Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past History Information Request HMS EAGLET and the RNR/RNVR

I am building up a file about the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve / Royal Naval Reserve on Merseyside over the last century, especially Photographs. We have loads of information already and Bob Evans, the old Eaglet Chaplain wrote a book on HMS Eaglet around 2004. Any information, old stories and especially photographs would be great. Here's a shot from 1966 to set the ball rolling


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Does anybody have any details of the former frigate / destroyer which was used by the R.N.R. at Egerton Dock in Birkenhead until at least the late 60's ?

Bob.

The last HMS Eaglet (1926/71) was formally HMS Sir Bevis (minesweeper), a point of interest, HMS Eaglet was the Commander in Chief, Western Approaches flagship, WW2.
Google would be a good friend on this one Bob.

The door into the wardroom at the new HMS Eaglet is the original door from the old ship. When they moved from Salthouse dock to Princess dock in the 70's, the door came with it, and when the old building was pulled down in 98 and moved to the new build in Brunswick dock they reused the door and frame. The original name when the Mersey division RNVR formed was HMS Eagle and was changed to Eaglet when the Admiralty commissioned a new ship.
Eaglet's satellite division, based in Morpeth dock was HMS Irwell which was also the WW2 trawler base in Birkenhead, also the birthplace of Mersey division RMR (Royal Marine Reserve)
below are a couple of shots of the Irwell, the first when she was in Birkenhead and the second when she was moved to Eaglet in Salthouse dock



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Also found this on forces re united

Five ships and a training establishment of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Eaglet:

HMS Eaglet was an 8-gun ketch built in 1655 and sold in 1674.
HMS Eaglet was a 10-gun ketch launched in 1691 and captured in 1693 by the French off the Isle of Arran.
HMS Eaglet was previously HMS Eagle, renamed whilst a training ship in 1918, lost in a fire in 1926, and the wreck sold in 1927.
HMS Eaglet was a paddle vessel, hired between 1855 and 1857.
The third HMS Eaglet became the Royal Naval Reserve training centre for Merseyside, North West England and North Wales. After her destruction in a fire in 1926, one other ship took the name whilst serving as the home of the centre.

HMS Sir Bevis, a 24 class sloop was HMS Eaglet from 1926 until she was broken up in 1971.
HMS Eaglet is a training centre for the Royal Navy Reserve. It serves Merseyside, North West England and North Wales, HMS Eaglet trains over 300 reservists each year and shares a new building with RMR Merseyside in Liverpool.

The Mersey Division of the RNVR was established in Customs House, Liverpool in 1904, before moving to HMS Eagle, a 50 gun frigate at Brunswick Dock, in 1911. Mersey Division was mobilised in 1914 to form part of the Royal Naval Division, serving at Gallipoli, the battles of Battle of Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele and Cambrai. To avoid confusion with a newer HMS Eagle, the frigate was renamed HMS Eaglet in 1919. The ship was destroyed in a fire in 1926, and replaced by the First World War 24 class sloop HMS Sir Bevis, which was renamed Eaglet. The new Eaglet was berthed at Salthouse Dock. During the Second World War, Eaglet became the flagship of Commander-in-Chief Western Approaches. In 1971, the sloop was scrapped and HMS Eaglet moved ashore to a new HQ at Princes Dock. In 1993, Eaglet received freedom of the city of Liverpool.



Added on 14/06/2011

As one half of Pemberton and Carlyon Shipbreakers of Garston Lpool we purchased H M S Eaglet in May 1971 for £4,221 and demolished her on Garston beach, the old Lpool Landing Stage was tied up alongside the ship and we used the stage to remove the bottom of the Eaglet which was filled with concrete to creat a small arms firing range I have this on Photographs and film B. P Carlyon Shipbreaker Retired

HMS IRWELL was first commissioned as HMS Bridlington at the end of WW1 then changed it's name to HMS Goole.She was a Hunt Class Minesweeper. She became HMS IRWELL during WW2 and was also know as HMS EAGLET II (2)
HMS GOOLE
built by Ayrshire Dockyard Irvine,
Yard No 482
Last Name: IRWELL (1942)
Previous Names: BRIDLINGTON (LD) IRWELL (1926) EAGLET II (1939)
Propulsion: Presumed, no engines as TS
Launched: Tuesday, 12/08/1919
Built: 1919
Ship Type: Minesweeper
Ship's Role: Aberdare class
Tonnage: 800t normal
Length: 231ft
Breadth: 28ft 6in
Draught: 7ft 6in
Owner History:
Royal Navy
Status: Arrived for Scrapping - 27/11/1962

Couple more photographs


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The end of her life at Garston docks ready to be broken up


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And, the original HMS Eagle, the first Training base for the RNR/RNVR


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Found some shots of HMS IRWELL being towed out of Salthouse dock on her way to be scrapped


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And another rather sad looking HMS EAGLE (EAGLET) before she was lost to fire in 1926



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A very interesting read !.

The present Chaplain is Fr John Williams MBE. Ask Eaglet for his contact details as he may have some useful information.

Thanks for the info, I have known John for over 20 years, he christened my daughter and buried my dad and we have spent many a Happy time on the rum together during the old sods operas for the submariners, he's a good friend of mine.
I'm also one of the ex junior rates mess president's of eaglet and served there for 20 years.
The photo's and info we are after are from ex Eaglet members and family's of ex Eaglet members who may have such items.
Kind Regards
Mike

Copy of the program that was issued during the service for the Freedom of the city of Liverpool

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Did you go to Fr John's Retirement Service at St Nick's and then the bash at Eaglet? Both were great fun

I was away at the time, gutted I missed it