGHT

• Francis Forbes Barton

  FRANCIS FORBES BARTON was the reserve lifeboat at North Deal during the First World War

• Charmian

  The Admiralty pinnace CHARMIAN is reputed to have been on Dreadnoughts during the First World War

• Prince Helig

  In 1918 an order for a seaplane tender (PRINCE HELIG) was placed but cancelled when the war ended

• Pinmill

  PINMILL operated as a ferry between the shore and vessels of the Harwich Force throughout the First World War

• CFH

  During the First World War CFH was a fleet tender at Scapa Flow

• Atta Boy

  The fast motor launch ATTA BOY was with H.M.S. ROYALIST at the Battle of Jutland.

• James Stevens No. 14

  In a famous incident in December 1917 she rescued 92 passengers and crew of the SS PEREGRINE of London after she ran aground off Walton on the Naze in a force nine gale.

• HMS Warrior 1860

  HMS WARRIOR 1860 served as the floating workshop and powerhouse for HMS VERNON, the Royal Navy’s floating Torpedo Training School, throughout the First World War.

• Halas 71 (Waterwitch)

  HALAS was commandeered by the Admiralty, renamed WATERWITCH and dispatched to Lesbos for service as a Royal Fleet Auxiliary ferry during the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915.