# Lion Class Battle-Cruiser - HMS Lion



## WildBill

Discussion thread for Lion Class Battle-Cruiser - HMS Lion. If you would like to add a comment, click the New Reply button


----------



## WildBill

*HMS Lion 1912*

I have a photograph of Lion while on trials in 1912. The ship had its tripod mast as per original design. I could e-mail a scanned copy of it to you if it is of any interest.

Best regards

Bill


----------



## Steve Woodward

Hi Bill
Will send you a PM
Steve


----------



## WildBill

*HMS Lion*

Photograph of Lion with tripod mast now uploaded to warship gallery, at last.


----------



## Steve Woodward

Cheers WidBill - will incorporate it into the article on her
Steve


----------



## Bob Ballard

My great uncle Bert Ballard was a signaler on HMS Lion at Jutland. Via his daughter I have his memory of being let out of a "signal locker" by a RM Major who later received the VC. This must be Major Harvey, BUT, from all accounts he was so badly wounded that it is doubtful if he could have done this after Q turret was hit. I have been trying to discover where the "locker" might be in relation to Q turret. 
It seems to me a possibility that Bert was released from the locker by Major Harvey before the hit on Q turret.

Hope you can help.
Regards
Bob Ballard


----------



## Steve Woodward

Hi Bob, not sure which of the bridge decks was the flag deck but it would probably be one deck up from the focsle deck and at the fore end of the forward funnel, say 80 feet or fwds of Q turret. During the action I would doubt Major Harvey would have left Q turret, the turret was hit at 1600, the action had started at 1548 so whatever occurred must have been before 1548 if Harvey was involved 
Steve


----------



## TCC

Bob Ballard said:


> My great uncle Bert Ballard was a signaler on HMS Lion at Jutland. Via his daughter I have his memory of being let out of a "signal locker" by a RM Major who later received the VC. This must be Major Harvey, BUT, from all accounts he was so badly wounded that it is doubtful if he could have done this after Q turret was hit. I have been trying to discover where the "locker" might be in relation to Q turret.
> It seems to me a possibility that Bert was released from the locker by Major Harvey before the hit on Q turret.
> 
> Hope you can help.
> Regards
> Bob Ballard


At Jutland, LIONs flag boxes were on the 2nd platform down on the bridge... known then to the men as 'the signal platform'. 

However, it was a dangerous position to have men standing about so a 2nd set of flag boxes and their signalmen where located immediately below the forecastle deck (the planked deck) in a sectioned off area of a mess deck. 

This area below the bridge was hit during the action and thus it is possible he was 'trapped' and had to be 'released'.

I feel certain he has nothing to do with the marine major who was killed and that somewhere in the mists of your family lore, the story has probably been muddled.


----------



## TCC

I have editted the article to give more accurate dates to the images and removed the reference that Queen Mary's funnels where 'round'.


----------



## E.Martin

*HMS Lion*

I see from my fathers naval records that he served on HMS Lion in 1906,his rating was BIC.
Would that be Boy First Class?,his next rating was Ordinary Seaman.


----------



## BelliniTosi

E.Martin said:


> I see from my fathers naval records that he served on HMS Lion in 1906,his rating was BIC.
> Would that be Boy First Class?,his next rating was Ordinary Seaman.


Yes, Boy First Class and he would be rated up to Ordinary Seaman automatically when he reached a certain age, 17 1/2 I think.
To get rated up from Ordinary Seaman to Able Seaman was to sit a practical test after being an Ordinary Seaman for about 12 months.


----------



## TCC

E.Martin said:


> I see from my fathers naval records that he served on HMS Lion in 1906,his rating was BIC.



Hi
If it is definitely 1906, it's not the battlecruiser. More likely it is the training ship HMS LION. It also fits with the 'boy' bit in BIC (B1C?)

hope it helps


----------



## E.Martin

TCC said:


> Hi
> If it is definitely 1906, it's not the battlecruiser. More likely it is the training ship HMS LION. It also fits with the 'boy' bit in BIC (B1C?)
> 
> hope it helps


Impregnable1900

Lion 1900
Agincourt
Orlando
Albion
King Alfred
Antrim
Actoson?
Blenheim
Indomitable
Cressay
Blenheim
Earmont?
Victory
Victorious
Theseus
Foresight
Theseus
Pelorus
Also Pembroke a few times
Paid War Gratuity 725.3 surely not pounds.
Couple of ships with question marks,any idea's


----------



## Dreyer1916

Bob, Did your uncle Bert, ever talk about Ralph Seymour who was Beatty's signal's officer? Quite a lot of controversy surrounds his flags on the start of the run to the south. Later, if I've got the story right, Seymour committed suicide. He'd fallen in love with Beatty's daughter and had asked for her hand only to be very brutally turned down by the Admiral.


----------



## NavySparker

The crew list of HMS Lion at the Battle of Jutland is still being built so any additional names would be most welcome.

http://www.jutlandcrewlists.org/lion


----------

