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Skipper Alfred Charles Cable R.N.R


Doug Lewis

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Remembering Skipper Alfred Charles Cable

Name: CABLE, ALFRED CHARLES

Initials: A C

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Skipper

Regiment: Royal Naval Reserve

Unit Text: H.M.S. "Vesper."

Age: 35

Date of Death: 04/04/1916

Additional information: Husband of Ethel Hope (formerly Cable), of 87, Freeston St., New Cleethorpes, Grimsby.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. 4A. 1333.

Cemetery: LARNE NEW CEMETERY

Country: United Kingdom

Locality: County Antrim

Historical Information: This is at Greenland, on the Ballycarry road. There are 24 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war, 1 of which is an unidentified seaman of H.M.S. Viknor, and 14 of the 1939-1945 war, 1 of which is also unidentified.

No. of Identified Casualties: 36

Regards Doug

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Curious............I see Alfred Cable is noted as serving on HMS Vesper but he died in April 1916 and HMS Vesper wasn't launched until December 1917................More than one HMS Vesper?...............or is not all that it seems? :huh:

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Will,

You are correct about HMS Vesper being built/commissioned after Cable’s death

As the above details give ‘Skipper, RNR’

I think that HMS Vesper should probably be read as HM Trawler Vesper

I could find no vessel with the name Vesper recorded as lost in WWI

But did find another Skipper [W. T. Marks] for HMT Vesper, No.WSA 344

on the Absent Voters list for Grimsby & Cleethorpes 1919

It does not prove anything, but perhaps suggests that Skipper Cable died of either illness or accident rather than going down with his ship?

Regards

Michael D.R.

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Will,

You are correct about HMS Vesper being built/commissioned after Cable’s death

As the above details give ‘Skipper, RNR’

I think that HMS Vesper should probably be read as HM Trawler Vesper

I could find no vessel with the name Vesper recorded as lost in WWI

But did find another Skipper [W. T. Marks] for HMT Vesper, No.WSA 344

on the Absent Voters list for Grimsby & Cleethorpes 1919

It does not prove anything, but perhaps suggests that Skipper Cable died of either illness or accident rather than going down with his ship?

Regards

Michael D.R.

Michael................Yes, I think you've hit the nail on the head with that..........Do you know whether there is a definitive list of all the Trawlers used by the RNR, which the name Vesper could be cross referenced against?

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Will,

I don’t have any info myself, however I see from a previous thread on trawlers that Malcolm pulled some useful gen on them from Dittmar & Colledge’s ‘British Warships 1914-1919’

see here

Regards

Michael D.R.

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Will,

Dittmar & Colledge’s British Warships 1914-1919 has:

Hired Trawler Vesper: 264 tons, launched in 1906, Port No GY 156 (Grimsby), Admiralty No 1340. It was renamed Vesper II in February 1917.

The vessel was in Naval service from August 1914 to 1919. It was equipped with one 12 pounder gun and used as a minesweeper.

Regards

Mark

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Will,

I don’t have any info myself, however I see from a previous thread on trawlers that Malcolm pulled some useful gen on them from Dittmar & Colledge’s ‘British Warships 1914-1919’

see here

Regards

Michael D.R.

Michael.............I've sent a PM to Malcolm to see if he can shed any light on the 'HMS Trawler Vesper' question

Oops...........Brigantian has nipped in there while I was posting............Many thanks for info Brigantian :D ..............It appears fairly conclusive that it was HMS Trawler Vesper that Alfred Cable served aboard..............Another little piece of the puzzle solved.

Edited by Will O'Brien
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See here for

“Grimsby Roll of Honour 1914-1919

County Borough of Grimsby

An account of the Borough’s Effort during the Great War 1914-1919

Together with the Roll of Honour

Price Sixpence”

There is brief chapter on “The Fishermen at War”

However the Roll of Honour does not appear to include Skipper Cable

I wonder if he is remembered on any Grimsby memorial?

Regards

Michael D.R.

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  • 7 months later...
Guest simonhardy1976

Alfred Charles Cable was married to my Grandmothers sister Ethel (maiden name Bolton) Family legend has it that he died of a broken neck or back, he was said to be a very severe man and that foul play was suspected.

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