HC Deb 06 May 1908 vol 188 cc228-9
CAPTAIN FABER (Hampshire, Andover)

I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he will state what would have been the full complement of officers and men in each case of the following ships at the times of their disasters, and what the actual crews were at these times, viz., the "Tiger," "Berwick," "Gladiator," "Gala," and "Attentive."

THE FIRST LORD OF THE ADMIRALTY (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouth, N.

The full seagoing complement of officers and men were as follows:—

Officers. Men. Total.
"Tiger" 4 59 63
"Berwick" 47* 631 678
"Gladiator" 23 424 47
"Gala" 4 66 70
"Attentive" 15 270 285
* Includes 14 Midshipmen.
The numbers on board at the times of the disasters were:—
Officers. Men. Total.
"Tiger" 3 54 57
"Berwick" 24 425 449
"Gladiator" 13 244 257
"Gala" 4 55 59
"Attentive" 14 261 275

CAPTAIN FABER

May I ask a question of which I have given private notice, i.e., is it a fact that in the Home Fleet where these accidents have occurred odds and ends of crews have been put on the ships to make up numbers and that the crews in consequence have not been properly organised and trained and that probably was the cause of the accident, specially in the case of the "Tiger" and the "Gala."

*MR. SPEAKER

That Question should be put on the Paper.