HMS Faulkner WW1.

[Chris Weddell]

I have a cover with a Gould 3A51 oval mark with HWN initials inside. The cover is from HMS Faulkner unfortunately I cannot find out anything about the ship or which part of the Grand Fleet she was in? I have found a few mentions of her in Jelicoe's book but nothing more. If any one can help that would be great.

                                                    Thank you

                                                      Chris  :-[

[Tony Walker]

Chris

I haven't written up HMS Faulkner yet, but she was a destroyer I noted on the envelope, built initially for the Chilean navy, and re-sold to Chile in 1920.

The censor is Surgeon HW Nicholls, and I attach a scan of my cover

I have a PPC of the ship

I think you'll soon get more helpful posts!

Cheers
Tony

[Nick Colley]

HMS Faulkner led the 12th DF at Jutland, and was one of four destroyers which found and attacked with torpedoes some German battleships during the night of May 31st-June 1st. This was the attack in which the German pre-dreadnought SMS Pommern was destroyed, although whose torpedoes were responsible is not (as far as I've read) documented. Faulkner appears to have suffered no casualties (which is more than can be said for one of her flotilla mates, HMS Onslow, but that is another story).

Faulkner subsequently served in the Dover Patrol and participated in the raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend in 1918.

I hope that's of interest, if not of use :-)

chrs
N

[Chris Weddell]

Tony & Nick,

                  Thank you very much. My cover comes from the Cooper correspondence which I have a number of covers from. They are all posted from HMS Benbow apart from this one which was posted from HMS Faulkner. This one has an 8 bar circle and I think it may be pre Jutland as his HMS Benbow covers are all later. I will attach a scan of my cover.

                                                            Cheers

                                                            Chris 

[Alan Baker]

HMS Faulknor was flotilla leader of the 12th Destroyer Flotilla at the Battle of Jutland. Her commanding officer was Captain AJB Stirling.

The reason you have been unable to find any information is perhaps in the spelling of the ship's name. Some books spell it with an "e" but wikithing has it listed with an "o".

If you are interested in this kind of thing, a good starting point for Jutland is the special edition the Society produced in 2006 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the battle. It lists all the ships there, both sides, and gives censor numbers as known at the time, also German MSP Nos

[Alan Baker]

According to wikithing, it was a torpedo from HMS Onslaught which sank the Pommern, also by "Jutland, an Analysis of the Fighting", by John Campbell

[Chris Weddell]

Alan,

      Thank you for your help. I will try and get the books. I was collecting pre-Jutland Grand Fleet period but going though my Royal Navy covers of this period  for mounting up I see I have a lot more then I thought which go though the period during or after Jutland up until 1919.

The book I use is the Grand Fleet 1914-16 by Admiral Jellicoe. He does spell Faulknor with an "o".

                                                      Cheers

                                                      Chris

[Alan Baker]

I have that book too - surprisingly easy to read. I also have several other books on the subject in case you are interested