British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum

Recent Books by Forum Members

   

Go Back   British & Commonwealth Military Badge Forum > Canadian Military Insignia > Royal Canadian Navy

 Other Pages: Galleries, Links etc.
Glossary  Books by Forum Members     Canadian Pre 1914    CEF    CEF Badge Inscriptions   Canadian post 1920     Canadian post 1953     British Cavalry Badges     Makers' Marks    Pipers' Badges  Canadian Cloth Titles  Books  SEARCH
 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 31-10-14, 05:21 PM
RCN's Avatar
RCN RCN is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: So. ON, CANADA
Posts: 2,057
Default 1 Nov 1914 Battle of Coronel

100 years ago on Nov 1, the RCN suffered its first casualties of the Great War at the Battle of Coronel.

The naval Battle of Coronel took place on 1 November 1914 off the coast of central Chile near the city of Coronel. German Kaiserliche Marine forces led by Vice-Admiral Graf Maximilian von Spee met and defeated a Royal Navy squadron commanded by Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock.

Two RN Cruisers were sunk with no survivors, Craddock's Flagship HMS Good Hope & HMS Monmouth. 1570 British sailors went down with their ships on that evening, among them 4 RCN Midshipman who had previously joined HMS Good Hope when she called in at Halifax earlier in the fall. These 4 Midshipmen were part of the first class of RNCC(Royal Naval College of Canada) that graduated just before the war. They were all very young, the oldest being 19 yrs of age.

This post is in memory of those 4 Midshipman & the sailors who gave their lives that evening:

J.V. Hathaway
M.McCann
W.A. Palmer
A.W. Silver


{The Midshipman tunic I have attached a photo of is what the 4 Midshipman would have been wearing that day, this example is of the same period.}


RCN Bryan
Attached Images
File Type: jpg Christopher Cradock.jpg (8.2 KB, 21 views)
File Type: jpg NCollege_of_Canada_plaque_Battle_of_Coronel.jpg (11.9 KB, 21 views)
File Type: jpg Canadian MID's on Good Hope.jpg (58.8 KB, 21 views)
File Type: jpg 1st class MID's.jpg (88.6 KB, 27 views)
File Type: jpg palmer hatheway.jpg (41.0 KB, 25 views)
File Type: jpg RCN MID'S painting.jpg (77.1 KB, 26 views)
File Type: jpg Good Hope.jpg (43.2 KB, 19 views)
File Type: jpg coronel map.jpg (37.9 KB, 20 views)
File Type: jpg MID tunic.jpg (49.4 KB, 23 views)

Last edited by RCN; 31-10-14 at 05:32 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 31-10-14, 07:16 PM
Frank Kelley's Avatar
Frank Kelley Frank Kelley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7,562
Default

They were certainly avenged by Frederick Sturdee the following month, although, he did expend a huge amount of munitions in the process!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 05-11-14, 04:14 PM
Gino Gino is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Victoria BC
Posts: 37
Default

I attended a very nice memorial service at Royal Roads University to mark the event. For those who may not know, the former naval and military college is also home to the Coronel Memorial Library.

It is interesting to note that Cradock's decision to confront a very superior force may have been formed in the knowledge that Rear-Admiral Ernest Troubridge was about to go to court martial for failing to do so in the Goeben affair.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 05-11-14, 04:22 PM
Gino Gino is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Victoria BC
Posts: 37
Default

I should also point out that in the fifth image they show the insignia for cadet captain beside Arthur Silver. When I attended VENTURE in the mid 80s, this was still being worn by class leaders on the lower left sleeve of the green service jacket above the rank braid. I believe it was eliminated shortly after that. Does anyone know if it is still used at Britannia Royal Naval College?
Attached Images
File Type: jpg cadet captain.jpg (6.6 KB, 4 views)
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 05-11-14, 05:22 PM
Mike Jackson's Avatar
Mike Jackson Mike Jackson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 6,329
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Kelley View Post
They were certainly avenged by Frederick Sturdee the following month, although, he did expend a huge amount of munitions in the process!
The Imperial German Navy's view of the Battle of the Falklands 1914:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...electedIndex=5
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 05-11-14, 07:27 PM
RCN's Avatar
RCN RCN is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: So. ON, CANADA
Posts: 2,057
Default

The 4 RCN Midshipmen are also commemorated on the Halifax Naval Memorial,

Bryan
Attached Images
File Type: jpg HX memorial RCN names.jpg (52.5 KB, 3 views)
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 05-11-14, 09:20 PM
Frank Kelley's Avatar
Frank Kelley Frank Kelley is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 7,562
Default

A very well known image and one that is based on fact.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Jackson View Post
The Imperial German Navy's view of the Battle of the Falklands 1914:

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...electedIndex=5
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 06-11-14, 02:21 PM
RCN's Avatar
RCN RCN is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: So. ON, CANADA
Posts: 2,057
Default

This book I acquired in 2012 & gives a very good account of the events of late 1914 as seen thru "RCN eyes".

Good descriptions of the early years (1910-1914) of the RCN, including the RNCC, & Naval Cadet training, Halifax, HMCS Niobe, & both battles of Coronel & Falkland Is.

The photos include a few from the site Mike Jackson has recommended in a previous post,

If you have interest in early 1WW RCN this book is for you!
Actually I just read it again last evening.

Bryan
Attached Images
File Type: jpg First to Die bk.jpg (46.3 KB, 4 views)
File Type: jpg First to Die rev.jpg (65.7 KB, 3 views)
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

mhs link

All times are GMT. The time now is 02:27 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.