Launched 28.12.94 Sheerness DY. 960 tons, 204(oa), 180(pp)x32x11ft. TE 1400ihp, 13.5kts. Armament: 8-4in, 4-3pdr. Served in Pacific, then harbour training service in New Zealand. To NZ Government 1917. Renamed FIREBRAND 8.17. Sold 7.20 in New Zealand. (British Warships 1914-1919)

Class of two ships, Torch built by Sheerness Dockyard, launched 28 December 1894, completed October 1895, 960 tons, 180ft long, armed with 6-4in/4-3pdr/2-.45in Maxim guns, 13 knots, 106 crew.

She sailed to join the Australian Station in February 1897. In 1898 and 1899, served in New Zealand waters. In 1901 she formed part of the naval escort during the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to Australia and New Zealand. In 1910-1911, after many years of patrol work around the Pacific Islands, she was refitted in Sydney and it is probable there were some changes to her rigging and armament. By the time the First Australian Fleet Unit arrived in Sydney in 1913 she was paid off. Served in Pacific 1914-17. In 1917 she was handed over to the New Zealand government and renamed Firebrand in August 1917 to release name for a new destroyer (Torch (2)). Sold locally July 1920 and fitted out with refrigeration for the Chatham Island fishing trade and renamed Rama. On 17 November 1924 she was holed by an uncharted rock approaching the harbour of the Chatham Islands, beached and abandoned. (Australian War Memorial site/Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860-1905 and 1906-21/Jane’s Fighting Ships)

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

HMS Torch was an Alert-class sloop of the Royal Navy, built at Sheerness Dockyard and launched in 1894. She served in Australia and New Zealand and was transferred to New Zealand as a training ship in 1917, being renamed HMS Firebrand at the same time. She was sold in 1920 and converted to a refrigerated ship with the new name Rama. She ran aground in the Chatham Islands in 1924 and was abandoned.

Design[edit]

Alert and Torch were constructed of steel to a design by William White, the Royal Navy Director of Naval Construction.^[1] They were powered by a three-cylinder vertical triple expansion steam engine developing 1,400 horsepower and driving a single screw.^[1]

Sail Plan[edit]

The class was originally designed and built with barque-rigged sails, but both ships were re-rigged as barquentines before 1900 by removing the main yards.

Armament[edit]

Both ships of the class were armed with four 4-inch and four 3-pounder guns, and three machine guns.^[2]

Construction[edit]

Torch was laid down at Sheerness Dockyard on 18 December 1893^[1] and launched almost a year later on 28 December 1894.^[3] She was commissioned in October 1895.^[1]

Service in Australian waters

Glass plate negative of Royal Navy’s sloop HMS ‘Torch’ and armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’, Farm Cove, Sydney, 1904-1905,
MadeKerry and Co, Sydney, New South Wales Australia c.1884-1917
This image from a glass plate negative produced between 1904 and 1905 shows the Royal Navy’s steel sloop HMS ‘Torch’ and the armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’ at moorings in Farm Cove, Sydney Harbour. HMS ‘Torch’ (in the foreground) was built in 1894 and served on the Australia Station from 1897 until sold in 1913. Alongside her is the small steam work boat of M S Bird & Co. ship providores. She is delivering stores which can be seen towards the bow of the steamer. ‘Torch’ was rated at 960 tons and carried six quick-firing 4 inch (100mm) guns at up to 13 knots.

At rear is the large armoured cruiser HMS ‘Euryalus’. Built in 1903, ‘Euryalus’ was on the Australia Station in 1904 and 1905 and was relieved in 1905 by the larger HMS ‘Powerful.’ ‘Euryalus’ was disposed of in 1920.

HMS Torch, Sydney Harbour

Torch joined the Australian Station in February 1897, serving in New Zealand waters in 1898 and 1899.^[3][4] She was part of the naval escort for the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York to Australia and New Zealand aboard the chartered Royal liner HMS Ophir during 1901.^[3] After a refit, she recommissioned at Sydney on 29 November 1913. In July 1914 Torch, in company with the French cruiser Kersaint, was involved with a native uprising on the Island of Wala, Vanuatu. Five men were killed and four injured, and one native prisoner was captured.^[5] In August 1914 she became part of the New Zealand Division of the Pacific Station.

THE VOYAGES OF HMS Torch (1) 1914 – (Maps prepared using Journey Plotter, developed by Maikel. The Plots can only be approximate. They are made by joining-up positions on successive days, and sometimes positions are not given. There will therefore be occasions when the ship appears to have travelled overland)

Training ship Firebrand[edit]

On 16 August 1917 she was transferred to the New Zealand Government as the training ship HMS Firebrand.^[2][3] Torch paid off for the last time on 23 November 1914.^[6]

Refrigerated ship Rama[edit]

She was sold in 1920, renamed Rama and fitted out as a refrigerated ship for the Chatham Islands fishing trade.

Fate[edit]

While leaving harbour at Kaingaroa, on Pitt Island in the Chatham Islands on 17 November 1924 she struck an uncharted rock, and was beached and abandoned.

Plank of wood from abandoned ship to be donated to Chathams

Matthew Littlewood

August 03, 2020, • 04:39pm

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Tricia, left, and Leon Prendeville, of Chatham Island Shipping, check out the plank of wood from the HMS Torch, Allan Averis, front, is donating to the Chatham Islands Museum.
JOHN BISSET / STUFF

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A plank of wood from a Chatham Islands ship launched in 1894 will return to the island’s museum, 96 years after the vessel ran aground.

Peel Forest man Allan Averis, 80, has been in possession of the plank from the HMS Torch for nearly 50 years obtaining it during his time on the Chatham Islands, where he worked as an engineer from 1968 to 1973.

“I looked after a lot of the fishing boats there, and one day, some Americans helped salvage part of the HMS Torch,” Averis said.

“They gave me some teak planks, which I have kept with me ever since.”

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The HMS Torch was an Alert-class sloop of the Royal Navy. It served in Australia and New Zealand and was transferred to New Zealand as a training ship in 1917, renamed HMS Firebrand at the same time.

The plank of wood from the HMS Torch being donated to the Chatham Islands Museum
JOHN BISSET / STUFF

It was sold in 1920 and converted to a refrigerated ship with the new name Rama. The ship ran aground in the Chatham Islands in 1924 and was abandoned.

“It was a beautiful ship, it had a real story to tell,” Averis said.

Averis said the Americans managed to salvage three planks off the HMS Torch for him, two of which were used to help build his yacht.

“It took me years to build, but once I did, I sailed around all over the place. I took my children on it a lot,” Averis said.

“I had one plank from the HMS Torch left over, which has stayed with me in my home ever since.”