HMS Princess Irene
Encyclopedia
HMS Princess Irene was a 5,394 GRT ocean liner
which was built in 1914 by William Denny and Brothers Ltd
, Dumbarton, Scotland
for the Canadian Pacific Railway
. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy
on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer
. On 27 May 1915, she exploded and sank off Sheerness
, Kent
with the loss of 352 lives.
, Dumbarton for the Canadian Pacific Railway
. She was launched on 20 October 1914. With her sister ship , she was built to serve on the Vancouver
- Victoria
- Seattle route. Her port of registry was Victoria. Princess Irene was requisitioned by the Royal Navy
on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer
. She had a complement of 225 officers and men.
in Kent
between Port Victoria and Sheerness
, being loaded with mines
in preparation for deployment on a minelaying mission. At 11:14 GMT on 27 May, Princess Irene exploded and disintegrated. A column of flame 300 feet (91.4 m) high was followed a few seconds later by another of similar height and a pall of smoke hung over the spot where Princess Irene had been, reaching to 1200 feet (365.8 m). Two barges laying alongside her were also destroyed. The explosion was larger than that which had destroyed six months earlier, although the loss of life was less. A total of 352 people were killed, including 273 officers and men, and 76 dockyard workers who were on board Princess Irene. On the Isle of Grain
a girl of nine was killed by flying débris, and a farmhand died of shock. A collier
half a mile (800 m) away had its crane blown off its mountings. A part of one of Princess Irenes boilers landed on the ship; a man working on the ship died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a piece of metal weighing 70 pounds (31.8 kg).
Wreckage was flung up to 20 miles (32.2 km) away, with people near Sittingbourne
being injured by flying débris, some of which landed in Bredhurst
. Severed heads were found at Hartlip
and on the Isle of Grain. A case of butter
landed at Rainham, 6 miles (9.7 km) away. A 10 ton (10,160 kg) section of the ship landed on the Isle of Grain. The Admiralty's
oil storage tanks there were damaged. The sole survivor from Princes Irene was a stoker, who suffered severe burns. Three of her crew had a lucky escape as they were ashore at the time.
The victims whose bodies were recovered were buried at Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham
. A memorial service for the victims was held at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness on 1 June 1915. It was led by Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury
. Inquest
s were held on two victims of the disaster. The coroner
stated that he did not intend to hold an inquest for any other victim unless there were exceptional circumstances that warranted it.
A Court of Inquiry was held into the loss of Princess Irene. Evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion. Following the loss of on 30 December 1915 and on 9 July 1917, both caused by internal explosions, suspicion was raised at the inquiry into the loss of Natal that sabotage
was to blame for the loss of all four ships. A worker at Chatham Dockyard
was named as a suspect. A thorough investigation by Special Branch cleared him of any blame.
Ingles, the Chaplain of the Fleet. It was unveiled by Hugh Evan-Thomas
, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Victims of both ships are also commemmorated on the Naval War Memorial at Southsea
.
, but it is not planned to raise her.
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
which was built in 1914 by William Denny and Brothers Ltd
William Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
, Dumbarton, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. She was requisitioned by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
. On 27 May 1915, she exploded and sank off Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
with the loss of 352 lives.
Description
Princess Irene was 395 feet (120.4 m) long. She had a beam of 54 feet (16.5 m) and a draught of 17 feet (5.2 m). She was propelled by four steam turbines which were built by Denny's and could propel the ship at 22.5 knots (44.1 km/h).History
Princess Irene was built by William Denny and Brothers LtdWilliam Denny and Brothers
William Denny and Brothers Limited, and often referred to simply as Denny, were a Scottish shipbuilding company.-History:The Company was founded by Peter Denny in 1840 and based in Dumbarton, on the River Clyde. Although the Denny yard was situated near the junction of the River Clyde and the River...
, Dumbarton for the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
. She was launched on 20 October 1914. With her sister ship , she was built to serve on the Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
- Victoria
Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, Canada and is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada's Pacific coast. The city has a population of about 78,000 within the metropolitan area of Greater Victoria, which has a population of 360,063, the 15th most populous Canadian...
- Seattle route. Her port of registry was Victoria. Princess Irene was requisitioned by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
on completion and converted to an auxiliary minelayer
Minelayer
Minelaying is the act of deploying explosive mines. Historically this has been carried out by ships, submarines and aircraft. Additionally, since World War I the term minelayer refers specifically to a naval ship used for deploying naval mines...
. She had a complement of 225 officers and men.
Loss
In May 1915, Princess Irene was moored in Saltpan Reach, on the Medway EstuaryRiver Medway
The River Medway, which is almost entirely in Kent, England, flows for from just inside the West Sussex border to the point where it enters the Thames Estuary....
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
between Port Victoria and Sheerness
Sheerness
Sheerness is a town located beside the mouth of the River Medway on the northwest corner of the Isle of Sheppey in north Kent, England. With a population of 12,000 it is the largest town on the island....
, being loaded with mines
Naval mine
A naval mine is a self-contained explosive device placed in water to destroy surface ships or submarines. Unlike depth charges, mines are deposited and left to wait until they are triggered by the approach of, or contact with, an enemy vessel...
in preparation for deployment on a minelaying mission. At 11:14 GMT on 27 May, Princess Irene exploded and disintegrated. A column of flame 300 feet (91.4 m) high was followed a few seconds later by another of similar height and a pall of smoke hung over the spot where Princess Irene had been, reaching to 1200 feet (365.8 m). Two barges laying alongside her were also destroyed. The explosion was larger than that which had destroyed six months earlier, although the loss of life was less. A total of 352 people were killed, including 273 officers and men, and 76 dockyard workers who were on board Princess Irene. On the Isle of Grain
Isle of Grain
The Isle of Grain, in the north of Kent, England, is the easternmost point of the Hoo Peninsula. No longer an island, the Isle is almost all marshland and the Grain Marshes are an important habitat for birdlife...
a girl of nine was killed by flying débris, and a farmhand died of shock. A collier
Collier (ship type)
Collier is a historical term used to describe a bulk cargo ship designed to carry coal, especially for naval use by coal-fired warships. In the late 18th century a number of wooden-hulled sailing colliers gained fame after being adapted for use in voyages of exploration in the South Pacific, for...
half a mile (800 m) away had its crane blown off its mountings. A part of one of Princess Irenes boilers landed on the ship; a man working on the ship died from injuries sustained when he was struck by a piece of metal weighing 70 pounds (31.8 kg).
Wreckage was flung up to 20 miles (32.2 km) away, with people near Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne
Sittingbourne is an industrial town about eight miles east of Gillingham in England, beside the Roman Watling Street off a creek in the Swale, a channel separating the Isle of Sheppey from mainland Kent...
being injured by flying débris, some of which landed in Bredhurst
Bredhurst
Bredhurst is a village in Kent, that forms part of the Borough of Maidstone. Its population is 330 . There has been a settlement on the site of the present day Bredhurst since neolithic times because of fertile fields and the good wood supply...
. Severed heads were found at Hartlip
Hartlip
Hartlip is a village and civil parish in the borough of Swale, in the county of Kent, England. The population estimate was 680 in 1991, and in 2001 there were 566 registered voters...
and on the Isle of Grain. A case of butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
landed at Rainham, 6 miles (9.7 km) away. A 10 ton (10,160 kg) section of the ship landed on the Isle of Grain. The Admiralty's
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
oil storage tanks there were damaged. The sole survivor from Princes Irene was a stoker, who suffered severe burns. Three of her crew had a lucky escape as they were ashore at the time.
The victims whose bodies were recovered were buried at Woodlands Road Cemetery, Gillingham
Gillingham, Kent
Gillingham is a town in the unitary authority of Medway in South East England. It is part of the ceremonial county of Kent. The town includes the settlements of Brompton, Hempstead, Rainham, Rainham Mark and Twydall....
. A memorial service for the victims was held at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness on 1 June 1915. It was led by Randall Davidson, the Archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
. Inquest
Inquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
s were held on two victims of the disaster. The coroner
Coroner
A coroner is a government official who* Investigates human deaths* Determines cause of death* Issues death certificates* Maintains death records* Responds to deaths in mass disasters* Identifies unknown dead* Other functions depending on local laws...
stated that he did not intend to hold an inquest for any other victim unless there were exceptional circumstances that warranted it.
A Court of Inquiry was held into the loss of Princess Irene. Evidence was given that priming of the mines was being carried out hurriedly and by untrained personnel. A faulty primer was blamed for the explosion. Following the loss of on 30 December 1915 and on 9 July 1917, both caused by internal explosions, suspicion was raised at the inquiry into the loss of Natal that sabotage
Sabotage
Sabotage is a deliberate action aimed at weakening another entity through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. In a workplace setting, sabotage is the conscious withdrawal of efficiency generally directed at causing some change in workplace conditions. One who engages in sabotage is...
was to blame for the loss of all four ships. A worker at Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
was named as a suspect. A thorough investigation by Special Branch cleared him of any blame.
Memorials
A memorial to those lost on Bulwark and Princess Irene was erected at the Dockyard Church, Sheerness in 1921. It was dedicated by ArchdeaconArchdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
Ingles, the Chaplain of the Fleet. It was unveiled by Hugh Evan-Thomas
Hugh Evan-Thomas
Vice Admiral Sir Hugh Evan-Thomas GCB, KCMG, MVO was a British Royal Navy officer.During World War I he commanded the 5th Battle Squadron of the Grand Fleet, flying his flag in HMS Barham, and fought at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May – 1 June 1916.-Background:Evan-Thomas' family came from...
, Commander-in-Chief, The Nore. Victims of both ships are also commemmorated on the Naval War Memorial at Southsea
Southsea
Southsea is a seaside resort located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island in the county of Hampshire in England. Southsea is within a mile of Portsmouth's city centre....
.
Media coverage
On 19 November 2002, the story of Princess Irene was covered by BBC Radio Four's Making History programme. The remains of Princess Irene are a hazard to ships using ThamesportThamesport
London Thamesport is a container seaport on the River Medway, serving the North Sea. It is on the Isle of Grain, in the Medway unitary authority, Kent, England in the United Kingdom. It is sited on the former Port Victoria.-History:...
, but it is not planned to raise her.