Signal Lieutenant Arthur Hambleton Farnley RN

[RNLSGC]

Signal Lieutenant Arthur Hambleton Farnley RN. C De G (B) 17.1.1919, C De G (F) 24.3.1919 and most importanly his Black Star 12.12.1919. He got his MBE 27.5/1919. The Black Star is one on about 3 to the RN for WW1.

1.Signal Boatswain A.H.Farnley was one of the few officers saved from HMS Aboukir during Battle of Heligoland (Times Sept 25 1914)

2.As stated, awarded French CdG to Ch Sign Bosn (Times March 25 1919)

3. Sig Liet (Ret) A.H. Farnley, MBE to be Sig Liet Comdr (Ret) Nov. 23 1928

For his MBE

To be Members of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order:?

Chief Signal Boatswain Arthur Hambleton Farnley, R.N.

Arthur Hambleton Farnley was born 5th of August 1873 in Rommey Marsh, Rudd,Kent. At the time of his enlistment he listed his profession as G.H School? I am not sure if I have read it correctly or not. His tattoos are interesting as they are a Sailor with flags on right forearm and another being a Crucifix surmounted by alternate red & blue stars on his left forearm.

He attested for his 12 years of C.S. at Chatham on his 18th birthday on 5th of August 1891. Prior to this he served aboard HMS St. Vincent as a Boy 2nd / 1st Class from January 19, 1889 till April 1890.

He then serves a short period aboard HMS D. of Wellington from April to November 1890 before moving onto HMS Victoria on November 4, 1890 till March 31, 1891. It is during this time that Farnley obtains the ratings of Sigmn,Act. Sigm, Ldg Sigm and 2nd Yeo Sigs.

A s those know HMS Victoria was part of the Victoria Class turret ship of the Royal Navy. The Victoria was built at Elswick and engined by Humphrys and launched in 1887 and completed sea trials in 1889. On completion HMS Victoria became the flagship in the Mediterranean of Admiral Sir George Tryon. In course of evolutions off the coast of Syria on June 22nd 1893, she was rammed and sunk by HMS Camperdown, the ship gradually turned over then suddenly turned turtle and capsized. The disaster which cost the lives of Admiral Sir George Tryon and 321 officers and men. Farnley was lucky as he trasnfered from HMS Victoria to HMS Achilles just months before this incident on April 1, 1893.

He served aboard HMS Achilles for only the month of April before moving to the Shore Bases of HMS Victory I, HMS Vernon and again to HMS Victory I for the time period between May 1893 throughJune 1894. During this time period he obtained the rating of Yeo Signals.

He then moves to HMS Waterwitch on June 1894 and serves aboard her until April 1897. Now the only reference to a HMS Waterwitch that I could find that fit the correct time frame was a Steamship that did her trial of the coast of Australia in 1894. I don't know if this is the correct ship and if so, how he made his way there? I have doubts this is the correct as he back ashore at HMS Pembroke I on April 21, 1897 then onto HMS Jupiter on July 1 1898.

HMS Jupiter was a Majestic-class pre-Dreadnought battleship of the Royal Navy launched on November 18, 1895. She was completed on February 11, 1897, and commissioned in August 1905. She became part of the Home Fleet in 1908.In 1909?1910 she was refitted with fire control equipment, and stationed as a gunnery training ship at the Nore; in January of 1913 she became part of the Third Fleet. On the outbreak of the First World War, she became a guard ship at the Humber as part of the 7th Battle Squadron.

In 1915 she was sent to Archangel as an icebreaker, arriving in February - the earliest a ship had arrived at the port. After returning to the Channel Fleet later in the year, she served in the Mediterranean before being turned into an accommodation ship in 1918.She was scrapped in 1920.

Moving things along, Farnley serves aboard HMS Majestic, HMS Diadem, HMS Pembroke I yet again before serving aboard HMS Ophir from Feb 26, 1901 till November 6, 1901 thus earning his QSA and rank of Chief Yeo Sigs..

Shortly thereafter his CS record ends as he is promoted to Bosn on Dec 31, 1901. I believe those records, if they survived woudl be else where which would shed light on his WW-I service

[Guest Rick Research]

That's quite a career!

He's not listed in the 1935 British edition of "Who's Who?" but I hope somebody can add more to the story of his life. Fascinating stuff.