Author Topic: Black Watch  (Read 4706 times)

Offline Cramond Brig

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Black Watch
« on: Thursday 01 October 09 23:29 BST (UK) »
Working through the 8,000 WW1 Black Watch dead I have found a dozen or so who were all lost at sea on 15 April 1917.

I have narrowed down to two what I think is the ship they were on - either HM Transport Arcadian or HM Transport Cameronia.

I have not so far been able to find csualty lists for either or even an indication that Black Watch were on Board.

Does anyone know of a resource?

Alistair 

Offline KirstyG

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Re: Black Watch
« Reply #1 on: Friday 02 October 09 00:02 BST (UK) »
Hi Alastair

If the Arcadian was used as a hospital ship as well as troop carrier that might explain why some members of the Black watch were aboard.

There is some information here (though not Black Watch):
http://www.ramc-ww1.com/index.php?cPath=333_350&osCsid=29

I'm not sure precisely what is contained in such records but the admiralty report on the loss of the Arcadian is here:
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=5047059

There is a document detailing the losses of both ships here:

Transports lost from 1st Jan. 1917 to 5th June 1917 (inclusive).

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?queryType=1&resultcount=1&Edoc_Id=7955023

The Mikra memorial in Greece lists a number of those lost at sea, and is a memorial to those lost from the Arcadian, though I have not been able to find out if the names are listed.

Hope this helps

Kirsty
Galloway,   Landers,   Lindsay,  Gillespie,  Irvine
Erskine,   McAdam,  Hawthorn
Robertson,   Duncan,   Edmonstone,    Black
Anderson,  Nicholson,  Crombie,  MacDonald
Arch, Herbert, Charlesworth, Chapman

Offline Cramond Brig

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Re: Black Watch
« Reply #2 on: Friday 02 October 09 09:07 BST (UK) »
Kirsty

Thanks for your input.

I must apologise for wasting your and everyone's time. I failed to look in the obvious place on the memorial details for the men on CWGC. Ihis morning I realised they I had not done that and found these details about the Chatby Memorial.

"In March 1915, the base of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force was transferred to Alexandria from Mudros and the city became a camp and hospital centre for Commonwealth and French troops. Among the medical units established there were the 17th, 19th, 21st, 78th and 87th General Hospitals and No 5 Indian Hospital. After the Gallipoli campaign of 1915, Alexandria remained an important hospital centre during later operations in Egypt and Palestine and the port was much used by hospital ships and troop transports bringing reinforcements and carrying the sick and wounded out of the theatres of war. The Chatby Memorial stands at the eastern end of the Alexandria (Chatby) War Memorial Cemetery and commemorates almost 1,000 Commonwealth servicemen who died during the First World War and have no other grave but the sea. Many of them were lost when hospital ships or transports were sunk in the Mediterranean, sailing to or from Alexandria. Others died of wounds or sickness while aboard such vessels and were buried at sea. More than 700 of those commemorated on the memorial died when the following vessels were torpedoed or mined. Officers and men of the merchant services lost in these incidents are commemorated on appropriate memorials elsewhere: SS "Persia" - a defensively armed passenger vessel out of Tilbury, for Port Said, Aden and Bombay, torpedoed and sunk 30 December 1915 off Crete, with the loss of 334 lives. Among the dead were 21 officers and one NCO of the United Kingdom and Indian forces. HT "Cameronia" - carrying reinforcements for Mesopotamia, torpedoed and sunk on 15 April 1917 east of Malta, with the loss of 127 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces. HT "Cameronian" - torpedoed and sunk north of Alexandria 2 June 1917, with the loss of 49 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces. HT "Aragon" - torpedoed and sunk 30 December 1917, entering the port of Alexandria, with the loss of 380 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces. HT "Osmanieh" - struck by a mine 31 December 1917, entering the port of Alexandria, with the loss of 76 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces. HT "Leasowe Castle" - torpedoed and sunk 27 May 1918, off Alexandria, with the loss of 83 officers and men of the Commonwealth forces. The cemetery in which the memorial stands contains burials of both wars, war graves of other nationalities, and a large number of non war and military graves, some of which date from 1882".

So it's the Cameronia.

Alistair

Offline BEST

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Re: Black Watch, Cameronia
« Reply #3 on: Thursday 03 December 09 15:36 GMT (UK) »
Hi There
I have been researching my G-Great Grandfather (Wiltshire Reg) and found he died on the Cameronia in 1917, i have been on various sites finding as much as i can about the sinking etc.
Recently i received an email from a gentleman that has recently found 4 photographs possibly taken by his Grandfather (Northamptonshire Reg) either as a survivor or passenger on the H.M.T BD Nemesis which was nearby at the time of the sinking. These photos (3) show the sinking of the ship and 1 of a lifeboat in the water, with times and comments on the back.
If you wish i can forward to any one that is interested.

Regards Steve


Offline MonicaL

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Re: Black Watch
« Reply #4 on: Thursday 03 December 09 19:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi Steve

Welcome to RootsChat  :)

You just need to put up another post here on the main forum and then people can reach you via the Private Message service to exchange private emails etc.

Monica

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Offline Dianeduvale

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Re: Black Watch
« Reply #5 on: Thursday 13 February 14 23:33 GMT (UK) »
Hello, while researching my Grandfather, Robert Walker b1898, I have found an old family photo which is dated 16/03/1916 and appears to include him in a group Shot entitled '19th General Hospital, Chatby, Alexandria'. It looks like there are Nurses in the Photo too. As a novice, could anyone tell me who he might have been serving with or what he was doing there please? I was told that he was in the Royal Artillery during WW1. Thanks