This memorial is situated on the wall at the entrance to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, Valletta, Malta.
H.M.S ORLANDO Memorial
IN MEMORY OF
Albert Price STILL. Lieutenant, Royal Navy
(Wills and Admin, Ancestry.co.uk) ( Letters of administration of the personal estate and effects of Albert Price Still late Lieutenant of Her Majesty,s Ship Orlando a bachelor deceased who died 3 November 1864 at sea were granted at the Principal Registry to Robert Still of 5 New Square Lincoln's Inn in the County of Middlesex Gentleman the father of the deceased he having been first sworn.
Edward Fitzgerald PRITCHARD. Captain, Royal Marine Light Infantry
His daughter Lucy Ethel Fitzgerald Pritchard was born 23rd January 1864 at the Victoria Hotel. Daughter of Lucy and Edward
Charles Bedingfield WOOD. Surgeon, Royal Navy
(Wills and Admin Ancestry.co.uk) The Will of Charles Bedingfield Wood late Surgeon belonging to Her Majesty's Ship, Orlando in the Mediterranean Sea deceased who died 3 November 1864 at Sea was proved at the Principal Registry by oath of Octavius Ommanney of 14 Great George Street, Westminster in the County of Middlesex Navy Agent the sole Executor.
Byron STRATFORD. Assistant Paymaster (National Archives) 10th November Assistant clerk. 30th January 1856, Clerk. 5th December 1859 Assistant Paymaster
Don Baco J da GAMA. Midshipman, (Portuguese Navy)
Bernal W FIELDING. Midshipman
Samuel B KEMBLE. Midshipman. (National Archives) Appointed Midshipman 11th March 1862
William C HADRILL. Master's Assistant (National Archives) Date of birth 4th May 1848 Appointed Master's Assistant 10th March 1863
George ARTHURS. Quartermaster
Charles EASTERBROOK (memorial has W). Private, Royal Marine Light Infantry Plymouth Division. (National Archives) Charles Easterbrook, born Devon. Attestation papers to serve in the Royal Marines at Plymouth 1844 (when aged 21). Discharged 1857 as Length of service.
John (mem has W) FITZSIMMONS. Able Seaman
George (memorial has J) G WEBBER. Ordinary Seaman
OF H.M.S. ORLANDO.
Drowned by a boat upsetting in Tunis Bay November 3rd 1864.
BE YE READY
Credit, The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle for 1864
(Extract) The following is a list of the officers and men capsized in H.M.S. Orlando's cutter November 3rd 1864. Albert P Still, lieutenant, Charkes B Wood, surgeon, Edward F Pritchard, captain R.M.L.I. Byron Stratford assistant paymaster, Don Baco J da Gama midshipman Portuguese Navy, Bernal W Fielding, midshipman, Samuel B Kemble midshipman, William C Hadnill, master's assistant, George Arthur, quartermaster, John Fitzsimmons A.B., George G Webber ordinary seaman, Charles Eastbrook private R.M.L.I. Plymouth Division, Edward Faye, coxswain, saved.
Credit,
http://www.pdavis.nl/ShowShip.php?id=93
DREADFUL ACCIDENT AT TUNIS.
From the Malta Times, November 10 1864)
It is with feelings of the deepest sorrow that we have to announce in our columns to-day an awful calamity which has befallen a number of brave officers and men of Her Majesty's ship Orlando. The afflicting tidings reached us by the French steamer Du Trembly, arrived this morning from Tunis, that one of the boats of the above ship bad been upset in a squall, by which no less than eight of her officers, three scamen, and a marine lost their lives. All the men-of-war in port, including the French frigate Cacque, immediately hoisted their flags half-mast high, and a like testimony of regret and mourning was shown by many of the merchant ships in harbour as soon as the lamentable event became more generally known. The following are the particulars of this catastrophe, which will cast many families into mourning:-It appears that on the morning of the 3d inst. a cutter, having on board the following officers:- Lieutenant Still, Surgeon Wood, Captain Pritchard, Royal Marines, Midshipmen De Gama, Fielding, and Kemble, Master's-Assistant Hadrill, and Assistant-Paymaster Stratford, together with four seamen and one marine, left the ship on a picnic party, and while returning at 3 o'clock in the afternoon, under sail, a sudden squall struck the boat when about a thousand yards from the shore, and upset it. Seeing that all hope of assistance was impossible, one of the seamen struck out for the shore, and was the only man saved. Ha was found the next morning completely exhausted, and in a state of nudity, in an Arab hut, by another cutter of the Orlando, which, in tow of the French frigate Invincible's steam launch, had been sent in search of the missing boat. Up to the last accounts, nothing else had been found but a jacket belonging to Mr. Fielding and a portion of the mast of the boat, notwithstanding the Orlando and gunboat Tyrian had been searching under steam for the missing bodies. The Orlando is expected here at the end of the week. The sudden calamity has created universal sympathy in Tunis. All the foreign representatives displayed their flags half-mast, and waited upon the English Consul-General to express their condolence and respect for the memory of so many brave officers and men appertaining to Her Majesty's naval forces, whose untimely death has deprived their Sovereign and their country of their valuable service. The Commandant Chevalier of His Imperial Majesty's ship Inflexible, senior officer of the French Emperor's ships in those waters, also waited on Her Majesty's representative for the same purpose, and the French Consul-General wrote besides a very feeling letter of condolence on the melancholy occasion. His Highness the Bey also conveyed his sympathy and condolence, and gave strict order to the authorities on the coast to protect any of the bodies of the victims that might be washed ashore, and to report immediately any such occurrence to the Bey's Government. It is a circumstance of melancholy interest to know that Mr. Fielding, one of the unfortunate young officers who perished on this occasion, was one of the few survivors of the lamentable wreck of Her Majesty's ship Orpheus on the coast of New Zealand.
