HM HOSPITAL SHIP 'LIBERTY'

RECORD OF SERVICE

AT the time war broke out Lord Tredegar was the owner of the superb steam yacht Liberty. Only three weeks before his Lordship, with Prince Arthur of Connaught on board, had sailed in that yacht through the new-look entrance at the Alexandra Docks, which entrance the Prince had declared open for traffic. Thus had been consummated the greatest enterprise Newport had ver undertaken, the carrying out of which had been rendered possibly by the public spirit of the present Lord Tredegar's uncle and grandfather. Little did he, or any member of the big crowds that cheered that day to welcome the dawn of a new era for Newport, dream what would be the next service of the yacht.

That was on July 14 1914. On August 4 this country was at war with Germany, and on that day, Lord Tredegar wired to the Admiralty offering to place the Liberty at its disposal as a hospital ship. He offered to make whatever alterations might be necessary to convert her to the new service, and to bear the whole cost of equipping her. The offer was immediately accepted, and his Lordship was given the command with a commission as lieutenant RNR. The Admiralty's acceptance of the offer was received on August 7. On August 16 the yacht was ready for her new service and sailed for the North Sea with a full staff of eminent doctors and surgeons.

At the Battle of Heligoland

She soon had an opportunity of rendering the service which it was her mission to render. less than a fortnight later the battle of Heligoland Bight took place, and the Liberty brought home many of the heroes who were wounded in that engagement.

Lord Tredegar remained in command until January 1915, when the Liberty sailed for the Mediterranean under the command of Lieutenant George Herbert RNR, for hospital staff work. For the next two years or more she was on service in the Mediterranean, and was present at the immortal, if unlucky, Suvia Bay landing. Then she was based in Dover, and served with the famous Dover patrol until November 20 last - until after the signing of the Armistice, that is - when she was returned to Portsmouth. She is now at Cowes being re-converted into a yacht.

But Lord Tredegar was not content with this very valuable service. In January 1915, he temporarily resigned the command of his ship, in order to undertake equally strenuous work. Physically unfitted for active service on shore, he yet was determined that whatsoever lay in his power to do, he would do, and he now accepted the command, at the request of the Admiralty, of a battalion of the Royal Naval Division, and was promoted to the rank of commander. He undertook to raise recruits in Wales, and toured the Principality with wonderful success. Men flocked to answer the call, and over 6,000 men were accepted for service and trained at the Crystal Palace. There were many more volunteers, but no vacancies. How they subsequently acquitted themselves in Gallipoli, in France, on the seas, and elsewhere, need not be told. In 1917 Lord Tredegar returned to HM Hospital Ship Liberty, of which he remained in command until the war was over, at the same time retaining organising control of the RNVR headquarters at Cardiff, which recruited men for that branch of the service, from all over the Welsh area at his direction.

Last year, Lord Tredegar rendered another valuable service. At the request of the Duke of Connaught, he appealed to Wales for help for the King George Fund for Sailors, and raised a large sum of money.