Re: Pearls Before Swine: Talking Technical with Young People

In article <io4hnj5skcnk5u4q7mnkpiss405ld6h7hp@4ax.com>,
The Horny Goat  <lcraver@home.ca> wrote:

On Fri, 3 Jan 2025 23:16:31 -0000 (UTC), jdnicoll@panix.com (James
Nicoll) wrote:
>

My maternal grandfather Strahan served in WWI, so he must have been
old enough to enlist. So probably born in the 19th century? He
was a Quartermaster, second class, by the time he got the Navy
Cross so probably not some tween with pasted on moustache.
>

I'd have to look up the dates on my great-grandfather (mother's
paternal grandfather) who (1) emigrated with wife + 8 children from
Belfast to Vancouver in 1912, (2) on start of war took the train to
Halifax and steamer to London where he then turned up with his reserve
officer's commission and asked them to put him to work (3) commanded a
minesweeper for the duration (promoted in 1917) (4) returned to Canada
in early 1919 and never returned to the UK until 1936 when he caught a
fever in Belfast on his way to attending the coronation that never was
and is buried in the same cemetary his parents were (in a small town
about 1/2 hr E of Belfast) - which we visited when we were there in
2016.
>
I asked a good friend who is a retired Canadian navy officer
(commanded a frigate which is as big as Canadian ships get these days)
to confirm his rank based on his service photo - he said "no problem,
we learn rank insignia in the academy and Canadian and UK insignia are
the same". I told him that it had to be before his promotion and
agreed and said 'from the ribbons almost certainly mid-1916' since he
has all the standard ribbons through then'
>
Navy Cross isn't one of those 'thanks for serving" medals so I'd say
you should see if you can get the citation - which ought to be
available in the Royal Navy records.

Oh, I have it. USN, not RN.

In the paper version of this I have seen, the back of the letter has
a note to my grandmother telling her not to worry.

******

ND: Rdb.
File No. 133-G

Base Eighteen
9 February 1919

From: Commanding Officer RED ROSE
To: Secretary of the Navy.
Via : Force Commander.
Commanding Officer, U.S.Naval Bases 17 and 18
Commander Minesweeping Detachment.

Subject: Strachan P.J. Q.M. 2c USNRF -- Recommendation
For Navy Cross and advancement in rating .

1) In accordance with instructions from Force Commander, two British
sailing smacks were obtained from the Admiralty for conducting
experimental minesweeping in the North Sea Barrage to ascertain the
effectiveness of these in field. Due to the late delivery of the vessels
it was not possible to fit them out and carry on the experiments until
after the armistice had been signed. On account of the peculiar
sensitiveness of the American Mark V1 Mine, considerable doubt was
expressed whether it would be possible for any type of vessel to
cross the minefield without being destroyed, even if the vessel
itself were protected. The possibility of adjacent mines countermining
was considered a grave source of danger to any vessel.

2) The two vessels supplied by the Admiralty were Lowestoft fishing
smacks, ketch rigged, sixty-nine feet overall. They were fitted out
at Base Eighteen with crews of picked men who had volunteered for this
work. The drifter Red Fern was received in very good condition, but
the other vessel RED ROSE was extremely old, the timbers rotted and
the hull leaking badly.. It is understood that this vessel had been
sunk for approximately three months and had been raised sometime prior to
sending her to Inverness for experimental purposes.

3) The vessels got underway on 21 December 1918 and were towed to the
minefield where they made sail on 22 December 1918, put out the sweep
and set course to cross the minefield. The minefield laid by Mine Squadron
One on 19 August 1918 was crossed and recrossed four times, resulting in
exploding six mines., two of which were so close astern of the RED ROSE
that the water thrown up was blown aboard that vessel. The explosion also
caused considerable additional leakage which necessitated keeping the
pumps going approximately fifty percent of the time to keep the hull
free of water. By three o'clock the wind had freshened to force six,
with the barometer still falling rapidly and a bad sea coming on. The
sweep was cut adrift and the vessels stood off to the southward to get
clear of the minefield before dark. At 9:00 PM a gale was blowing and
an extremely heavy sea which made it necessary for the RED ROSE to heave
to under a storm jib and triple- reefed mizzen. The storm was increasing
in violence until it began to appear doubtful whether it would be possible
to keep the ship afloat until the weather abated.

4) At about 2:00 AM the main topmast ,which was carrying no sails snapped
and hung about half way down the mast, suspended by the topsail halyards.
This mast suspended in this fashion was whipping about wildly, striking
the sail and rigging violently, with grave danger of carrying away the
headsail as well as the shrouds and other rigging attached to the mast.
The only solution was to go aloft and cut it adrift. This involved climbing
the shrouds while the topmast was whipping across them at intervals of
approximately four seconds and with such force that it would have killed
a man had he been struck by it.

P.J. Strachan, quartermaster second class, U.S.Naval Reserve Force,
realizing the situation jumped into the rigging and, watching the
mast as it whipped back and forth across the shrowds finally succeeded
in climbing above it and on to the crosstrees where he cut it free
and it fell on deck.

Later on the same night while the Commanding Officer was securing some
rigging which had come adrift a heavy sea broke over the bulwark washing
him across the deck. He would undoubtedly have been carried overboard
had it not been for the assistance of Strachan who caught him and held
him until the sea had passed. During the remainder of this storm and
another storm of equal violence, Strachan displayed the most remarkable
courage and seamanship I have ever seen.

4) It is therefore recommended that P.J.Strachan quarter master second
class U.S. Naval Reserve Force be awarded the Navy Cross for most
distinguished service and extraordinary heroism in the line of duty
and that he be advanced to the rating of Chief Quartermaster. It is
further requested that a copy of this letter be attached to his
service record.

Commanding Officer Davis

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