# the depot ship osiris



## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

hello, has anyone got a photo of this ship, she was the depot ship for auxillary trawlers serving out of malta and then mudros during the galipolli campaign, thankyou, regards, john


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## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

Built 1898	P & O for there Brindisi to Egypt route 
1914 Hired as an Armed Merchant Cruiser 
1915 Became a Depot Ship for Trawlers and Drifters in 1915. 
1915 Renamed Osiris II 
1922 Brocken up by J Bagley & Co 

I hope this will help you find a suitable photo if not as HMS.


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## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

From the P&O database ...
0185
1898/0828
OSIRIS (1898)
Later OSIRIS II, later OSIRIS
Base data at 28 August 1898. Compiled April 2004 #
* indicates entries changed during P&O Group service.
Type Passenger liner
P&O Group service 1898-1922
P&O Group status Owned by parent company
Registered owners,
managers and operators
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation
Company
Builders Caird & Co Ltd
Yard Greenock
Country UK
Yard number 288
Registry Greenock, UK
Official number 109243
Signal letters QGHK
Call sign
Classification society
Lloyd’s Register
Gross tonnage 1,728 grt
Net tonnage 123 nrt
Deadweight
Length 91.53m (300.4ft)
Breadth 11.30m (37.1ft)
Depth 5.33m (17.5ft)
Draught
Engines Triple-expansion steam engines
Engine builders Caird & Co Ltd
Works Greenock
Country UK
Power 6,500 ihp
Propulsion 2 screws
Speed 20 knots
Passenger capacity 78 first class
Cargo capacity
Crew
Employment Brindisi/Port Said shuttle service
OSIRIS (1898)
Later OSIRIS II
Later OSIRIS
0185
1898/0828
Career
02.04.1897: Ordered.
06.06.1898: Launched.
23.08.1898: Left builders and delivered. Osiris and her sister Isis were ordered
for an express service between Brindisi and Port Said, carrying 78
first class passengers and the first class mails but little cargo, and
linking with the main line steamers in Egypt. She cost £87,214.
18.10.1898: Completed the Brindisi/Port Said trip of nearly 1,600 kilometres in 26
hours 49 minutes. She improved this time to 45 hours 18 minutes
(20.6 knots) in 1899.
02.05.1904: Obliged to stop when 9 hours out of Brindisi by the Russian gunboat
Khabry, which fired a blank shot across her bows. Two Russian
officers came aboard with an armed boat’s crew and demanded to
see mails bound for Japan, as Russia and Japan were at war, but
two hours later and after about 250 bags had been inspected on
deck – not including any mail for Japan, which was stored at the
bottom of the hold – Osiris was allowed to proceed.
1910: Broke her port propeller shaft while en route southwards and
smashed her port engine.
05.08.1914: Hired by the Admiralty for service as an armed merchant cruiser.
10.10.1914: Transferred to service as a fleet messenger.
11.04.1915: Transferred to service as a submarine depot ship.
1916: Renamed Osiris II.
10.03.1920: Released from Admiralty service and laid up at Falmouth. Renamed
Osiris.
21.07.1922: Sold for £4,750 to John Worthington Bagley, Paris, and resold to be
broken up at Wilhelmshaven, Germany.


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## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

There is a scan of a postcard of her on 
http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/PO_Liners1.html

Best Wishes, Raymond


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## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

hello treeve, that is great info. including the picture, thanks again, the only thing that puzzles me is, was the osiris the depot ship at mudros for the trawlers and drifters, on my grandfathers service record it states the osiris as the depot ship and i know for certain he was at galipolli because it was in the london gazette when he received his mid. there is no mention in your account about this, can you confirm, was she a depot ship for the submarines as well as the auxillary trawlers, thanks again, regards, john


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## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

hello davidjm, can you confirm the osiris was the depot ship at mudros during the galipolli campaign, thanks for help, regards, john


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## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

Hi John, I can tell you no more than what I found on the P&O database.
I can only assume that they have acquired there information from a
collection of Lloyds and War Office records. I believe there are books
covering the subject - also I have seen any number of names of men
who have lost their lives and others who have received commendation
in connection with service on the Osiris. Maybe you could pick up some
more details in connection with those citations and losses. I would have
expected the submarines to be working in conjunction with minesweeping
operations, but I am no miltary expert.


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## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

ps ...

Terry Reeves reports she was at Mudros
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=80343

Churchill Telegram archived - for reference see
http://www-archives.chu.cam.ac.uk/perl/node?a=a;reference=CHAR 13/66/44

pdf file re Mudros operations at
http://www.naval-review.org/pasp/..\issues\1918.pdf


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## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

hello treeve, thanks for the help, it certainly is helpful, the websites you posted make good reading, well thanks again, regards, john


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## DAVIDJM (Sep 17, 2005)

I think she was a Mudros but need to check 

try this site
portal.pohub.com/pls/pogprtl/poghistory.display_do***ent.pdf?p_id=1344


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## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

thanks david, i tried to get into site but could not, any further help would be appriciated, regards, john


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## treeve (Nov 15, 2005)

David's quoted URL is the pdf file of the data that I have 
already given from the P&O database.


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## jolynn (Jul 28, 2007)

thanks treeve for that, i appriciate it, regards john


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