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‘S’ Class (Admiralty)   AA: (1) 2 pdr. pompom   Offensive: (3) 4 inch   Torpedoes: (4) 21 inch TT   Speed: 36 kts   Range:   Crew: 90   Tonnage: 1075   Dimensions: length 277 ft., beam 26.8 ft., draught 9 ft. Misc: in service 1918, 300 tons of fuel

This is the header of a series of photos recording the conveyance of a coffin containing the body of Commander von Bahr, attaché at the Swedish Legation, on board Shamrock. The date was Sunday 18^th April 1926. The Harwich Standard of Saturday, April 24^th page 4, reported the event as follows:

“SWEDISH ATTACHE’S DEATH NAVAL HONOURS AT PARKESTON

At Parkeston on Sunday afternoon the body of Commander Bahr, an attaché at the Swedish Legation, was taken on board a British destroyer, the Shamrock, which conveyed it to Sweden for interment. The body was bought from London to Parkeston by motor hearse.

At the Quay British naval petty officers from Shotley Barracks marched up and acted as bearers, carrying the coffin, which was covered by the Swedish national flag, to the destroyer moored alongside the Quay. A number of lads from Shotley Barracks followed, and as the procession wended its way across the Quay, passing a strong naval guard, it was joined by British naval officers. Swedish military and naval representatives were also present.

The coffin was reverently placed on board the Shamrock, where stood a naval guard with arms reversed, and in a few minutes the vessel was under way. The guard drawn upon the quayside presented arms as the destroyer passed on its journey down the river to the open sea.”

My thanks go to:

‘Brian Woods at Tendring Archivers’

History Research, House History, Family History & Tracing Services

01255 508629  for tracking down and supplying the Harwich Standard article.

The facts are:

• The ship is HMS Shamrock
• The series of photos were taken by Edith F Driver of Ipswich
• Place : Parkeston Quay Harwich
• Date 18^th April 1926
• Conveyance of the remains of Commander von Bahr – Attache, Swedish Legation, for interment in Sweden
• HMS Shamrock arrived Gothenburg, Sweden 20^th April 1926 and departed 22^nd for Sheerness

“The SHAMROCK commissioned to full complement at Chatham 11 October 1919 for service in the 4th Flotilla, Atlantic Fleet and was detached to the Mediterranean for a time in 1920.  Her first CO was LtCom H P Boxer with Lt I L Whitehorn as his Number One.  In January 1921 these were replaced by Com C H H Sams and Lt P E Fell.  She recommissioned at the Nore 30 June 1921 as emergency destroyer, a tender to HECLA (later MALCOLM), with only engineering officers permanently attached, being completed to special complement whenever the need arose.  On 17 November 1927 she paid off into Maintenance Reserve at Rosyth and in November 1930 she recommissioned at Portsmouth for service at Gibraltar. She  remained in the Mediterranean until late 1936, when she returned to Portsmouth to pay off for disposal and scrap.” (National Maritime Museum)

In 1925-1927 the captain in charge of the GANGES establishment was Percy L H Noble CVO (NMM)

Do you know of anyone who served aboard HMS Shamrock or at Shotley Barracks/HMS Ganges 18/04/1926 who is alive today or who has surviving relatives who could be contacted concerning the event? Do you recognize anyone in the photographs?

Contact: tao@freeola.com

You may download any of the images on this website for non-commercial personal use and archival. Please seek permission from the webmaster for any other use. The original photo-postcards are currently under the guardianship and copyright of the webmaster.

The webmaster would like to thank the following for help and assistance (and patience!). They have truly brought life and meaning to the photographs.

• Professor Andrew Lambert, King’s College, London
• The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
• Brian Woods at Tendring Archivers
• The Imperial War Museum, London
• Admiralty Library Naval Historical Branch (Ministry of Defence) Portsmouth and London
• HMS GANGES ASSOCIATION webmaster and members
• The National Archives PRO Records Enquiries Kew
• Hans Houterman www.unithistories.com
• Anders Thunberg (Sweden)
• Johan von Bahr (Sweden)
• John Williams www.southernmedals.co.uk
• David Page www.navyphotos.co.uk (for the image of Shamrock on this page)
• http://members.aol.com/destroyersaz (for Shamrock “stats”)

© Copyrighted material 2005 – 2010

The Swedish Regeringskansliet Utrikesdepartementet of Stockholm has kindly provided photocopies of a few of short biographical essays on Colonel Erland Mossberg,  who in the Boer War was Swedish Military Attaché with the British Forces. Naturally, these are in Swedish.  If anyone could help with translation to English please contact tao@freeola.com

Cdre. 2^nd cl. Piers Keane Kekewich (1889 – 1967) Served European War 1914 – 1918 : Battle Cruiser Fleet (HMS Galatea and Cardiff). He was commander of HMS Ganges at the time this series of photographs were taken. He was promoted Captain in 1928. In 1939 he was CO HMS Cochrane (depot ship) & SO, Reserve Fleet & Kings Harbour Master, Rosyth Northern Patrol. He achieved Rear Admiral in 1940 and until February 1943 was with the Coastal Forces (HMS Attack) and spent some time on loan to the Royal Canadian Navy. He retired as Rear Admiral in 1942 (?) and made Cdre. 2^nd cl. in November 1943 (?). His finished his career as Naval Superintendent, Malta Dockyard. Source: http://www.unithistories.com/

Admiral Sir Percy Lockhart Harnam Noble (1880-1955) joined the Navy in 1894. He first gained recognition on the Royal Yacht HMS Victoria and Albert (1911 – 1913) and as CO he served the Grand Fleet throughout WW1 (1914 –1918) before joining HMS Calliope towards the end of this period. Promoted Captain in June 1918 he served as Flag Captain on HMS Calcutta (the flagship of Admiral Everett) and was CO aboard HMS Barham within this period ending 1925. From 1925 until 1927 he was Senior Naval Officer at Harwich and CO at HMS Ganges RN Training Establishment at Shotley. He then moved to command the boy’s training establishment at Forton, Gosport until 1928. In March that year he became Director of Operations Division, Naval Staff, Admiralty (HMS President) and achieved promotion to Rear Admiral in October 1929. In this year he was also Naval ADC to the King. 1931 saw his role change to Director of Naval Equipment (HMS President). He commanded the 2^nd Cruiser Squadron (HMS Leander) in late 1932 through to 1934. He was Lord Commissioner of the Admiralty and Fourth Sea Lord (Chief of Supplies and Transport) from February 1935 gaining promotion to Vice Admiral in May of this year. From December 1937 until 1940 he was Commander-in-Chief, China Station, HMS Cumberland (02.1938 – 08.1938),  HMS Kent (10.1938 – 08.1939), promoted Admiral in March 1939, HMS Tamar (04.1940). He was back with HMS President for Miscellaneous Services at the Admiralty from November 1940 to February 1941 before taking up position as Commander-in-Chief, Western Approaches until 1942. He was Head of the British Naval Delegation, Washington DC, USA 1942 – 1944 and from December of that year until April 1946 returned to HMS President (for Miscellaneous Services at the Admiralty). From October 1943 until (?) 1945 he was also First and Principle Naval ADC to the King. He retired as Admiral in 1945 and from June that year until his death in July 1955 held the title Rear-Admiral of the United Kingdom and of the Admiralty. Sources: www.unithistories.com http://janus.lib.cam.ac.uk