Contents - 1913 HMS Indefatigable

James Plumpton - Officer on HMS Indefatigable 1913-1914

Training for 'Otter Section' - Plymouth Torpedo & Anti-Mine School

HMS Indefatigable was a lead WW1 Battlecruiser launched in 1909. James Plumpton served on the ship at the rank of Acting Lieutenant in 1913 after training on HMS Devonshire.

These are his photo's taken during this period before leaving the ship to join HMS Prince George.

Indefatigable was later sunk on 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the war..

Only three of the crew of 1,019 survived.

Manufactured: 1909 HMNB Devonport, Plymouth

Weight: 18,500 t

Crew: Approx. 1000 (737 officers and ratings)

Armament: 4 × twin BL 12" guns, 16 × 4" in guns, 2 × submerged 17.72 in torpedo tubes

Sinking of Indefatigable

HMS Indefatigable was the lead ship of her class of three battlecruisers built for the Royal Navy during the first decade of the 20th Century. When the First World War began, Indefatigable was serving with the 2nd Battlecruiser Squadron (BCS) in the Mediterranean, where she unsuccessfully pursued the battlecruiser Goeben and the light cruiser Breslau of the German Imperial Navy as they fled toward the Ottoman Empire. The ship bombarded Ottoman fortifications defending the Dardanelles on 3 November 1914, then, following a refit in Malta, returned to the United Kingdom in February where she rejoined the 2nd BCS.

Indefatigable was sunk on 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval battle of the war. Part of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet, she was hit several times in the first minutes of the "Run to the South", the opening phase of the battlecruiser action. Shells from the German battlecruiser Von der Tann caused an explosion ripping a hole in her hull, and a second explosion hurled large pieces of the ship 200 feet (60 m) in the air. Only three of the crew of 1,019 survived.

HMS Indefatigable 1913. (Target Practice - 'Target Raft' on right)

James Plumpton on HMS Indefatigable in 1913.

HMS Indefatigable 1913

Assembling a target raft alongside the anti-torpedo/mine nets. The target can be seen in the above photo 'target practice'

Assembling a target raft alongside the anti-torpedo/mine nets.

HMS Indefatigable 1913

HMS Indefatigable 1913 - A Captain walking on deck with an officer.

I am not sure but I wonder if this is Captain Charles. F. Sowerby (right) who died when Indefatigable was destroyed at the Battle of Jutland. I believe that the Officer on the left was the rank of Full Commander or above, probably the ship's first officer

Figurehead HMS Defiance - Torpedo School Ship - 1912

This figurehead of a classical warrior on the HMS Defiance must really have got James Plumpton’s attention for him to take this photo. I understand that James was stationed at the Devonport torpedo school and would have had training on this ship.

HMS ‘Defiance’ was a screw 2nd rate, 81 guns, launched at Pembroke Dock in 1861. She immediately became obsolete due to the new ironclad ships. 20 years later it was converted into a Torpedo School Ship in 1884 being docked in Devonport.

It was acquired by Castles for breaking up in 1931.

The figurehead was saved and possibly used inside another training ship.

It has now been restored in 2019 with 13 other ships figureheads. At the time of writing, the figureheads are on display at ‘The Box’ Museum & Gallery in Plymouth

The additional 3 images below have been sourced from the Imperial War Museum website

The original HMS Defiance before it was sold off for scrap in 1931.

This is how it looked when James did his torpedo & mine training (© IWM FL 24263)

HMS Defiance Training Establishment. September 1940, HMS Defiance, Devonport, Plymouth. the establishment is made up of three old ships, Inconstant, Vulcan, and Andromeda, the latter renamed HMS Defiance. The ships are moored together and constitute the torpedo and mine handling training establishment and living quarters. Modern methods of warfare are taught amidst these ancient surroundings. (© IWM A742)

HMS Defiance figurehead in 1940

It was probably moved into Andromeda which was renamed Defiance! (© IWM A 742)

Otter Section - Anti Mine

Lieut. J. Plumpton was in the Anti-Mine 'Otter Section'

Torpedo firing 1912. - H.M.T.B No. 104.

The 12" Guns on HMS Indefatigable - 1913.

A close up of the photo on the left - I wonder what was occurring here

A picturesque Hotel on a lake or river...

I have since been told this is Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff, Co. Cork, Ireland

The ships band playing on the deck of HMS Indefatigable in 1913

Ernest Cyril Brent Lt-Cdr, RN, DSO May 3rd 1913.

He was awarded a DSO (30088) on 22 MAY 1917

Honours for Service in Destroyer Patrol Flotillas, Armed Boarding Steamers, &c.

To be Companions of the Distinguished Service Order.

Are there any relatives of Ernest Brent out there who can confirm that this is him?..

The 12" Guns on HMS Indefatigable - 1913.

Note the crew standing by the anchor capstan

HMS Indefatigable ‘Paying Off’ 16th June 1913.

Launch of HMS Marlborough 1912.

HMS Marlborough was an Iron Duke-class battleship of the Royal Navy, named in honour of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. She was built at Devonport Royal Dockyard between January 1912 and June 1914, entering service just before the outbreak of the First World War.