H.M.S. Falcon and Lt Charles "Lights" Lightoller

liverpool annie · Nov 20, 2009

H.M.S. FALCON.

The Falcon was launched in 1899 a "C" class destroyer and was 220 feet long she was a fast ship for her size and could reach 30 knotts the "Falcon" was used as part of the famous "Dover Patrol" escorting troops throughout the war to France and Belgium.
In 1917 she suffered sever damage when hit off the Belgium coast losing her Captain and eight other ranks.
In 1918 after being repaired the "Falcon" patrolled the channel and the North Sea for U boats and enemy vessels escorting troop ships and laying mines off the Belgium coast a risky job !
On the night of April the 1st 1918 She was due to escort troop ships bringing American and Canadian Troops to the front when she was hit in bad weather by the trawler the John Fitzgerald.
The Captain was no other than Lt Charles "Lights" Lightoller Charles was the most senior surviving officer from the "Titanic"and was the man who was responsible for ensuring all the Women and Children boarded liferafts on that fatefull night in 1912. "Lights" as he was nicknamed survived the court martial and in true Naval tradition was promoted to a new faster ship.
"Lights survived the war and though he was always tarred with the Titanic disaster which ensured he never captained a major liner again, in WW2 he took part in the rescue from Dunkirk passing away in 1952.

Charles Herbert Lightoller was born in Chorley in Lancashire on 30 March 1874. In February 1888, at the age of 13, he began a four-year seagoing apprenticeship working on sailing ships. On only his second voyage he was shipwrecked on an uninhabited island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. On another trip the cargo of coal caught fire and for his successful efforts in fighting the fire he was promoted to Second Mate. In 1895 he obtained his Mate’s Ticket and left sailing ships for steamships. After 3 years on the West African coast he nearly died from a heavy bout of malaria.

Lightoller left the sea in 1898 and went to the Yukon to prospect for gold in the Klondike Gold Rush. Unsuccessful in this, he worked as a cowboy in Canada for a while before working his passage back to England on a cattle boat. Back in England he obtained his Master’s Certificate, and in 1900 he joined the White Star Line, working on passenger liners to Australia and the USA. On the Atlantic run to New York he served on the ‘Majestic’ and the ‘Oceanic’, pride of the White Star Line, and eventually became First Officer on the ‘Oceanic’.

He sailed on the maiden voyage of the ‘Titanic’ as Second Officer. On Sunday 14 April 1912, having been on watch from 6pm - 10pm, he was just nodding off to sleep in his cabin at about 11:40pm when he felt a grinding vibration. He ran onto deck in his pyjamas, initially nothing appeared to be wrong so he returned to his cabin to await orders. Ten minutes later another officer entered his cabin and informed him that the ship was taking water. Pulling on his clothes over his pyjamas he went onto deck.

Lightoller took charge of the lifeboats on the port side of the ship, and as soon as he received orders he started loading the first boat. He continued supervising the lowering of the boats, strictly enforcing the code of “women and children” first. At about 1:30 am the officers were issued with revolvers and ammunition, Lightoller at the time doubted the need for this. Shortly afterwards, however, the need became clear when a group of men took over one of the lifeboats, he jumped in the boat and threatened them with his empty gun driving them all out.

At around 2:00 am all the lifeboats had been lowered, save for four collapsible boats with canvas sides lashed to the roof of the officers quarters. Lightoller had just managed to cut one of these free when the ‘Titanic’ took a great plunge forward. He dived into the water but was sucked against the grating of one of the ventilator shafts. Fortunately the blast, caused by the cold water hitting the still hot boilers, blew him back to the surface. As the ‘Titanic went under, the forward funnel broke loose and toppled his way narrowly missing him. He climbed onto the overturned collapsible lifeboat and along with 30 other men, from where he was rescued the next day by the ‘Carpathia’.

In 1913 Lightoller returned to sea as First Officer on the ‘Oceanic’. When the First World War broke out in 1914 the ‘Oceanic’ became HMS ‘Oceanic’ and he became Lieutenant Lightoller of the Royal Navy. Just before Christmas 1915 he got his own command, the torpedo boat HMTB 117, and in July 1916 attacked the Zeppelin L31 with the ships guns. For this Action he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and was promoted to commander of the torpedo-boat-destroyer ‘Falcon’ with the Dover Patrol. Lightoller moved his family to Dover, renting a house at 8 East Cliff. In July 1918 his new command, the destroyer ‘Garry’, rammed and sank the German submarine U-110, for which action he was awarded a bar to his D.S.C. and promoted to Lieutenant Commander.

After the war he returned to the White Star line as Chief Officer on the liner ‘Celtic’, having been passed over for a post on the ‘Olympic’. The new management of the White Star Line wanted to forget the ‘Titanic’ and everyone associated with her, and none of the surviving officers ever got their own commands. Lightoller was not interested in remaining the Chief Officer of the ‘Celtic’ indefinitely so, after more than 20 years of service he resigned from the White Star Line. The first few years were hard, he and his wife opened a guesthouse, and after a few years had some minor success in property speculation.

In 1929 the Lightollers purchased an old Admiralty steam launch, refitted her with a diesel engine and christened her ‘Sundowner’. Throughout the 1930s she was used by the Lightoller family for trips around England and Europe. In July 1939 Lightoller was approached by the Royal Navy and asked to perform a survey of the German coastline. They did this under the guise of an elderly couple on holiday in their yacht. Then in the closing days of May 1940, with the British Expeditionary Force trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk, the Admiralty again called on Lightoller. They asked him to take the ‘Sundowner’ to Ramsgate, where a navy crew would take her over and sail her to Dunkirk. He informed them that nobody would take ‘Sundowner’ to Dunkirk except him.

On 1 June 1940, the 66 year old Lightoller, with his eldest son Roger and an 18 year old Sea-Scout named Gerald, took the ‘Sundowner’ and sailed for Dunkirk. Although the ‘Sundowner’ had never carried more than 21 people before, they succeeded in carrying a total of 130 men from the beaches of Dunkirk. In addition to the three crew members, there were two crew members who had been rescued from another small boat. There were three Naval Ratings rescued from the sea off Dunkirk, plus 122 troops taken from the destroyer HMS ‘Worcester’. Despite numerous bombing and strafing runs by German aircraft, they all arrived safely back in Ramsgate about 12 hours after they departed.

Following Dunkirk, Commander Lightoller joined the Home Guard, but the Royal Navy engaged him to work with the Small Vessels Pool until the end of the War. After the War he went on to run a boatyard on the Thames building motor launches for the London River Police.

He died, aged 78, in December 1952.
Click to expand...

liverpool annie · Nov 20, 2009

Just in case anybody is looking for their sailors ....

Wednesday, 28 October 1914 - Belgian Coast Operations

Falcon - shore gunfire - 2 men died of wounds on 29th

BEANEY, Charles A, Stoker Petty Officer, 282405 (Po)
GEE, William H, Stoker 1c, SS 113658 (Po)
HEDGES, Harry, Able Seaman, J 5431 (Po)
NUTT, Ralph, Able Seaman, 233798 (Po)
SKYE, William, Able Seaman, 237097 (Po)
SUTHERLAND, Adolphus C, Able Seaman, 235634 (Po)
VIDLER, Alfred E, Able Seaman, 234498 (Po)
WAUTON, Hubert Osmond, Lieutenant

Falcon - shore gunfire

CHAPPELL, Robert, Petty Officer, 207788 (Ch), DOW
ROBINSON, William H, Stoker 1c, K 20793 (Po), DOW

liverpool annie · Nov 20, 2009

The Falcon Disaster.

Funeral of Lieut. H. O. Wauton.

Impressive scenes were witnessed on Saturday afternoon, when Lieut. H. O. Wauton, one of the unfortunate victims of the disaster to HM.S. “Falcon” was interred at Charlton Cemetery with full naval honours in the presence of a very large number of people.

The band of the 3rd East Surrey Regiment preceded the coffin, which was borne to the cemetery upon a gun carriage. The deceased father followed directly behind the gun carriage. Naval officers acted as pallbearers, and seaman as bearers, and a number of officers and men, with a firing party followed the cortege, including representatives of the Dover Garrison.

At the conclusion of the service three volleys were fired, the “First Post” and “Second Post” being sounded by a naval trumpeter in the intervals, and concluding with the “Last Post.”

The principal mourners were the Rev. Atherton Wauton (father) Mrs. Wauton (step mother) Miss Winifred Wauton (sister) Mr. Charles Wauton (uncle) Miss Catherine Curtis (aunt) Messrs. Frederick D. Curtis, Charles L. Curtis and Walter T. Curtis (uncles) and Mr. A. P. Braybrooke.

The coffin bore the following inscription – “Hubert Osmond Wauton, Lieut, died October 28th 1914, aged 29 years.”

Floral tributes were sent as follows – To my darling Hubert, with my best love, from his sister, To my darling Hubert, in ever loving remembrance from his devoted aunt, from Ruthie and Walter, in loving memory from Uncle Fred and Charlie, with best love, from Betty, with loving memory and sincere regret from, Grandmother Curtis, October 30th (T.W.) Captain and Ward Room Officers H.M.S “Foresight” with sincere sympathy from a friend (Dover). With deepest regret, from Mr. and Mrs Hodgkin’s Saul, with deep regret and sincerest sympathy, from Mr. and Mrs Arthur H. V. Rollaston.
The funeral arrangements were carried out by Mr. J. Parsons.
Click to expand...

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/gareth.moore7/falcon.html

Log in or Sign up

H.M.S. Falcon and Lt Charles "Lights" Lightoller

liverpool annie New Member

Attached Files:

h m s falcon 1917.jpg

Commander C.H. Lightoller R.N.R..jpg

liverpool annie New Member

liverpool annie New Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

H.M.S. Falcon and Lt Charles "Lights" Lightoller

Thread Tools

liverpool annie New Member

Attached Files:

h m s falcon 1917.jpg

Commander C.H. Lightoller R.N.R..jpg

liverpool annie New Member

liverpool annie New Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches