HMS Good Hope lost 1914

[lizziebeth]

hello everyone,
i believe that one of my great uncles may have served aboard HMS Good Hope, and indeed lost his life in action. Is there anywhere that lists crew members of vessels that will enable me to confirm this fact?
thanks in advance for any help or advice that is forthcoming!

[Geoffers]

hello everyone,
i believe that one of my great uncles may have served aboard HMS Good Hope, and indeed lost his life in action. Is there anywhere that lists crew members of vessels that will enable me to confirm this fact? thanks in advance for any help or advice that is forthcoming!
I'm sure that you are familair with the GRO index of births, marriages and deaths - well, in addition to this there are a series of minor indices. These are kept at the Family Records Centre (FRC) in London and have been copied onto fiches and are available in many Local Studies Libraries around the country. The index you need to look for is:

'Index to Naval War Deaths 1914-1921'

Using a reference found in this, you can apply for a copy of the death certificate, which should state when and where he lost his life.

If your great uncle was a rating, then his service record should be in The National Archvies (TNA) at Kew. An alphabetical index in class ADM188 will give you a service number. Service Records are then listed by Service number, also in ADM188.

HMS Good Hope was lost with all hands in the Battle of Coronel, 1st Nov 1914.

There are photos of Good Hope available on the web, but you may also obtain good photos of many ships via the reprographic dept of the National Maritime Museum.

I have a copy of The Navy List Augusut 1914. If your gt uncle was an Officer (or one of a number of senior warrant ranks included) - I can happily check this for you.

Geoffers

[Terry Waters-Marsh]

Following on from Geoffers advice concerning the National Maritime Museum, I visited the site as I am after a view of the SS Viceroy of India. After nearly an hour of searching through their web site I was still unable to find how one gets to preview the images they hold in their collection. There are 12 images of the ship I am after and would like to know how to preview the pictures so I know which one to order - especially as they are NOT cheap! Anyone with experience of ordering from the Maritime Museum or how to preview the images?

[Geoffers]

concerning the National Maritime Museum, I visited the site as I am after a view of the SS Viceroy of India. After nearly an hour of searching through their web site I was still unable to find how one gets to preview the images they hold in their collection.
I've ordered photos in the past, but not via their website. This was in the days when I could phone up their office and speak to a chap who had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the ships and photos in the collection.

Looking at the website, there are no preview images - just a description of the quality of the image, where taken, the angle from which it was taken and some of them have notes (e.g. under way, at anchor, part of a fleet) . I can only suggest sending an e-mail to the museum explaining that you want to order a photo and providing them with details of what you'd like to see - the whole ship, crew, whatever.

The best photos I've had from the NMM have been taken from "4) near beam just forward of broadside" and "3) bow view" - to use their form of description. Sorry I can't help further.

Geoffers

[Terry Waters-Marsh]

Thanks Geoffers.

While I was reading your posting, an email arrived from the Maritime Museum to say that the person who looks after all orders is Colin Starkey, who is away until tomorrow. He may well have been the chap you are refering to so here is hoping!

[lizziebeth]

Thanks for the advice on how to verify the information about my great uncle. I now have found a picture of the "GoodHope", I would imagine that my GU was only a rating, so i suppose he will not appear in The Navy List, but thanks for offerring to check this for me. I will continue to check this out, as i only recently discovered that my paternal grandmother had two brothers!

[Geoffers]

Thanks for the advice on how to verify the information about my great uncle. I now have found a picture of the "GoodHope", I would imagine that my GU was only a rating, so i suppose he will not appear in The Navy List,
I'm sorry, but as you suggest ratings were not included in The Navy List.

In case you don't have the detail. Good Hope was one of 4 Drake Class Light Cruisers. She was laid down in Sept 1899 and launched Feb 1901 (so by WW1 was a rather old design). Length 515 feet, displacement 14,100 tons, her best recorded speed was 23.54 knots.Armament - 2x9.2 inch guns (in two single-gun turrets fore and aft). 16x6 inch guns, 12x 12pdr guns and 3x3pdrs. She had four funnels and you can identify her in photos from others in the same class by white bands on the 1st and 4th funnels.

Geoffers

[Andy Blackley]

Sorry, coming into this thread a bit late. The Good Hope is a topic of some ongoing research of mine too. I have not found a crew list yet, either. The PRO does have the ships logs for the Good Hope until Nov. 1912, when she was paid off and put into the reserve fleet. The ship was considered to be too outdated for frontline duty with the Grand Fleet. As she was lost in action there are, understandably, no logs for her operational history after being reactivated in August, 1914. There are a number of good books and articles on the subject of the Battle of Coronel, and a simple web search will provide a lot of basic information.
One excellent link I found may be of interest: http://www.gwpda.org/naval/j0500001.htm
It shows a photo of the officers, including Warrant Officers, of the Good Hope while at Port Stanley in the Falklands, Oct. 1918.
It appears, however, that Admiral Cradock and his staff were not included.

[lizziebeth]

thanks andy for the information you have passed on about the Good Hope, if i ever come across anything more that i feel will be of interest to you too, i will post it in this forum. happy searching.

[ric332]

Hi there

I've a fairly complete list of both crews for the Good Hope and Monmouth and have a searchable database on-line, you can find this on my site, just go to casualties and then search the database.

[lizziebeth]

Many thanks for your information, i shall have a look and see if i can find my great uncle. thanks again

[lizziebeth]

Hello again, i have just been to the linked site, and found details of my great uncle! He was a Seargant in the Royal Marines, thank you so much for sharing this information with me, do you know if there are any photographs of the crew that i may be able to access? Thank you again.

[Terry Reeves]

There are some photographs of the officers of HMS Good Hope at this web site:
Just click on the link below.

http://www.gwpda.org/naval/j0500001.htm

Terry Reeves

[lizziebeth]

Many thanks for your information Terry, i had a look, and he is not named in the second picture, i guess he could appear in the first one, but i have no idea what he looked like, as it wasn't until recently that i found out about him.!!Anyway, thanks again.

[v.wells]

Hi there

I've a fairly complete list of both crews for the Good Hope and Monmouth and have a searchable database on-line, you can find this on my site, just go to casualties and then search the database.

And I can't see the site link:confused:

[v.wells]

I found this link www.coronel.org.uk but it fails to work at all. IE says technical difficulties. Also ric32 appears to no longer be a member of this forum. Too bad. I would have liked to have seen the crew list.

[colin thornton]

hi i have got full list of every body on hms good hope i have got 62 pages

colin

[v.wells]

Colin, do you have 205302 Petty Officer James Walsh? And what does it say.

[v.wells]

Thanks Finbar. My copy is from the CWGC site. I just was being greedy and wanted MORE!:D

[colin thornton]

hi it just says petty officer james walsh,205302,hms cood hope royal navy killed in action at battle of the coronal first of november 1914///there is also a james joseoh walsh who was the fleet surgeon

colin

[v.wells]

JJ Walsh, fleet surgeon is not mine. Only lost 1 body on the Good Hope.

[Lesley Robertson]

hello everyone,
i believe that one of my great uncles may have served aboard HMS Good Hope, and indeed lost his life in action. Is there anywhere that lists crew members of vessels that will enable me to confirm this fact?
thanks in advance for any help or advice that is forthcoming!


Have you checked the CWGC site? If he died in action, he should be there, and if he doied when a ship was sunk, their database should show it.
Lesley

[lizziebeth]

Hello Lesley,
Many thanks for this additional piece of information, its great to know there are so many helpful people out there!

[Dave Dix]

hi i have got full list of every body on hms good hope i have got 62 pages

colin
Hello, I have the basic info for Stoker Petty Officer C H Roberts and I've seen his name on the memorial at Portsmouth but I was hoping to find a little more. Is your crew list an offical list? If so does it give any other details?

Yours hopefully
Dave.

[Geoffers]

Welcome to the B-G forums


Hello, I have the basic info for Stoker Petty Officer C H Roberts and I've seen his name on the memorial at Portsmouth but I was hoping to find a little more. Is your crew list an offical list? If so does it give any other details?.

In case you aren't aware, the service record for Cecil Harry RPBERTS (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=7132888&queryType=1&resultcount=5) can be downloaded from TNA's documents online

TNA has a file on the case of the loss of HMS Good Hope in ADM116/1354 (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=4544627&CATLN=6&Highlight=%2CGOOD%2CHOPE&accessmethod=0)
(you could either view this at TNA, or order a copy from them).

[v.wells]

Thanks Geoffers - I might have to order it now - yet more money going to your government :D

[Geoffers]

Thanks Geoffers - I might have to order it now - yet more money going to your government

You'd think they'd give me a commission.........but sadly not.

For the information of anyone new to research, I should have explained in the above message that The National Archives (TNA) has a section called DocumentsOnline (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/) - where it is possible to pay a small fee (presently £3.50) to download some documents (some records are free).

This is the full list of documents presently available (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/about.asp).

You select the documents you want by saerching and clicking on the 'add to basket' - then when you're ready, fork out some dosh and you'll get a link to download the documents as PDF files.

REMEMBER TO SAVE THE DOCUMENTS TO YOUR COMPUTER.

The other reference I gave was to TNA's catalogue. This is just a catalogue, you cann't view the documents online - BUT - you can order copies digitally (more expensive), or request a quote for providing a photocopy (less expensive).

TNA's web-site (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/)is a mass of useful information - research guides (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/gettingstarted/guides.htm?source=ddmenu_research1), Access to Archives (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/) stuff to help you with your research, and ideas as to what you might try. It is well worth getting to know your way around.

P.S. I should also have written Cecil Harry ROBERTS correctly, so you can perhaps understand why I am a tuch typist extrwadinaire

[madabouthistory]

I found this link www.coronel.org.uk but it fails to work at all. IE says technical difficulties. Also ric32 appears to no longer be a member of this forum. Too bad. I would have liked to have seen the crew list.
Hi, I followed the link to the Coronel Memorial and found the information very rewarding and a link to my husband's grandfather, Charles Prior Clarke serving aboard HMS Good Hope. He left a wife and three children, 7, 5 and the youngest my father-in-law aged 3 years. From knowing nothing about him, other than he had died at sea, we now know a great deal. Thanks again for posting this web address.

[v.wells]

|wave|Hi Madabouthistory! Glad I was able to help - now I will have to re-check the web site to make sure I have all that is available and print it out.

Have fun with B-G, we try to be as helpful as possible :D

[v.wells]

On this website http://www.coronel.org.uk/ there are 2 photos of crew members of the HMS Good Hope. One is of the Officers and I would like to know if a Chief Petty Officer would be classed as a true officer and be included in such a photo?

The reason I want to know is that the "unknown" officer in the far right middle row could be that of my gg uncle Chief Petty Officer James Walsh. No one has a picture of him and he does appear to look a bit like my grandmother, his sister.

It is also said that he boxed in the Navy but I have not been able to find for certain anything else out. I did try the Boxing museum but James (Jim) Walsh is relatively common name. I have not been able to find him under the TNA Seaman's Wills either.

Any ideas?

[Geoffers]

I have not been able to find him under the TNA Seaman's Wills either.

If this is the wills in ADM48 on documentsonline (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/seamenswills.asp), not that they only cover up to 1882.

PS - I've found one photo which lists all those pictured together with ranks.

[v.wells]

If this is the wills in ADM48 on documentsonline (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/seamenswills.asp), not that they only cover up to 1882.

PS - I've found one photo which lists all those pictured together with ranks.

Geoffers, that photo is it the one on the coronel website? If not where is it?

[Geoffers]

Geoffers, that photo is it the one on the coronel website? If not where is it?

It's on the Coronel web-site. From the home page I clicked on sitemap and scrolled down to crew photos - HMS Good Hope.Bottom photo is of officers on board HMS Good Hope and lists those in the three rows in the photo.

[v.wells]

Yes, I have that one but there is one in the middle row who is "unknown". I tried working it from right to left with the names but still don't know if the "unknown" one is the one standing or in line with the rest of them. The other pic is from the Cruiser site but none of the crew are named in that one. They all appear to be non-officer sailors.

[colin thornton]

hi have you got hms good hope crew list yet colin thornton

[madabouthistory]

Hello Colin,
Have you tried the website www.naval-history.net, click on Royal Navy & Dominion Casualties pre1914-2008, World War 1 1914-18 will be seen, scroll down the page to a chronological list, there you will see 1914 where you can click on Battle of Coronel. Here you will find an alphabetical list of the crew of the HMS Good Hope.

[v.wells]

Good link madabouthistory!:) I think I had lost this bookmark a long time ago so glad you posted it.

[littleguy]

Hi there

I've a fairly complete list of both crews for the Good Hope and Monmouth and have a searchable database on-line, you can find this on my site, just go to casualties and then search the database.

Hi,
My grandfather Frederick French was an able seaman on the Good Hope

[littleguy]

Hi Ric, My Grandfather, Frederick french was an able seaman on the Good Hope.