AIRCRAFT COLOURS AND MARKINGS OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR ERA

HMS Ben-my-Chree


The former Isle of Man steamer Ben-my-Chree (Woman of my Heart) was converted into a seaplane carrier and served in the Aegean during 1915/16. On 12 August 1915 one of her Short 184s carried out the first successful aerial torpedo attack when F/Cdr Edmonds sank a Turkish steamer. Eventually she was destroyed by gunfire in January 1917.
A new book by Ian Burns entitled Ben-my-Chree: Woman of my Heart: Isle of Man Packet Steamer and Seaplane Carrier documents the ships which have borne the name Ben-my-Chree (with the bulk devoted to the WWI seaplane carrier). The profiles seen here were either commissioned for the book and/or revised based on Ian's information.

 


Short 184 842
F/Cdr CHK Edmonds
August 1915
Source: Datafile No.85
revised 2008


Sopwith Baby 8188
-
December 1915
Source: Datafile No.60
revised 2008



Short 184 8372
F/Cdr C R Samson
August 1915
Source: via Ian Burns

 
Sopwith Schneider 3722
-
-
Source: via Ian Burns