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Commonwealth War Graves, Engineman, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, story, Suffolk, war

Engineman Thomas Cropley

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Engineman Thomas Cropley

Thomas Samuel Cropley was born on 16th November 1882 in the Suffolk village of Mutford. The fifth of eight children, his parents were Robert and Hannah Cropley. Given Mutford’s proximity to the Hundred River Hundred and the coastal town of Lowestoft, it is little surprise that Thomas’ father was a ropemaker. Hannah was also employed, the 1901 census recording her as a monthly nurse – helping women during the month after childbirth.

Thomas’ location to the coast made fishing an ideal choice of work for him, and when he left school he followed his three older brothers into the trade. Indeed, he listed his trade as a deep sea fisherman on his marriage records.

As a young man, he had met bricklayer’s daughter Edith Tuttle, and they tied the knot on 29th May 1906. The couple set up home in Factory Street, Lowestoft, and went on to have seven children.

Sadly, little information on Thomas’ wartime service remains documented. His knowledge of boats and the sea made the navy an obvious option for him, and he enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve.

Engineman Cropley was assigned to HMS Pembroke – this Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham in Kent. While it is likely that he served on ships as well, this is certainly the base to which he returned.

Thomas found himself based here in the summer of 1917, which was a particularly busy place at that point in the war. Additional accommodation was desperately needed and he found himself billeted at Chatham Drill Hall, away from the main barracks.

By 1917, the German Air Force had suffered huge losses during the daylight bombing raids it had been undertaking. It was imperative for them to minimise these losses, and so a new tactic – night time raids – was employed.

The first trial of this approach was on the night of 3rd September 1917, and Chatham suddenly found itself in the firing line, startlingly unready and fundamentally unprotected. One of the German bombers landed a direct hit on the Drill Hall, and Engineman Cropley was killed. He was just 34 years old.

Ninety-eight servicemen perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night. They were buried in a mass funeral at the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where Thomas Samuel Cropley was laid to rest.

The lives of Thomas’ family outlines a lot about living conditions in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a large number of his relatives dying young.

His father was 68 when he died in 1916; Hannah had passed away fourteen years before, when she was 56 years old. Of his siblings, two did not survive childhood, one died their 20s, one was aged 40, while three reached their late sixties.

Thomas’ widow died in 1921, at the age of 35; their two youngest children died before their first birthdays. Of the other five, one was 31 when he died, while the others lived much longer – one was in their mid-70s, two in their eighties, and the oldest reached her hundredth birthday. A varied legacy indeed.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, London, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Ordinary Seaman Robert Smith

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Ordinary Seaman Robert Smith

Robert Frederick Sydney Smith was born on 24th July 1889 in Peckham, London. One of seven children, his parents were Robert Smith – a tailor and draper – and his wife Ada.

Little more information is available on Robert Jr’s early life. He married Alice Brookman, a leatherworker’s daughter, on 3rd September 1911, and was, by this time, working as a bank clerk. The couple went on to have three children: Sidney, Eileen and Ronald.

War was on the horizon and, at Robert was soon called up. His service records are dated 31st January 1917, and note that he stood 5ft 5.5ins (1.66m) tall, had brown hair, brown eyes and a medium complexion.

Robert was employed as an Ordinary Seaman, and was initially posted to HMS Pembroke, the shore-based establishment at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. After a few weeks, he was posted to HMS Crescent, a cruiser that served in the North Sea.

After six months at sea, Ordinary Seaman Smith landed back in Kent. HMS Pembroke was a busy place at that point in the war, and additional accommodation was desperately needed. Robert found himself billeted at Chatham Drill Hall, away from the main barracks.

At this point in the war, the German Air Force had been suffering huge losses during the daylight bombing raids it had been undertaking. It was imperative for them to minimise these losses, and so a new tactic – night time raids – was employed.

The first trial of this approach was on the night of 3rd September 1917, and Chatham suddenly found itself in the firing line, startlingly unready and fundamentally unprotected. One of the German bombs landed a direct hit on the Drill Hall, and Ordinary Seaman Smith was killed. He was just 28 years old.

Ninety-eight servicemen perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night. They were buried in a mass funeral at the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where Robert Frederick Sydney Smith was laid to rest.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Leading Stoker, London, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Leading Stoker William Osborne

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Leading Stoker William Osborne

William Alfred Osborne was born in Islington, London, on 22nd August 1892. Sadly, this is where any concrete information on his early life – including his family – ends.

The only firm document available is William’s naval service records. This gives the date and location of his birth and also some physical details. He was 5ft 3ins (1.59m) tall, had brown hair, grey eyes (with a scar above his left one) and a fair complexion.

William enlisted in the Royal Navy on 11th May 1911, and was given the rank of Stoker 2nd Class. He was initially stationed at HMS Pembroke – the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – where he spent a total of five months.

Weeks into his service in Chatham, he was put in the cells for seven days; it is not clear what misdemeanour he had committed, but the punishment this early on into his career seemed to have done the job, as the remainder of his service appears unblemished.

In October 1911, Stoker Osborne was given his first ocean-based posting. He was assigned to the battlecruiser HMS Inflexible on board which he served for nearly six years. During this time, he was given two promotions, to Stoker 1st Class in May 1912, and Leading Stoker four years later.

The Inflexible initially served in the Mediterranean, although during William’s time on board, she was involved in the Battle of the Falklands in the South Atlantic, the Dardanelles Campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Battle of Jutland in the North Sea.

By the summer of 1917, Leading Stoker Osborne was back on home soil, stationed at HMS Pembroke. The Dockyard was a busy place at that point in the war, and additional accommodation was desperately needed. William found himself billeted at Chatham Drill Hall, away from the main barracks.

At this point in the war, the German Air Force had been suffering huge losses during the daylight bombing raids it had been undertaking. It was imperative for them to minimise these losses, and so a new tactic – night time raids – was employed.

The first trial of this approach was on the night of 3rd September 1917, and Chatham suddenly found itself in the firing line, startling unready and fundamentally unprotected. One of the German bombs landed a direct hit on the Drill Hall, and Leading Stoker Osborne was killed. He was just 25 years old.

Ninety-eight servicemen perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night. They were buried in a mass funeral at the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where William Alfred Osborne was laid to rest.

Commonwealth War Graves, Cook's Mate, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, story, Surrey, war

Cook’s Mate Arthur Humphrey

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Cook’s Mate Arthur Humphrey

Arthur John Humphrey was born on 22nd December 1880 in the Surrey village of Horne. One of seven children, his parents were agricultural labourer Thomas Humphrey and his wife Eliza.

When he left school, Arthur also found labouring work. By 1899 he had moved to the town of Redhill, where he met tailor’s daughter Kate Wilson. The couple married in St Matthew’s Church that year, and went on to have six children.

With a family to look after, Arthur found additional work to help bring money in, and he became a carter for a local bakery. This seems to have spurred him on, and by the time war broke out, he had become more hands on with the baking side of things.

The hostilities brought new opportunities, and the chance of more permanent, better played employment became available. On 25th May 1916, Arthur enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Cook’s Mate. His service records show that he stood at 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, had brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Cook’s Mate Humphrey’s service was wholly at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. While he would have been billeted in the barracks themselves, by the summer of 1917, the dockyard was becoming a very crowded place. The Drill Hall was brought in as additional accommodation and, that summer, this is where Arthur was moved to temporarily.

The German Air Force was suffering significant losses during the daylight raids it was carrying out. In an attempt to stem the flow of casualties, they decided to trial night time raids and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham found itself in the midst of a bombing raid. The Drill Hall that Cook’s Mate Humphrey was sleeping in received a direct hit, and he was killed. He was just 36 years old.

The 98 servicemen who perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night were buried in a mass funeral at the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where Arthur Humphrey was laid to rest.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Alfred Andrews

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Stoker 1st Class Alfred Andrews

Alfred Andrews was born on 23rd August 1897, one of eleven children to George and Louisa Andrews. George was a bricklayer and labourer from Sussex, who had met and married Folkestone-born Louisa and moved to the Kent town.

When Alfred left school, he found similar employment to his father. He wanted bigger and better things, however, and 5th November 1913 he signed up for the Royal Navy.

Alfred’s service papers show that, at the time of enlisting, he stood 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, had brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion. It also shows that he gave his year of birth as 1895 – this suggested to the authorities that he was 18 years old, and therefore old enough to join up.

Stoker 2nd Class Andrews’ first posting was HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. He spent nearly five months there being trained, before being given his first ocean-going posting aboard the battleship HMS Vanguard.

When war was declared, Vanguard was involved in activity in the North Sea, conducting drills and patrolling the waters off the Shetland and Orkney Coasts. By the time Stoker Andrews returned to Kent, he had been on board for more than a year, and had received a promotion to Stoker 1st Class.

Over the next couple of years, Alfred served on two more ships – HMS Daffodil and HMS Hebe. In between assignments, he was based at HMS Pembroke, and it was here that he found himself in the summer of 1917.

That summer was particularly busy for HMS Pembroke; when the barracks there became full, Chatham Drill Hall was used as temporary accommodation and this is where Stoker Andrews found himself billeted.

The German Air Force was suffering significant losses during the daylight raids it carried out. In an attempt to stem the flow of casualties, the decision was taken to trial night time raids and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham found itself in their line of fire. The Drill Hall that Stoker Andrews was sleeping in received a direct hit, and he was killed. He was just 20 years old.

The 98 servicemen who perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night were laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where Alfred Andrews was buried.

While researching Alfred’s life, it became evident that his older brother, Ernest, died in 1915. Wondering is this was another war-related death in the family, I dug a little deeper into his life.

Ernest George Andrews was born in Folkestone in 1883 and was the oldest of George and Louisa’s children. Like his younger brother, he too enlisted in the armed forces, joining the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1899, at the tender age of 16. Over the following decade, he served all over the world, at bases in Malta, South Africa and India.

Ernest would have cut a domineering figure – he stood at 6ft (1.83m) tall, and had a number of tattoos – clasped hands, men and women on his left forearm and a heart and birds on the right.

By 1910, Lance Corporal Andrew’s initial term of service and he re-enlisted. Based on home soil this time, he was barracked in Aldershot, Hampshire. His time in the army was not faultless, and there are a couple of occasions – while abroad and back at home – where he was pulled up for being drunk on duty, or for disobeying orders.

A further example of the man Ernest had become, led to his discharge from the army on 6th April 1912. This was the date on which he was sentenced to five years’ penal servitude for ‘feloniously and violently ravishing one Jane Kennedy’ [British Army War Records].

I have not been able to find any further information on the incident, which had happened a couple of months earlier, but it seems that Ernest served his time, and then returned to his home town in Kent. His trail goes quiet at this point, and he died on 21st August 1915, at the age of 32. He was buried in his home town.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, Uncategorized, war

Stoker 1st Class John Hammond

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Stoker 1st Class John Hammond

John William Hammond was born on 24th March 1899 in the Kent coastal town of Gravesend. One of eight children, his parents were James (who was known as Robert) and Margaret Hammond. Robert had been an army man all his life: by the time John was born, he had retired from the Royal Field Artillery and was supporting his family with his Corporal’s pension.

The 1911 census records the family of nine as living in a small terraced house on the outskirts of Gravesend. Robert had found employment as a customs watcher (or collector).

When he left school, John found work at the docks, labouring to bring in some extra money for the family. By this time, war had been declared, and, keen to do his bit for King and Country, on 13th January 1916 he volunteered for the Royal Navy as a Stoker.

John’s enlistment papers give a little more insight into him. He was recorded as standing 5ft 6.5ins (1.69m) tall, with brown hair, blue-grey eyes and a fresh complexion. His was noted as having vaccination marks on his left arm and a scar on his left knee. But the most telling part of his service papers is that he gives his year of birth as 1897: he was sixteen years old – and underage – when he joined up, so adding two years to his age ensured he was accepted.

Stoker 2nd Class Hammond’s first posting was just down the coast at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham. He spent five months there, learning his trade, before being given his first ocean-going assignment.

John’s first ship was the battleship HMS Swiftsure which, over the next eleven months, acted as convoy support for the Atlantic shipping lanes. By the time he arrived back in Kent in April 1917, John had travelled to and from Africa and had been promoted to Stoker 1st Class.

Back at HMS Pembroke, Stoker Hammond had had an unblemished record. This changed when, in August he was detained for 21 days, although his misdemeanour is not clear.

During that summer of 1917, the Naval Dockyard was a busy place. When its barracks reached capacity, Chatham Drill Hall was called into use as temporary accommodation and, having been released from detention, this is where John found himself billeted.

The German Air Force was suffering significant losses during the daylight raids it carried out. In an attempt to stem the flow of casualties, the decision was taken to trial night time raids and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham found itself in their line of fire. The Drill Hall that Stoker Hammond was sleeping in received a direct hit, and he was killed. He was just 18 years old.

The 98 servicemen who perished during the Chatham Air Raid that night were laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. This, too, is where John William Hammond was buried.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Hampshire, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, story, Telegraphist, war

Ordinary Telegraphist Jack Nicholson

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Ordinary Telegraphist Jack Nicholson

Jack Nicholson was born on 23rd August 1893. There is very little documentation on his life, although the following can be pieced together.

Jack was called up for military service on 22nd March 1916, at which point he was working as a music hall artist. His service records show that he stood 5ft 11.5ins (1.82m) tall, had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a sallow complexion.

Jack enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman, and was assigned to HMS Victory in Portsmouth. After a couple of months he was promoted to Able Seaman and, by March 1917, he had been reassigned, to HMS Vivid in Plymouth. By this point he had taken on a specific role with the navy, and alongside Able Seaman, held the rank of Ordinary Telegraphist.

Within a matter of months, Jack was on the move again, this time to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. HMS Pembroke – as it was also known – was a busy place during that summer of 1917, and, with its barracks having reached capacity, Jack found himself billeted at Chatham Drill Hall, which was being used as temporary accommodation.

At this point in the war, the German Air Force was aiming to minimise the losses it was suffering during daylight raids. It began trialling bombing raids at night and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham found itself in their line of fire. The Drill Hall Ordinary Telegraphist Nicholson was sleeping in received a direct hit, and he was killed. He was just 24 years old.

Jack Nicholson was buried alongside the other 97 victims of the Chatham Air Raid. He lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the Royal Naval Dockyard in neighbouring Chatham.

Commonwealth War Graves, Essex, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Arthur Haxell

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Stoker 1st Class Arthur Haxell

Arthur Frederick Haxell was born on 17th June 1897 and was the third of six children to Frederick and Ellen. Arthur’s father was a labourer from Tilbury in Essex, who raised his family in nearby Romford, where Arthur himself was born.

By the time Arthur was six, the family had moved to Kent; the 1911 census found them living in the then village of Welling. When he left school, he found work at a local mill. War was on the horizon, however, and things were about to change.

Arthur was called up on 22nd June 1916, joining the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service records show that he was 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall, had fair hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. He was sent to HMS Pembroke – the shore establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – and spent three months there being trained.

Stoker Haxell’s first sea commission was on board HMS Dartmouth, a cruiser that served in the Eastern Mediterranean which was involved in the Battle of Otranto Straits in the spring of 1917. He spent nine months on board, and received a promotion to Stoker 1st Class during this time.

By the start of July, however, Arthur was back in Chatham. HMS Pembroke was a busy place that summer, a sunken battleship and an outbreak of fever meaning that its barracks had reached capacity. Rather than being in the normal barracks, Arthur found himself billeted at the nearby Chatham Drill Hall instead.

By this point in the conflict, the German Air Force was doing all it could to minimise the losses it was suffering during its daylight raids. Instead, it trialled night flights and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham was bombed. The Drill Hall Stoker Haxell was sleeping in received a direct hit; he died from his injuries the following day. He was just 20 years old.

Arthur Frederick Haxell was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham, alongside the other 97 victims of the Chatham Air Raid.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Lancashire, photography, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class Benjamin Corker

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Stoker 1st Class Benjamin Corker

Benjamin Corker was born in Liverpool on 23rd June 1893, one of four children to James and Mary Corker. James was a railway foreman and porter from Helsby in Cheshire, who had moved to the city to get work.

Mary passed away in 1906, and this may have been the spur that got Benjamin moving. On 14th March 1910, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class, for the set term of twelve years’ employment.

Benjamin’s service records shed a little more light into his life. He was noted as being 5ft 10ins (1.78m) tall, with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. At the time that he enlisted, he was working as a capstan man for the railway, moving trucks in the goods yard using a rope device similar to that found on ships at the time.

The section on wounds, scars and marks notes that he had “tattooed tombstone, wreath and ‘in memory of my mother’, 3 crossed fishes, heart anchor and cross” on his right forearm; on his left were “heart flag, wreath flag, ‘mizpah’, KJ and two dots and indistinct letter C”. He also had a mole under his chin. The Hebrew word mizpah (remembrance, or emotional bond) is intriguing, and suggests that, while Benjamin was baptized at St Cleopas Church in Toxteth, there may have been Jewish heritage in his family line.

The last noteworthy entry on Stoker Corker’s naval records is that he had given his date of birth as 23rd June 1890, three years older than he actually was. He would have been 17 – and therefore underage – at the point he enlisted, which shows either a drive to follow his dream, or to escape some other reality.

Whatever his circumstances, Benjamin boarded HMS Acheron in Liverpool, and sailed from there to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for formal training at HMS Pembroke there. After three months he was given his first formal posting on board the battlecruiser HMS Indomitable. He spent eighteen months on board, and received a promotion to Stoker 1st Class in the process.

After a further spell of training in Chatham, Stoker Corker was then assigned to HMS Hibernia, another of the Royal Navy’s battleships. He spent more than five years on board, through to the summer of 1917.

Benjamin then returned to Chatham to await his next posting. HMS Pembroke was a busy place that summer, and, with its barracks having reached capacity, the glass-roofed Chatham Drill Hall was used as temporary accommodation. This is where Stoker Corker found himself billeted.

By this point in the war, the German Air Force was trying to minimise the losses it had suffered during daytime raids. Instead, it trialled night flights and, on 3rd September 1917, Chatham was bombed. The Drill Hall received a direct hit, and Stoker Corker was killed along with close to 100 others. He was just 24 years old.

The victims of the Chatham Air Raid were buried in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham. Benjamin Corker was also laid to rest there, and lies within walking distance of the naval dockyard in which he had served.

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Leading Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, story, Suffolk, war

Leading Seaman Archibald Langridge

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Leading Seaman Archibald Langridge

Archibald Edward Langridge was born on 9th November 1892, one of six children – and the only son – to Edward and Jane Langridge. Edward was a labourer from Sevenoaks, who raised his young family in the town. Archibald had ideas of bigger adventures, however.

In August 1908, he joined the Royal Navy. Still underage – he was only 15 years old – he was granted the rank of Boy 2nd Class and was sent off to HMS Ganges – the naval base in Suffolk – for training.

Within a year, Archibald had been promoted to Boy 1st Class, and was soon assigned to his first ship, HMS Berwick, an armoured cruiser. After three months on board, he was assigned to HMS Pembroke, the shore-based establishment at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, and it was here that he returned to in between voyages.

His next sea assignment was the battleship HMS London, which he joined on 8th February 1910, and where he spent two years. During this time Archibald turned 18, and was formally enlisted in the Royal Navy, attaining the rank of Ordinary Seaman. His service records show that he was 5ft 2ins (1.57m) tall had light hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. They also show that he had a scar below his right eye and another on the back of his head. He also had a number of tattoos – a woman’s head, good luck and horseshoe on his right forearm and a cross and star on his left.

Ordinary Seaman Langridge’s naval career continued and, by the time hostilities broke out in 1914, he had served on two more ships – HMS Antrim and HMS Boadicea – and had been promoted to Able Seaman.

When war was declared, Archibald was serving on Boadicea, a ship on board which he spent a total of three years. He was again promoted during this time, reaching the rank of Leading Seaman.

By the spring of 1916, he was back serving in Chatham. Archibald had met Gladys Godfrey, who came from his home town, and the couple married in Sevenoaks in May. They went on to have a son, George, who was born in March the following year.

Leading Seaman Langridge was now permanently based at HMS Pembroke, and spent spent nearly eighteen months at the dockyard. HMS Pembroke was a busy place in the summer of 1917, and its barracks reached capacity. Chatham Drill Hall was used as temporary accommodation, and this is where Archibald found himself billeted.

By this point in the war, the German Air Force was trying to minimise the losses it suffered during daytime raids, and was, instead, trialling night flights; on 3rd September 1917, Chatham found itself in their flight path. The Drill Hall received a direct hit, and Leading Seaman Langridge was killed, along with close to 100 others. He was just 24 years old.

The victims of the Chatham Air Raid were laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, walking distance from the Drill Hall where Archibald Edward Langridge and his colleagues had died.

There is a sad epilogue to this tale. Four months after Archibald’s death, Gladys gave birth to their second child, Charles. He would never know his father.