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Ernest Herbert Pitcher
Chief Petty Officer Ernest Herbert Pitcher (31 December 1888 − 10 February 1946) (middle name also recorded as James) was a Royal Navy (RN) sailor and an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Naval career During the First World War Pitcher served in Q ships commanded by Commander Gordon Campbell. The first was HMS ''Farnborough'' (Q.5) which sank two U-boats but was herself sunk by the second; Captain Campbell was awarded the VC after the second action. Most of the crew, including Pitcher, were rescued and followed Campbell to HMS ''Pargust''. ''Pargust'' sank the U-boat ''UC-29'' but was herself severely damaged. The Admiralty decided that ''Pargusts action was worthy of the VC but that all of the crew had acted with equal valour, so article 13 of the VC's royal warrant was applied and the ship's company voted for one commissioned officer and one pett ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ambrose McEvoy
Arthur Ambrose McEvoy (12 August 1877 – 4 January 1927) was an English artist. His early works are landscapes and interiors with figures, in a style influenced by James McNeill Whistler. Later he gained success as a portrait painter, mainly of women and often in watercolour. Biography McEvoy was born and baptised in Crudwell, Wiltshire, in 1877, the son of Charles Ambrose McEvoy, a Scottish engineer, and his wife Mary Jane, although his parents’ address was given as 3 Carlisle Street, Soho Square, London. His younger brother Charles became a playwright. Encouraged by Whistler, who spotted his talent early on, McEvoy enrolled at the Slade School of Fine Art in London when he was fifteen. At the Slade he was part of the group around Augustus John and William Orpen. McEvoy had the reputation for a fine technical skill in oils, learnt from study with Whistler. He later worked with Walter Sickert in Dieppe. While at the Slade he was fellow pupil of Gwen John, with whom he ha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fighting occurring throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Pacific, and parts of Asia. An estimated 9 million soldiers were killed in combat, plus another 23 million wounded, while 5 million civilians died as a result of military action, hunger, and disease. Millions more died in genocides within the Ottoman Empire and in the 1918 influenza pandemic, which was exacerbated by the movement of combatants during the war. Prior to 1914, the European great powers were divided between the Triple Entente (comprising France, Russia, and Britain) and the Triple Alliance (containing Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy). Tensions in the Balkans came to a head on 28 June 1914, following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chief Petty Officer
A chief petty officer (CPO) is a senior non-commissioned officer in many navies and coast guards. Canada "Chief petty officer" refers to two ranks in the Royal Canadian Navy. A chief petty officer 2nd class (CPO2) (''premier maître de deuxième classe'' or ''pm2'' in French) is equivalent to a master warrant officer in the Army and Air Force, and chief petty officer 1st class (CPO1) (''premier maître de première classe'' or ''pm1'') is equivalent to a chief warrant officer in the Army and Air Force. In spoken references, chief petty officers may be addressed as "chief" but are never addressed as "sir". Australia "Chief Petty Officer" is the second highest non-commissioned rank in the Royal Australian Navy. India A Chief Petty Officer in Indian Navy is a junior-commissioned officer, equivalent to the NATO rank enlisted grade of E-6 ( Staff Sergeant ) . This rank is equivalent to Naib Subedar in Indian Army and Junior Warrant Officer in Indian Air force. The two highest e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Médaille Militaire
The ''Médaille militaire'' ( en, Military Medal) is a military decoration of the French Republic for other ranks for meritorious service and acts of bravery in action against an enemy force. It is the third highest award of the French Republic, after the Légion d'honneur, a civil and military order, and the ordre de la Libération, a Second World War-only order. The ''Médaille militaire'' is therefore the most senior entirely military active French decoration. During World War I, 230,000 ''médailles'' were awarded, when 1,400,000 French Army soldiers were killed and 3,000,000 wounded. For comparison, the UK |
Charles George Bonner
Charles George Bonner (29 December 1884 – 7 February 1951) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth forces. On 8 August 1917 in the Bay of Biscay, Atlantic, Lieutenant Bonner, now a lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, was with (one of the 'Q' or 'mystery' ships playing the part of an unobservant merchantman) when she was shelled by an enemy submarine. The lieutenant was in the thick of the fighting and throughout the whole of the action his pluck and determination had a considerable influence on the crew. For his actions, Bonner was awarded the Victoria Cross. Ernest Herbert Pitcher also received the Victoria Cross for his involvement. He later achieved the rank of captain in the Merchant Navy. Memorials Bonner, who died at home in Edinburgh in 1951 aged 66, was cremated at Warriston Cemetery, Warriston Crematorium. His ashes were buried ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SM UC-71
SM ''UC-71'' was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (german: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 12 January 1916 and was launched on 12 August 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 28 November 1916 as SM ''UC-71''."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" ( en, His Majesty's) and combined with the ''U'' for ''Unterseeboot'' would be translated as ''His Majesty's Submarine''. In 19 patrols ''UC-71'' was credited with sinking 63 ships, either by torpedo or by mines laid. ''UC-71'' sank on 20 February 1919 in the North Sea while on her way to be surrendered. Design A German Type UC II submarine, ''UC-71'' had a displacement of when at the surface and while submerged. She had a length overall of , a beam of , and a draught of . The submarine was powered by two six-cylinder four-stroke diesel engines each producing (a total of ), two electric motors producing , and two propeller shafts. Sh ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Dunraven
HMS ''Dunraven'' was a Q-Ship of the Royal Navy during World War I. On 8 August 1917, 130 miles southwest of Ushant in the Bay of Biscay, disguised as the collier ''Boverton'' and commanded by Gordon Campbell, VC, ''Dunraven'' spotted , commanded by ''Oberleutnant zur See'' Reinhold Saltzwedel. Saltzwedel believed the disguised ship was a merchant vessel. The U-boat submerged and closed with ''Dunraven'' before surfacing astern at 11:43 am and opening fire at long range. ''Dunraven'' made smoke and sent off a panic party (a small number of men who "abandon ship" during an attack to continue the impersonation of a merchant). Shells began hitting ''Dunraven'', detonating her depth charges and setting her stern afire. Her crew remained hidden letting the fires burn. Then a 4-inch (102 mm) gun and crew were blown away revealing ''Dunraven''s identity as a warship, and ''UC-71'' submerged. A second "panic party" abandoned ship. ''Dunraven'' was hit by a torpedo. A third ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Williams (VC)
William Williams Victoria Cross, VC, Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom), DSM & Bar (5 October 1890 – 22 October 1965), was a Wales, Welsh recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the United Kingdom, British and Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth armed forces. He was from Amlwch on Anglesey and at age 26 was serving as a Seaman (rank), seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve during the First World War when the following deed took place: * On 7 June 1917, Ronald Niel Stuart#HMS Pargust, HMS ''Pargust'' (a Q ship) was out in the Atlantic Ocean when her engine room was damaged by a torpedo fired from the U-boat . The explosion loosened the gun covers and Seaman Williams, with great presence of mind, took the whole weight on himself and physically prevented the covers from falling and betraying the ship to the enemy. The Pargust's 'panic party', the decoy crew carried ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ronald Stuart
Ronald Niel Stuart, VC, DSO, RD, RNR (26 August 1886 – 8 February 1954) was a British Merchant Navy commodore and Royal Navy captain who was highly commended following extensive and distinguished service at sea over a period of more than thirty-five years. During World War I he was awarded the Victoria Cross, the Distinguished Service Order, the French Croix de Guerre avec Palmes and the United States' Navy Cross for a series of daring operations he conducted while serving in the Royal Navy against the German U-boat campaign in the Atlantic. Stuart received his Victoria Cross following a ballot by the men under his command. This unusual method of selection was used after the Admiralty board was unable to choose which members of the crew deserved the honour after a desperate engagement between a Q-ship and a German submarine off the Irish coast. His later career included command of the liner RMS ''Empress of Britain'' and the management of the London office of a major t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
SM UC-29
SM ''UC-29'' was a German Type UC II minelaying submarine or U-boat in the German Imperial Navy (german: Kaiserliche Marine) during World War I. The U-boat was ordered on 29 August 1915 and was launched on 15 July 1916. She was commissioned into the German Imperial Navy on 15 August 1916 as SM ''UC-29''."SM" stands for "Seiner Majestät" ( en, His Majesty's) and combined with the ''U'' for ''Unterseeboot'' would be translated as ''His Majesty's Submarine''. In an eight-month career, the ''UC-29'' performed seven combat patrols into the Atlantic Ocean during the German war on Allied trade (''Handelskrieg''). In these patrols she was very successful, sinking 18 allied ships, totalling 21,909 GRT. She also damaged 4 ships of 17,154 GRT. On 7 June 1917 she torpedoed the British Q-ship off the Irish coast, but was ambushed by her hidden armaments when she approached too close and was sunk with 23 hands. ''Pargust'' was commanded by British submarine hunter Gordon Campbell and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
HMS Pargust
HMS ''Pargust'' was a Royal Navy warship that was active during World War I. She was a Special Service Vessel (also known as Q-ships) used by the RN in anti-submarine warfare. ''Pargust'' was active in this role during the last two years of the war, and was successful on one occasion, destroying the U-boat ''UC-29''. Early career ''Pargust'' was built in 1907 as a collier, and was originally named ''Vittoria''. She had an uneventful peacetime career before the start of World War I. In 1917 she was requisitioned by the Royal Navy for conversion into a special service vessel. She was taken in hand at Cardiff, and converted for her new role at the Devonport naval base. The collier was armed with five guns, a 4-inch gun and four 12-pounder naval guns, and two torpedo tubes, all in concealed mountings. She was also fitted with a gun in plain sight; as many merchant ships were defensively armed by this stage of the war, ''Pargust'' would have looked suspicious without it. Q ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
U-boat
U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role (commerce raiding) and enforcing a naval blockade against enemy shipping. The primary targets of the U-boat campaigns in both wars were the merchant convoys bringing supplies from Canada and other parts of the British Empire, and from the United States, to the United Kingdom and (during the Second World War) to the Soviet Union and the Allied territories in the Mediterranean. German submarines also destroyed Brazilian merchant ships during World War II, causing Brazil to declare war on both Germany and Italy on 22 August 1942. The term is an anglicised version of the German word ''U-Boot'' , a shortening of ''Unterseeboot'' ('under-sea-boat'), though the German term refers to any submarine. Austro-Hungarian Navy submarines were also kno ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
