Depot Ships and other vessels associated with HMS St Christopher.
Information from Shore Establishments of the Royal Navy by Lt. Cdr. B Warlow RN
HMS ST CHRISTOPHER
Commissioned 31st October 1940
Paid Off 31st December 1944 when training was transferred to HMS BEE
The Nominal Depot Ship
Speedboat BEN TRAVATO 31st October 1940 - 22nd June 1944
Harbour Launch (Patrol) 42604 from 22nd June 1944
In the Royal Navy, under section 67 of the Naval Discipline Act 1866, the provisions of the act only applied to officers and men of the Royal Navy borne on the books of a warship. When shore establishments began to become more common it was necessary to allocate the title of the establishment to an actual vessel which became the nominal depot ship for the men allocated to the establishment and thus ensured they were subject to the provisions of the Act.
ABERDONIAN
Built 1909
Coastal Forces Depot Ship
Requisitioned 26th April 1940
Commissioned 22nd July 1940
Temporary Maintenance Ship for Auxiliary Patrol Motor Boats
Chatham August 1940
Fort William October 1940 to November 1941
Dartmouth January 1942 to 1945, tender to BRITANNIA II
Paid Off 27th March 1945
There is a reference to a HM Hospital Ship ABERDONIAN between 16th October 1915 to 16th June 1919, it is said to be one of the smaller hospital ships with accommodation for 245 casualties. This could be the same vessel.
BOURNEMOUTH QUEEN (Sometimes called BOURNEMOUTH BELLE)
Built 1908
Paddle Steamer
Lamlash Base and Accommodation Ship
Hired as Mine Sweeper in WWI, BOURNE and as Anti Aircraft ship April 1941
Guard Ship Harwich 26th September 1942
Accommondation Ship Fort William
Commissioned 19th October 1943
Paid Off 16th February 1944
Allocated as Trial Ship to Directorate of Miscellaneous Weapons Development Trials Lamlash 24th March 1945
Restored to owner 8th November 1945
There is a photograph of BOURNEMOUTH QUEEN here and here
ORIOLE
Built 1910 by Napier and Miller at Old Kilpatrick
Fort William / Dieppe Accommodation Ship
Paddle steamer EAGLE III
Hired as Mine Sweeper WWI and again November 1939
Experimental Mine Layer 1941 to 1943
Accommodation Ship 1943 to August 1945
Fort William from September 1943 to July 1944 (at least)
Terneuzen to April 1945
To DST 29th August 1945 and at Dieppe September 1945
There is a photograph of EAGLE III / HMS ORIOLE here
TIERCEL
Built 1913
Yacht
Fort William Accommodation Ship
Requisitioned 1941
Accommodation Ship Royal Navy Patrol Service Fort William October 1941
To Care & Maintenance 24th January 1942
Reallocated to BEE as torpedo target and recovery vessel October 1944
To DST at Cowes 27th August 1945
For disposal May 1946
Corpach
Destroyer Repair Base December 1941
To be reduced by August 1945