Cableship Alert

[Thomas W]

I understand that ships were allocated a unique official number on registration. Cableship Alert was sunk in 1945. It is in the Lloyds register at 941 gross tons but its number is not given.
Can anyone tell me why, or better still its' number.

Thank you
Regards
Tony

[Doc Vernon]

BT-389-1-140-compressed.pdf

BT-389-1-139.pdf

Dont know why there is no Off Number for this Cable Ship. Surely as said all Ships must have been Registered ?
Cheers

Ooops! There is a Number on the PDF! Shown as 105155 Seems this may be the correct Ship in Question ???

Gibel Kebir (2)

1910

1946 purchased as Alert, 1950 renamed Gibel Kebir, 1951 scrapped.

British CS Alert.JPG

Read through this it is interesting
Cable Ship "Alert" Memorial. - Prince of Wales Sea Training School Forum (activeboard.com)

History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - HMTS Alert (2) (atlantic-cable.com)

THE DOVER WAR MEMORIAL PROJECT - Roll of Honour, Cable Ship Alert

History of the Atlantic Cable & Submarine Telegraphy - Lionel Voss (atlantic-cable.com)

Post-Office-Electrical-Engineers-Journal-1948-10-IDX-18.pdf (worldradiohistory.com)

[Marian Gray]

I understand that ships were allocated a unique official number on registration. Cableship Alert was sunk in 1945. It is in the Lloyds register at 941 gross tons but its number is not given.
Can anyone tell me why, or better still its' number.

Thank you
Regards
Tony

Hi Tony, this is the absolute nearest I can find for you. After trawling through trees on Ancestry of certain members of her RN & MN crew none of which were showing a vessel number.

https://www.wrecksite.eu/userRequests.aspx?0?2?6957

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?564


eg, MN Cook, GUY WILLOUGHBY GRIGSBY'S Death Record

BMD_MTM_BT334_0105_001-230.jpg

Listed 10th from the bottom of page.

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/mediaui-v...&sort=-created

[Doc Vernon]

So now with Marian,s Post , seems there were 2 Ships, but which one is the correct one i wonder! I am confused!

Monarch 1916 (tynebuiltships.co.uk)

[Marian Gray]

Tony didn't actually state which month in 1945 hence my post Vernon, very confusing to say the least!

The ships showing in #3 & #4 look to be one and the same! The plot thickens.... And so to bed for me

[Hugh]

I understand that ships were allocated a unique official number on registration. Cableship Alert was sunk in 1945. It is in the Lloyds register at 941 gross tons but its number is not given. Can anyone tell me why, or better still its' number.

This particular ship has no official number, I have checked Lloyd’s Register beginning 1920. She was built for the Postmaster General and appears to have only served as a cable ship.
There is some confusion as to the status of cable ships. There were commissioned and non-commissioned versions just to make it more difficult.

If you are still looking for G. Rowland, then I suspect the T124T file for him is all you will find. You may wish to contact the RN or you may wish to make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the MOD as to the exact status of Cable Ships. He has this dual RN and MN number so that may be your best option here. If a ship has no official number, then it won’t have any Crew Agreements held at Kew or anywhere.

Admiralty cable ships were manned wholly or in part by Mercantile Marine personnel signed under special agreement. Certainly, for commissioned auxiliaries, In 1944 a new agreement came into force called a CSP 1X. Officers and ratings signing this continuous agreement will be naval auxiliary members of the Armed Forces of the Crown. Personnel will sign the Cable Ship Agreement CSP.1.X at the MMO Leith and be borne on the books of HMS CLAVERHOUSE (for HMS UBIQUITY) until drafted.
Under no circumstances are personnel to be engaged by Commanding Officers of cable ships from local sources. Suitable applicants may be instructed to apply for employment to the Commanding Officer of HMS UBIQUITY 114 Trinity Road Edinburgh 5. (Source AFO 251/44).

Regards
Hugh

[Thomas W]

Thank you again Hugh.

For the kind members who posted before you: Launched 1918 sunk with the loss of all hands 25 February 1945.

I have indeed submitted a request to the MOD - Naval Command Secretariat but they refused the request for information on Roland Gloynham. Reason being that its less than 116 years from his birth (1916), there is no death certificate (he just vanished) and no documentation of presumed death either.

I doubt I will be around in 2032!
Kind regards
Tony

[Doc Vernon]

Thanks Hugh
So the PD Files i posted are not the same Ship then ? I only ask as the one has an Official Number!
Cheers

[Hugh]

Thanks Hugh
So the PD Files i posted are not the same Ship then ? I only ask as the one has an Official Number!
Cheers

Hi Vernon,

The first pdf you posted in#2 is the correct ship - the cable ship lost in Feb 1945. (no official number)

The second pdf you posted with official number 105155 is not the same ship nor was it a cable ship. It was originally ALERT but renamed GIBEL KEBIR her registry was closed in 1951. The ship that Tony was interested in was sunk in 1945.

Regards
Hugh