HMS MINERVA
Please press play
Minerva Roman Godess of Wisdom
HMS Minerva
H.M.S Minerva was Morris Moss Bright's first appointment as Acting Warrant Officer
to what must have seemed an ordinary ship at the time. However this was far from the
case! I am sure my grandfather would agree with me that Minerva was the ship that
made him and a few others. She was built in 1893 at Chatham Dockyard, Kent. Her
class was Eclipse and she was a light cruiser. In 1903 she escorted the Terra Nova to
Gibraltar. A few years later the Terra Nova was used as Captain Robert Scott's (Scott
of the Antarctic) relief ship in 1911. Minerva and her sisters could put up quite a fight.
The most outstanding action was of course the bombardment and landing at Akaba in
1914. Minerva also supported Major Lawrence after he took Akaba on July 6th 1917
with his Arab army. Minerva is mentioned in his book" The seven pillars of wisdom".
H.M.S Minerva was a ship with over two hundred years of history (1759) and her
name came from the Roman goddess of wisdom. There were other actions and events
that set her aside from other ships. One event was the capture of a an Austrian
female spy. Minerva was also a part of a Squadron which ran aground and sunk a
Turkish Navy Torpedo boat Demir-Hissar off of Chios on 17th April 1915 . Minerva
also supported the landings at Gallipoli in 1915. Other patrols were to counter the
threat of Colonel Paul Von Lettow-Vobeck around Africa. Minerva patrolled and
supported actions along the Suez canal.
I will never forget the first time I showed my late uncle Jule Bright H.M.S Minerva's
photo! This was before the age of the internet and the image came from The Imperial
War museum's photo archives in London . I think we both realised we were the first
family members to see an image of Minerva. What a moment that was and it sparked
a quest to know a lot more. Both Jule and my late mother Minnie then set about the
journey of the knowledge you see today. Without them this Life site would not exist!
Since 1999 The collection has grown. Because of the online World i was able to search
and learn.
I felt it was important to remember this marvellous, brave ship and her crew.
Minerva may be gone, but she will never be forgotten. Sadly she was scrapped in 1922.
It was really such a shame they did that because her historical value was immense.
However that is the Royal Navy way to break up the old in favour of new kit
Press this logo to visit Chatham Dockyard website (external site)
Vice - Admiral of the Royal Navy Horatio Nelson ,
1
st Viscount Nelson from his
flagship H.M.S Victory as the battle of Trafalgar was about to commence 21st
October 1805. It is my belief that the crew of H.M.S Minerva during WW
1
continued to fully execute this most eternal order in the finest and proud
tradition of the Royal Navy
Minerva was part of a massive Royal Navy in the early 1900's . However the fleet
needed modernisation . This came about with HMS Dreadnought in 1906 . This
ship made all other battleships obsolete with it's ten 12-inch guns, steam turbines
and revolutionary impact!
Press the maps to see enlarged image
H.M.S Minerva was built at the Royal dockyards at Chatham, Kent in 1890.
The blue arrow above indicates the dock 2 where the keel would have been laid.
“England expects that every man will do his duty”
The United Kingdom has been blessed with some of the Worlds greatest shipyards.
In Scotland on the River Cylde BAE systems , In Northern Ireland in Belfast Harland
& Wolff (where Titanic was built) . For over 300 years Chatham dockyards in Kent
was a major Royal Navy shipyard. Some of the most important ships built for the
Royal Navy history were from there. H.M.S Victory launched May 1765, H.M.S
Achilles 1863 (first ironclad). The total built including H.M.S Minerva was 400 ships
and submarines .
HMS Minerva was built in dock 2. Her keel was laid down December 4th 1893. She
was launched September 23 1895 and completed February 4th 1897. Sadly she was
sold for scrap October 5th 1920 . Chatham Dock yard closed March 30th 1984. The
Dockyard. reopened as a maritime museum in 1986
H.M.S Minerva(1895) . Her history dates back to 1759 a 32 gun 5th rate ship . She
was captured by the French and then recaptured and renamed H.M.S Recovery. In
1780 a new 38 gun 5th rate replacement was launched.In 1970’s the then Leander
Class H.M.S Minerva had the great honour of His Majesty King Charles III serving
aboard. This was when he was Prince of Wales. I had the pleasure of visiting in
Portsmouth many years ago during Navy days and saw H.M.S Bronington
(launched 1953) a wooden hulled Mine sweeper in which His Royal Highness
commanded. Sadly H.M.S Bronington has not been preserved for the nation! She
lays partially sub-merged in Birkenhead Docks. There is a trust in her name which
is trying to secure funding to save and restore her
Drawing of Minerva in the Suez Canal by an unknown artist
Minerva was part of a Naval squadron that ran aground
the Turkish torpedo boat Demir-Hissar off of Chios on
17th April 1915
The Fort at Akaba around the time of
the bombardment by Minerva
The Fort at Akaba now in Jordan still stands
despite being shelled and Lawrence of Arabia’s
attack in 1917
Eclipse class ship plans
HMS Minerva Stern & Bow photographs
The Minerva crew photographed during WW1. The arrow points to Lt Morris Bright.
Burly Bright confirmed the officer marked with and arrow as being his father. This
photograph is a mystery because it is alleged to be taken much earlier . However My
late Uncle was sure that the officer with the arrow pointing was his father
to visit HMS Minerva
Logs Online
Click the flag for top of the page
News of the launch of HMS Minerva
Click to enlarge photos
