HMS Thrush (1889)

Her first station was the North America and West Indies Station based at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Bermuda and Halifax, Nova Scotia, where, under the command of Prince George, later to become King George V of the United Kingdom.^[2] Thrush arrived at Bermuda with Prince George in command on 18 July 1890, with a torpedo boat in tow, and later proceeded to Halifax.^[4][5][6] In 1896 Thrush, along with Sparrow, played a part in the 40-minute Anglo-Zanzibar War.^[7] She was also on active service during the Second Boer War, which lasted between October 1899 and June 1902 where she was commanded by Lieutenant Warren Hastings D'Oyly.^[8] In early 1902 she helped a British force in Nigeria re-open trade routes on the Lower Niger, closed by piracy of some locals.^[9] Lieutenant Hector Lloyd Watts-Jones was appointed in command on 5 July 1902.^[10]

From 1906 Thrush worked for HM Coastguard before becoming a cable ship in 1915.^[3] She then became a salvage ship in 1916.^[3]

In January 1917, Thrush was involved in the dramatic rescue of 46 submariners and shipyard officials, from the sunken HMS K13. The unusual 'steam-powered', and newly built submarine suffered an uncontrolled descent to the bottom of the Gareloch, on the Firth of Clyde, during sea trials. Thrush was called in from a nearby mooring. Along with Gossamer and Ranger, they were able to partially raise the stricken vessel with cables, just enough to allow rescue of more than half the people on board.^[11]

Thrush wrecked off Glenarm in Northern Ireland on 11 April 1917 in a snow storm.^[3] Her scattered wreckage was discovered by divers in 1969 at a point 50 yards (46 m) off shore and at depths of 30–40 feet (9.1–12.2 m).^[12]

• Patience, Kevin (1994), Zanzibar and the Shortest War in History, Bahrain: Kevin Patience
• Lyon, David & Winfield, Rif (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.

• HMS Thrush details at the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Historical Society Archived 13 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine