Setting up the Siemens Museum
Iain Lovell
The SS Faraday was the first ship in the world to be designed specifically for cable laying. It had unusual features, including a rudder at each end for increased manoeuvrability, and two funnels abreast. Launched in 1870 it was in use for just over half a century, being scrapped in 1922. Messages were transmitted along the cable to ship as it was being laid to check that there had not been a failure. When laying of a cable in 1896 a message was sent to Alexander Siemens' (son of William Siemens) who was on board, that Prince George, (the future George VI) had been born. He replied with a telegram congratulating the royal couple.
When the SS Faraday was scrapped, we replaced it with the Faraday II, launched in 1923. This was in service till about 1941 when it was attacked and sunk in the English Channel by a single German bomber. It succeeded in shooting down the bomber with an anti aircraft gun with which it has been armed, and most of the crew escaped in life boats and were rescued. They also managed to save the flag which had three bullet holes from the machine gun attack. The company board room was being re-furbished at the same time as the museum was being prepared and the flag from the Faraday II was put in a gas case mounted on the wall. I had the opportunity to handle the flag before it was put in its case and very gently pushed my little finger through one of the bullet holes. The Faraday II sank on the Faraday Hills, a range of submarine hills originally surveyed by the Faraday I.
This article first appeared in the GIHS Newsletter in May 1999