Tag Archives: 1916

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, Kent, Leading Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, Somerset, story, war

Petty Officer 2nd Class George Ball

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Petty Officer 2nd Class George Ball

The early life of George John Ball is a challenge to piece together.

His naval records confirm that he was born in Bedminster, Somerset, on 11th October 1865. There are census records that link his name to parents coal miner Luke Ball and his wife, Ann, but these cannot be confirmed.

George’s papers show that he found work as a butcher when he finished his schooling. He was set on a life at sea, however, and, on 25th November 1880, he joined the Royal Navy. Given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, he was sent to the training base HMS Impregnable for his induction. The Devon establishment would remain his home for the next two years, and, during this time, he rose to the rank of Boy 1st Class.

On 10th October 1882, George was given his first sea-faring assignment, on board the armoured cruiser HMS Northampton. He stayed with her for the next two years, during which time he came of age. Now formally inducted to the Royal Navy, he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman. His service records from the time give an indication as to the man he had become. Short of stature, he was just 5ft 1.5ins (1.56m) tall, and had light brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion.

Ordinary Seaman Ball signed up for a ten-year contract. Over that time, he would serve on a total of eight vessels, rising to the rank of Able Seaman in January 1889. George’s slate was not completely clean, however, and his record notes three serious demeanours in that time.

In the spring of 1888 George spent 27 days in Canterbury Gaol for ‘breaking out of [the] ship’ he was then serving on, HMS Duncan. He was sent to the brig for a further fourteen days in January 1892 for an undisclosed crime.

Able Seaman Ball was also fined £3 10s (£575 in today’s money) for staying away beyond his allotted shore leave. His papers note an absence of seventeen weeks from 10th October 1893, and this time would have been added to the end of his contract.

George re-enlisted on 9th February 1894, and his service record noted that he had grown half and inch (1.3cm) since he enlisted. He had also had a number of tattoos in that time, including an anchor on his right arm and a bracelet and sailor on his left.

Over the next decade, Able Seaman Ball continued his steady progression through the ranks. He would serve on seven ships, returning to what had become his shore base – HMS Victory, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – in between assignments. In October 1897, George was promoted to Leading Seaman: by the following July he was given the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class.

On 29th April 1904, after more than twenty years in service, George was formally stood down to reserve status. The next document for him – the 1911 census – gives an insight into his life away from the sea. By this point, George was living in a small terraced house at 234 Luton Road, Chatham, Kent.

The document confirms he had been married for fourteen years, to a woman called Sarah. The couple had a daughter – six-year-old Doris – and Sarah’s son from a previous marriage, Albert, was also living with them. George had not distanced himself too far from the sea, however. He was employed as a Ship’s Canteen Manager, a position his stepson also held.

When war came to Europe, George was called upon to play his part once more. Taking up the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class again, he would be based at HMS Pembroke – Chatham Dockyard – and he remained in service for the next two years.

In August 1916, George was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham, with a combination of pychtis and a stricture. The conditions were to prove fatal: he breathed his last on 31st August 1916, at the age of 50 years old.

George John Ball was laid to rest in the military section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent, not far from the dockyard that had been his home for many years.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, injury, Kent, Lance Corporal, Middlesex, photography, Private, Royal Marines, story, war

Lance Corporal William King

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Lance Corporal William King

William James King was born on 7th March 1883 in Kensington, Middlesex. He was the fourth of eight children to bricklayer and builder’s labourer John King and his wife, Hannah.

There is little specific information available about William’s early life. The 1891 census found the family living at 16 Burlington Mews in Paddington, but he does not appear on any census returns after this date.

On 4th August 1906, William married Marion Oliver. Born in Chelsea, she was the daughter of a house painter, and the couple exchanged vows in St Luke’s Church, Paddington. The marriage certificate noted William’s trade as a bricklayer, and the couple went on to have two children: daughter Gwendoline, born in 1911, and son Henry, born two years later.

When war came to Europe, William was quick to step up and play his part. He enlisted on 5th October 1914, joining the Royal Marines. His service records show that he was 5ft 4ins (1,62m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Sent to Deal, Kent for training, Private King was initially assigned to the 2nd Field Company of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. Appointed to the rank of Lance Corporal he soon found himself ensconced at Gallipoli. On 15th May he was medically evacuated to Britain with an injury to his spinal cord. Admitted to Charing Cross Hospital, London, he was discharged from the army on 27th March 1916.

William’s treatment was ongoing, and by the autumn of 1916, he had been admitted to Gillingham Hospital in Kent. It was here that he would died, passing away on 20th November: he was 33 years of age.

William John King was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.

Blacksmith, Blacksmith's Mate, Commonwealth War Graves, Diver, Essex, Great War, history, illness, Kent, photography, Royal Navy, story, war, Yorkshire

Blacksmith Robert Holdsworth

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Blacksmith Robert Holdsworth

Robert William Holdsworth was born on 11th February 1880 in Pilmoor, Yorkshire. The third of nine children, his parents were John and Fanny. John was a railway signalman, and, by the time of the 1891 census, the family had moved to Kirby Wiske, near Thirsk.

When he completed his schooling, Robert found work as a blacksmith. Moving away from home, by 1901, he was boarding at the Albion Foundry on New Street in Pocklington. The job, however, was a stepping stone to bigger things, and, on 28th July 1902, he enlisted in the Royal Navy.

Blacksmith’s Mate Holdsworth’s service records show that he was 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall. He had dark brown hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion. It was also noted that he had a scar on his right elbow.

Robert was initially sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. He would spend the next year at the base, and was promoted to Blacksmith proper in April 1903. Over the twelve years of his initial contract, he would serve on board seven ships, returning to Chatham in between assignments. The 1911 census recorded him as being one of 283 crew aboard HMS Patrol, a scout vessel moored in Harwich Harbour, Essex.

In the summer of 1916, Robert married Minnie Eames. Born in Kensal Rise, London, by the time of the nuptials, her family had moved to Gillingham, Kent, where her father James worked as a night watchman. Minnie was working as a shop assistant by this point, and was living with her parents and older brother at 35 Wyles Street.

Back at work, Blacksmith Holdsworth had renewed his contract. His annual reviews noted both very good conduct and superior ability, and he had added another string to his bow – the role of Diver – in the spring of 1912. In April 1913 he was assigned to HMS Astraea, on board which he would spend the next three years. The cruiser patrolled the seas off the eastern coast of Africa, bombarding Dar-es-Salaam in the autumn of 1914.

By the summer of 1916, Blacksmith Holdsworth was back at HMS Pembroke, where he would remain for the rest of the year, barring a couple of months’ on board HMS Royal Arthur. On 2nd December Robert was feeling unwell, and was moved the Hospital Ship Garth Castles. He had suffered a cardiac arrest, but his transfer would prove too late: he died that afternoon, at the age of 36.

The body of Robert William Holdsworth was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the naval base he had called home, and within walking distance of where his widow still lived.

Blacksmith Robert Holdsworth
(from ancestry.co.uk)

The epitaph on Robert’s headstone reads: In loving memory of Robert William Holdsworth, 1st Class Petty Officer (Blacksmith & Diver). There is no evidence in his service records for the PO rank, although this may have been an informal nod to his dual roles.

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, injury, Kent, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, Scotland, story, Suffolk, war

Able Seaman Frederick Dennington

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Able Seaman Frederick Dennington

Frederick Dennington was born in Wrentham, Suffolk, on 18th February 1877. The youngest of eleven children, his parents were William and Eliza Dennington. William was a house painter, and the family lived in a cottage on Southwold Road on the outskirts of the village.

Frederick was not to follow his father’s trade, and when he completed his schooling he found employment as a groom. Working with horses was one thing, but he wanted to make a bigger splash in the world, and so, on 28th April 1892, he joined the Royal Navy.

Too young to formally enlist, Frederick was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, and was sent to HMS Impregnable, the training ship moored at Queensferry on the Firth of Forth, for his induction. Over the next three years, Boy Dennington would learn the tools of his trade, and spent time on another training vessel – HMS Lion – and at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

In June 1893, Frederick was promoted to Boy 1st Class, and the following January he was assigned to HMS Satellite. She was a composite screw corvette, and would remain his home for the next three years. During this time, he proved he came of age, and was formally inducted into the Royal Navy.

Give the rank of Ordinary Seaman, Frederick’s service papers give an insight into the man he was becoming. Short of stature – he was noted as being 5ft 1.5ins (1.56m) tall – he had dark brown hair, grey eyes and a fair complexion. He was also noted as having tattoos on both of his forearms, and rings tattooed on the fingers of his his right hand.

Ordinary Seaman Dennington seemed to impress his superiors and on 5th December 1895 – just ten months after coming of age – he was promoted to the rank of Able Seaman. His contract had tied him to the navy for twelve years, and during that time, Frederick would serve on five further ships. In between each of his assignments, he returned to Chatham, and this would become his longer-term base.

Frederick’s term of service came up for renewal in February 1907, and he immediately re-enlisted. His papers show that he was now 5ft 8ins (1.72m) tall, and his eyes were more grey-blue than grey. While he remained at the rank of Able Seaman, his character was always noted as being very good, and his ability as superior.

Able Seaman Dennington went on to serve on five ships over the next nine years, including three years of HMS Blenheim, and the same length of time on board HMS Duncan. By the autumn of 1916, with war raging across Europe, Frederick had clocked up 24 years in naval service.

By this point, Frederick was unwell. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham, Kent, with a stricture of the urethra. This was to be a condition that that he would succumb to, and he passed away on 9th December 1916, at the age of 39 years old.

The body of Frederick Dennington was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, not far from the naval base that has become his second home.

Frederick never married. His probate record confirms that his effects – totalling £147 2s (worth £16,350 in today’s money) – was left to his father, William.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, photography, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, Royal Navy, Ship's Steward, story, war

Ship’s Steward Assistant Harold Tindell

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Ship’s Steward Assistant Harold Tindell

Harold Edward Richard Tindell was born in Sidcup, Kent, on 15th January 1898. The middle of three children, his parents were travelling salesman Lawrence Tindell, and his wife, Alice.

There is little concrete information available about Harold’s life: his family do not appear in the 1911 census, and it is only on his enlistment papers that we get a picture of the young man he had become. He joined the Royal Navy on 28th November 1916, signing up as a Ship’s Steward Assistant.

The document suggests that he had transferred over from the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, giving up his job as a clerk to fully serve his country. His papers show that he was 5ft 4.5ins (1.64m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Ship’s Steward Assistant Tindell was sent to HMS Pembroke – the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – for his training. Tragically, however, his time there was to be brief. He contracted cerebrospinal meningitis, dying from the condition on 30th December 1916: he was eighteen years of age, and had been in the Royal Navy for just 32 days.

Harold Edward Richard Tindell was laid to rest in the military section of Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent, not far from the base he had so briefly called home.

Harold’s headstone gives his rank as Ship’s Steward Boy: however, his service papers and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission both confirm the role as Ship’s Steward Assistant.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Gwynedd, history, illness, Pembrokeshire, photography, Private, story, Wales, war, Welch Regiment

Private Arthur Charles

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Private Arthur Charles

Arthur William Charles was born in Llanrhian, Pembrokeshire, in the summer of 1896. The middle of eleven children, his parents were Joseph and Phoebe Charles.

The 1901 census recorded Joseph as being a butcher and innkeeper in the village, but by the time of the next poll, the family were split. Joseph and Phoebe were now noted as being farmers, living with five of their children plus two servants at Henllys Farm. Arthur, meanwhile, was living with two of his sisters on his brother Thomas’ farm in Mathry. At 14 years of age, he was noted as being a farmer’s son, working on a farm.

When war broke out, Arthur was called upon to play his part. His service papers are long since lost, but he had enlisted in the Welch Regiment by the spring of 1916. Assigned to the 20th (3rd Rhondda) (Reserve) Battalion, he was sent to Bangor, Gwynedd, for training.

Tragically, however, Private Charles’ time there was not to be a lengthy one. He contracted cerebrospinal meningitis, and passed away on 6th August 1916: he was 20 years of age.

The body of Arthur William Charles was taken back to Pembrokeshire for burial. He was laid to rest in the Mathry Congregational Churchyard in Rehoboth.

Private Arthur Charles
(from ancestry.co.uk)
Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Great War, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Boy 2nd Class Albert Sampson

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Boy 2nd Class Albert Sampson

Albert Frederick Sampson was born on 7th November 1900, and was the older of two children to Albert and Beatrice. Albert Sr was a steward in the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, Devon, and the family lived in a four-roomed cottage on Victoria Road.

When he finished his schooling, Albert found work as a cabin boy on a merchant vessel. When war broke out, the transition to the Royal Navy was an obvious one, and he enlisted at the start of 1916. His service records show that he was 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall, with red hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. Still under the age to formally enlist, he was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class.

Albert’s time in the navy was to be tragically short. He was admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, with acute quinsy, and passed away quickly. He died on 13th February 1916, at the age of just 15 years old.

Albert Frederick Sampson’s body was taken back to Dartmouth for burial. He was laid to rest in St Clement’s Churchyard.

accident, Commonwealth War Graves, Cook, Devon, Great War, history, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Scotland, story, Trimmer, war

Trimmer Cook Douglas Ferguson

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Trimmer Cook Douglas Ferguson

At Dartmouth on Saturday, Mr AM Dawson held an inquest on Douglass [sic] Davidson Mitchell Ferguson, cook, aged 30, of a Government trawler, whose body was recovered from the boat float the previous afternoon.

TG Elliott, of the Britannia Inn, said deceased had one drop of whiskey at his house on Thursday.

W Bursey, seaman, said he saw deceased at the King’s Arms Hotel, the same evening. He was very quiet and chatted with others.

Frank Lavers, coal lumper, said he thought he saw Ferguson at 9.50 on his way to the Embankment. Deceased asked the time and spoke quite rationally.

After evidence as to the recovery of the body, and Dr GM Soper’s evidence that the death was due to drowning, an open verdict was returned.

Lieut. PN Taylor [Royal Naval Reserve], commander of the vessel to which deceased had belonged, said Dartmouth was the most dangerous place for the embarkation at night that he had visited, owing to the restricted lighting. He thought rails should eb placed not only around the Boat Float, but along the whole of the Embankment.

Members of the jury agreed that lights in the vicinity of the Boat Float were inadequate, and the jury added a rider to their verdict urging the authorities to provide adequate lighting as advised by the Town Council, for the benefit of persons embarking in the vicinity of the Boat Float, and with a view to preventing further tragedies.

[Western Times: Tuesday 29th February 1916]

Douglas Davidson Ferguson was born in Stirling, Scotland, on 28th August 1896. One of four children, his parents were Andrew and Mary Ferguson. There is little information available about his early life, unfortunately, but it is clear that he enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on the 6th September 1915.

Assigned the role of Trimmer Cook, Douglas’s records show that he was 5ft 3ins (1.6m) tall, with brown eyes and a pale complexion. He was also noted as having a tattoo of a dancing girl on his left arm.

Douglas was initially assigned to the cruiser HMS Pactolus, and travelled from Scotland to Devon, where the Royal Naval Dockyard in Devonport would become his base. He remained stationed there for the next few months, working on ships’ galleys as they patrolled out the Channel coastline. It was during one of these voyages that he fell into the River Dart and drowned.

It would seem that Douglas Davidson Ferguson’s family were unable to cover the cost of taking his body back to Scotland for burial. Instead, he was laid to rest in the graveyard of Dartmouth’s St Clement’s Church.

Bed Steward, Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Essex, Great War, history, killed in action, Merchant Navy, photography, story, war

Bed Steward Henry Herring

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Bed Steward Henry Herring

Henry George Herring – also known as Harry – was born on 10th November 1889. The second of six children, his parents were Thomas and Mary Herring. Thomas was a tailor from Tiverton, Devon, and the family lived at 131 West Exe South in the town.

Henry sought a life of adventure, and joined the Merchant Navy. Sadly, details of his service have been lost to time, so it is not possible to get a clear picture of his time at sea. Certainly he had moved out of the family home by the time of the 1911 census, though it is unclear whether he had enlisted by this point.

By the start of 1916, Henry was serving as a Bed Steward on board the SS Maloja, a passenger steamship that travelled between Britain and India. On 26th February she left Tilbury, Essex, bound for Bombay, with a crew of 301 and 122 passengers on board.

The following morning, Maloja was sailing through the Strait of Dover when she hit a mine. There was a large explosion and she faltered. The Canadian ship Empress of Fort William was only a short distance behind, and she steamed forward to assist, but she also struck a mine just 1km (0.6miles) away.

The Maloja’s lifeboats were readied to launch and passengers started to board, but the ships engine room had flooded, and she began to list. Three of the four lifeboats were unable to launch, and, as she was unable to stop, no rescue ships could come alongside.

The Maloja sank 24 minutes after hitting the mine. Many of the crew and passengers ended up in the water: most were rescued, but 44 bodies – including that of Bed Steward Herring – were recovered and around 100 people were unaccounted for.

Henry George Herring’s body was taken to shore: he was just 26 years old when he died. He was taken back to Devon for burial and laid to rest in Tiverton Cemetery, not far from where his grieving family still lived.

Commonwealth War Graves, Devon, Devonshire Regiment, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, photography, Private, story, war

Private Havelock Webber

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Private Havelock Webber

It was with painful regret that the inhabitants of Bratton Fleming heard of the death of Private Havelock Webber… who passed away at Hursley, near Winchester, on Tuesday in last week. On being called to the Colours a few weeks ago, he was attached to the 3/6th Devons. Previous to joining up he followed the occupation of a tailor, and was also a part-time postman. Deceased was well-known and highly respected. He was closely connected with every movement at the Village Hall, and was a member of the Committee of Management.

[North Devon Journal: Thursday 11th May 1916]

Havelock Webber was born in Bratton Fleming early in 1878. There is no information available for his parents, but the 1891 census recorded him as living with his paternal grandparents, George and Grace Webber. At 13 years old, Havelock was already learning the tailoring trade.

Havelock doesn’t appear in the 1901 census, and the 1911 return gives little information away either. At this point he is boarding in a house with either the Bale or Musworthy family (his is a separate record, with those two families adjoining his).

Beyond this, there is little information available about Private Webber’s life or military service. He died from peritonitis on 2nd May 1916 in the Hampshire Camp. He was 38 years of age.

Havelock Webber’s body was brought back to Devon for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Peter’s Church in his home village of Bratton Fleming, Devon.