PS Duchess of Montrose
Encyclopedia
PS Duchess of Montrose was a paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
launched in 1902 and operated by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company
Caledonian Steam Packet Company
The Caledonian Steam Packet Company provided a scheduled shipping service, carrying freight and passengers, on the west coast of Scotland. Formed in 1889 to complement the services of the Caledonian Railway, the company expanded by taking over rival ferry companies...
as a River Clyde excursion steamer
Clyde steamer
The era of the Clyde steamer in Scotland began in August 1812 with the very first successful commercial steamboat service in Europe, when Henry Bell's began a passenger service on the River Clyde between Glasgow and Greenock...
. She saw active service during the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
after being requisitioned by the Admiralty
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...
and converted into a minesweeper
Minesweeper (ship)
A minesweeper is a small naval warship designed to counter the threat posed by naval mines. Minesweepers generally detect then neutralize mines in advance of other naval operations.-History:...
. She was lost near Dunkirk on 18 March 1917 after striking a mine
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...
.
Construction
In October 1901 the Caledonian Steam Packet Company invited tenders from six of the Clyde shipyards to build a replacement for the paddle steamer Meg Merrilies. On 29 October 1901 they accepted an offer made by John Brown & CompanyJohn Brown & Company
John Brown and Company of Clydebank was a pre-eminent Scottish marine engineering and shipbuilding firm, responsible for building many notable and world-famous ships, such as the , the , the , the , the , and the...
of Clydebank
Clydebank
Clydebank is a town in West Dunbartonshire, in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. Situated on the north bank of the River Clyde, Clydebank borders Dumbarton, the town with which it was combined to form West Dunbartonshire, as well as the town of Milngavie in East Dunbartonshire, and the Yoker and...
to build the ship for £19,572, and the keel was laid in Clydebank on 19 December 1901. The minutes of the Caledonian Steam Packet Company for 4 February 1902 record that: Duchess of Montrose was launched on 8 May 1902 and achieved the contracted speed during trials on 4 June 1902.
Design
Duchess of Montrose was fitted with a triple-expansion steam engine incorporating four cylinders (two high-, one intermediate-, and one low-pressure) arranged in tandem to drive two cranks. This arrangement was considered more efficient than the conventional two-cylinder compound steam engine and provided greater manoeuvrability at piers. The use of relatively small paddle wheels, intended to save wear and tear, meant that Duchess of Montrose had a diminutive paddlebox and, in conjunction with a very vertical funnel, she was easily recognisable amongst the Clyde fleet. She featured saloons fore and aft and an open bow under the promenade deck.Excursion steamer
Initially employed on the AyrAyr
Ayr is a town and port situated on the Firth of Clyde in south-west Scotland. With a population of around 46,000, Ayr is the largest settlement in Ayrshire, of which it is the county town, and has held royal burgh status since 1205...
station, she went on to service both the Gourock
Gourock
Gourock is a town falling within the Inverclyde council area and formerly forming a burgh of the historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It has in the past functioned as a seaside resort on the Firth of Clyde...
and Wemyss Bay
Wemyss Bay
Wemyss Bay is a village on the coast of the Firth of Clyde falling within the Inverclyde council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The name may derive from the Gaelic uaimh, meaning 'cave'...
routes before being used for general railway connections further upstream.
Troopship
In February 1915, along with Duchess of Argyll and Duchess of Hamilton, she was requisitioned by the Admiralty as a troopshipTroopship
A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...
and spent the first few months of her service ferrying troops from Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is reported that she initially arrived in Southampton in her Caledonian Steam Packet livery but was soon repainted naval grey.
Minesweeper
In May 1915 she was given the pennant numberPennant number
In the modern Royal Navy, and other navies of Europe and the Commonwealth, ships are identified by pennant numbers...
PP585 and converted into a minesweeper by Lieutenant Commander W G Rigg. This work involved having the end of her saloon cut away to main deck level and replaced with minesweeping equipment. From 14 July 1915 she was stationed at Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
under the command of Lieutenant Alexander Duff Thomson Royal Naval Reserve
Royal Naval Reserve
The Royal Naval Reserve is the volunteer reserve force of the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. The present Royal Naval Reserve was formed in 1958 by merging the original Royal Naval Reserve and the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve , a reserve of civilian volunteers founded in 1903...
and from April 1916 she was stationed at Dunkirk.
Loss
On the morning of Sunday 18 March 1917, Duchess of Montrose left Dunkirk harbour and at 9am began sweeping close to the GravelinesGravelines
Gravelines is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies at the mouth of the river Aa 15 miles southwest of Dunkirk. There is a market in the town square on Saturdays. The "Arsenal" approached from the town square is home to an extensive and carefully displayed art collection....
Buoy. She recovered five mines (from Barrage 248 laid by the U-Boat UB-12
SM UB-12
SM UB-12 was a German Type UB I submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy during World War I. The submarine disappeared in August 1918....
) before stopping for low water. Around an hour after she resumed sweeping, Duchess of Montrose hit a mine amidships, broke in two and sank in less than a minute. Her wreck lies at 51°03′N 2°07′E
Casualties
Thirty-one of the crew of Duchess of Montrose are reported to have been rescued, but twelve men were lost in the sinking.| Name | Rank or Rate |
|---|---|
| William James Brown | 2nd Engineer, Mercantile Marine Reserve |
| William Fair | 3rd Engineer, Mercantile Marine Reserve |
| Thomas Edward Gibbon | Trimmer, Royal Naval Reserve |
| Robert Houston | Steward, Mercantile Marine Reserve |
| Gerald Lawrence Lesmond | Temporary Sub-Lieutenant, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Norman MacDonald | Deck Hand, Royal Naval Reserve |
| Archibald Macelwee | Temporary Engineer Sub-Lieutenant |
| Donald John MacLennan | Deck Hand, Royal Naval Reserve |
| Alexander MacPherson | Assistant Steward, Mercantile Marine Reserve |
| Cyril Hambly Panther | Ordinary Telegraphist, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve |
| Alfred Robert Tuffin | Petty Officer (Pensioner) (Lifeboatman, Coastguard) |
| Christopher Warden | Deck Hand, Royal Naval Reserve |
Nine of those lost have no known grave and their names are recorded on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
- Norman MacDonald is buried at Dunkirk Town Cemetery (Grave Ref: I.I.7)
- Cyril Hambly Panther is buried at LewishamLewishamLewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
(Hither GreenHither GreenHither Green is a district in south east London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated 6.6 miles south east of Charing Cross, and on the Prime Meridian....
) Cemetery - Donald John MacLennan is buried at ScarpScarp, ScotlandScarp is an uninhabited island in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, west of Hushinish on Harris. Once inhabited, the island was the scene of unsuccessful experiments with rocket mail, since commemorated in two films.-Geography:...
Burial Ground
The grave of William Earnest Sparkes is located at Dover (St James's) Cemetery; he is reported to have died of heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
on 8 July 1917, four months after the sinking.
Bravery awards
Lieutenant Alexander Duff Thomson RNR received the Distinguished Service CrossDistinguished Service Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the third level military decoration awarded to officers, and other ranks, of the British Armed Forces, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and British Merchant Navy and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries.The DSC, which may be awarded posthumously, is...
on 2 July 1917 for minesweeping operations carried out in Duchess of Montrose between 1 June 1916 and 31 March 1917. His citation read: