HMS Roxburgh

Displacement: 10,700 tons. Speed: 22.25 knots. Complement: 655. Length: 450 ft. Beam: 68.5 ft. Draught: 25.5 ft. Armament: four 7.5 in guns, six 6 in guns, two 2 pounder guns, twenty-two 3 pounder guns and two maxims plus two 18-inch submerged torpedo tubes. Coal bunkers 800 tons normal, 1,750 tons maximum. Two screws.

The HMS Roxburgh, was a Devonshire Class cruiser of the Royal Navy. The Devonshire class was an attempt at an improvement over the Monmouth class with only a modest increase in size, with a heavier main armament and thicker but narrower belt armor. Her other sister ships in the class were:

HMS Hampshire commissioned 4th September 1903 and built at Elswick. She was mined and sunk off the Orkneys 5th June 1916 with the loss of 650 of her crew including Lord Kitchener.

HMS Argyll commissioned 3rd April 1904 and built at Greenock. She wrecked on 28th October 1915 off the Coast of Scotland where she ran aground on Bell Rock.

HMS Carnarvon commissioned 7th October 1903 and built at Beardsmore. She was used as a sea-going training ship for cadets and then sold and broken up 8th November 1921.

HMS Antrim commissioned in 8th October 1903 and built at Clydebank. After WWI she was used for Signal and wireless transmitter experiments. Her fate ended when she was sold and broken up 19th December 1922.

HMS Devonshire commissioned 30th April 1904 and built at Chatham. She was sold and broken up 9th May 1921

HMS Roxburgh was built by London & Glasgow Engine & Iron Shipbuilding Company at Yard No 316. She was laid down June 1902 and launched on 19 January 1904 at an average cost of £850,000 (1901 British Pounds). On December 19, 1907 Captain Morgan Singer took command of the Roxburgh. Until the end of 1908, HMS Roxburgh served with the 1st Cruiser Squadron in the Channel Fleet. After a refit at Devonport she joined the 3rd Division of the Home Fleet in August 1909.

Another change of command of the Roxburgh was made on January 25, 1910 when Captain Cuthbert E. Hunter took command of the ship. She was then moved to the 5th Cruiser Squadron in June 1912. In December 1912 she was ordered to protect the stranded SS Ludgate off Morocco. HMS Roxburgh then joined the 3rd Cruiser Squadron in February 1913 before joining the Grand Fleet in August the next year. On 6th August that year she captured a German merchant ship along with HMS Argyll.

In January of 1915 the Roxburgh commenced a refit and overhaul period. Captain Cunningham R. de C. Foot took command of the Roxburgh on April 27, 1915. Back on sea duty after her recent refit the Roxburgh was hit by torpedoes from German U-boat U-38 on 20th June 1915, and sustained damage to her bow.

On June 20, 1915 Captain Foot aboard the Roxburgh is steaming in the North Sea about 100 miles from the Firth of Forth when he is struck by a torpedo fired from the U-38. Aboard the U-38 Korvettenkapitan Max Valentiner piers through his periscope with his crosshairs on the Roxburgh, the time is 1:45 in the afternoon. Valentiner fires two torpedoes one aimed to the fore of the ship and one amidships. One hit the Roxburgh but does not sink the British cruiser. During his career Max Valentiner will sink 144 ships, damage another 6 ships, and took another 3 ships as war prizes. The Roxburgh was lucky to be among the 6 damaged ships and not one of Valentiner's 144 ships he sent to the bottom of the sea.

On the bridge of the Roxburgh the watch officer then on duty was right on his job and saw both tracks in the water. He orders a turn to avoid the attack, which caused one of the torpedoes to miss but the other hits just forward of the Sick Bay forward of the armored belt, piercing a hole in the side and the resulting explosion blew a larger hole in the opposite side of the ship. The Roxburgh is lifted out of the water and dropped back down and the crew springs into action. The life boats were ran out ready for use if the Captain was to give the order. But below decks the Engineer force was closing watertight doors and shoring up the damage and were able to keep the flooding localized to the fore parts of the ship.

Up on deck the gunners were keeping the U-boat busy so she could not get into position for a finishing shot. Because the engine room spaces were not flooded the Roxburgh was able to make good speed and soon got away from the sub. But it was not known if the bulkheads would hold due to the strain of such speed. Within a half hour some of the concern of the ship sinking diminished and things calmed down some. Men began to move stores and equipment out of the fore parts of the ship to lighten the bow as much as possible.

Captain Foot's crew had done the job expected of them and for the moment had saved the ship. By 4 o'clock that afternoon the Roxburgh was surrounded by four destroyers to render assistance needed. By 10:30 that evening they were passing under the bridge in the Forth and it was suggested to the Captain that as the Roxburgh passed by their squadron at anchor the ships band should play. The order was given and soon the band struck up "Here we are again" as the Roxburgh passed the battleships and battle cruisers at anchor. As the men of Captain Foot's command lined the rails as they passed through, and the men on the other ships gave them a rousing cheer. Captain Foot gave the order to drop the anchor, the time was 10-minutes to mid-night and by 12:30 every man aboard the Roxburgh went to bed with a well deserved rest. Once again the Roxburgh was repaired and sent back out for sea duty for the remainder of 1915.

In April of 1916 Roxburgh was sent to Norwegian waters and later in September of that year she served on the North America and West Indies Station until the Armistice. On 24 May 1917 she escorted her first American convoy from Hampton Roads, Virginia.

On February 4, 1918 the German U-boat U-89 departed Wilhelmshaven, but unknown to the crew this would be the last time they would see land again. Kapitanleutnant Wilhelm Bauck's orders were to conduct operations off the St. George's Channel in the Irish Sea. By February 10 Bauck reports he is just off Peterhead. This would be the last time the German High Command would hear of the U-89.

On February 12, 1918, now painted in dazzle camouflage, the Roxburgh is escorting a convoy just north of Malin Head, which is the most northerly point of the Irish mainland. The Roxburgh, which was then about 24-miles north of Malin Head spots a German U-boat on the surface no more than 200-yards distant, and quickly takes the chase. In the ensuing actions she rams the U-boat and cuts it in two. U-89 commanded by Kapitanleutnant Wilhelm Bauck, sinks with all hands lost, 43 German sailors and the U-89 hits the bottom at position 55.38 North, 07.32 West, where they rest today. For this achievement the Roxburgh wore a merit mark in the form of a star painted on her fore-funnel.

For the crew of the Roxburgh things do not calm down, for there is no rest for a cruiser on escort duty. One day after cutting the U-89 in two the Roxburgh, still on escort duty, comes in contact with another ship. Only this time it is not the enemy but another ship from a different convoy from which the Roxburgh was traveling in. Shortly after mid-night on February 13, 1918 the Roxburgh and the SS Corcovado, (Pacific Steam Navigation Company Ltd) collide with minor damage. At 2:45 on the afternoon of the 14th the Roxburgh anchored at Tail of the Bank to access the damage. The Tail of the Bank is the name given to the anchorage in the upper Firth of Clyde immediately north of Greenock and Gourock, very near the entrance to the estuary of the River Clyde. The convoy in which the Roxburgh was escorting was later reported to have arrived safely at Belfast.

On July 30, 1918 in a pouring rain, the US 71st Artillery Regiment, together with its complete equipment, was loaded on two British ships, the HMS Margha and the HMS Anselm at Pier 3, East Boston, Mass., Colonel Long with nine-hundred and ninety-two troops on the Margha and Major R. C. Harrison with ten hundred and fourteen troops on the Anselm. HMS Anselm and the HMS Margha, formed part of a small convoy, which sailed from Boston Harbor out past Fort Strong on the morning of July 31, 1918. The convoy was just off Halifax Harbor and Friday morning early passed in by the forts and the town and anchored in the inner harbor. Here they lay until Sunday August 4, when they sailed as part of a field of seventeen transports, at 11:30 am under convoy of HMS Roxburgh. As the convoy made its journey across the Atlantic they had an exceedingly pleasant trip, with but few noteworthy incidents. Early in the morning of August 13 the convoy picked up its destroyer escort consisting of the USS Terry DD-25 and the USS Jenkins DD-42. The men greeted the American ships flying the American flag and manned by US bluejackets with prolonged cheers. On Thursday August 15, the convoy sailed into Liverpool, with flags flying and the band playing on the deck for the first time since leaving Halifax.

Back in London on July 28 1919 a British prize court awarded the Roxburgh a bounty of £210 for the sinking of the German U-boat U-89 on February 12, 1918. The bounty was based on the rate of £5 per crewman aboard the German U-boat. German postwar studies confirm that it was the Roxburgh that rammed and sank the U-89. In 1919 she went into reserve but then became a wireless trials ship before being sold in 1921 and finally being scrapped in Germany in 1922.

Brian Tricker from Ontario, Canada shared this photo of 3 of the Roxburgh's Marines and one Sailor with his arm in a sling. Brian goes on to say, "Here is a photo of some personnel that apparently were serving on HMS Roxburgh, according to the cap identification on the wounded sailor. I have no idea who they are. They were in a family album of my father's with no notation as to identification. I am presuming that one of them may be a relative but I have no way of determining who it might be."

A post card mailed in April of 1907 from the Roxburgh. In April of 1907 a squadron of British Cruisers visited America. The 4 cruisers shown on this post card are the HMS Good Hope, HMS Hampshire, HMS Roxburgh and HMS Argyll.

Another post card mailed by Roxburgh crewman Jim Mountain during April of 1907. These are the ships of the Channel Fleet under Command of Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, Commander-in-Chief with Vice Admiral Castance and Rear Admiral Callaghan. The ships on the post card are; HMS King Edward VII, HMS Hibernia, HMS Hindustan, HMS Ocean, HMS Jupiter, HMS Commonwealth, HMS Dominion, HMS Vengeance, HMS Juno, HMS New Zealand, HMS Africa, HMS Triumph, HMS Topaze, HMS Illustrious, HMS Britannia, HMS Swiftsure and HMS Talbot.

Frederic Welsby AB, British Royal Navy

Frederic Welsby, Able Body Seaman British Royal Navy

Peter Hall contacted me about his grandfather Frederic Welsby who was an Able Body Seaman on the HMS Roxburgh. Peter relates about his grandfather; My grandfather "Fred" as everyone knew him was very close to me, and I spent many days with them at their home, as my father was in poor health and died when I was still a boy. Fredrick Welsby was born in 1879 in Burslem, Staffordshire, England. he joined the Royal Navy. He often talked of doing the "Narvic run" into Arctic waters when the ice was so thick on the superstructure that they had to continue a constant round of knocking it off with heavy hammers, as the build-up if left, could capsize the ship. These convoys to Narvic were to carry supplies to soldiers on the eastern front, and later when Russia dropped out of the war they were transferred to Atlantic convoys. HMS Roxburgh port gun-crew, Frederic Welsby is back row second from the right.

A postcard sent from Frederic Welsby on the HMS Roxburgh to his wife in 1917 at Christmas time when they were departing British shores on convoy duty.

"Jack" Knowles

Kevin John Hunkin, contacted me about his grandfather being in the photo from Frederic Welsby’s Port Gun Crew above. His Grandfather is in the back row far right side leaning on the gun. I asked Kevin if he could share a story of his grandfather and this is what Kevin told of him.

“My grandfather was born in St. Austell, Cornwall, England as Thomas John Knowles (but was always Known as 'Jack Knowles') in 1898. He apprenticed at 14 as a cooper, but lied to join the navy at the age of 15 on the 28th February 1916. Doing his basic training at HMS Vivid (now HMS Drake at Plymouth) and then onto Submarine school at HMS Defiance at Plymouth, England. But he was found to be claustrophobic and was transferred on 19th august 1916 to HMS Roxburgh; during this time he visited New York and Jamaica. In Jamaica he was hospitalized due to Illness for a long time, not likening his medicine he poured it out the window (the doctors were puzzled why he wasn't responding to treatment) but one day he didn't look and poured it over a doctor! He was supervised after that. During this time in hospital a clerical error sent a telegram to his parents to state that he had died. When he was better he came home on leave, his mother saw him walking down the road and rushed indoors and said 'my Jacks walking down the road.’ Every body thought it was the ranting of a grieving mother but she persuaded them to go out side to the shock of their lives. He was demobilized from the Navy on the 20th February 1919. During the Second World War he was in the 'Home Guard.’ We have photos of him meeting General Montgomery. After that he became a coal merchant and died in 1971 when I was 6.”

This is the same photo as shown above from Frederic Welsby. Kevin Hunkin saw it and reconized his grandfather Jack Knowles. Frederic Welsby is back row second from right and Jack Knowles is next to him with his arm on the gun.	The tarp behind the men has a image of the Roxburgh and below is the words "No. 21 Paradise Cottage" Jack is in the back row third from the left.
Jack is not in this photo but it is of the ships soccer team. The small sign in the lower left reads: "Signalmen and Daymen AFC Winners of Inter Part Ship Competition 1918 HMS Roxburgh"	Group shot of Coal Scoffers on the Roxburgh. Jack Knowles is third from the right standing just at the right side of the pencil mark, he has on a white hat.
Jack is back row second from right. Some of the men have HMS Defiance hat bnds and some have HMS Roxburgh, Jack's says Roxburgh.	Group shot of a recreation party, Jack is in the back row first on the left.
	A Tiger Shark caught by one of the Roxburgh's crew. Written on the back is "winner of the fishing competition." The officer dressed in whites on the left side has a pistol in his right hand, no doubt to make sure the shark is really dead.

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Michael Armstrong Linda Friel shared this photo of her grandmothers younger brother. His name is Michael Armstrong and he would have been born about 1901 in Dublin, Ireland give or take a year. He would have served on the HMS Roxburgh about 1917-1919 during WWI. Linda's grandmother only received a few letters from him then they stopped coming. Linda relates; "She tried for many years to trace him but could not . We dont really know what happened to him." On Michael's hat band it says "HMS Roxburgh"

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Alexander Burnett Alexander Burnett was born in Scotland, and was in the British Royal Navy, serving on the HMS Roxburgh, which, is known from the pictures he sent to his son and wife in 1907 and 1910 from the Roxburgh. Tamara Armitage is the great-granddaughter of Alexander Burnett and has a postcard (shown on the right) of the Roxburgh with his writing on the back, sent to her grandfather and great-grandmother in Peterhead, Scotland. When the family immigrated to Canada from Scotland, Alexander and his son (Tamara's grandfather) both enlisted in the Canadian Infantry out of Winnipeg, Canada. Alexander indicated on his registration papers, in 1916 that he had 10-years in the British Naval Reserve, and he was currently with the Cameron Highlanders of Canada. Alexander was killed in Tilloy, France on October 1, 1918. Tamara's grandfather, James Burnett, was with him, but was not injured.

HMS Roxburgh

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William "Bill" Wilson

William “Bill” Wilson was born in Burnley, England in 1891, and lived almost his entire live at 5 Hyde Street in Burnley. Wilson joined the British Royal Navy and served on the British Cruiser HMS Roxburgh during WWI. Wilson’s niece, Sheila (Wilson) Whiteley, shared this about her uncle, “He told me he used to help load the guns but like many of his generation he spoke very little about his war efforts. Two of his younger brothers served in the army and both died shortly after the war of poisoning so I suppose looking back on the war made him very sad.”

After the war and Bill Wilson left the Royal Navy he returned to his home in Burnley where he took a job working as a bus conductor. His niece recalls that this was “...a job more suited I think to his kind and cheerful nature.” Wilson met and married a woman named Cilla who was his sweetheart and they never had children of their own but seemed to be friends with every child in the neighborhood.

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Samuel Wilkinson

Samuel Wilkinson Samuel Wilkinson served aboard the Roxburgh during WWI and previous to that he had served on several ships while in the Royal Merchant Marines and had even served on the HMS Lusitania. Photo submitted by Samuel Wilkinson's Great-grandson Dave Foster who lives in England.

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Commissioned Gunner, Matthew Thomas

Norma Thomas, while doing family research, discovered that her grandfather, Matthew Thomas was a Commissioned Gunner in the Royal Navy and served on the "Flimsies" which was British slang for the ships such as the Roxburgh. Matthew Thomas was born in Pembroke, Wales in 1878 and served as Commissioned Gunner aboard the Roxburgh from August 9, 1909 to Jan. 24, 1910, Jan. 25, 1910 to Apr. 3, 1911, and from May 16, 1911 to Aug. 3, 1911.

Signalman Walter George John Fry Walter Goerge John Fry was a Signalman serving aboard the HMS Roxburgh during WWI when the Roxburgh was serving on convoy escort duty in the North Atlantic. Photo submitted by his son Peter