Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History HMS Birkenhead (The Birkenhead Drill)

Found this article on HMS Birkenhead,I think is a great bit of history in relation to Lairds and Birkenhead.


Source Click Me

good stuff just what we need

Apparently "The Birkenhead Drill" is a time honoured tradition and is still honoured by the Royal Navy.

Nice piece mate ,things like that do make you proud to be a Birkenhead lad ,



Career (Great Britain)
Name: HMS Vulcan
Namesake: Birkenhead
Builder: John Laird shipyard, Birkenhead
Commissioned: 1845
Renamed: HMS Birkenhead, 1845
Reclassified: Troopship, 1845[1]
Fate: Wrecked, 26 February 1852 at Gansbaai
General characteristics
Class and type: Frigate
Displacement: 1918 tons (2000 tons loaded[1])
Length: 210 feet (64 m)[1]
Beam: 37 feet 6 inches (11 m)[1]
Draught: 15 feet 9 inches (5 m)[1]
Propulsion: Sail, plus two steam engines generating a total of 378 hp[1] driving two 6 metres (20 ft) diameter paddle wheels.
Sail plan: Brig, later barquentine
Speed: 10 knots[1]
Complement: 125
Notes: Iron hull; Renamed HMS Birkenhead

Iv got the full account given by the sailors on aboard and witnesses who picked up stragglers. Iv also got the news paper from the day it happened with the story. I will post it on here and my website when i get a bit of spare time.

Be good to see that Doc,

cant figure out how you post a picture ?
Its just says enter a URL but the pic is a file on my pc not online ????

Lil help anyone ?

This is the Birkenhead Memorial in South Africa. It was positioned right infront of where the ship sank. If you look directly ahead out to see that is where she went down.

Nice one that Doc , are they your photos , any shots of the memorial itself be interested to see whats written on it

Shazam !

I saw this yesterday on my travels (its hanging in Williamson Art Gallery) - its an impressive piece - really evokes the storminess and the panic of the moment. Nice.

I'm surprised what they have buried in Willaimson - I spotted a study of a bird by Hokusai! (bloke who did this picture)