HMS Veronica (Royal Navy) 1924

[mrs.tenacious]

My grandfather's naval records show that he served on HMS Veronica from 20 Mar 1924 to 10 January 1927.
When my father received his records from the Naval Historical Branch (Naval Staff) section of the MOD  in Portsmouth a few years back, they listed the various ships he had served on, along with a short description.  According to this letter they state:

"HMS Veronica was a 'V&W' Class destroyer, serving in the patrol flotillas off the South cost of Ireland".

Google searches in fact suggest that HMS Veronica would have been out in the Pacific at that time, cruising around New Zealand and surrounding islands. 

Can anyone confirm that this was the case please? I'm going round in circles with this one!

Mrs. T.

[martin hooper]

Try this link

https://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-18-HMS_Veronica.htm

Martin

[AlanBoyd]

There is a newspaper item from January 1928 which establishes that HMS Veronica was in the Pacific at that date.

[mrs.tenacious]

Try this link

https://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-18-HMS_Veronica.htm

Martin
Thanks - I saw this earlier - the log books go up to just before he joined the ship, but I presume it was in the Pacific then anyway. I’ll have to see if I can find anything that shows it was there for the duration of the time range I mentioned in his records.
Thank you for looking.
Mrs.T.

[mrs.tenacious]

There is a newspaper item from January 1928 which establishes that HMS Veronica was in the Pacific at that date.

Where did you find the article, Alan?
If my grandad was on that ship from Mar ‘24 to Jan ‘27, does it suggest that’s where he would have been for the duration?
So far, I haven’t been able to find anything definite for that time-frame.

[AlanBoyd]

Saturday 07 January 1928: Leicester Daily Mercury

RADIO DIAGNOSIS
Captain Saved by Remarkable Operation at Sea.

A remarkable surgical operation at sea by a ship's officer, it has just been revealed, saved the life of their captain.

Captain G. A. Grey, of the Waipahi, fell seriously ill on the voyage from Auckland (New Zealand) to Rarotonga (one of the Cook Islands), and it became evident that an operation on his head was imperative.

The Waipahi carried no doctor, but the surgeon on H.M.S. Veronica  gave his diagnosis by wireless and also instructions for the operation.

There were no proper surgical instruments on board, and a razor was used. The captain's suffering was greatly relieved, but there was difficulty in stopping his bleeding.  The Waipahi put on full speed and raced towards Rarotonga.

H.M.S. Veronica reached Rarotonga two hours before the Waipahi and arrangements were made for getting Captain Grey into hospital. It was later learned that it the Waipahi had been a few hours later at Rarotonga Captain Grey would have died from loss of blood.

[mrs.tenacious]

Saturday 07 January 1928: Leicester Daily Mercury

RADIO DIAGNOSIS
Captain Saved by Remarkable Operation at Sea.

A remarkable surgical operation at sea by a ship's officer, it has just been revealed, saved the life of their captain.

Captain G. A. Grey, of the Waipahi, fell seriously ill on the voyage from Auckland (New Zealand) to Rarotonga (one of the Cook Islands), and it became evident that an operation on his head was imperative.

The Waipahi carried no doctor, but the surgeon on H.M.S. Veronica  gave his diagnosis by wireless and also instructions for the operation.

There were no proper surgical instruments on board, and a razor was used. The captain's suffering was greatly relieved, but there was difficulty in stopping his bleeding.  The Waipahi put on full speed and raced towards Rarotonga.

H.M.S. Veronica reached Rarotonga two hours before the Waipahi and arrangements were made for getting Captain Grey into hospital. It was later learned that it the Waipahi had been a few hours later at Rarotonga Captain Grey would have died from loss of blood.

Thank you - it’s looking like it was in the Pacific for that time.You’d think the Naval Historical section of the MOD would have got it right though! I’m wondering if someone confused ‘Ireland’ with ‘island’ 
Thanks for your help.

[tonepad]

"HMS Veronica was a "HMS Veronica was a 'V&W' Class destroyer, serving in the patrol flotillas off the South cost of Ireland"., serving in the patrol flotillas off the South cost of Ireland".

Per Reply #1, HMS Veronica was not a 'V&W' Class destroyer, but a Fleet Minesweeping Sloop, Flower-class, Acacia-type.

Does your grandfather's naval records clearly state that he served on HMS Veronica and not another ship with a similar name?

There seems to have been much confusion with your grandfather's naval records!


Tony

[AlanBoyd]

3 March 1934 Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser

RETURN OF THE VERONICA
The sloop Veronica...left Auckland on Saturday for home, on her withdrawal from the New Zealand Station, where she has served continuously for 14 years...