SS Accrington

[WINGY]

Well said mez. I was glued to the screen reading this. more more more!!!!!!!!

[Darby]

Really interesting, and well researched.

What about HMS Accrington? When was she commissioned, what type of ship, and what happened to her?

[Tealeaf]

Hi Darby

The "other" Accrington was a ship built in 1910 for one of the railway companies - yes, they had ships as well as trains (Just as the evil one Branson has trains has well as planes). It was built, along with it'e sister ships the Blackburn & the Bury as part of an integrated transport system to carry cargo by train and then by ship. In the Accy's case (and also her sister ships) she did the Hull/Hamburg run.

I don't know what she did in the Great War, but in 1939 she was acquistioned as a convoy rescue vessel. I'm not certain whether or not she flew the Ensign or the Duster. Her role was to pick up survivors from torpeoded/bombed ships on convoy. She did about 36 Convoys & managed to save about 150 lives, and was eventually broken up about 1950.

So I called her "HMS" earlier - this may not be correct.

Maybe we'll have a seperate posting for this Accy.....there does appear to have been at least one spectacular action she was in, so I think this could justify a seperate thread.

[Darby]

I've also done some digging and come up with this:

1. U-BOAT REPORT ABOUT AN ATTACK ON A CONVOY
(Sorry about the German, but MIK can translate)
3.2.1943
Nordatlantik
Auf dem Marsch von U-Booten der Gruppe »Landsknecht« (vgl. 22.-28.1.) zu einer neuen Aufstellung sichtet U 456 (Kptlt. Teichert) am 1.2. den Konvoi HX.224 (58 Schiffe, Escort Group C4 [LCdr. Piers] Zerstörer HMCS Restigouche, HMS Churchill, Korvetten HMCS Amherst, Collingwood, Brandon, Sherbrooke und HMS Celandine, Rettungsschiff Accrington). Trotz schweren Sturmes hält U 456 3 Tage vorbildlich Fühlung und versenkt 2 Schiffe mit 16.633 BRT. Von den in der Nähe stehenden U 265, U 614, U 257 und U 632 (Kptlt. Karpf) versenkt nur letzteres 1 Nachzügler-Tanker mit 8190 BRT, dessen Überlebende wertvolle Hinweise für den folgenden Konvoi SC.118 geben können.— U 265 (Oblt.z.S. Aufhammer) wird am 3.2. von der Sicherung fliegenden Fortress 'N' der RAF-Sqn. 220 versenkt.

2. ABOUT FLEET AIR ARM CREW BEING RESUED

SS ACRINGTON
Sutherland, FM PO, Tilley, KH Sub Lt, and Jones, JH PO, 813 sqdn, HMS Campania, 8.6.1944, hit rounddown landing, into sea, picked up unhurt by SS Accrington

3. ABOUT THE SINKING OF A PANAMANIAN SHIP IN A WW2 CONVOY

At 1620 orders to abandon ship were given by the Master. Two lifeboats and a gig were launched along with all the rafts except one. All the survivors were picked up by HMS AFFLECK (K 462) and HMS BENTLEY (K 465) at 1130 on April 27th. All the survivors were in two boats at this time. After rejoining the convoy they were all transferred to the rescue ship SS ACCRINGTON arriving Gourock, Scotland on May 1st. They were repatriated to the U.S. on the ILE DE FRANCE arriving New York on May 18th.

So although it appears the ship was partly manned by RN personnel, it was never commissioned into the RN and remained the Steam Ship (SS) ACCRINGTON.

[Mik Dickinson]

Delving in to the deep history of Accrington.Interesting

[Tealeaf]

...But just to return to our earlier "Accrington" The painting you see at the very top of the thread is by an artist called Antonio Jacobsen, who was originally Danish but subesquently moved to the States. His specialism was maritime art, and in his time he knocked out over 4,000 paintings, which where all signed and nearly all dated....as regards the later, there is one notable exception......guess! Another part of this mysterious jigsaw puzzle.....

[Darby]

Some info on the artist:

Artist: Jacobsen, Antonio Nicolo Gasparo (American, 1850-1921) - Oilpaintings and a few Gouaches
Place: Worked and lived in Manhattan and West Hoboken, USA.
Motifs: Ship Portraits, mainly of ocean-going Steamers, but also of Sailing Vessels and Yachts; a few Seascapes as well
Prices: Offers for large oilpaintings by Antonio Jacobsen (22 x 36 in.and larger) are starting at US $ 3,500 (in the USA) or BP 2,000 (in Great Britain) or Euro 3.000 (Continental Europe). Smaller paintings are starting at US $ 1,500 in the USA and on the International Markets. Prices depend on subject, size, date, quality and condition. Please send us an e-mail to receive an exact offer for your painting (free of charge for persons considering to sell their painting).
Notes: Born in Denmark, he was trained at the academy in Kobenhavn and emigrated to the US in 1873. His central profile view ship portraits of merchant sailing vessels, steamers and yachts were very much in demand (and he was really doing a good marketing!), therefore his output was immense, ca. 4,000 paintings are known. Information about the artist and his oeuvre can also be found in our book "Ship Portrait Artists

Oil Painting of SS Accrington -Portratit of the English full-rigged Ship at Sea. 56 x 91 cm [22 x 36 inches] Signed

What amuses me is the artists forenames: Antonio Nicolo Gasparo. Doesn't sound particularly Danish, does it? I learnt that his father was a violin maker, so perhaps he named his son after other famous violin makers???

Tealeaf....The site where I dug up this info, states clearly that the picture is SIGNED??, maybe we'll have to go to the NZ National Gallery site and find out if it is!

[Atarah]

Hey, well done Tealeaf, you've certainly got everyone "going" on this subject, (and well done to Darby too for his research) and ...if anyone goes to N Zealand to see if the painting is signed, I would like to come as well!
Atarah

[Darby]

I'll carry your bags, missus

[Tealeaf]

Hi Darby,

My language above is a bit confusing....the Accy painting is signed, yes.....but it is not dated! Thats what I meant to say!

[mez]

im going to n/zealand & australia were is the painting?

[Tealeaf]

Well, the image can be found on the National Libary of New Zealand website (not Gallery, as I saud earlier).....but, just reading through it all again I've just realised there is nothing in there which confirms the NLNZ has the actual painting in it's pocession.

There's another interesting point here....the main reference libary is called the Turnbull collection......and the captain of the Accy in 1861 (after the poisioning incident) who smashed the sailing record with the Accy in racing to Dunedin NZ in 93 days was also called...Turnbull. Odd, innit.

[Tealeaf]

Arrival of Accrington
The Press Monday September 7th 1863

The clipper ship Accrington arrived off the Peninsula on Friday evening, but was not signalled at Lyttelton till Saturday morning. She arrived off Camp Bay at noon, where she lay at anchor awaiting the arrival of the Immigration Commissioners, who left the Jetty at one o'clock, and after staying on board for an hour and a half, declared the ship free from disease. The wind now had changed to the N.W. , which prevented her coming up to her anchorage. By the courtesy of the Commissioners our reporter was admitted on board, where every information was afforded him by the officers of the ship. She is fitted with a large distilling apparatus for supplying fresh water at the rate of 500 gallons per day. The galley is also worth inspecting, as it is on a most extensive scale. Bread was served out three times a week to the immigrants. There were 12 deaths and five births on board; the mortality was confined to children under three years of age. The voyage was accomplished in 75 days from Plymouth to the Snares, having left on the 18th June. She crossed the line on the 13th July, in longitude 23 degrees 42 minutes W; passed the meridian of the Cape on the 3rd August, and met with fine weather until 16th, when a series of gales and squally weather ensued until she made the Snares on the 2nd September; the new Zealand coast being the first land seen after leaving Plymouth. The barometer was once as low as 28.70, and the greatest south latitude was 48 degrees. The Accrington is a fine specimen of naval architecture, constructed of iron, and having a flush deck of 280 feet long, and is a remarkably clean and well ventilated ship, and well worth the trouble of inspecting. six men charged with robbery were brought on shore by the police on Saturday afternoon.

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This is from a New Zealand Website - T!

[Tealeaf]

6 men charged with robbery.....someone nicked the jambuttys!

[Tealeaf]

N/PAP: Canturbury Provincial Gazette Mon 28 Sept, 1863. Vol 10, No 16, pg 165 (Held at Cant Public Lib, Chch).

Commissioners Report. Accrington.

The Commissioners were much pleased with the arrangements for hospital accommodation and berthing the passengers of the ship Accrington, with the exception of the storeroom hatchway opening into the female hospital, and the fact that seventeen
single men were berthed on a lower deck without other light and ventilation than afforded through the hatchway.

The cleanliness of the several compartments was satisfactory.

The distilling apparatus (Normanby's), and the baking arrangements were satisfactory.

The medicine chest from Apothecaries' Hall was well furnished, and the scale of medical comforts much more liberal than in most shops previously inspected, though less so than in the Government Commissioner's ship.

The Commissioners regret to find that many irregularities occured during the voyage, the seamen frequenting the compartment of the married people, in one instance forcibly entering that of the single females. The medical officer not having the
experience, and not being armed with the authority of a surgeon superintendent under the Government Commissioner's, was unable to prevent these occurences, and the Master's authority was openly defied by the sailors.

The 'Constables appointed to keep order do not appear to have exerted themselves to assist the officers at the time of the intrusion into the single women's saloon.

Signed: William Donald, RM, Chairman.

John T Rouse

HS McKellar.

Lyttleton Times, 9 Sept 1863.

The fine clipper ship Accrington arrived at the quarantine anchorage on Saturday afternoon. The commissioners, on going on board, soon found that she was entitled to a clean bill, but, owing to a robbery on board, they gave strict orders not to
admit anyone on board from shore without an order. Twelve deaths and five births occurred during the passage. She left Plymouth on June 18, having accomplished the passage from land to land in a little over 75 days. Nothing worthy of note
occured during the voyage except a continuance of gales and squally weather a little time after she left the meridian of the Cape. The Accrington is a remarkably fine vessel, having a flush deck of 280ft in length, and from a slight inspection
she appears all that could be desired to bring out immigrants from home. That great desideratum at sea - plenty of fresh water - was supplied almost ad libitum from the distilling apparatus on board during the greater part of the voyage - equal
to 500 gallons per diem.