On this stamp of Tristan da Cunha is depict the HMS TORCH the tender of the HMS HERALD on her voyage to the Pacific, together with HMS HERALD.
Built as iron paddle gun vessel by Ditchburn & Mare at Blackwall, London for the Royal Navy.
25 Feb. 1845 launched under the name HMS TORCH.
Steam engine 180 hp.
Tonnage 340 tons (bm). Dim. 141 x 22½ft.
Armament 1 – 32 pdr. gun.
She was during her voyage as tender under command of Lt. W Cimmo. ( The Annals of Tristan da Cunha give Capt. Chimms.)
16 Nov. 1852 she arrived on Tristan da Cunha. She arrived after the HMS HERALD already sailed.
In the afternoon the Commander sent a general invitation to every islander to come aboard.
William Glass with Rev. Taylor and a few elder islanders with their children go on the ship.
17 Nov. at dawn the HMS TORCH sails away, bound for the Cape (Cape Town).
She arrived April 1853 at Sydney.
1854 Rescuing survivors of the Chinese Junk NINGPO, which were wrecked on D’Entrecasteaux reefs near Middle Huon Island.
Australian Shipwrecks 1851-1871 by Jack Loney has the following story on the shipwreck of the NINGPO.
On 20 September 1854 some blacks from Bribie Island arrived at Brisbane with the second mate of the schooner NINGPO, which had been wrecked on a reef in the Coral Sea. The NIGPO’s crew and passengers had landed on a small island where they remained for about six weeks while they fitted out the only boat recovered from the wreck. They decided that the second mate, a passenger and a seaman would make for Moreton Bay, and the eighteen survivors remaining would distil water from salvaged gear and captured turtles and birds for food. When the boat reached the coast near Wide Bay the three men were attacked by natives and left injured and insensible on the beach when they landed in search of water. Later a friendly tribe took care of them and several accompanied the second mate to Brisbane.
HMS TORCH was dispatched to rescue the survivors who were taken to Newcastle.
She was thereafter used for surveys in Australian waters, the Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and then to Sydney where she arrived on 18 June 1856.
Surveyed then the Albert River and in August 1856 was dispatched to look for the missing men of Augustus Gregory’s North Australian Expedition.
15 May 1856 Sold at Sydney, is given by Colledge. (Sold in May, but arrived in Sydney in June, and thereafter used for survey and rescue work, something with that date is wrong.)
She was sold to Egan & Watson at Sydney, in 1856, not renamed.
Under Australian registry is given ON 32573.
Tonnage 213 ton. Dim. 139.8 x 22.7 x 14.6ft.
Late 1856 she was sold at Sourabaya, Dutch East Indies for £7500, and register closed.
Then the TORCH disappear in the history.
Tristan da Cunha 2002 60p sg?, scott? (She is the smallest ship on the stamp)
Source: Log Of Logs by Ian Nicholson. Ships of the Royal Navy by Colledge.
Australian Shipowners and Their Fleets Vol. 15 by Ronald Parsons.