H.M.S. Saker
John Sidney Brew, Sub-Lieutenant (E) RNVR, was assigned to the vessel on 26 December 1941, after serving a month aboard H.M.S. Mersey.
Reg. No. 70570, an iron screw steamer of 687 register tons, she was built in 1874 by M. Pearse & Co. of Stockton, England and owned by H. Bucknall & Sons of London. She belonged to the port of Newcastle, England, had a length of 230 feet, a breadth of 31.1 feet, a depth of 16 feet, accommodation for 42 seamen, and 120hp.
John George Brew served as 2nd Engineer for four voyages, from 21 September to 3 November 1877, from South Shields to Barcelona, Vila Real de San Antonio and Lisbon (both in Portugal), and Liverpool, from 5 November to 6 December 1877 from Penarth to Lisbon, Seville and Vila Real de San Antonio, from 10 December 1877 to 28 January from South Shields to Barcelona, Seville, Vila Real de San Antonio and Liverpool, and from 9 January to 28 February 1878, from Cardiff to Gibraltar and Vila Real de San Antonio.
During one voyage, Henry Smith, the cook, died of heart disease and was buried at sea. The Crew Agreement for the voyage notes the longitude and latitude at which he was buried and lists his account of wages and effects, which give us a good idea of a seaman's kit at the time.
The crew agreements for San Domingo for 1877-1884 and 1886-1890 are held by the Maritime History Archive in Canada.
St. Cuthbert, Barque
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Reg. No. 91163, Code lettering JQMK, an iron barque, classed 100A1, of 1027 gross register tons. She was built in 1884 by Barclay, Curle & Co. of Glasgow. She had a length of 211 feet, a breadth of 33.7 feet, and a depth of 20 feet. The owners were J. & J. Rae & Co. of Liverpool, which was also her port of registry. |
Her survey report states, "This vessel is [a] barque rigged with the lower masts, bowsprit, lower and lower topsail yards constructed of iron....The workmanship and material are good throughout". Her forecastle measured 24 feet, her raised quarter deck 39 feet, and her mid-ship deck house 30 x 12 x 6 feet. Her rigging was made of wire and hemp. She carried 2 chains of 134 and 135 fathoms, 3 anchors of 27, 27, and 23 tons and four boats. The ship's master was W. J. Drummond.
His second ship, but first sailing ship, Albert Brew served on her as an Ordinary Seaman for approximately 2 & 1/2 months. Albert was one of a crew of 19 on the ship, which carried a load of coal, bricks and tiles bound from Newcastle to Buenos Aires. The voyage ended abruptly when the ship sank in the South Atlantic on 20 October 1897. St. Cuthbert was only about 140 km from it's destination when she was lost during a gale off the River Plate, when her load shifted. The ship was abandoned but the entire crew survived, rescued a while later by the steamer S.S. Condor.
The crew agreements for the years 1892-1893 and 1896 are held by the Maritime History Archive in Canada. Unfortunately, those for 1897 no longer exist. See also The Loss of the Barque St. Cuthbert.
St. Fagans, S.S.
Reg. No. 79384, code lettering RTSF, an iron screw steamer with 4 bulkheads, accommodation for 35 seamen, 130hp, and a 1362 net register tonnage. She was built in 6 months by Schlesinger, Davis & Co. in Newcastle in 1878 and named after a then village, now suburb of Cardiff, of the same name. She was owned by Harrison Bros. & Moore and registered in the port of Cardiff. She had a length of 248.9 feet, a width of 33.2 feet, and a depth of 18.8 feet.
John George Brew served on her as 1st Engineer for 5 voyages from 11 August 1881 to 13 June 1882, visiting the ports of Malta, Taganrog and Kerch in Russia, Sulina in Rumania, Constantinople, Palermo, Bordeaux, Rotterdam, and Cork.
Her Crew Agreements are held by Glamorgan Record Office, Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF1 3NE.
Sydney, H.M.A.S.
An aircraft carrier belonging to the Royal Australian Navy, she had a compliment of 1300 men, 26 aircraft, and twenty-four 30mm Bofors guns. Displacing 14,000 tons, she had 40,000hp engines, and measured 630 feet in length, 80 feet in breadth and 23 feet in depth. Sydney was laid down in Devonport Dockyard in 1943 and launched 30 April 1944 as HMS Terrible. She was acquired by the RAN in 1948 and, after extensive service in the Korean War, was relegated to training and flight training duties in May 1953. She was later sold as scrap metal and broken up in 1975.
John Richard Brew served on her while a member of the Royal Australian Navy Volunteer Reserve, between 1956 and 1961.