HUBERT LONGLY - MY GRANDFATHER AND HIS SHIPS

Part III - Witness to a Terrible Wartime Event & his Medals

By Derek Longly

During the 1st World War, on 27th May 1915, HMS Paris (the Newhaven - Dieppe ship built in 1913) was at Sheerness in connection with her wartime task as a minelayer. Also in the port at that time was the Canadian Pacific Line vessel Princess Irene. This ship having only been delivered to her owners on 26th January 1915 was almost brand new but had nonetheless also been called up for service as a minelayer.

During the operation of loading mines aboard the Princess Irene on that fateful date, a notoriously tricky and dangerous operation in those days, an accident occurred and as a result the vessel blew up being completely obliterated, together with her entire complement.

Parts of the ship rained down on the surrounding area and my Grandfather, who was on duty aboard HMS Paris at the time collected one of the fragments of steel which fell and after the war he had this mounted on a wooden base with a brass plaque affixed to it stating 'Fragment of the Princess Irene.'  In addition amongst the items he left me was a printed 'In Memorium' tribute to those who died in the disaster.

As a result of his war service, which I believe was aboard HMS Paris throughout the conflict, my Grandfather received a number of decorations, including the Italian Bronze Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal.

Set out below are pictures of the memorial to the Princess Irene, the mounted fragment of the ship and an unfortunately rather blurred picture, the only one I have, of my Grandfather's medals.  The Italian Bronze Medal is easily identified by the colour of it's ribbon, being at the right hand side of the group but I am not sure which is the DSM, possibly the one with the all blue ribbon second from left.

For anyone interested in more detail about this story, there is a fine painting of HMS Paris escaping from chasing warships displayed in the Newhaven Museum together with explanatory notes and the story of the Princess Irene disaster can be found in a book entitled 'Blown to Eternity' written by John Hendy. Within the book is a photo of HMS Paris anchored just ahead of the ill fated Princess Irene at Sheerness.