Tugboat Jenny

[Ian_B]

Hello All,

First post....

I've been researching the family and one of my grandma's brothers was killed in a sinking, so the story goes, the name of the vessel banded about is "Tugboat Jenny" at first we thought this was before WW1, but this didn't fit in with other dates we have. Yesterday I was given a new date of 1927. This fits a lot better. I believe I have a photo of him HERE (http://www.ianpball.f2s.com/html/my_old_8.htm) scoll down to "Old Postcard - 016 - F" he's the chap in the middle, his name was Harold Godman, there's another at the bottom of the page as well. We can't find his birth or death or anything else about him or the boat. So onto the question......

Does (did) this boat exist?
Does anybody know where I should go next to find anything out (cheaply I'm Afraid).
Has anybody got any other usefull info.

Begging over, regards Ian.

[Steve Woodward]

Ian,
Welcome to SN, I cannot help you with your search but someone here probably can, the best of luck to you
Steve

[benjidog]

Hi Ian and welcome to the site from Lancashire.

The name Jenny is very common and will be difficult to map to a specific ship from raw data and you don't have much to go on to start with.

Maybe one of our members will be able to help though as there a quite a few tug enthusiasts here.

You could try this website out http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz and type Jenny in the name field as I just did and found 50 ships of various kinds. No guarantee that your one is amongst them but you may as well give it a try.

Let us know how you get on with your enquiry. It would help to know more about the time and place.

Regards,

Brian

[Ian_B]

That's the problem, I have very little to go on. Three branches of the family have slightly different stories. Those that were alive at the time and still alive now were very young then, so can't give us any more than we know now. I'm (we) are hoping as more people in the family come forward we can get a better understanding of the mystery. In the meantime we keep looking. We do believe it was close to the UK, It is said that it was reported in the papers of the day, alas, we can't find those papers.

From that site listed below there were two Jenny's that had no disposal data "5609866" & "3004410", so who knows!

Thanks Ian

[Ian_B]

Hello all,

We've found the boat here (http://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1930.htm). Should have thought sooner to try a different spelling "Genny". We were starting to think we had the wrong surnames as we had come across a few other relatives that were using the grandparents name, just to make our lives that little bit harder in the research dept. So there we have him, one Harold Banks went down on Sunday 12 Jan 1930.

Now all we have to do is find out how old he was and a picture of the boat or similar vessel.

As they went down off a small french island on the french coast, were would we find a record of his death?

God rest thier souls.
Regards

Ian.

[neillrush]

Hi, found this on the net by accident, then I saw your post on SN, then had to try and remember where I found it!!

St Genny, Admiralty rescue tug, foundered in English Channel approaches 12/01/30, off Isle of Ushant, France.

Lost

BANKS, Harold, Able Seaman, J 32459

BURREN, Charles H B, Boatswain

CIVIL, Herbert G, Chief Engine Room Artificer 1c, M 804

COOMBES, Alfred E L, Stoker 1c, KX 76581

COTTEN, Richard R, Stoker 1c, K 62115

CROWTHER, James R, Stoker 1c, K 16109

FRAY, Thomas, Engine Room Artificer 2c, N 34649

GREEN, Leonard C, Stoker 1c, K 62435

HEBEL, Frederick J B, Leading Stoker, K 59712

HOWES, George A, Able Seaman, J 105307

KELLINGTON, Sydney R, Able Seaman, J 92220

KEMP, Claud W N, Officer's Steward 2c, L 12749

KNIGHT, Frederick A, Stoker 1c, K 65419

LEAN, Philip S, Commissioned Gunner

MAITLAND, Paul, Able Seaman, J 100943

PAUL, Charles F, Lieutenant

PEPLAR, William H, Engine Room Artificer 1c, M 14878

PINK, Frederick G, Leading Stoker, K 59106

PRIEST, Albert J, Officer's Steward 3c, L 14694

RAVEN, Henry A, Stoker 1c, K 58432

TITMUS, Sidney S, Able Seaman, J 106605

WILLIS, John T, Leading Stoker, K 2295

WILLOUGHBY, Thomas J, Telegraphist, J 48094

SMITH, William C, Able Seaman, J 34717, illness

Dont know if it helps!
Rgds Neill

[sdking]

Hi,

My great aunts husband sadly died on the St Genny

KNIGHT, Frederick A, Stoker 1c, K 65419

does anyone have a referance of where it went down? and in what depth?

would the admralty have this kind of information

Thansk

Simon King
sdking(removethis).home@btinternet.com

[KYRENIA]

Simon, all i have is SAINT GENNY foundered off Ushant 12.1.30 whilst towing H.M.S SNAPDRAGON.
Cheers John.

[Derek Roger]

Welcome from Canada Ian . Seems you already have some connections in your search . This is a great site and the members have the most knowledge of any marine site . Stay with us and enjoy the voyage .

Regards Derek