Ben My Chree lll 1908

[john sefton]

Ben My Chree III (Packet Steamer) 1908
Ben-my-Chree (Manx: "Woman of My Heart") was a packet steamer and a Royal Navy (RN) seaplane carrier of the First World War. She was originally built in 1907 by Vickers for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and was intended for use on the Liverpool to Douglas route. She was the third vessel to bear her name.
To this day Ben-my-Chree holds the crossing speed record from Liverpool to Douglas for a steamship at under three hours.
She was chartered by the RN at the beginning of 1915 and participated in several abortive attacks on Germany in May. The ship was transferred to the Dardanelles in June to support the Gallipoli Campaign. One of her aircraft made the first ship-launched aerial torpedo attack on a ship in August. After Gallipoli was evacuated at the end of the year, Ben-my-Chree became flagship of the East Indies and Egypt Seaplane Squadron that operated in the Eastern Mediterranean performing reconnaissance missions and attacking Turkish facilities and troops. She was sunk by Turkish artillery while anchored at the recently occupied island of Kastellorizo in early 1917, five members of her crew being injured. The ship was salvaged in 1920 and broken up in 1923. Ben-my-Chree also holds the distinction of being the only aviation vessel of either side to be sunk by enemy action during the war.

[aukepalmhof]

BEN MY CHREE was the third vessel who carried this name for the IOM, she is depict on many stamps.

Isle of Man 1978 6p sg 107. Scott 23.
Isle of Man 2000 22p sg 907 Scott878, and 45p sg 910, Scott881.
Isle of Man 2015 £1.00 sg MS ?, Scott 1726c
Gibraltar 2009 £2.00 sgMS?, Scott 1189. (Centenary of Naval Aviation.)