Roll of Honour WW1
The list below is all that was available. We had no idea who nominated them, whether it was a relative, friend or employer. Some we could find no connection with Southbourne so assumed they probably worked here. I have listed below, in alphabetical order, the information found for the 70 names on the WW1 list. This took a considerable amount of research from various sources, such as Births, Death and Marriages. 1911 Census. Street Directories and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The CWGC website was being updated for the 2018 anniversary and so there may be more details available now, which should be easier to find now we have a service number. I found a number of descendants still living in Southbourne or nearby.
Roll of Honour
William Bailey
Age: 41
Died: 22 Sept 1914
Wife: Eva Jessie Wilkins (formerly Bailey)
Christmas Cottage, Nutbourne
Service Number:
RMA/5560
Gunner
Royal Marine Artillery
HMS Aboukir
Sunk by U-boat North Sea
Commemorated:
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Leslie Oliver Bignell
Age: 33
Died: 16 July 1917
Father: William Bignell
Brooklyn Hse, Nutbourne
Service Number: 1782
Private Australian
Infantry A.I.F
33rd Battalion Belgium
Commemorated:
Bethleem Farm West Cemetery Belgium
Ralph Bowles
Age: 24
Died: 31 May 1916
Father:
Samuel Bowles
South View Southbourne
Service Number: M/5749
Engine Room
Artificer 4th Class
Royal Navy
HMS Queen Mary
Battle of Jutland
Commemorated:
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Arthur Frank Burgess
Born 1894 Age: 23
Died: 1 Dec. 1917
Parents: Frank and Alice Burgess
Slipper Mill Cottage
Service Number: 205448
Lance Sergeant ‘C’ Coy
Hampshire Regiment
2nd/4th Battalion Palestine
Commemorated:
Ramleh War Cemetery, Israel
Charles Butcher
Born Aug 1887
Age: 26
Died: 15 Aug 1914
Parents: Alfred and Mary Butcher, 48 Thorney Road
Wife: Louisa Jane
Service Number: 7736
Corporal
Dorsetshire Regiment
Killed in action
1st Battalion Western Front
Commemorated:
Hautrage Military Cemetery,
St Ghislain, Belgium
William Leonard Butcher
Born: 1890
Age: 25
Died: 12 Oct. 1915
Parents: Alfred and Mary Butcher
48 Thorney Road
Service Number: 7736
Corporal
Dorsetshire Regiment
Killed in action
1st Battalion ‘C’ Company
Battle of the Somme
Commemorated:
Carnoy Military Cemetery, France
John Joseph Chiddle
Born: 21 Sept 1894
Age: 22
Died: 8 July 1916
Parents: David Charles & Selina Chiddle, Hermitage
Service Number: K/23472
Stoker 2nd Class
Royal Navy
Died from disease
HMS Gunner – shore base
Lerwick Scotland
Buried: Queensferry Cemetery,
West Lothian
George William Cole
Born: 1884
Age: 32
Died: 5 Sept 1916
Father: Thomas Cole
Southbourne Avenue
Service Number: 918
Sergeant Royal Garrison Artillery
Died of wounds
80th Siege Battery
Western Front (Somme)
Buried: Warloy-Baillon Communal Cemetery Extension, France
George Frederick Cooke
Born: 3 Sept 1878
Age: 38
Died: 31 May 1916
Wife: Edith Cooke
Sea Breeze Cottage, Prinsted
Service Number: 179719
Petty Officer Royal Navy
Ship exploded and Sunk.
H M S Queen Mary
Battle of Jutland
Commemorated:
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Charles Samuel Cooper
Born: 1899 Age: 16
Died: 3 Sept 1915
Parents: Charles G and Annie Cooper, Rose Cottage, 1 Southbourne Terr
Service Number: 1547
Private Hampshire Yeomanry
3rd/1st Battalion (Carabiniers)
Died of sickness at home
Buried: Westbourne Cemetery
Edward James Dearling
Born: 1897
Age: 20
Died: 8 Dec. 1917
Parents: James and Elizabeth Dearling. 1911: Prinsted
Service Number: 172250
Gunner Royal Horse Artillery
Gassed
15th (Warwick) Brigade
Battle of Cambrai
Buried: Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension, France
William George Downer
Born: 1889
Age: 28
Died: 17 Mar. 1917
Wife: Helen Downer, 33 Thorney Road
Service Number: 309153
Petty Officer Stoker Royal Navy
Killed in action
HMS Paragon Straits of Dover
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
John William Fancey
Born: 1887
Age:
Died: No record
Wife: Etty Maud Fancey
Son: John William Born 1911 Hermitage
Service Number: 32191
Corporal Royal Garrison Artillery
Guernsey Detachment
84th Battery Salonika
Medal for Valour
William Victor George Farndell
Born: 14 Dec 1887
Age: 27
Died: 11 Mar. 1915
Wife: Martha Farndell,
27 Queens Street, Emsworth
Parents: Lumley
Service Number: SS/1297
Able Seaman Royal Fleet Res.
H M S Bayano Corsewell Point, Galloway, Scotland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
James Fyfield
Born: 1877 Age: 37
Died: 1 Nov 1914
Wife: Harriett Yalden,(formerly Fyfield)
12 Foster Cottages.Lumley
Service Number: PO/8479
Private Royal Marine Light Infantry
H M S Good Hope
Battle of Coronel Chile
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Wilfred John Gillingham
Born: 1896
Age: 20
Died: 9 April 1917
Parents: John and Elizabeth Gillingham, Oakdene, Chidham.
Ran Nutbourne P.O.
Service Number: 49637
Private Royal Fusiliers
8th Battalion Battle of Arras
Commemorated: Arras Memorial
Pas de Calais, France
Ernest Gregory
Born: 3 Feb. 1884
Age: 30
Died: 1 Nov 1914
Parents: James and Kate Gregory
Wife: Ada. 2 Victoria Terrace, Lumley
Service Number:
209700
Leading Seaman Royal Navy
HMS Good Hope Battle of Coronel, Chile
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Archie Groundsell
Born: 26 Feb.1894
Age: 23
Died: 3 Nov 1917
Father: Henry J W Groundsell
4 Poplar Terrace, Southbourne
Service Number: 404511
Corporal Canadian Army
Central Ontario Rgt
20th Battalion Battle of Ypres
Commemorated: Oxford Road Cemetery,
Ypres, Belgium
Stanley Frank Harvey
Born: 1895 Bosham
Age: 24
Died: 27 Mar. 1919
Parents: George and Kate Harvey
Service Number: 3184
Corporal Royal Air Force
59th Squadron Belgium
Buried: Marcinelle New Communal Cemetery, Charleroi, Belgium
George Hewson
Born: 1884
Age: 33
Died: 1 August 1917
Sister: Mary Furlong, Southbourne
Service Number: 29077
Private Hampshire Regiment
14th Battalion
Battle of Pilckem Ridge Ypres
Commemorated: Buffs Road Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium
Ernest Arthur Hodder
Born: 4 July 1887
Age: 28
Died: 31 May 1916
Wife: Bessie Hodder (nee Tapp)
1911 census 15 Second Ave
Service Number: K/28903
Stoker 1st Class Royal Navy
HMS Invincible Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Harry Hutchings
Born: 1892
Age: 24
Died: 7 Oct. 1916
Parents: Thomas & Martha
Slipper, Lumley
Service Number: 20204
Private
Hampshire Regiment
15th Battalion France & Flanders
Commemorated: Warlencourt British Cemetery, Pas de Calais
John Jelley
Born: 22 May 1887
Age: 28
Died: 31 May 1916
Mother: Alice Jelley
Southdown Cottage, Hermitage
Service Number: 221917
Leading Seaman Royal Navy
HMS Queen Mary Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Wilfred Jack Jennings
Age: 31
Died: 7 August 1916
Parents: George and Maria Jennings
The Apeary, Southbourne
Service Number: 5672
Private 22nd Btn
London Regiment
attached to 12th Battalion (London Rangers) Battle of the Somme
Commemorated:
Hebuterne Military Cemetery.
Pas de Calais, France
Barnabas Jones
Born: 1884
Age: 32
Died: 24 April 1916
Wife: Alice Jones, Hermitage
Service Number: SD/3610
Private Royal Sussex Regiment
13th Battalion Western Front
Commemorated: Guards Cemetery Windy Corner, Cuinchy, France
S Jones
Born:
Age:
Died
Service Number:
Private
Hampshire Regiment
Only one S Jones
Private, Hampshire Regiment
Service No 281185 no information at 2018
Thomas George Jones
Born: 1895 Age: 23
Died: 26 Mar 1918
Parents: James and Annie Jones, 1 Hellyers Cottages, Hermitage
Service Number: 314272
Private Hampshire
Regiment
17th Entrenching Battalion,
late 14th Battalion France
Commemorated: Arras Memorial, France
Walter James Kennett
Born: 23 Sept 1892
Age: 23
Died: 31 May 1916
Parents: Joseph and Mary Kennett, Hermitage
Service Number: K/16554
Stoker 1st Class Royal Navy
HMS Queen Mary Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
William George Kennett
Born: 1 March 1894
Age: 21
Died: 31 May 1916
Parents: Joseph and Mary Kennett, Hermitage
Service Number: K/15271
Leading Stoker Royal Navy
H M S Queen Mary Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Edward James Knight
Born: 1888
Age: 30
Died: 21 Sept 1918
Parents: Frederick and Emily Knight
Service Number: 315320
Private Royal Sussex Regiment
16th Battalion Western Front
Commemorated: Unicorn Cemetery Vendhuile, France
Robin Knight
Born: 1891
Age: 25
Died: 12 April 1917
Mother: Emily Knight, Hermitage
Service Number: G/42183
Private Middlesex Regiment
11th Battalion The Arras Offensive
Commemorated: Arras Memorial,
Pas de Calais, France
Edward Balcombe Lee
Birth: 31 July 1883
Age: 33
Died: 13 July 1917
Parents: William and Sarah Ann Lee, 27 Thorney Road
Service Number: 203495
Petty Officer Royal Navy
Died from disease
HMS Topaze, Aden
Buried: Maala Cemetery Aden
Raymond Douglas Martlew
Age: 27
Died: 4 June 1921
Parents: George and Florence Martlew
Stafford House, Southbourne
Service Number: Unknown
2nd Lieutenant Tank Corps
Switzerland
Buried: Vevey (St Martin’s) Cemetery,
Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Frederick William May
Born: 9 June 1888
Age: 27
Died: 31 May 1916
Wife: Florence May
2 Tatchells Row, Slipper
Service Number: 311767
Petty Officer Stoker
Royal Navy
HMS Black Prince Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
James Harry May
Born: 4 April 1883
Age: 35
Died: 7 March 1919
Parents: Tom and Martha May, 4 Slipper Terrace, Hermitage
Service Number: 4299 SD
Deck Hand
Royal Naval Reserve
HM Trawler Essex 2 France
Buried: St Marie Cemetery Extension Le Havre, France
William Henry May
Born: 12 Jan. 1881
Age: 33
Died: 26 Nov 1914
Parents: Tom and Martha
Wife: Rose May 4 Slipper Terrace, Hermitage
Service Number: 184652
Petty Officer 1st Class
Royal Navy
HMS Bulwark English Channel
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Charles McCoy
Born: 1852
Age: 65
Died: 12 Nov 1917
Wife: Selina McCoy
The Poplars, First Avenue
Service Number: 66403
Chief Gunner Royal Navy
HMS Enchantress
Retired (illness)
Buried: Kingston Cemetery Portsmouth
Albert Edward Middleton
Born: 1892
Age: 23
Died: 14 May 1915
Parents: Henry and Mary Middleton.
Greengrocers Shop, Hermitage
Service Number: 3542
Corporal Rifle Brigade
4th Battalion Western Front
Buried: Divisional Cemetery,
Ypres, Belgium
George L Middleton
Born:
Age:
Died:
no record as at Summer 2018
Service Number:
Chatham M.189
Stoker Royal Navy
HMS Russell hit a mine and sank off Malta in 1916, but he survived. He is listed as ships cook in 1918 when war medals were issued no ship is named
Charles Nash
Born: 8 April 1880
Age: 34
Died: 7 Jan. 1915
Wife: Annie Nash, Woodmancote
Service Number: 295025
Leading Stoker
Royal Navy
HM Submarine C31 Belgian coast Sunk 4/1/15
Unknown cause
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Arthur Parham
Born: 10 April 1884
Age: 32 Died:
1 June 1916
Wife: Frances Parham
1 Millers Cottage, Hermitage
Service Number: 306943
Petty Officer Stoker
Royal Navy
HMS Tipperary, Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Charles Parham
Born: 1889
Age: 29
Died: 25 Aug 1917
Parents: George + Ellen Parham,
14, Nile Street. Wife: Edith
Service Number: 52924
Gunner Royal Artillery
70th Brigade France & Flanders
Commemorated: Ypres Reservoir Cemetery, Belgium
Frederick Parham
Age: 29
Died: 30 April 1917
Born Prinsted
Mother: Jane Parham
27 Queen Street, Emsworth
Service Number: 76200
Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery
Killed in action
156th Heavy Brigade France
Commemorated:
Faubourg-D’amiens Cemetery. Arras, France
Harry Archibald Payne
Born: 1884
Age: 33
Died: 26 April 1917
Born: Chichester
Parents: Henry and Elizabeth Payne
Service Number: 202252
Private
Seaforth Highlanders
1st/4th Battalion France and Flanders
No.1 Canadian Hosp Died of wounds.
Commemorated: Etaples Military Cemetery, France
George Pearce
Born: 1 Nov 1896
Age: 19
Died: 31 May 1916
Parents: Agnes and late William Pearce
Slipper Road, Hermitage
Service Number: K/23666
Stoker 1st Class Royal Navy
HMS Black Prince Battle of Jutland
Commemorated:
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Philip Sidney Reeve
Born: 7 May 1894
Age: 21 Died: 29 July 1915
Parents: Walter and Frances Reeve,
14 Gordon Terrace
Chichester Rd (Main Road)
Service Number: J/11009
Able Seaman Royal Navy
HMS Europa Gallipoli
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
George Richardson
Born: 1898
Age: 19
Died: 7 Oct. 1917
Parents: George + Ada Richardson
5 Lumley Terrace
Service Number: TF/205835
Private
Middlesex Regiment
16th Battalion France and Flanders
Commemorated: Tyne Cot Memorial
Zonnebeke, Belgium
Robert Charles Robinson
Born: 3 May 1879
Age: 36
Died: 23 Aug. 1916
Wife: Mary Robinson
1911 Arnold Cottage, Hermitage
Service Number: 179971
Petty Officer
Royal Navy
HMS Vernon
Died from disease
Buried:
Warblington New Cemetery
Walter Henry Sewell
Born: 27 Dec 1887 in Gosport
Age: 28
Died: 27 Mar. 1916
Parents: Arthur and Alice Sewell.
1911 Travellers Joy Cottage. Southbourne
Service Number: 227577
Able Seaman Royal Navy
HM Submarine E24
Mined in North Sea
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
John Henry Silvester
Born: 1877
Age: 39
Died: 31 May 1916
Wife: Elizabet Kate Silvester
1 Victoria Terrace, Lumley
Service Number: 279749
Chief Stoker Royal Navy
HMS Queen Mary, Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Albert Perriman Skinner
Born: 1888
Age: 28 on discharge
Wounded: 30/10/14
Discharged: 14/01/16
Myrtle Grove. Thornham Fields
Wife: Gladys, Married 1933
Service Number: 457
Private 5th Dragoon Guards
Parents: Henry & Ellen
5th Battalion
France and Flanders
War records state wounded, no date of death or cemetery listed.
Harry Smith
Born: 1861
Age: 39 declared
Actually 54
Enlisted: 5 July 1915
Died: not listed
Wife: Edith 3 Hobdens Cottages
Service Number: 18660
Private Hampshire Regiment
invalided out of Service
3 June 1916
2nd Portsmouth Battalion
Thomas Edward Staker
Born: 1897
Age: 18
Died: 6 August 1915
Parents: Thomas and Selina Staker
Prinsted
Service Number: 10613
Private Hampshire Regiment
2nd Battalion
Gallipoli
Commemorated:
Helles Memorial, Turkey
John Stringer
Born: 1868
Age: 50
Invalided 1916 Died:1918
Wife: Lily Grace Stringer (nee May)
Married at Westbourne
Sister of James & William May
Service Number: RMA/3402
Colour Sergeant
Royal Marine Artillery
The May family
lost 2 sons and a son in law
Western Front
Died at home
Commemoration not found
Douglas Charles Suter
Born: 21 Dec 1896
Age: 19
Died: 31 May 1916
Aunt: Susanna Petter
Wisteria, Stein Road
Service Number: J20108
Able Seaman
Royal Navy
HMS Queen Mary
Battle of Jutland
Commemorated:
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Harold William Thompson
Age:
Died:
Parents:
Service Number:
Corporal Hampshire
Regiment
no information found as at Summer 2018
Alfred George Edward Tilbury
Born: 1893
Age: 22
Died: 7 Oct. 1916
Parents: Alfred and Seline Tilbury
Woodmancote
Service Number: 20316
Private
Machine Gun Corps
36th Company France and Flanders
Commemorated:
Bancourt British Cemetery,
France
Wilfred Tilbury
Born: 31 July 1894
Age: 21
Died: 5 June 1916
Mother Catherine Born Thorney Island
Wife: Violet Tilbury
Service Number: PO/16403
Private Royal Marine Light Infantry
HMS Hampshire Scapa Flow
Commemorated:
Lyness Royal Navy Cemetery. Orkney
Alfred E. Tilley DCM
Born: 1887
Age: 31
Died: 11 Nov 1918
Parents: Thomas and Fanny Tilley
173 Francis Ave, Southsea
Service Number: 74125
Sergeant DCM
Royal Field Artillery
97th Battery 147th Brigade
Western Front
Buried: St Sever Cemetery Rouen France
Commemorated: Portsmouth Cathedral War Memorial & Cenotaph
William Edward Twine
Born: 1896
Age: 20
Died: 3 Jan. 1917
Mother: Agnes Twine
2 Raglan Terrace, Lumley Road
Service Number: G/16523
Private Royal Sussex Regiment
9th Battalion Western Front
Commemorated:
Philosophe British Cemetery
Pas de Calais, France
Arthur Denzil Vasey
Born: 27 July 1898
Age: 19
Died: 26 Oct. 1917
Parents: Arthur and Nellie Vasey
Gt Eastern, Hermitage
Service Number: PO/18271
Lance Corporal
Royal Marines Light Infantry
1st Battalion
Battle of Passchendaele
Commemorated: Tyne Cot Memorial
Belgium
George Voller
Born: 1897
Age: 20
Died: 4 August 1917
Parents: George & Alice Voller, 2 Kings Cottage, Nutbourne
Service Number: G/29001
Private East Kent Rgt (Buffs)
7th Batallion Western Front
Bedford House Cemetery,
West Vlaanderen, Belgium
Frederick R Waite
Age: 49
Died: 19 Nov 1915
Wife: Alice
Married Westbourne
Service Number: 14013
Sergeant Dragoon Guards
(Cavalry Regt.)
4th (Royal Irish) Battalion
Western Front
Commemorated:
Longuenesse (St Omar) Souvenir Cemetery, France
Harold Warren
Age: 29
Died: 31 May 1916
Parents: Robert and Louisa Warren
Service Number: 219690
Leading Stoker Royal Navy
No Southbourne connection found
HMS Queen Mary Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
James William Warren
Born: January 1890
Age: 29
Died: 8 April 1919
Wife: Christina Warren
40 Essex Road Milton, Portsmouth
Service Number: RMA/10752
Sergeant Royal Marine Artillery
HMS Ramilles
Died of disease
Buried: Highland Road Cemetery,
Portsmouth
Thomas Charles West
Born: 1886
Age: 32
Died: 23 April 1918
Parents: Hannah and late John West,
2 Bay Tree Cottages, Prinsted
Service Number: 29849
Private Hampshire Regiment
1st Battalion
Battle of Pacaut Wood
Commemorated: Loos Memorial, France
Victor John Whiting
Born: 21 Oct. 1879
Age: 36
Died: 31 May 1916
Wife: Eliza Florence Whiting
19 Thorney Road
Service Number: 193168
Petty Officer 1st Class
Royal Navy
HMS Black Prince Battle of Jutland
Commemorated: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Alfred George Woodland
Age:
Died: no record
Wife: Florence, 3 Victoria Terrace. Lumley
Service Number: 281961
Stoker Royal Navy
No information found as at summer 2018
Frederick William Woodland
Born: 20 Sept 1882
Age: 31
Died: 14 Sept 1914
Wife: Helen Woodland
Victoria Terrace, Lumley
Service Number: 7597
Stoker RN
Seconded to Australian Navy
HMAS AE1 Submarine
Papua New Guinea
Commemorated:
Plymouth Naval Memorial and Australia and Papua New Guinea
James Arthur Woods
Born: 1884
Age: 35
Died: 4 Feb. 1919
Father: James Woods Prinsted
Service Number: T/3/027422
Driver Army Service Corps
Salonica
Died of TB in Fulham, London
No commemoration found
The following is a list of the relevant ships
H M S Hampshire - June 5th 1916 was a Devonshire-class destroyer launched on September 4th, 1903 and displacing 10,850 tons. In 1916, she was serving with the 2nd Cruiser Squadron.
Lord Kitchener was a Field Marshal and the Secretary of State for War. He and his staff embarked H M S Hampshire at Scapa Flow and set sail for North Russia for talks intended to boost Russian efforts on the Eastern Front. At 8.45pm, in a Force 9 gale and only two miles from the coast, the ship hit a mine and sunk, bow first, within fifteen minutes. Lord Kitchener, his staff and all but twelve of the 737 crew, perished. The disaster came only days after the Battle of Jutland, where thousands had died.
After the war, a stone tower was built on the cliff top overlooking the position of the wreck. On the 100th anniversary of the disaster, a stone wall bearing the names of all the dead was unveiled. Previously, only Lord Kitchener had been commemorated at the site.
Serving onboard H M S Hampshire: Private Wilfred Tilbury - Royal Marines Light Infantry
The Battle of Coronel – November 1st, 1914 The Battle of Coronel, off the coast of Chile, was a humiliating defeat for the Royal Navy. Britain had not lost a sea battle for more than a century and this defeat shocked the Empire. The battle was fought over merchant trade, which the Germans wanted to disrupt in order to hamper the British war effort.
Admiral Maximilian von Spee commanded the East India Squadron of the Imperial German Navy. His crews were very experienced, having been together for many years. The four vessels of the Royal Navy’s West Indies Squadron, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, were out-dated and the two armoured cruisers were badly designed. The odds were always stacked against the British, as the German superiority was clear, but Cradock understood that his orders were to fight to the end. The battle began in the late afternoon and by the evening both H M S Good Hope (with Cradock on board) and H M S Monmouth had been sunk. The German fleet suffered no serious casualties but their celebrations were short lived.
The Admiralty sent reinforcements, including two modern battle cruisers, and a month later the Royal Navy was victorious at the Battle of the Falklands on 8th December 1914 and von Spee was dead. This time all the British ships survived.
H M S Good Hope - November 1st 1914 was a Drake-class amoured cruiser, launched on February 21st, 1901 and displacing 14,150 tons. She was named after the British colony, the Cape of Good Hope. She was assigned to the 4th Cruiser Squadron in order to reinforce Cradock’s forces, becoming his flagship because of her extra speed. At the Battle of Coronel, the battleship SMS Scharnhorst, flagship of the German squadron, engaged Good Hope. Cradock ordered Good Hope to charge the German ships but failed to inflict any serious damage. Good Hope was targeted by the German armoured cruisers and caught fire before her forward magazines exploded and she sunk with all hands – a total of 919 officers and men.
Serving onboard H M S Good Hope: Private James Fyfield, Royal Marines Light Infantry
Leading Seaman Ernest Gregory
The Battle of Jutland – May 31st to June 1st 1916 This was the largest naval battle of the First World War and the only face-to-face encounter between the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet (under the command of Admiral Sir John Jellicoe) and the Battle Cruiser Force (under the command of Admiral Sir David Beatty) with the Imperial German Navy’s High Seas Fleet’s Dreadnought battleships, under the command of Admiral Reinhard Scheer. The Germans’ intention was reduce British naval dominance and they planned to ambush the British fleet in the North Sea. The British had advanced warning through their code breakers and were prepared for the confrontation.
The thirty-six hour engagement took place off the Danish peninsula of Jutland. Several ships were lost in the early part of the battle causing Beatty to withdraw until Jellicoe arrived with the main fleet, at which point they outnumbered the Germans.
Heavy losses were incurred on both sides, with the Grand Fleet losing more ships and twice as many men as the High Seas Fleet but the British ultimately claimed victory.
The German Navy, conceding to British naval superiority, did not to put their surface fleet to sea again for the remainder of the war, therefore allowing Britain to implement a blockade that would ultimately result in Germany’s defeat in 1918. The human cost of this victory was high, with one in ten sailors either killed or wounded in the battle.
It was a high cost for our local community, too, with thirteen men losing their lives in the battle.
H M S Queen Mary - May 31st 1916 was a Lion Class battle cruiser displacing 26,000 tons, launched on March 20th, 1912. She was named after Mary of Teck, wife of King George V. During the early part of the battle, SMS Derfflinger and SMS Seydlitz targeted her. Despite gallantly fighting back, her magazine stores were hit and the resulting explosion split her in two and sunk her within five minutes. Of the crew, 1266 were lost and only seven survived. The wreck was discovered in 1991, the 75th anniversary of the battle.
Serving on board H M S Queen Mary were:
Chief Stoker John Silvester
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Ralph Bowles
Petty Officer George Cooke
Leading Stoker Harold Warren
Leading Stoker William Kennett and his brother
Stoker 1st Class Walter Kennett
Leading Seaman John Jelley
Able Seaman Douglas Suter
H M S Black Prince - June 1st 1916 was a Duke of Edinburgh class armoured cruiser launched on November 8th, 1904. Named after Edward, the Black Prince, son of Edward III, she displaced 12,590 tons. At the battle of Jutland, she was under the command of Captain Thomas Bonham. Her fate was a mystery for many years but it is now believed that she lost contact with the main fleet and strayed close to a line of German battleships, mistaking them for the British fleet. Realising his mistake, Captain Bonham turned her away but it was too late and the battleship, SMS Thüringen, and five other ships targeted her. Within 15 minutes, she sank with all 857 hands.
Serving onboard H M S Black Prince were:
Petty Officer 1st Class Victor Whiting
Petty Officer Stoker Frederick May
Stoker 1st Class George Pearce
H M S Invincible - May 31st 1916 was the world’s first battle cruiser and one of three in the Invincible class. Launched on April 13th, 1907, she displaced 17,250 tons. A refit in Portsmouth Dockyard was interrupted by the start of the war. At the Battle of Jutland, Rear Admiral Sir Horace Hood was in command. Targeted by the German battle cruiser, SMS Defflinger, she suffered repeated salvoes before exploding and sinking within one minute. The inside of the ship would have been an inferno. Out of 1031 on board only six survived; all were on the outside decks. The wreck of Invincible was also discovered in 1991.
Serving onboard H M S Invincible was:
Stoker 1st Class Ernest Arthur Hodder
H M S Tipperary - June 1st 1916 was a Faulknor-class destroyer leader built in Cowes in 1915. She had a displacement of 1,700 tons and was commanded by Captain Charles Wintour. During the later part of the battle on June 1st, she was hit at point blank range by salvoes from SMS Westfalen and SMS Nassau, destroying the bridge and killing all crew in the forward section of the ship, including Captain Wintour. She burst into flames and was abandoned before eventually sinking. 150 out of a crew of 197 were lost.
Serving onboard H M S Tipperary was:
Petty Officer Stoker Arthur Parham