HMS Vulcan 1889-1955

[chloe7]

Hello all,

I am doing research into my family history and today I received a marriage certificate and the husband in 1922 has his residence as H.M.S. Vulcan.

I have searched on the web and found out that it was a depot ship and then renamed and then went for scrap.

I wonder if anyone knows where it was in 1922 and I am none too sure what a depot ship is either.

Many thanks if anyone can help.

Chloe

[Batstiger]

HI Chloe
A depot ship is usually a largish ship that is used as a parent ship for submarines. When they have finished a patrol they would tie up alongside for the crews to go on board and use the facilities that they have had to go without. They would live on board until their next patrol. Depot ships would also carry torpedoes etc for rearming the submarines and engineers to carry out any repairs that were necessary.
See attached this is HMS Vulcan.

Bob.

[Batstiger]

I am baffling myself here and making things more difficult for you.
I have since found another two Vulcans for you to peruse. The attached pic is a depot ship for MTBs. Try this site:-

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/vulcan.htm

Bob.

[jbryce1437]

I believe you were right with your first photograph of HMS Vulcan, the tender for submarines, which had three roles whilst in service.
She was built in 1889, by Portsmouth dockyard, as a depot ship cruiser and started life as a torpedo boat carrier. Her second role started when she was subsequently converted to a depot ship for submarines in 1915, the aftermost of her two funnels was also later removed.
She continued that role until 1931, when she commenced her third role, for which she was renamed DEFIANCE III. She was converted at Devonport to become part of the torpedo and electrical school at Wilcove, and she remained in service until 1955, when she was scrapped in Belgium.
Consequently, it was probably in her role as submarine depot ship that the husband served on her in 1922.

[Terry Lawson]

I have in my possession a photograph album which contains amongst many other things pictures of HMS Vulcan and her crew 1890-1895

I'm trying to find crew lists for the vessel during that period.

The National Archive doesn't have any:(

Any other suggestions?

Regards

Terry Lawson

[astraltrader]

Hi Terry although finding information about crew members is not my area of expertise, I hope somebody else here will be able to point you in the right direction.

However I would very much like to see any pictures you have of Vulcan.
Perhaps you could scan some into the forum for us to see?

There is information about Vulcan as well on our sister-site which you might not have seen - I enclose a link to it here.


http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/vulcan.htm

As well I include a couple of early pictures of her.

[Terry Lawson]

Sorry I've taken so long to reply :(

I've been desperately trying to scan the pics, but without any reasonable success, pls be patient I will get there in the end

[astraltrader]

Terry - are you having trouble scanning the pictures to your computer or uploading them from your computer to the forum??

[Terry Lawson]

to my PC:(

[astraltrader]

In which case there is not a lot I can do to help.

Keep trying my friend I am sure you will get there in the end.

Are you having trouble actually scanning them or is it finding them afterwards??

[qprdave]

Report and description of the Protected Torpedo Depot Ship Vulcan

Published in The Times on 2nd May 1891

[JackW1208]

As an additional piece of info to the above very interesting article, this is a link showing the vessel and the workshops:

http://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/vulcan.htm

Jack.

[qprdave]

Thanks Jack for your contribution

Dave

[NSR]

Thanks for that, Dave and Jack. It brought back memories of the short period I was a boat driver awaiting a draft from HMS Imperieuse. This was in 1947. On our regular runs to the dockyard we would pass HMS Defiance which consisted of Vulcan and Inconstant at that time. We never did call so I never discovered what they were like inboard. Followed the link and found photos of both of them. The shot of the workshop on Vulcan made me wonder if some of the equipment finished up in Portsmouth. They certainly looked like the ancient machine tools that appeared at the Mech's school a few years later.

Ken