Magdala & Abyssinia were breastwork monitors that served at Bombay. Magdala was a Cerberus class ship and the slightly smaller Abyssinia was in a class of its own.
| |
| Magdala | Abyssinia |
| Photos courtesy of Spencer Lawes. | |
| Known As | Dates |
|---|---|
| Bombay Marine | 1613-1830 |
| Indian Navy | 1830-1863 |
| Her Majesty's Indian Marine (Western Division at Bombay) | 1877-1892 |
| Royal Indian Marine | 1892-1948 |
Back, Eric
Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marine between 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Brown, P.G.
Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marine between 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Burch, Charles William service No 188374
Charles William Birch was a signalman on the Magdala. He was drowned on 25 July 1900 in Bombay aged 20 yrs 9 days. (details submitted by his great nephew Anthony Burch)
Corbett, Cyril
Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marine between 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Courage, Archibald
Lieutenant in the Royal Indian Marine between 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Cunningham-Foot
First Lieutenant succumbed to the climate and was invalided out between 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Fleet, H.L.
Captain of HMS Magdala 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Hodges, W.T. Petty Officer, HMS Magdala. Case 29334
On the 21st September 1897, W.T.Hodges, petty officer, HMS Magdala, was accidentally knocked overboard from a torpedo boat while at target practice two miles off Bombay Harbour. The boat was steaming about 10 knots, and sharks abound in these waters. Pattison at once jumped in and caught him, and tried to reach the boat, but failed, and had to release his hold, when Hodges sank and was drowned. (Royal Humane Society Bronze Medals Citations Annual Report for 1898, Compiled by Peter Helmore, website)
Ibrahim
Overseer of the native seamen (Lascars and Rhatnaguri) in the Royal Indian Marine 1897-99. (My Life & a Few Yarns, Fleet H.L. 1922)
Palmer, Francis Ingram Commanding Magdala 1872. The Graphic, 28 December 1872. See also The Penny Illustrated Paper and Illustrated Times 5 May 1877
Pattison, John B. Leading Seaman HMS Magdala. Case 29334
On the 21st September 1897, W.T.Hodges, petty officer, HMS Magdala, was accidentally knocked overboard from a torpedo boat while at target practice two miles off Bombay Harbour. The boat was steaming about 10 knots, and sharks abound in these waters. Pattison at once jumped in and caught him, and tried to reach the boat, but failed, and had to release his hold, when Hodges sank and was drowned. (Royal Humane Society Bronze Medals Citations Annual Report for 1898, Compiled by Peter Helmore, website)
Pickthorn, A.J.
born about 1864, aged 37 years, Staff Surgeon, serving on HMS Magdala in 1901. (Maltese Seamen in the Royal Navy, website)
| Ship | Type | Image |
|---|---|---|
Magdala | Breastwork Monitor | |
Abyssinia | Breastwork Monitor | |
Assaye | Torpedo Gunboat |  |
Plassy | Torpedo Gunboat | |
No.1 Baloochi | Torpedo Boat (23 knots) | |
No.2 Kahren | Torpedo Boat (23 knots) | |
No.3 Pathan | Torpedo Boat (23 knots) | |
No.4 Mahratta | Torpedo Boat (19 knots) | |
No.5 Sikh | Torpedo Boat (19 knots) | |
No.6 Rajput | Torpedo Boat (19 knots) | |
No.7 Ghurka | Torpedo Boat (21 knots) |
Click to view the Magdala & Abyssinia SlideShow
The Bombay Guard-Ships
Illustrated London News, 11 February 1871
Magdala entering the Hydraulic Dry-Dock at Bombay
The Graphic, 28 December 1872
Engraved from a sketch by Lieut Francis Palmer R.N. commanding Magdala.
The Indian Harbour Defence Force
Navy & Army Illustrated, 2 April 1897
courtesy of Peter Webster artillerist.vze.com
Images that accompanied above article
