SS Ben-my-Chree (1908)

Ben-my-Chree resulted from the great success of the Viking, which was built three years earlier and employed on the Steam Packet's Douglas - Fleetwood schedule. The company quickly decided that a larger and more powerful turbine ship should be ordered for the Douglas–Liverpool service and in 1907 invited tenders for another fast turbine steamer in order to cement its place as the primary carrier to the Isle of Man.[5] The requirements of the tender included:

Length : 375 feet (114 m) Breadth : 46 feet (14 m) Depth : 18 ft 6 in (5.6 m). [5] In addition the vessel was to be able to undertake a continuous six hour passage at a speed of 24 knots (28 mph) and be capable of accommodating 2,500 passengers on a No.2 Board of Trade Certificate, conforming to a Lloyd's A1 Certificate.[5]

The Ben, as she became affectionately known, was to be 40 feet (12 m) longer, 4 feet (1.2 m) broader and carry 550 more passengers than her older sister.[4]

Ben-my-Chree was built under special survey from Lloyd's of London and also in accordance with the Board of Trade for their passenger certificates.[4]Ben-my-Chree had a tonnage of 2,651 GRT; length 390 feet (375 feet between the perpendiculars); beam 46 feet; depth 18 feet 6 inches. Ben-my-Chree's overall length was 18 feet (5.5 m) longer than the later Lady of Mann and her engines developed 2,000 shp (1,500 kW) more than those of The Lady.[4] This continued engine development resulted from ever-improving engineering and material standards, thereby in turn securing greater thermal efficiency.

View of the spacious promenade deck on board Ben-my-Chree.

Ben-my-Chree's design was very much suited to the Edwardian era. Her five decks consisted of lower, main, shelter, promenade and boat decks, and offered ample room for her passengers.[4] The promenade deck extended over two-thirds of the vessel's length.[4] Above the promenade deck was the boat deck, extending over half of her length and affording ample shelter to passengers during inclement weather.[4] The shelter deck was carried right fore and aft, and on each side there was a fine promenade. The centre of this deck consisted of cabins and public rooms while on the two decks below (the main and lower) there were additional public saloons.[4] The first class passengers occupied the forward part of the ship and the second class the after part. There was a wide companionway forward allowing access to all decks via stairways.[4]

Situated on the promenade deck was a tea room which was paneled in grey sycamore and mahogany.[4] Below this there was the Lady's Saloon, which was finished in satin wood and walnut. The smoke room with adjacent bar was situated in the after part of the deck-house on the shelter deck.[4] On the main deck there was the main saloon, which was 80 feet (24 m) long and 46 feet (14 m) wide. It was lit by large patent rectangular windows which were paneled with mahogany with carved pilasters.[4] The first class dining saloon was situated on the lower deck with accommodation for 120 passengers.[4] It also had a handsome appearance, being paneled in mahogany and oak. At the aft end of the dining saloon there was a large pantry fitted up with Bain Maries, carving tables and linked by lifts to the main galley, which was situated above.[4] At the fore end of the dining saloon on the lower deck there was a saloon for first class passengers.[4]

The Ben-my-Chree was also fitted with 8 private cabins.[4] These were located on the shelter deck and were exceptionally well furnished, fitted with sofas, a table and a folding lavatory.[4]

In the second class section there was a large saloon on the main deck and a dining saloon on the lower deck, forward of which was the second class ladies saloon.[4] A large buffet and bar was also provided for the second class passengers.[4]

Fitted with two funnels and two masts which were schooner rigged a fine sheer and smart rake, the vessel was said to look as if she was at speed, even when at anchor.[4]

Ben-my-Chree had been scheduled to enter service in June 1908.[4] However, industrial action which resulted in a "lockout" of employees at Vickers delayed her entry into service. She entered the graving dock at Barrow on 28 May, in order to have her propellers fitted and for her turbines to undergo testing. As a consequence of the strike, certain parts of her woodwork had also to be completed and her entry into service was therefore delayed until July.[7] Because of this delay, the Empress Queen had to be taken back into commission earlier than planned.

HMS Ben-my-Chree

Ben-my-Chree was the flagship of the Steam Packet Fleet when the Great War broke out in the summer of 1914, carrying more passengers than any other company ship.[9]

She was requisitioned in January 1915, and went to Cammell Laird's where she was to be converted to a seaplane carrier in the Birkenhead yards.[9] A major factor in her being chosen for such a conversion was her speed, as such ships had to be able to hold station when within the Grand Fleet.[9]

The Ben-my-Chree was fitted with a large aircraft hangar aft and a smaller one forward, with a flying-off platform also fitted to the forward end of the ship.[9] Cranes were fitted for hoisting the seaplanes back on board, and a workshop for the repair and servicing of the aircraft was fitted in the deck below the main hangar. Commissioned on 3 March 1915, her first base was Harwich, where she arrived on 28 April.[9] HMS Ben-my-Chree was fitted with four 12-pounder and four anti-aircraft guns and carried four Short Type 184 seaplanes.[9] When The Ben was fitted up as a carrier, it was assumed that the Short 184s could get airborne using the tilted forward trackway. In practice their weight was against them, so that they then had to be lowered into the sea, which meant that the ship would have to be almost stationary – a serious problem whilst in action.[9] During 1915, when she was first in action, The Ben also carried Sopwith Schneider floatplane fighters which were tasked with intercepting Zeppelins over the North Sea.[9] The Sopwith Schneiders also proved difficult to get airborne from the flying off platform, so to overcome this two-wheeled dollies were fitted beneath the floats.[9]

By August 1915 HMS Ben-my-Chree had made her way to the Mediterranean reaching Malta on 7 June.[9] From then she started her support of the Gallipoli Campaign by using her aircraft to spot for naval gunners as they bombarded the Turkish positions.[9] On 12 August 1915 one of HMS Ben-my-Chree's 184s attacked and sunk a Turkish supply ship. The aircraft was piloted by Flt. Commander Charles Edmonds R.N.A.S. using a 14-inch Whitehead torpedo. It was the first successful attack against a ship with a torpedo dropped from the air.[9] Five days after this sinking, two more torpedo attacks were launched from HMS Ben-my-Chree against Turkish supply ships. Flt. Commander Edmonds was involved in one attack, the other involving Flt. Lieutenant G.B. Dacre.[9]

On 2 September 1915 HMS Ben-my-Chree went to the aid of the troopship Southland, which was sinking. She was successful in rescuing 815 men comprising 694 Australians and New Zealanders and 121 crew.[9]

HMS Ben-my-Chree continued service in the Mediterranean into 1916, staging air raids into Bulgaria and spotting for naval gunners. Among her officers at this time was William Wedgwood Benn.[10] At the end of 1916 she went through the Suez Canal and into the Red Sea, where she bombarded Arab camps and bombed railways.[9] She then returned into the Mediterranean, resuming her duties as previous. On 11 January 1917 HMS Ben-my-Chree was anchored off Kastellorizo when a Turkish battery opened up on her, demolishing the aft hangar and holing the petrol store, setting light to the ship.[9] A further shell set fire to the hangar, which was followed by further hits. The steering gear had been disabled by one shot and so it was impossible for the ship to move out of range of the battery. Approximately 30 minutes after the commencement of the bombardment the order was given to abandon ship.[9] Two of the ship's three motorboats had been disabled, but one had escaped damage and, using the side of the ship, was able to evacuate the 250 crew members who were on board, with Commander Samson and his chief engineer being the last to leave the stricken vessel. HMS Ben-my-Chree sank in the shallow water after further bombardment.[9]

Five crew members, including Commander Samson, returned later that day. They removed the breech-blocks from the guns and rescued the ship's mascots.

In 1920 the wreck of HMS Ben-my-Chree was raised and taken to Piraeus. Subsequently, she was sold to the Crete Shipping Company and broken up in Italy in 1923.[11]

Official numbers are issued by individual flag states. They should not be confused with IMO ship identification numbers. Ben-my-Chree had the UK Official Number 118605 and originally used the Code Letters H R C Q .

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