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

Stoker 1st Class William Steed

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Stoker 1st Class William Steed

William James Steed was born on 3rd August 1897 in the village of Reculver, near Herne Bay, Kent. The oldest of three children, he was the only son to Gilbert and Edith Steed. Gilbert was a platelayer for the South Eastern and Chatham Railway, and the family lived in the hamlet of Hillborough.

When he finished his schooling, William took up work as a general labourer. “…he worked for Mr Hardy in the building of the King’s Hall at Herne Bay, and on the Herne and Reculver Sewage Works, and subsequently at the colliery at Westbere.” [Herne Bay Press: Saturday 15th September 1917]

Gilbert died in September 1912 and, when war broke out, William stepped up to serve his country. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 9th November 1915, taking the role of Stoker 2nd Class. His service records show that he was 5ft 10.5ins (1.79m) tall, and had light brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also noted as having a linear scar on the dorsum on [his left] index finger.

Stoker Steed was sent to the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – also known as HMS Pembroke – for his training. Within a couple of months he was given his first posting, on board the battlecruiser HMS Inflexible. She “took part in the Battle of Jutland. He came safely through this; but later was the victim of an accident, and was for some time in hospital.” [Herne Bay Press: Saturday 15th September 1917]

Details of the accident have been lost to time, but William, who had been promoted to Stoker 1st Class on 1st June 1916, returned to HMS Pembroke to recuperate. He was given a short period of leave, during which he returned home, but was back on base by the end of July 1917.

Pembroke was a busy and overcrowded place by this point in the war. The battleship HMS Vanguard had been sunk, and its planned replacement crew were left in the dockyard to await new postings. In addition, an outbreak of meningitis meant that additional accommodation was set up, in an attempt to slow the spread of infection. Stoker 1st Class Steed was among those to be billeted in temporary digs in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

Britain’s improving defences meant that daytime raids by the German sir force were being thwarted. They changed tack, and, on 3rd September 1917, they attempted a night time raid on the North Kent coast. Chatham bore the brunt of the attack, and two bombs landed direct hits on the Drill Hall. Its glass roof shattered, raining shards down on the sleeping men below. Dozens were killed in the explosions, including Stoker 1st Class Steed: he had not long turned 20 years of age.

The body of William James Steed was taken back to Reculver for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, the newspaper reporting that “All who knew him speak of him as a good living young fellow, who won the respect of all, and his mother and sisters have lost of good son and brother.” [Herne Bay Press: Saturday 15th September 1917]

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Stoker 2nd Class Sydney Rigden

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Stoker 2nd Class Sydney Rigden

Sydney Gordon Rigden was born in Whitstable, Kent, on 29th June 1897. One of six children, his parents were William and Annie Rigden. William was a fishmonger, and the family lived above the shop, at No. 43 High Street.

When Sydney finished his schooling, he took work as a general labourer. He was called upon to serve his King and Country, however, and, on 27th June 1916, he was conscripted into the Royal Navy. Stoker 2nd Class Rigden’s service papers note that he was 5ft 6ins (1.68m) tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Sydney was sent along the coast to HMS Pembroke, also known as Chatham Dockyard, for his training. He remained there for a couple of months, before being given his first and only posting, on board the light cruiser HMS Dartmouth. A seasoned ship, she had already seen action in Africa and the South Atlantic and, in the year before Stoker Rigden joined her, she formed part of the support for the Gallipoli campaign.

Stoker Rigden spent seven months with Dartmouth, mush of that serving in the Adriatic. On 1st May 1917 he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class, and he returned to Britain towards the end of that month.

In the summer of 1917, Sydney married his childhood sweetheart, Annie Mount. The daughter of a carter, by the time of the 1911 census, she had taken up work as a domestic servant for retired commercial traveller Alexander Paterson and his family. Just 14 years old at this point, she lived with the family, at 186 Lower Clapton Road, London.

After the wedding, Stoker 1st Class Rigden returned to duty, and to HMS Pembroke. The base was a particularly overcrowded place by this point in the war, and temporary additional accommodation was set up. Sydney was one of those to be billeted in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, Chatham came under fire during a daring German air raid. Two of the bombs that were dropped landed squarely on the Drill Hall, shattering its glass roof, and killing dozens of men who were sleeping below. This included Stoker 1st Class Rigden: he was just 20 years of age.

The body of Sydney Gordon Rigden was taken back to Whitstable for burial. He was laid to rest in the town’s cemetery.

Annie was now widow after just a couple of months’ marriage. Sadly, she disappears from the records, so it is unclear what became of her.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Stoker 1st Class James Richards

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Stoker 1st Class James Richards

James Richards was born in Liverpool, Lancashire, on 4th September 1891. The second of nine children, his parents were John and Christina Richards. John was a carter for the local railway and, according to the 1901 census, the family had rooms at 41 Paget Street, to the north of the city centre.

James sought a more permanent career for himself, and enlisted in the Royal Navy. Sadly, his service record has been lost, but the 1911 census return found him listed as one of the 786 crew of the battleship HMS Inflexible. Captained by Charles Napier, at the time of the census, she was moored off Howth Head, near Dublin, Ireland.

By the summer of 1917, Stoker 1st Class Richards found himself at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. The base was busy and overcrowded at that point in the war: the battleship HMS Vanguard had been sunk, and its replacement crew were barracked in Chatham, waiting for new assignments. Add to this an outbreak of spotted fever, and temporary accommodation was set up to help space out the billets and slow its transmission. It was in this accommodation – set up in Pembroke’s Drill Hall, that James found himself sleeping.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, the German air force carried out a daring raid on the North Kent coast. Chatham came under fire, and two bomb scored direct hits on the Drill Hall. Dozens of sleeping men were killed, while countless others, including Stoker 1st Class Richards, were injured.

James was taken to the Royal Naval Hospital in the town, but his wounds would prove too severe. He passed away on 4th September 1917, his 26th birthday.

The body of James Richards was taken back to Lancashire for burial. Strict Roman Catholics, John and Christina laid their son’s body to rest in the city’s Ford Cemetery.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Engineman John Raven

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Engineman John Raven

The loss of another Gorleston man in the service of King and Country is recorded this week in the death of Chief-Engineer John Edmund Raven, RNR, of 46, John-road, Gorleston, who was among the victims of the air raid at Chatham on September 3rd. Chief-Engineer Raven, who was 43 years of age, had been in the Service nearly three years, and was sailing from this port. Some seven weeks ago he was taken ill and went to Chatham to undergo an operation, following which he was allowed home for a few days and returned to Chatham Naval Barracks on the sick list, where he was on the night of the raid. He was very popular with his comrades at the Naval Base at Gorleston, and his loss is much regretted by the crew of his ship. To his widow and two children every sympathy has been extended in this heavy blow which follows hard on the loss a few weeks ago of her daughter after a brief illness.

[Yarmouth Mercury: Saturday 15th September 1917]

John Edmund Raven was born on 28th December 1872 in Caister, Norfolk. The middle of six children, he was the youngest of three sons to Robert and Ann Raven. Robert was a farm labourer-turned-fisherman, and, after his untimely death in 1883, it was the sea to which his son turned to support his widowed mother.

In the autumn of 1902, John married Eliza Casey. A milkman’s daughter from Gorleston, Norfolk, she was employed as a domestic servant when the couple exchanged vows. They set up home at 46 John Road, Gorleston, and went on to have three children: Elsie (who would pass shortly before her father), Gladys and Jack.

Little further information is available about John’s life. As the newspaper report suggests, he joined the Royal Naval Reserve as an Engineman towards the end of 1914, and was based out of HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, Engineman Raven was billeted in temporary accommodation set up in the dockyard’s Drill Hall. That night, an audacious raid by German bombers landed two explosives directly on the building, shattering its glass roof, and killing dozens of the men sleeping within. John was one of those to be killed. Contrary to his obituary suggested, he was actually 45 years of age.

The body of John Edmund Raven was taken back to Norfolk for burial. He was laid in the family plot, reunited with his daughter, Elsie, far too soon.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

Commonwealth War Graves, County Durham, Engineman, Great War, Hampshire, history, injury, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, story, war

Engineman George Rae

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Engineman George Rae

George William Rae was born on 7th February 1883 in South Shields, Country Durham. The youngest of five children, he was one of four sons to Henry and Elizabeth Rae. Henry was a boatman, and it seemed inevitable that George would follow in his father’s footsteps.

There are big gaps in George’s timeline: the 1891 census found him living with his aunt and uncle. The next record for him confirms his marriage to Mary Elizabeth Smith in January 1904. There is scant information for her, but the couple had five children, three of whom died before they reached their first birthday.

Tragedy followed tragedy: George’s father died in 1908, and his mother passed the following year. Mary died shortly after the birth of her and George’s last child, also named George, in 1911. The census taken that year recorded George Sr as a fireman aboard the coal hulk Haytian, which was moored in Portland Harbour, Dorset. He was one of the vessel’s sixteen crew members.

Now a widow, George had two children to support. In the summer of 1913, he married a second time, to Elizabeth Flood. Again, there is little information available about her, but the couple went on to have a child, daughter Emily, who was born in the summer of 1914.

Conflict was closing in on Europe by this point, and on 24th March 1916, George formally joined the Royal Naval Reserve. His service record shows that he was 5ft 4ins (1.63m) tall, with blue eyes and a fair complexion. He was also noted as having a tattoo of a woman and two flags across his chest.

Engineman Rae was assigned to the gunboat-turned-minesweeper HMS Halcyon. She remained his home for the next eighteen months, patrolling off the coast of East Anglia. By the summer of 1917, George became shore-based, initially at HMS Actaeon in Portsmouth, Hampshire, then at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

Pembroke was a busy and overcrowded place at this point in the war. The battleship HMS Vanguard had sunk, and its replacement crew – who were stationed in Chatham – were left in limbo while new postings were found for them. The base also suffered an outbreak of meningitis, and temporary accommodation was set up to space out the servicemen and, hopefully, slow the spread of the disease. Engineman Rae found himself in one of these speedily-created barracks in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, four German aircraft carried out a daring raid on the North Kent coast. Chatham came under fire, and two explosives landed a direct hit on the Drill Hall. Dozens of men were killed while they were sleeping, and many more – including Engineman Rae – were injured.

George was taken to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham for treatment, but his wounds would ultimately prove fatal. He succumbed to them on 11th September 1917, at the age of 34 years old.

The body of George William Rae was taken back to County Durham for burial. He was laid to rest in South Shields’ Harton Cemtery.

Tragedy would continue to haunt the Rae family. Elizabeth died a year after her husband, leaving three children – two from George’s first marriage, and one from his second – orphans. Sadly, there is little additional informational about what happened to them – none appear in the 1921 census.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Leading Stoker Bertie Pegram

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Leading Stoker Bertie Pegram

Bertie Pegram was born in the Hertfordshire village of Westmill, on 24th July 1893. The third of four children – all of them boys – his parents were John and Eliza Pegram. John was a farm labourer, and his oldest two sons followed him into that line of work.

Bertie chose a different path. however and the 1911 census showed that he had taken employment at a local cement works. This was not a career, however, and so, on 11th August 1911, Bertie enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His papers show that he was 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, with dark brown hair, grey eyes and a dark complexion. He was also noted as having a scar on his left leg.

Stoker Pegram was sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. At the start of 1912, he was given his first posting, on board the battle cruiser HMS Indomitable. This would be an long term move and she remained his home for more than five years.

In September 1912, Bertie was promoted to Stoker 1st Class; this was followed with another promotion – to Acting Leading Stoker – in July 1915. The rise in rank seemed not to suit him, however, and he reverted to Stoker 1st Class just six months later.

Indomitable was in the Eastern Mediterranean when war broke out, and was one of the ships that bombarded the Ottoman defences in the Dardanelles. During Bertie’s time on board, she also fought at the Battles of Dogger Bank and Jutland.

In September 1916, Bertie rose to Acting Leading Stoker once more. The promotion was made permanent on 29th March 1917, and he remained with Indomitable for the next couple of months.

On 1st July 1917, Leading Stoker Pegram returned to shore, and HMS Pembroke. At this point in the war, she was a bustling and overcrowded place. The sinking of HMS Vanguard left her replacement crew in limbo, stuck in the Kent dockyard while new assignments were found. There had also been an outbreak of meningitis, and the decision was taken to set up temporary accommodation to slow the spread of the disease. Bertie found himself billeted in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

British defences were rendering day time German air raids less and less effective, and the decision was taken to trial a bombing raid after dark. On the night of the 3rd September the first of these attacks took place, and Chatham found itself in the firing line. The Drill Hall received two direct hits, and dozens of men inside were killed. Leading Stoker Pegram was badly wounded, and rushed to the Naval Hospital in the town. Sadly, Bertie’s injuries would prove too severe and he died the day after the raid: he was 24 years of age.

The body of Bertie Pegram was taken back to Hertfordshire for burial. He was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Mary’s Church, Westmill, just a short walk from the family home.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Kings Royal Rifle Corps, Middlesex, photography, Private, Royal Navy, Stoker, story, war

Stoker 1st Class William Payne

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Stoker 1st Class William Payne

William John Payne was born on the 29th November 1896. The second youngest of ten children, his parents were Alfred and Alice. Alfred was a cab driver from St John’s Wood, Middlesex, but the family were born and raised in Paddington. The 1901 census recorded them lodging in a shared house at 100 Woodchester Street, but by 1911, they had taken two rooms around the corner at 89 Cirencester Street. Both were within easy reach of both Paddington Station and the Grand Union Canal.

When he completed his schooling, William found work as a van guard, possibly for the railway. On 19th July 1915, with war raging across Europe, he stepped up to serve his country, and enlisted in the Royal Navy. His papers show that he was 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, with light brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He was recorded as having a scar on the back of his right hand, and tattoos on both forearms.

Stoker 2nd Class Payne was sent to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, for his training. On 13th October 1915, he was given his first posting, on board the depot ship HMS Tyne. Based in the Firth of Forth, she provided support to the naval fleet patrolling the area.

Tyne remained William’s home for the next year, and, during this time, he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class. After a short spell back in Chatham in September 1916, William was reassigned to HMS Wallington. She was a shore base on the River Humber, and from here he would have had short postings on local patrols in the area.

By the spring of 1917, however, Stoker Payne was back at Pembroke. The dockyard was a busy and overcrowded place at this point in the war: the sinking of HMS Vanguard in July led to it’s replacement crew being stuck at the base while awaiting new assignments. In addition to this, an outbreak of spotted fever meant that sailors’ bunks had to be spaced out in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease. As a result, William found himself billeted in temporary accommodation in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, the German air force carried out a daring raid on North Kent. Chatham was in the line of fire, and two bombs landed squarely on the Drill Hall. The glass roof shattered, raining shards down on the sleeping men beneath. Stoker 1st Class Payne was one of the dozens killed in the explosions: he was 20 years of age.

The body of William John Payne was taken back to London for burial. He was laid to rest in Paddington Cemetery, just a short walk from where his family were still living.

William was not the only one of his siblings to be killed during the war. His older brother Walter enlisted in the opening weeks of the conflict and, as a Private, he was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps.

Private Payne quickly found himself on the Western Front, his unit fighting at Ypres in 1914, and Loos the following year. In April 1916 he was badly wounded, and admitted to a hospital near Béthune. His wounds would prove too severe, however, and he succumbed to them on 4th April: he was 25 years of age.

The body of Private Walter Payne was laid to rest in Béthune Town Cemetery.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Able Seaman Percy Nicholls

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Able Seaman Percy Nicholls

Percy Walter Nicholls was born in West Ham, Essex, on 10th July 1898. One of seven children, he was the fourth son to Ernest and Selina Nicholls. Ernest was a carman for the local iron works, and the family lived close to the factory, in rooms at 28 Rocher Road.

The 1911 census recorded that the growing family had moved to 185 North Woolwich Road. Three of the family were employed by the iron works: Ernest and his oldest son Ernest Jr as carmen, while second son George was an iron worker. Percy, just twelve years of age, was still at school, and the document noted that his older brother, Charles, was unable to work as he had been epileptic since birth.

Percy chose a different route for himself when he left school, taking up work as a farm hand. He was after bigger and better things, however, and, on 17th June 1914 he joined the Royal Navy. Too young to formally enlist at that point, he was given the rank of Boy 2nd Class, and sent to HMS Ganges, the training base near Ipswich, Suffolk, for his induction.

Is appears that Percy impressed his superiors: he was promoted to Boy 1st Class in January 1915, and was given a posting on board HMS Centurion, a dreadnought battleship, on the 20th March. She would remain his home for the next two years, during which time he came of age.

Now able to formally enlist, Percy was given the rank of Ordinary Seaman, his papers showing the young man he had become. He was noted as being just under 5ft 3ins (1.59m) tall, and had dark brown hair, dark brown eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also recorded as having a scar on his right eyebrow.

Centurion patrolled the waters around Scotland, and took part in the Battle of Jutland at the end of May 1916. Percy was proving to be a steady worker and, on 22nd February 1917, he was promoted to Able Seaman. His time on board the battleship was coming to a close, however, and, on 1st September 1917, he disembarked at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

The base was a busy and overcrowded place at that point in the war. The sinking of the Vanguard left its replacement crew shore-bound while they awaited their next assignments, and an outbreak of meningitis meant that temporary accommodation was needed to space out the men, and, with luck, slow the spread of infection. Able Seaman Nicholls found himself billeted in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, the German air force carried out a daring raid on the North Kent Coast. Dozens of bombs were dropped on Chatham, two of which landed unplanned direct hits on the Drill Hall. The glass roof shattered showering the sleeping men below with deadly shards. Able Seaman Nicholls was badly injured, and taken to the Royal Naval Hospital in the town.

Percy’s wounds would ultimately prove fatal. He died from his injuries on 8th September 1917: he was just 19 years of age.

The body of Percy Walter Nicholls was taken back to Essex for burial. He was laid to rest in the East London Cemetery, Plaistow, a couple of miles from where his family were now living, on Ellesmere Road, West Silvertown.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

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

Stoker 1st Class Alfred Moss

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Stoker 1st Class Alfred Moss

Alfred George Moss was born in West Ham, Essex, on 14th February 1885. One of eight children, his parents were John and Sarah Moss. John was a leather worker, but Alfred initially found work as a butcher’s assistant when he completed his schooling.

Butchery wasn’t the career that Alfred sought, however, and, on 12th November 1903, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. His service papers note that he was 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. He was also recorded as having a scar on both knees.

Stoker Moss was sent to HMS Acheron, a training ship based on the Thames Estuary, for his initial service. He stayed there until July 1904, when he was given his first sea-going assignment, on board the cruiser HMS Terpsichore. She would remain his home for the next eighteen months, during which he was promoted to Stoker 1st Class.

Alfred seems to have been a steady worker, his annual reviews noting a very good character. In November 1908, having come to the end of his five year contract, he was stood down to reserve status. He had served on four vessels and, when not at sea, HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, became his home from home.

Alfred is missing from the 1911 census, but turns up on 21st December 1913. On that day he married Ellen Lipscombe in All Saints’ Church, West Ham. Nellie, as she was known, was the oldest of seven children to plasterer Tomas Lipscombe. The couple set up home on Grafton Road, Plaistow, and went on to have a son, Thomas, the year after exchanging vows.

When war was declared, Alfred was called back into service. He returned to Pembroke, and spent the next year split between there and HMS Victory, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Portsmouth, Hampshire. In the summer of 1915, Stoker 1st Class Moss was assigned to the cruiser HMS Europa. For the next two years, he would be based in the Eastern Mediterranean, supporting the troops in and around the Gallipoli peninsula.

By the summer of 1917, Alfred was back at Pembroke, which, by this point in the war, was a busy and overcrowded place. The sinking of HMS Vanguard meant that her replacement crew were stuck in port waiting to be reassigned, and an outbreak of meningitis demanded more space to slow or stop its spread. Stoker 1st Class Moss found himself barracked in overflow accommodation set up in the dockyard’s Drill Hall.

On the night of the 3rd September 1917, German bombers launched an audacious raid on the North Kent Coast. Two bombs landed on the Drill Hall, shattering its glass roof, and killing dozens of sleeping servicemen beneath. Stoker 1st Class Moss was one of those who lost his life: He was 32 years of age.

The body of Alfred George Moss was taken back to Essex for burial. He was laid to rest in West Ham Cemetery, not far from where his grieving widow and young son were living.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, injury, Kent, killed in action, Lanarkshire, photography, Royal Naval Reserve, Scotland, Stoker, story, war

Stoker Neil Moore

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Leading Stoker Neil Moore

Neil Moore was born on 17th April 1882 in Glasgow, Lanarkshire. One of twelve children, he was the second son to John and Jane Moore. John was a cabinetmaker and, according to the 1891 census, the family lived in rooms at 13 Melville Street in the city’s Govan district.

Although little is known about Neil’s early life, his enlistment in the Royal Naval Reserve on 26 July 1904 offers the first clear insight into the young man he had become. His service papers describe him as twenty-two years old, 5 ft 4 in (1.63 m) tall, with grey eyes and fair hair.

Over the next decade, Stoker Moore travelled the world, taking in Canada and South America. There were times when he was out of work – he was recorded as seeking employment over the winter of 1912 – but his work appears to have been steadfast.

Intriguingly, after a stint on the SS Sardinian, Neil left the Royal Naval Reserve on 17th November 1913. He was re-engaged on 17th December, but is then reported as having deserted just three days later. He was then recorded as being assigned to HMS Wildfire – a shore base in Northwood, Middlesex – on 3rd February 1914.

It is possible that it was around this time that Neil got married. His wife was called Elizabeth, but there is little further information about her.

When war broke out, Stoker Moore appears to have been formally mobilised once more. Over the next three years, he served on half-a-dozen vessels, before finally being attached to HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent, in the spring of 1917.

Over the course of that summer, Pembroke was hit by two significant challenges. The battleship HMS Vanguard was sunk in Scapa Flow, leaving its planned replacement crew stuck in the Kent dockyard with nowhere to go. At the same time, a bout of spotted fever broke out and more space was needed to slow the transmission of the contagious disease.

Pembroke’s Drill Hall was brought into use as temporary accommodation, and this is where, in September 1917, Stoker Moore found himself billeted.

On the night of the 3rd September, the German air force carried out an audacious raid on North Kent. Four aircraft bombed Chatham, and two devices landed direct hits on the Drill Hall. The glass roof shattered, raining shards onto the sleeping men below. Stoker Moore was badly injured, and he was transported to the town’s Royal Naval Hospital for treatment. Sadly, this would prove ineffective, and Neil died from his injuries on 8th September 1917. He was 35 years of age.

The body of Neil Moore was taken back to Scotland for burial. He was laid to rest in St Kentigern’s Roman Catholic Cemetery, to the north of the city centre.

[Note: the photo above is of the memorial to the Chatham Air Raid victims, close to the mass grave for those whose bodies were not identified, in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Kent.]