HMS Birkenhead (1845)

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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 1 Dimensions 2 Final voyage 3 The Treasure of the Birkenhead 4 Roll of Honour 4.1 Royal Navy 4.2 Royal Marines 4.3 Army 5 HMS Birkenhead as namesake 6 References 7 External links

[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] Final voyage

In January 1852, under the command of Captain Robert Salmond, the Birkenhead left Portsmouth conveying troops to the Cape Frontier War (then referred to as the 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 (today 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, where Lt Col Seton 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 to await orders. Poor maintenance and paint on the winches resulted in only a few of the ships' lifeboats being launched; eventually two cutters and a gig were launched, onto which all the women and children were placed and rowed away for safety. Only then did Captain Salmond order that those men who could swim should save themselves by swimming to the boats; Lt Col Seton, 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; however, most either drowned or were taken by sharks.

"I remained on the wreck until she went down; the suction took me down some way, and a man got hold of my leg, but I managed to kick him off and came up and struck out for some pieces of wood that were on the water and started for land, about two miles off. I was in the water about five hours, as the shore was so rocky and the surf ran so high that a great many were lost trying to land. Nearly all those that took to the water without their clothes on were taken by sharks; hundreds of them were all round us, and I saw men taken by them close to me, but as I was dressed (having on a flannel shirt and trousers) they preferred the others. I was not in the least hurt, and, am happy to say, kept my head clear; most of the officers lost their lives from losing their presence of mind and trying to take money with them, and from not throwing off their coats." - Letter from Lt J.F. Girardot, 43rd Light Infantry, to his father, 1 March 1852.[1]

The 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, 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 an estimate of 638 was published in the Times newspaper. 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 standard procedure in maritime disasters, while the "Birkenhead Drill" carried out by the soldiers became the epitome of courageous behaviour in hopeless circumstances. In fact, that phrase appears in Rudyard Kipling's tribute to the royal marines, "Soldier an' Sailor Too":

To stand and be still
to the Birken’ead Drill
is a damn tough bullet to chew.

[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 in weight) 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. If the fabled hoard had existed, it would have been contained compactly in a few chests or boxes, all in the same place, rather than scattered throughout the ship in individual pockets and purses.

[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

12th Lancers - now The Queen's Royal Lancers

Cornet

1. John Rolt

Sergeant

1. John Abraham Straw

Privates

1. John Englison
2. George Hutchins
3. Charles Colbey

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

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

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

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

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

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

Privates

1. George Cocker
2. William Connell
3. Martin Dockery

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

74th Regiment of Foot - now Royal Highland Fusiliers

Lieutenant-Colonel

1. Alexander Seton

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

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
44. Staff Surgeon Laing
45. Staff Assistant Surgeon Robertson
46. Andrew White, Civilian Servant

[edit] HMS Birkenhead as namesake

Three placenames in the Canadian province of British Columbia were conferred in honour of the Birkenhead disaster by Hudson's Bay Company explorer Alexander Caulfield Anderson, a boyhood friend and classmate of Lt Col Seton of the 74th foot, on a traverse of uncharted country between the Fraser Canyon and the coastal Lower Mainland in 1846. Named after his friend, Seton Lake cuts west through the Coast Mountains from the Fraser Canyon town of Lillooet, beyond which is its twin Anderson Lake. A few miles further on to the southwest from the head of Anderson Lake is Mount Birkenhead, standing on the north side of the low pass connecting the valley of those lakes to that of the Birkenhead River. The river, and the valley area near Mount Birkenhead which is known as Birken, and Birken Lake at the summit of the pass, were named secondarily by way of the mountain, and not directly by Anderson.

[edit] References

• Albert Christopher Addison (1902). The Story of the Birkenhead. London: Gresham Press Unwin Brothers Ltd, 27 Pilgrim Street. 
• Albert Christopher Addison & W H Matthews (1906). A Deathless Story of The Birkenhead and its heroes — a full account of the Birkenhead disaster. London: Hutchinson & Co,Paternoster Row. 

[edit] External links

• Survivors of the wreck of HM Troopship Birkenhead 50 years later