It's a ship with flags - I know that much

[SmallTownGirl]

Hi

This picture was worked in wool by someone who was a Private in the Royal Marines 1860-1874, and who died in 1879.  He served variously on HMS Formidable, Charybdis, Brisk, Euryalus and Pylades.

Is there any way of finding out
a) if it's supposed to be one of these ships
and
b) what the flags mean?

Thanks

[km1971]

If you search Wikipedia for each ship you should get a picture. I know there is one for Euryalus. My GGF was a RM aboard when they fought a Japanese warlord in September 1864

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NavalBrigade%26MarinesatShimonoseki.jpg

No medals apart from a couple of VCs.

It could be Euryalus. but you need to check out the others.

A ship dresses up when it is being reviewed, to celebrate a royal birthday, or visiting a foreign port on a courtesy visit. Most of the flags are signal flags.

Ken

[macintosh]

Between the dates 1860 -1874 there were three Royal Navy Fleet reviews, Aug 1865, July 1867,
and June 1873 all by Queen Victoria, this woolwork could well be a record of one of them,
Though sailors/marines were very competant at all kinds of crafts and hobbies whilst at sea, Scrimshaw work, modelling from bone and other "salvaged" material, rope and canvas shoes et al,
so it may be a gift for a family member when he returned home.

James

[SmallTownGirl]

If you search Wikipedia for each ship you should get a picture. I know there is one for Euryalus. My GGF was a RM aboard when they fought a Japanese warlord in September 1864


A ship dresses up when it is being reviewed, to celebrate a royal birthday, or visiting a foreign port on a courtesy visit. Most of the flags are signal flags.

Ken

Then your GGF and this man, who was my GGF, were on the same ship, at the same time, in the same place.

I did try looking for images of the [named] ships, but couldn't really make them out.  Didn't think it was the Euryalus though, that only seemed to have one row of black-and-white rows (sorry, absolutely no idea what they are/what they are called).

[SmallTownGirl]

Here's the Euryalus

http://www.euryalus.org.uk/hist-2nd.htm

[km1971]

You are correct. It cannot be HMS Euryalus (1853). With 35 guns (RN did not count the carronades in the rating) it would have only have one gun deck. I see I also got the number of VCs wrong. Should be three.

A good rule of thumb was one marine per gun. I will check that out one day for my GGFs ships.

Royal Marines usually served in their home town ships. So was yours a Chatham man? My GGF was later transferred to the Portsmouth division.  His other claim to fame was when I ordered his records about 15 years ago the PRO were trying out a new A2 colour printer and his record was on display as a sample for many years in the print room.

Good luck in the search for a ship.

Ken

[SmallTownGirl]

So was yours a Chatham man?

He was, and discharged on grounds of ill-health from there too.

Can anyone point me to a good site where I could read what flag signifies what, please?

[Tallulahblossom]

I don't know anything about it I'm afraid but just wanted to say what a lovely picture it is!

[Gadget]

Hi STG

Glad you got it sorted 

Would you know if there is anything on the back/facing or if the person who sent you the image could look at the back.  It might give some clues.

Gadget