Tony on August 29 2014
The Coastguard Cutter 2.4
September / October 2014. Issue 4.
An Apology.
In our last July / August Newsletter an error occurred in the dating of the first item, “An Incident at Howth”, as 1916. The correct date is 3 June 1914.
Tony Daly.
P401.Machine-guns landed at Kingstown. 1914
It is stated on good authority that on Sunday evening that while the police, coastguards, and revenue officers were engaged in looking for arms at Bullock, Coliemore Harbour, Dalkey, a fishing trawler put in to Kingstown Harbour, and landed 12 machine-guns which were dispatched by motors to Derry and Belfast for the National Volunteers. It is stated that those responsible for the coup are unknown in Kingstown.
Reference; The Irish Times 1 August 1914.
D30. BRITAINS FIRST SUBMARINE LAUNCHED. 1901
Vickers launches "HOLLAND 1" the Royal Navys first submarine; four more are planned.
October 2nd. 1901. There was a marked lack of ceremony when Britain's first submarine was launched at Barrow today. The 63 foot Holland Class submarine carries torpedoes but, although the Americans have tested them, there is considerable doubt in the Admiralty, as to what use they may be. An Admiralty memorandum has noted; "What the future value of these boats may be in Naval warfare can only be a matter of conjecture." The submarine is powered by a petrol engine while on the surface where she can reach 9 knots. When submerged an electric motor, running off batteries, allows her to make 7 knots for up to four hours. Outside her hull is smooth to reduce the resistance of the water and to prevent catching on ropes or underwater obstacles. Inside she is lit by electricity and her crew breathe compressed air.
C9. WAR SERVICE.
The role of the Coastguards in manning H.M. ships had tragic consequences when in September 1914, 1,400 coastguards lost their lives in Naval actions and many more were to perish. The Service was returned to shore duties. These duties included watching for saboteurs, spies, the disposal of beached land-mines, and warning of enemy attack. The use of communications became vital and coastguards developed into expert signallers.
Reference: Maritime and Coastguard Agency in Cornwall.
1914 - 1918 First World War.
D25.Within hours of Britain declaring war on Germany, in 1914, coastguards travelled by train to crew Naval ships enabling them to put immediately to put to sea. Unfortunately their ships were obsolete. On 20th.December 1914 a single German submarine sank the Cruisers "Cressy", "Aboukir", and "Hogue" off the Thames. The 1,400 drowned included many coastguards. Torpedoes sank "Hawke" in October and "Formidable" in January increasing coastguard deaths.
Ashore coastguard stations were seriously under-manned and men were sent home to re-establish an adequate coast watch against enemy landings. Here their existing skills in signalling, telegraphy and wireless were deployed relaying messages between the Admiralty and Naval ships and monitoring merchant ships. In Ireland they also had to keep a watch out against German spies and arms shipments
F2.Wreck Dingle
Tralee December 24th. A brig from Liverpool to Limerick laden with Pot ashes, Captain Jones,master, and six hands on board, struck on a sunken rock called the Old Man, outside Dingle Bay, on Saturday night week last. She drifted for a few minutes towards the land, by which the crew were enabled to escape from the bowsprit on shore, two or three minutes before she went down in very deep water. The crew arrived at Dingle the following morning where they were shown every kindness by Captain Bowie, Commander of the Water Guards through whose humanity and exercise, a subscription was collected to defray their travelling expences back to Liverpool.
Reference; Dublin Evening Post Thursday 29th.December 1825.
C37. DISCIPLINE.
Two reprimands would entail dismissal from the service but there would be few punishments for minor offences. There could be 'discharge by purchase' but, as the cost of maintaining the service and training the men was expensive, this could also be made expensive and would cost the Coastguard £50. One loophole in this was that a Coastguard who wanted to leave could commit offences sufficient to get two reprimands and thus got out of the service without paying £50.
Reference: "Coastguard" by William Webb.,/i>
L151. Shipwreck at Dalkey. 1874
The schooner ‘Adoram’, 85 tons, belonging to Aberystwith bound from Faversham to Dublin with a cargo of Roman cement, ran upon the Muglin Rocks, off Dalkey Island, between eleven and twelve o’clock last night, and will in all probability become a total wreck. The officers and crew succeeded in making the shore in safety, assisted by the Coastguards at Dalkey, who rendered good service, and provided their removal to the Sailors Home, Dublin, this morning. The cause of the catastrophe is attributed to the existence of a thick atmosphere and the absence of a light on these dangerous rocks, where so many casualties to shipping have occurred during the last few years.
Reference; The Irish Times Thursday 19 May 1874.
O303. Loss of the brigantine ‘Symmetry’ 1870.
The master and mate of this vessel wrote to the Cork Examiner declaring the circumstances of her loss, and take occasion to mention that they came hungry and destitute to Dingle at 7 o’clock a.m., they applied to the Chief Officer of the Coastguard for directions, and that he simply took their depositions and told them to call again “after breakfast”.
Reference; Irish Independent 25 March 1870.