HMS Iris II
Encyclopedia
HMS Iris II was a River Mersey
ferry which was commandeered by the Royal Navy
to take part in the Zeebrugge Raid
of St George's Day
24 April 1918. Iris II along with another Mersey ferry, Daffodil
, was towed across the English Channel
to Zeebrugge
by HMS Vindictive
.
When the ship neared the Zeebrugge Mole
she cast the two ferries aside. Iris II endeavoured to pull up to the mole under heavy fire in order to off-load the Royal Marines
which were on board. the first attempt failed as the grapple-hooks were not large enough. Two naval officers, George Nicholson Bradford
and Lieutenant Hawkins bravely climbed ashore and under heavy fire attempted to secure the ship. Both were killed and Bradford received a posthumous Victoria Cross
. A Marine officer, Lieutenant William. E. Sillitoe was in all probability killed in the same action, and is buried with another casualty, Private J. Bostock, in the Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
Iris II continued to sustain heavy fire and at one point a shell burst through the deck into an area where 56 marines were preparing to land. 49 were killed and the rest seriously injured.
River Mersey
The River Mersey is a river in North West England. It is around long, stretching from Stockport, Greater Manchester, and ending at Liverpool Bay, Merseyside. For centuries, it formed part of the ancient county divide between Lancashire and Cheshire....
ferry which was commandeered by the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
to take part in the Zeebrugge Raid
Zeebrugge Raid
The Zeebrugge Raid, which took place on 23 April 1918, was an attempt by the British Royal Navy to neutralize the key Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge...
of St George's Day
St George's Day
St George's Day is celebrated by the several nations, kingdoms, countries, and cities of which Saint George is the patron saint. St George's Day is celebrated on 23 April, the traditionally accepted date of Saint George's death in AD 303...
24 April 1918. Iris II along with another Mersey ferry, Daffodil
SS Royal Daffodil
SS Royal Daffodil was built in 1906 and scrapped in 1938. She was built as Daffodil for service on the River Mersey and renamed Royal Daffodil in recognition of her part in the Zeebrugge Raid.-Pre war:...
, was towed across the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
by HMS Vindictive
HMS Vindictive (1897)
HMS Vindictive was a British protected cruiser of the Arrogant class built at Chatham Dockyard. She was launched on 9 December 1897 and completed in 1899....
.
When the ship neared the Zeebrugge Mole
Mole (architecture)
A mole is a massive structure, usually of stone, used as a pier, breakwater, or a causeway between places separated by water. The word comes from Middle French mole and ultimately Latin mōlēs meaning a large mass, especially of rock and has the same root as molecule.Historically, the term "mole"...
she cast the two ferries aside. Iris II endeavoured to pull up to the mole under heavy fire in order to off-load the Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
which were on board. the first attempt failed as the grapple-hooks were not large enough. Two naval officers, George Nicholson Bradford
George Nicholson Bradford
Lieutenant Commander George Nicholson Bradford VC was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces...
and Lieutenant Hawkins bravely climbed ashore and under heavy fire attempted to secure the ship. Both were killed and Bradford received a posthumous Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. A Marine officer, Lieutenant William. E. Sillitoe was in all probability killed in the same action, and is buried with another casualty, Private J. Bostock, in the Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
Hamilton Road Cemetery, Deal, Kent.
Hamilton Road Cemetery is a combined municipal and military burial ground situated in the coastal town of Deal, Kent, in South East England. Opened in May 1856, it was created to provide a new burial ground for Deal at a time when its general population was expanding and when previous, often ad hoc...
Iris II continued to sustain heavy fire and at one point a shell burst through the deck into an area where 56 marines were preparing to land. 49 were killed and the rest seriously injured.