Alexander Caird Millar and H.M.S. Tigress

Alexander Caird Millar. H.M.S. Tigress.

1. Photograph of Alexander Caird Millar with his son and grandson, both also called Alexander Caird Millar. 1 image.
2. Logbook which includes photographs of survivors of the sinking of S.M.S. Breslau in the Battle of Imbros and a sketch map of ship movements. 2 images.
3. Black bag with “H.M.S. Tigress” and “A C Millar” written on it. 1 image.
4. Photographs of H.M.S. Tigress. 3 images.

Alexander Caird Millar was my grandfather. He went to Govan and on 3rd July 1916 joined the destroyer, H.M.S. Tigress. He was aged 18. He worked in the boiler room. He had a detailed log book which he rewrote when he came home. He was with H.M.S. Tigress on 20th January 1918 at the battle of Imbros. This took place in the Aegean Sea off the island of Imbros and the Dardanelles. The logbook has photographs of survivors of S.M.S. Breslau in the water. This ship had struck mines and sunk. S.M.S. Breslau was a German cruiser which was transferred to the Ottoman Empire in August 1914 and renamed Midilli. The logbook, nevertheless, says that some survivors had cap badges with “S.M.S. Breslau” on them. The logbook also has a sketch map showing ship movements and this has “S.M.S. Breslau” on it. H.M.S. Tigress survived the war.

After the war Alexander Caird Millar became Borough Surveyor of Forfar. He married Alison Young Mitchell in 1922. They had 3 children, a son and two daughters. He died at the age of 68.

03/07/1916; 20/01/1918.

Battle of Imbros, Aegean Sea.

Eleanor Russell

23/02/2019, Mackie Academy, Stonehaven.