Compo 10,328 Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 In Inverness the other day I spotted this gravestone in the High Church graveyard. Three sons were lost during WWI, one "Drowned" on HMS Ocean Prince in September 1916. I have been trying to find out something about this incident but there seems to be no reference to a ship of that name. Can anyone advise where I might find some gen? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted July 9, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 I have now checked the shipwreck list for that month but there is no ship of that name on the list. Maybe the daft bogger just fell overboard?! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 The ocean prince was not a navy (HMS) ship and it sank 16th Dec 1916 See hear: http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/O-Ships/oceanprince1907.html 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 Or even here...... I really should learn how to use a spulchucker.. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 Wonder if she was on secondment to the RN after all it was 1916 and she was running grain from Halifax to France. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,681 Posted July 9, 2018 Report Share Posted July 9, 2018 12 hours ago, Compo said: In Inverness the other day I spotted this gravestone in the High Church graveyard. Three sons were lost during WWI, one "Drowned" on HMS Ocean Prince in September 1916. I have been trying to find out something about this incident 1901 Census , I think this appears to be the family living at India Street , Inverness . Using that Census address ,It looks as though the ship didn't sink but for some unknown reason William Robertson fell in the river . Dundee Courier 08/09/1916 . The same reports appear in other newspapers but none actually say he fell off a ship . He had joined the ship as a cook . 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 There you go Compo, compliments of the Nottsalgia Detective Agency... well done DavidW. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted July 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 Thanks for the gen, gang - brilliant! Elsewhere it was suggested that it may have been HMS Ocean, the successor to a Prince class ship of the same name. HMS Ocean was sunk by a mine in the Dardanelles (No rude jokes, please!) but this sounds much more likely. Well done. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,681 Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 You then wonder how he ended up in the river ! Was the letter he was carrying addressed to his father from him , ready to post . Or was it to him , from perhaps a girlfriend ,? Something in it may have upset him and he jumped in the river . On the other hand maybe he had just had a few too many drams before returning to the seamans mission and accidently fell in ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,409 Posted July 10, 2018 Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 A bit more info. It seems he never sailed in the Ocean Prince. He arrived in Aberdeen from Inverness to join the ship as a cook on the 26th August and drowned 12 days later on the 7th September. Aberdeen Press and Journal - Saturday 09 September 1916 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Compo 10,328 Posted July 10, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2018 Wow! Well done that man - brilliant bit of detection. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.