Postcard of the Month : October 2023

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Edgar Parsons (b.1891) joined HMS Agincourt on 30th May 1916, just a day before the vessel was involved in the battle of Jutland between the British Grand Fleet and the German High Seas Fleet. Although not conclusive, the German fleet never subsequently challenged the British Fleet, so it could be said to be a turning point in the war at sea. It must have been something of a baptism of fire for the wireman!

Built by Armstrongs of Newcastle, HMS Agincourt was an unusual ship. She was originally ordered by Brasil but was sold to Turkey while still under construction. When the First World War broke out in 1914, and it looked as though Turkey would ally with Germany, the British decided to requisition the ship. HMS Agincourt would add to its own fleet, helping to retain the superiority in numbers of Dreadnoughts over the enemy. As the Turkish crew had already arrived to take over the near completed vessel, an understandable diplomatic furore resulted and it has long remained a source of contention.

The story of the ship was told in the book The Big Battleship by Richard Hough, published in 1966. HMS Agincourt was the largest of the breed and had the most big guns, with seven twin turrets of 12 inch bore, each named after the days of the week.

At Jutland she fired these in broadsides and the result was said to be awe-inspiring, if not entirely accurate. In all she fired 144 rounds of 12 inch, and 11 rounds of 6 inch from her secondary battery. It is believed that some hits were spotted, although the visibility was very poor. This was caused by the multitude of funnels gushing black smoke from their massive coal and oil burners, plus deliberate smoke screens compounded by the declining light of late afternoon. Following heavy losses on both sides, the German High Seas Fleet beat a retreat through the night and there were no more such clashes. After the War. HMS Agincourt was relegated to the Reserve fleet in 1919, and scrapped in 1922.

Edgar Parsons survived WW1 and left the Navy, returning to his role as a telephone Inspector.

The River Adur, near Bramber

This is not an Arun Valley postcard but, instead, features the River Adur just to the east. It provides a fascinating story, so I couldn't resist including it on this website. The publisher was Harold H. Camburn of Tunbridge Wells in his Wells Series.

The card was posted in 1917 to Wireman Edgar Parsons, serving on the battleship HMS Agincourt. “Wireman” was a naval rank associated with radio telegraphy which was then a relatively novel addition to the service but already playing an important role in communication between ships. The text refers to Mother and all spending the afternoon on the river, so perhaps they were aboard one of the craft shown in the picture.