Here we have a rare survivor of the trials and tribulations of war. The watch is engraved to Charles Regent Ellis, Royal Flying Corps, service number 97988. He and the watch were a survivor of the sinking of HMS Osmanieh in Alexandria, Egypt, on the 31st December 1917, during the Great War.
Circa 1916 Silver Borgel cased Trench watch, engraved to R. Ellis R.F.C
HMS Osmanieh
The 4041-ton steamship HMS Osmanieh was built at the shipyard Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson in Wallsend and entered service in 1906. She was a passenger and cargo ship. She was 360ft long and 45ft wide and was equipped with quadruple expansion steam engines, which acted on two propellers, giving a maximum speed of 17 knots (31 km/h) and 650 nominal horsepower.
Osmanieh was ordered for the British Egyptian shipping company, Khedivial Mail Steamship & Graving Dock Co., LTD., which has offices in London and Alexandria. In September of 1915 she was used to transport the 22nd Battalion from the Greek islands of Lemnos to Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula.
In 1916 she was requisitioned as a troopship and supply ship for the British Navy, in the First World War. On 23rd June 1917 the ship evaded two torpedoes when it was attacked by a German submarine.
On 17th December 1917, Osmanieh, carrying soldiers and medical personnel left Southampton for Alexandria, with a stop over in the Southern Italian port city of Taranto. Taranto was reached on the 28th of December and on the 31st of December Osmanieh entered Alexandria.
Before the harbour entrance, the steamer was struck amidships on the starboard side at the position 31°10′8″N 29°48′3″E by a naval mine left a few days earlier by the German submarine SM UC-34.
The ship sank in five to seven minutes, killing 209 people. This included her captain and 23 of the crew, a Royal Navy officer, 166 other ranks and eight nurses of Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service.
Charles Regent Ellis was one of the survivors, as was Jack Cohen, also RFC. After the War, Cohen founded British multinational retail chain Tesco.
Charles Regent Ellis
Charles Regent Ellis was born to Agnes Keen Ellise & Henry Williamson Welbore Ellis. His father undertook Indian Civil Service and was a medical practitioner.
Married April 6th 1903 to Augusta Hope Ellis, aged 24, at the Parish church in Christchurch, Weston-Super-Mare. Together the couple had two daughters, Constance Ruby Agnes Hope Ellis (20/05/1904) and Elizabeth Evelyn Ursula Ellis (25/05/1907).
The 1911 census states he lived with his wife and two daughters, with two servants living at their home. At this time, he was an agent for Farr’s Bank Ltd.
He was brought into the Great War on the 1st October 1917 as a member of the R.F.C. in the role position of Mechanic and a Motor Cyclist (dispatch rider). His medal records stated that he was 5 foot 6, with a 37 ½ inch chest.
As a Motorcyclist in the Royal Flying Corps he will have primarily served as a "despatch rider," meaning that he was responsible for quickly delivering urgent messages and orders between different units and head quarters on their motorcycle. They acted as a vital communication link, when other methods were unreliable or unavailable. They could swiftly carry important orders and updates between commanders, airfields and ground troops.
He transferred the RAF on its inception on the 1st of April 1918 and later to the RAF reserves on the 21st March 1919. He was discharged on the 30th April 1920.
He spent his time in the campaign in the Middle east, from the 10th of December 1917 until the 4th of February 1919.
In 1920 he became a member of St. Peters Masonic Lodge in Tiverton and subsequently a member of St. Andrew Masonic Lodge in Cullompton in 1921.
He spent his working life in banks and was the manager of the Cullompton branch of the Westminster bank at the time of his passing. He died on the 24th December 1935, at his residence, Melbourne House Cullompton, aged 56. His funeral took place in Cullompton Cemetery and he received full Masonic Honours.
The Administration of his took place in London on the 6th March 1936, to Constance Ruby Agnes Hope Ellis and Elizabeth Evelyn Ursula Ellis, with effect £2403 2s. 11d.
The watch
Dating to 1916, it is a Silver Borgel trench watch, with the black enamel dial, with the white Arabic numerals. The case is marked with British hallmarking from London assay office, with the date letter ‘a’ for 1916 and the makers mark ‘AGR’ for Arthur George Rendell. It is a Borgel style case having the solid back, screw on front/movement section and large onion crown, with the waterproof properties. It has the cathedral style hands with the aged luminous in-fill. The clear dial has the sub-second register at 6 O’clock. The bezel has the classic coin edge finish of a Borgel case, which is well defined. It has the fixed bar lugs which the strap is fixed around. To the right is the large onion style crown, with the pin set below. The rear of the case is engraved; “R. Ellis 97988 R.F.C. Saved from ‘Osmanieh’ torpedoed Alexandira December 31st 1917.
To the inside is the above-mentioned British hallmarking with the serial number 483036, with the Borgel case marking. Inside is the Fontainemelon Calibre 7 movement which is a 15 jewel manual wind movement.
The waterproof nature of the Borgel case, no doubt helped survive it's time in salt water. It was an innovative design, providing protection against dust and moisture. The case is formed of a solid section with the fixed wire lugs. The movement fits within a threaded carrier ring with the bezel and glass fitting over the top. This is then screwed into the case, creating a seal. The crown and stem require removal for the case to screw and un-screw. This is achieved by pulling the crown out and holding it, whilst turning the bezel. The hands are pin set, by depressing the button below the crown.
Exploded view of the borgel case
(Courtesy of David Boettcher -
Vintage watch straps) (3)
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