Letters

Commodore Charles Beresford Osborne, von Luckner and Seeadler

January 02, 2010 10:13 PM

Dear Mr. Gregory,

I attach an inscribed photograph of Seeadler. It appears to have been inscribed aboard S.S. Mauritania.

My grandfather was Commodore Charles Beresford Osborne.

Whether he was in command on this trip I do not know.

Please would you let me have your thoughts on the above.

Yours sincerely,
Suzanne Goodman


Suzanne,

Thank you for your interesting mail.

The Count:

This appears to me to be another print of Seeadler under full sail, the original painting was executed by Chris
Rave ( 1881-1933 ) a painter/photographer/camera man on a German Arctic expedition that in fact failed, Chris was awarded the Medal of the Hamburg Senate for saving life on that journey.

The Count was prolific in signing both photos of himself or prints of Seeadler ( like this one )  and often added a
message to whom he gave the photo or print.

I have had letters from a number of people across the world who have endorsed photos of the Coubt, or prints of
Seeadler, as I indicated earlier, th original painting of Seeadler was executed by Christopher Rave.

It is indeed a nice piece of memorabilia from a swashbuckling character, Count Felix von Luckner, an amazing sailor from WW1, the likes of whom, in my view, we are unlikely ever to see sail the seven seas again.

The Count often added the phrase " never say die " to his endorsement.

Commodores of Shipping Companies

Commodore C B Osborne RD RN (1908-10) the dates in brackets refer to the years training at HMS Conway.

This Cunard liner's name was actually spelt Mauretania

     Career 
      Name: a.. RMS Mauretania
        b.. HMS Tuberose (1918-1919)[1]
    
      Owner: Cunard Line
      Port of registry:  British
      Builder: Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson, Wallsend,
Tyne and Wear
      Laid down: 1904
      Launched: 20 September 1906
      Christened: 20 September 1906, by the Duchess of
Roxburghe
      Maiden voyage: 16 November 1907
      Fate: Retired from service September 1934, scrapped
in 1935 at Rosyth, Scotland
      General characteristics
      Class and type: Ocean liner
      Tonnage: 31,938
      Length: 790 ft (240.8 m)
      Beam: 88 ft (26.8 m)
      Installed power: a.. Direct-action Parsons steam
turbines (two high pressure, two low pressure)
        b.. 68,000 SHP (shaft horsepower) nominal at
launch, 76,000 SHP on record run, later increased
to 90,000 SHP after conversion to oil burning
    
      Propulsion: Quadruple propeller installation triple
bladed design at launch changed soon after to four
bladed versions. Astern turbines available on
inboard shafts only.
      Speed: a.. 24 knots (46 km/h) designed service speed
    
      Capacity: 2165 passengers total:

        a.. 563 first class
        b.. 464 second class
        c.. 1138 third class
    
      Crew: 802

      A Radio World Fair was held in New York in 1929, and
the Count was a  speaker there. He returned to
Europe sailing in Mauretania.


      From the New York times of the Day :
      Article Preview
      Famous War Enemies Sail on Mauretania; Campbell,
V.C., and Luckner at Same Table
        a..

      May 23, 1929, Thursday

      Page 27, 357 words

      Two men who have seen, adventure and were foes in
the war sailed yesterday in the first cabin of the
Cunarder Mauretania for Europe, They were Rear
Admiral Gordon Campbell, V.C., who commanded one of
the earliest "Q" or "mystery"...

Best regards,
Mackenzie.


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