HMS Centurion Memorial Pillar - Victoria Park - Portsmouth, Hampshire
Posted by: SMacB
N 50° 47.980 W 001° 05.702
30U E 634240 N 5629277
A red granite column dedicated to the HMS Centurion (1900) which saw service during the Boxer Revolution. Victoria Park, Portsmouth.
Waymark Code: WMQ2J1
Location: Southern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/07/2015
Views: 1
A circular, red granite column with an elaborate finial supporting a sphere. A green palm leaf is wrapped around the column which terminates in a flared bottom with four faces one with relief of centurion's face. This is set on a square red granite plinth containing dedication and names with a further 2 stepped base below.
Inscription
ERECTED BY ADML. SIR C H SEYMOUR, G.C.B., THE CAPTAIN, OFFICERS AND SHIP'S COMPANY OF HMS CENTURION IN MEMORY OF THE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THAT SHIP WHO WERE KILLED OR DIED OF WOUNDS RECEIVED WHILST GALLANTLY DOING THEIR DUTY IN THE NAVAL BRIGADE, NORTH CHINA, 1900. ALSO IN MEMORY OF THOSE OFFICERS AND MEN WHO DIED DURING THE COMMISSION 1897-1901/ (NAMES)/ PEITSANG HSIKU PEIYANG TIENTSIN
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"Between 1897 and 1900, Centurion was actively engaged in Allied operations in northern China during the Boxer Rebellion. On 31 May 1900, she put landing parties ashore which joined other forces in storming the Taku forts and in relieving the foreign legations at Tientsin.
On 10 April 1901, while at Shanghai, she parted her mooring cables during a storm and drifted across the bows of battleship HMS Glory. Glory's bow punched a hole in Centurion??'?s hull below the waterline, but the damage was not serious and was repaired at Hong Kong.
Centurion ended her China Station service in June 1901. Glory relieved Centurion as flagship on 10 June 1901. Centurion departed Hong Kong on 3 July 1901 and arrived at Portsmouth on 19 August 1901, where she was welcomed by the local Commander-in-Chief and thousands of people lining the beach and pier. Admiral Seymour struck his flag on 21 August 1901, and after a month Centurion paid off into reserve there on 19 September 1901."
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