HMT Kingstonian WWI

[Tony Walker]

The transport HMT Kingstonian was torpedoed firstly on 11 April 1918 off the coast of Sardinia.  She was on a journey from Alexandria to Marseilles with troops and equipment on board.  She was beached at Carloforte Bay, only one life (crew) was lost.  Presumably all troops and equipment were disembarked successfully.  I have a PPC with an ARMY POST OFFICE / SZ10 cds dated 2 April 1918 addressed to a Mrs Gyles of Shepherd's Bush with simply Love from Frank, nothing more.

Despite diligent searches I have been unable to ascertain who the troops were - which regiment etc.  I imagine they were probably returning from the Battle of Jaffa in December 1917, being part of the Egypt Expeditionary Force.  Any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers
Tony

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi Tony

Happy New Year,

Gut feeling says troops from 60th Division London Regiment, however they didn't transfer from Egypt to France until May 1918.

A few years ago I viewed the War Diary at Kew of the 2/15th Battalion London Regiment.  Covers formation in the UK in 1915, France, Salonika, Egypt/Palestine etc and into France.  Diary is in very good condition apart from Feb / March 1918 which are badly water damaged.  I have a reference somewhere that Kingstonian carried equipment back from the 60th Division.  I believe this is when the Diary was damaged.

Likely that the card is part of the mails carried.  Troops maybe not onboard.

Chris

[Alan Baker]

There are references on FWR to Pte Frank Gyles with a London residence, serving with the 13th Bn London Regiment. Also on Ancestry a record of a Frank Gyles whose son served with the same unit. The address is Shepherd's Bush

Can you post a scan of the item so I can check further?

There is also a reference on Googly to a diary held by IWM of Sgt FSA Kent 28th Field Battery which apparently mentions the torpedoing of the Kingstonian

[Tony Walker]

Hi Alan, I'm sure he's the man, cannot be too many Frank Gyles in Shepherd's Bush.

Attached is scan of the cover.  Chris may well be right and there were no troops on board, just much mail and equipment from the Palestinian campaign and Jaffa Battle.

Many thanks
Tony

[Alan Baker]

Many thanks for this. I note the "Damaged by Immersion in Water" stamp, which might go along with the fate of the ship.

The address in Shepherd's Bush (MacFarlane Road) agrees with the Attestation Paper of Herbert Neville Gyles, who enlisted in 1916, giving his father's name as Frank Gyles

However, the Attestation Paper of Frank Gyles, dated 1915, gives his address as Adderson Road Kensington, but gives MacFarlane Road on demob and other docs in the record. The signature of Frank on the form does bear striking similarities to his signed name on the card and the style of Mrs Gyles surname. Having looked further, his record states that on demob he was single. On the 1911 Census, Frank Gyles, the father, had two sons, Frank and Herbert. It looks like the card was written by the son to his mother.

Both brothers were with the 2/13th Bn London Regiment. Frank's records state he served in EEF, Herbert's that he was invalided out in 1917.

Not sure any of this helps, but, if there were no troops on the ship when she was torpedoed, perhaps she was carrying mail home from the EEF

[Chris Grimshaw]

Hi All

A nice card Tony which I'd be happy we've identified the sender,  Well done Alan.

Kingstonian is one of the major mail carrying casualties of WWI in the Med.  The cachet shown is one of a number recorded on mails from this incident.  She was carrying Civil mails from the East and troops serving in the E.E.F. 

Not an incident I've studied in depth but do have some information from various sources. 

Happy to put something together if friends would like to develop this post.

Chris

[Graham Mark]

The marking is typical of a Kingstonian item.  Some years ago I had the opportunity to examine a collection of items from this wreck and wrote an article on the subject of the many different wreck/damage markings which can be found on this mail - there was a lot of it and the fact that the ship was brought into Carloforte Roads for repairs resulted in it all being recovered before the ship was attacked a second time and sunk.
I was seeking to attribute the wreck/damaged cachets to different major Post Offices in this country and elsewhere.  French and Italian language cachets are known as well as a good number in the English language.
I will dig out my article, published in "La Catastrophe", the journal of the Crash and Wreck Study Group if Chris would like to have it.  I might even still have it in electronic format.
Regards
Graham