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

Able Seaman George Davies

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Able Seaman George Davies

George Herbert Davies was born in Rosses Point, County Sligo, Ireland on 28th September 1872. One of eight children, his parents were naval man Robert Davies and his wife Catharine.

George was obviously drawn to the sea, and enlisted in the Royal Navy in February 1888. Too young to be an active member of the crew, he was initially given the rank of Boy, before rising to Ordinary Seaman when he came of age in September 1890.

Over the duration of his initial twelve years’ service, George was assigned to a total of eight ships, with time between each spent at the shore-based establishment HMS Pembroke in Chatham, Kent. He rose to the rank of Able Seaman and, in February 1903, volunteered to continue his time in the Royal Navy.

At the start of 1914, having served for a further ten years, Able Seaman Davies was stood down to the Royal Fleet Reserve. He did not remain on reserve status for long, however, as, in August 1914, he was called again into active service as war was declared.

While primarily based on HMS Pembroke this time, George did service two tours on sea-going vessels: he spent two years on board HMS President from October 1914, and then six months on the General Greenford. By January 1917, however, he was back at HMS Pembroke.

Within a couple of months, Able Seaman Davies had been admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham, suffering from pancreatitis. Sadly, this haemorrhaged, and he passed away on 27th March 1917; he was 44 years old.

George Herbert Davies was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham; walking distance from the Naval Dockyard that had been his base for so long.

Able Seaman, Boy, Coastguard, Commonwealth War Graves, County Durham, Devon, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, story, war, Yorkshire

Petty Officer James Green

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Petty Officer James Green

James Henry Green was born in Brixham, Devon, on 13th April 1868, the only child to Isaac and Sarah Green. Isaac was the son of a miller from Essex, who found work as a miner in the south west; he sadly died in 1871, when James was just a toddler.

Sarah had been married before she met Isaac; she had had two children, both daughters, with her first husband, William Tozer, so James had two half-sisters. William had died in 1865, and Sarah had gone on to marry James’ father later that year.

The 1881 census found Sarah and the children living in a cottage in the middle of Brixham; she was listed (somewhat uncharitably by current standards) as a mangle woman. She had taken in a couple of lodgers and James – then aged 13 – was listed as a scholar.

James was evidently keen to make a place for himself in the world. In 1885 he enlisted in the Royal Navy, working as a Boy on a number of ships until, on his 18th birthday, he was given the rank of Ordinary Seaman. His naval records show that he had a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair and stood as just 5ft 1in (1.55m) tall.

During his initial ten years’ service, James served on nine ships as well as shore-based establishments, working his way up to the rank of Able Seaman. One the initial period of enlistment was up, he extended his time in the navy voluntarily, eventually serving on a further five vessels and reaching the rank of Able Seaman before transferring to the Coastguard in South Shields. James was stood down form active naval duties in January 1908 and transferred to the Royal Naval Reserve, based in Chatham, Kent.

It was while he was in County Durham that he met Edith Hansford (or Handforth), a horse keeper’s daughter from Whitburn. The couple married in the spring of 1901, and settled down in Sculcoates, to the north of Hull.

When war was declared, those in the Royal Naval Reserve were called into immediate action, and James was no exception. Given the rank of Petty Officer, he was initially assigned to HMS Pembroke, the shore establishment in Chatham, before a brief tour on HMS Columbine, and a longer term on the gunboat HMS Britomart.

In July 1916, Petty Officer Green returned to HMS Pembroke; he remained based there for six months, before being admitted to hospital, suffering from phlebitis (an inflammation of the veins in the legs). Sadly, the condition got the better of him; he passed away in the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham on 19th February 1917, at the age of 48.

James Henry Green was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in his adopted home town of Gillingham, Kent.

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Lancashire, Leading Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, Staffordshire, story, Uncategorized, war

Petty Officer Tom Jones

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Petty Office Tom Jones

Thomas Jones (known as Tom) was born in Wednesbury on 7th September 1882 and was the middle of seven children. His father, also called Thomas, was a grocer and, with his mother Mary, they raised their family first in the Staffordshire town and then in Blackpool, Lancashire.

When he left school Tom helped his dad in the shop, primarily dealing with meat. His mind was on greater adventures, however, and in November 1898, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. Due to his age, he was initially given the rank of Boy, but was officially signed up as an Ordinary Seaman on the day after his 18th birthday.

Over the time of his initial twelve years’ service, Tom rose through the ranks, from Able Seaman to Leading Seaman and Petty Officer. In May 1912, however, he was ‘disrated’ back to Able Seaman, but there is no evidence to confirm why this was done. By this time, he had served on nine ships, as well as having time in shore-based establishments, and had completed his twelve years as a mariner.

Meanwhile, in the autumn of 1904, Tom had married Hannah Kennedy, a dockyard labourer’s daughter from Gillingham, Kent. The couple went on to have four children and set up home in the centre of the town, not far from the Naval Dockyard where Tom was sometimes based.

With war in Europe on the horizon, Tom immediately volunteered to continue his duty when he term of service came to an end. Working hard, he soon regained the rank of Leading Seaman and, by April 1915, was back up to Petty Officer once more.

During the remainder of his time in the Royal Navy, Petty Officer Jones served on a further seven vessels. In October 1920, after more than two decades’ service, he was invalided out, having contracted tuberculosis, rendering him unfit to continue.

At this point Tom’s trail goes cold. It seems likely that his lung condition got the better of him; he passed away on 20th June 1921, at the age of 38 years old.

Petty Officer Tom Jones was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent.

Tom Jones II
Petty Officer Tom Jones
(courtesy of ancestry.co.uk)
Chief Yeoman of the Signals, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, story, Sussex, war

Chief Yeoman of Signals Thomas Funnell

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Chief Yeoman of Signals Thomas Funnell

Thomas Richard Funnell was born on 7th May 1883 and was the second of five children. His father John was a cab driver, his mother Jane a laundress, and the family lived in Worthing, West Sussex. The small terraced house was close to both the central station and the one serving West Worthing, which would have given John plenty of opportunity for customers.

Thomas had a definite sense of adventure and helping his dad after he finished school was never going to be enough. He enlisted in the Royal Navy and, after an initial six months at the rank of Boy, he came of age, and began his training as a signalman.

Over the twelve years of his service, Thomas served on thirteen vessels, including the shore-based training ships. He rose through the signal ranks, eventually becoming Yeoman of Signals.

He ended his engagement in May 1913 although, with war on the horizon, this was extended to the completion of hostilities. His naval service continued through the war, and he rose to the rank of Chief Yeoman of Signals in August 1915, while aboard HMS Dido.

Away from his life at sea, Thomas met and married Frances McGregor, the daughter of a coastguard from Hampshire. They went on to have two children: Gurtrude was born in 1915, Nora in 1921. While her husband was at sea, Frances set up home in Portsmouth, where she raised the family.

When the war came to a close, Thomas was moved to shore-based vessels where, presumably, he used his years of experience to help train and develop others. In September 1920, he was assigned to HMS Greenwich. Sadly, his time there was short, on 20th January 1921, Thomas collapsed. Admitted to the Haslar Hospital in Portsmouth with a cerebral abscess he passed away. He was 37 years of age.

Rather than being buried close to his widow and family, Thomas’ body was brought back to his home town of Worthing for burial. He lies at ret in the Broadwater Cemetery to the north of the town centre.

Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, story, Suffolk, Sussex, war

Boy 2nd Class George Sandell

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Boy George Sandell

George William Sandell was born on 13th August 1902, the oldest of five children to William and Mary Sandell. While George was born in Chichester, William raised the family in Worthing; he was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and came from a local building family.

When George left school, he found work as a porter on the railways. Too young to be directly involved in the 1914-1918 conflict, he was definitely for adventure, and, on 5th February 1919, he enlisted in the Royal Navy.

Assigned the rank of Boy – because of his age – he was sent to HMS Ganges II, a training establishment in Suffolk. His decision to enlist was set to be young George’s undoing; within weeks he had contracted pneumonia, and he passed away on 10th March 1919. Tragically, he was just 16 years old.

William and Mary brought their boy back to Worthing; he was buried in the Broadwater Cemetery there, within walking distance of their home.

For me, a huge coincidence to this story is that I lived in the house George was brought up in. He was raised at 27 Southfield Road, in Worthing, up until he was sent for training in 1919. I lived at the same address for a number of years in the early 2000s.

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

Petty Officer William Dale

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Petty Officer William Dale

William Edmund Dale was born in Worthing, West Sussex on 25th November 1886 and was the older of six children. His father, also called William, was a carman, and he and William’s mother, Eliza, brought the family up in the Sussex town.

William Jr seems to have had a number of jobs, working as a draper’s errand boy, a milkman’s assistant and a gardener. He found his true calling at the age of 12, however, when he enlisted in the Royal Navy.

Initially acting as a Boy 2nd Class, over his initial twelve years’ employ he served on eleven vessels, and rose through the ranks to Boy, Ordinary Seaman and Able Seaman.

It was while serving on HMS Blake in 1910, that he married Mary Williams. The couple went on to have two children, William, born in 1910, and Harry, born the following year. The family set up home in Portsmouth, where the sailor was based.

With his initial service complete in 1916, William’s term of duty was extended until the end of hostilities. A promotion to Leading Seaman followed, and he was assigned to HMS Attentive, part of the Dover Patrol guard.

In 1917, William was promoted again, this time to the role of Petty Officer, and was assigned to HMS Royal Sovereign, the Navy’s new battleship. He served on the vessel for the remainder of the way, and through into the summer of 1919.

It was in the last month of his service, that Petty Officer Dale fell ill. He was taken ashore, and sent to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham, Kent. He had contracted meningitis, and sadly succumbed to it within days of being admitted. He died on 4th August 1919, at the age of just 32 years old.

William Edmund Dale was brought back to the town of his birth; he lies at rest in a quiet corner of the Broadwater Cemetery in Worthing, West Sussex.

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Leading Seaman, London, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, story, Sussex, unknown, war

Chief Petty Officer Charles Clarke

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Chief Petty Officer Charles Clarke

Charles Frederick Clarke was born on the 14th April 1869 to James and Jane Clarke. James was born in Suffolk, but moved to London, where he found work as a watchman (guarding the city streets at night). Jane was from Essex, and the couple went on to have five children, of whom Charles was the middle child.

Charles was set on a life of adventure, joining the Royal Navy in 1887, for a period of twelve years. During this time, he served on eleven vessels, working his way up through the ranks from Boy to Ordinary Seaman to Able Seaman, Leading Seaman and eventually Petty Officer.

In October 1895, he married Lydia Rogers, a sailor’s daughter from Portsmouth. The couple would go on to have nine children, eventually settling in Sussex.

When his naval service ended in 1899, Charles enlisted again. Within six years, he had achieved the rank of Chief Petty Officer, and in March 1909, after 22 years’ service, retired from active duty. He was obviously well respected, however, and was selected to serve on the staff of the Royal Naval Recruiting Office in Portsmouth. His service records suggest that he resigned from this role on 14th April 1914.

It seems that Chief Petty Office Clarke took on a role on the vessel HMS Zaria. This was a ship that was requisitioned by the Royal Navy, which acted as a patrol ship, guarding the coastal waters around the UK. While details are scant, Charles certainly served on board for a couple of years, and he died on board, from causes undisclosed, on 16th December 1916, at the age of 47 years old.

Brought back to West Sussex, Charles Frederick Clarke was laid to rest in the Broadwater Cemetery in Worthing. This was where Lydia was now living; she was buried in the same grave, when she passed away eight years after her husband.

Able Seaman, Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Leading Seaman, Ordinary Seaman, photography, Royal Navy, Scotland, Somerset, story, war, Wiltshire

Leading Seaman Alfred Davidge

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Leading Seaman Alfred Davidge

Alfred Ernest Davidge was born on 22nd July 1882, one of six children to Richard and Ermina. Richard was a boilermaker from Bristol, but brought his family up in the Wiltshire town of Swindon.

Alfred was keen on adventure, and sought out a live on the open seas. In August 1898, at the age of sixteen, he joined the Royal Navy. After serving two years at the rank of Boy, he officially enlisted for a term of twelve years.

Starting as an Ordinary Seaman, Alfred had worked his way up to Leading Seaman by 1905. He continued in this role until 7th June 1909, when he was knocked back a rank for misconduct. He evidently realised the error of his ways, however, as, just over a year later, he was promoted again.

Leading Seaman Davidge’s term of service came to an end in July 1912, and, having been assigned to seventeen vessels during that time, he became part of the Royal Naval Reserve.

Back on home soil, and Alfred set up home in Taunton. He found work as a labourer and, in October 1913, married local lady Louisa Pomeroy. The couple went on to have a daughter, Hilda.

Storm clouds were gathering over Europe by now, and Alfred was soon recalled to the Royal Navy. He took up his previous role, and, after a period of training at HMS Vivid in Plymouth, he was assigned to HMS Suffolk.

Leading Seaman Davidge spent eighteen months aboard HMS Suffolk (during which time the photo below was taken), before being transferred to HMS Columbella in November 1916. His time there was short, however, as he became unwell.

Admitted to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow with influenza, Leading Seaman Davidge sadly succumbed to the condition on 17th March 1917. He was 34 years old.

Alfred Ernest Davidge was brought back to Taunton for burial. He lies at rest in the St James Cemetery in the town.

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Alfred Davidge
(from findagrave.com)
Able Seaman, Boy, Cambridgeshire, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Ordinary Seaman, Petty Officer, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Petty Officer 1st Class Albert Brooks

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Petty Officer Albert Brooks

Albert Brooks was born in February 1877 in Cambridge. Sadly, a lot of the documentation for his early life is lost to time, but he enlisted in the Royal Navy in July 1893, at the rank of Boy 2nd Class.

He formally enrolled in naval service in February 1895, initially for a period of twelve years. Beginning as an Ordinary Seaman aboard HMS Thunderer, during his initial time in the navy, he was promoted to Able Seaman and then Petty Officer 2nd Class, while serving on vessels including Hawke, Wildfire, Eclipse and Vernon.

In 1904, Albert married Rosina Wise. A couple of years younger than her new husband, she had been born in Camberwell, South London. The couple had a daughter, Gwendoline, and they set up home in Gillingham, Kent, where Albert was based when not at sea.

War was on the horizon, however, and Petty Officer Brooks’ naval service was extended until the end of the conflict.

Albert was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class, and continued his service on vessels that included Andromache, London and Hibernia. He transferred to what would be his final ship, HMS Agamemnon, in November 1917.

Petty Officer Brooks served aboard Agamemnon for eighteen months, but it was while stationed at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham that he fell ill. He passed away from aortic disease of the heart – more than likely a heart attack or cardiac arrest – on 31st March 1919. He had just turned 42 years of age.

Albert Brooks lies at rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent.

Boy, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, photography, Royal Navy, Somerset, story, war

Boy 2nd Class Albert Matthews

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Boy 2nd Class Albert Matthews

Albert Edward Matthews was born in October 1901 in the Somerset village of Tintinhull. His father James was a glove maker, and he and his wife Mary had three children in all, Percival, born in 1897, Clementina, born in 1898, and Albert, the youngest.

Sadly, Clementina died in 1909, aged just 11 years old. Percival also passed away six years later, aged just 17. James and Mary must have been distraught when Albert announced his decision to do his bit for King and country.

He enlisted almost as soon as he was able to, joining the Royal Navy on 14th September 1918, and you can almost sense his enthusiasm to get involved before missing out on the glory of military service.

Boy Matthews was assigned to HMS Impregnable, the ship based in Devonport, Plymouth, where he was to receive his training. Standing at 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and a fair complexion, he was recorded as having a very good character and satisfactory ability.

Sadly, however, Albert was not destined to meet his full potential. Shortly after beginning his training, he contracted influenza and pneumonia, succumbing to the disease on 27th October 1918.

He had just turned 17 years old.

Albert Edward Matthews lies at rest in the graveyard of St Margaret’s Church in his home village of Tintinhull.

The story of this family continued to be tragic. By the time of Albert’s death, the Spanish Flu pandemic was sweeping the world and his tiny part of Somerset was in no way immune.

Just four days after Albert Matthews passed away, his mother, Mary, also fell victim to the illness.

In the space of just nine years, poor James Matthews had buried all three of his children and his wife. A newspaper reported on Mary’s funeral, recognising the “very heavy trials” he had undergone.

The same paper, reports that the influenza pandemic is fizzling out.

A large number of parishioners have been attacked with “flu”, but the epidemic is now on the wane. The school has been closed for the last fortnight.

Western Chronicle: Friday 8th November 1918