Stokers on the Ajax in 1941

[TJN]

Hello! I am researching my granddad's naval history and this forum has been brilliant. He was a stoker on HMS Ajax during the battle of the River Plate in the 'aft steering compartment'.

Could anyone tell me how many stokers would be onboard this ship? Some stokers were given a DSM and were on a different part of the ship, so I am trying to work out how many stokers were onboard and how many might have been with him in the 'aft steering compartment'.

Any help gratefully received

[Biggles50]

HMS Ajax had a crew complement of 550, I am unsure specifically of the answer as his location does not conform to the standard Stoker activity.

Stokers were traditionally involved with the coal fired boilers, with their activity similar to that of a Fireman on a steam train engine.  They shovelled coal into a steam raising boiler or into the coal feed hopper.

As ship propulsion systems became more automated the role of Stoker changed to become more involved in the Engineering maintenance of the ship’s systems and given where he was located I would presume that his activities in the aft steering section would suggest that he was involved in the Engineering.   

It would be a 24 hour shift system under normal sea running conditions, in battle it would be all hands to station. 

As an example of staff numbers, in one of our land based steam raising boiler systems there were two Stokers on a three shift per day basis, at sea I could see that doubled at the very least.

What work did he do after leaving the RN?  That could help in understanding his skill and responsibility level in the RN.

Not sure it answers the question but you can be more than proud of Granddad’s contribution to one of the greatest victories at sea in British Naval History.

[TJN]

Thank you so much for your help. He failed some exams, but seems to have passed some engineering exams. He went to work in the shipyard after he retired. I'm more than proud of him. I am writing about his time in the navy and am just trying to get a sense of what it would be like and how many people he would work with at a time

[Rena]

I had a WWII ex navy teacher who landed in the sea three times when his ships were sunk.  I think you can probably work out how many were in steerage if you knew that each shift was EIGHT BELLS long.   Although I cannot imagine stoking a boiler for eight hours was feasible, possibly four hours shift.

There are three x eight hours in twenty-four hours.

According to Wikipedia, the Ajax had six coal fired boilers that needed feeding by Stokers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ajax_(22)

[garstonite]

Biggles - would you happen to know - My older brothers school - he attended it 1956-1960 - the house colours were
Warspite - Yellow
Rodney - Red
Ajax - Green
Achilles - Blue
I know they were WW2 Warships - but - were they all in the same battle at one stage ?? - were they all the same type ?...ie Battleships - or another reason ??
I have always wondered - he is still alive aged 78 ...xx
My G Grandfather was a Donkeyman - evidently maintained a smaller Steam Engine as a back up to the Main Engines - he was ALWAYS below deck ....

[Biggles50]

Not that I am aware.

Warspite served in both WW 1 and 2 and was the most decorated vessel.

Rodney was one of the ships that attacked the Bismark

Ajax and Achilles were both lying in wait for the Graf Spee to exit Montevideo after forcing the Captain to run there for cover.

[MaecW]

Just a quick correction to an earlier comment : Ajax, like the rest of the Navy in WW2, was oil-fired.  Coal having been phased out during and after WW1.
So TJN's grandad would likely have been undertaking other engineering duties as speculated by Biggles50.

As a side issue : The changeover to oil firing gave rise to the power-politics of Middle-eastern oil, from which we still suffer today, and also contributed to the decline in demand for coal and the decimation of parts of the mining industry in the 1920/30s.

[Biggles50]

There are internal plans of the Ajax.

This is just one location https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Ftrt1p1gsq1p61.jpg

I am an Engineer and many years ago the factory where I worked had coal fired steam raising boilers that raised superheated steam which was used to drive electricity generators in effect it had its own power station.  The Stokers did shovel coal for their full shift as there were six boilers to keep running.  They were then converted to oil and the number of Stokers reduced to two per shift where their duties was then basic Engineering and helping me overhaul the boilers when each was shutdown in turn for inspection and testing.

[garstonite]

Would they have had a Donkeyman Biggles ??