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Carpenter's Crewman, Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, Kent, killed in action, Norfolk, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Carpenter’s Crew Roland Mayes

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Carpenter’s Crew Roland Mayes

Roland William John Mayes was born on 29th September 1895 in the Norfolk village of Fundenhall. He was the seventh of ten children to Herbert and Anna Mayes, and was the first son. Herbert was a carpenter, and this was a trade his son was to follow him into, finding work at a local piano factory.

By 1914, war was looming, and Roland wanted to put his skills to good use. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 11th March 1914, joining a carpenter’s crew at HMS Pembroke, the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. Roland’s service records show that he stood at 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall, had brown hair, grey eyes and a sallow complexion.

Crewman Mayes’ first sea-bound assignment was aboard HMS Patrol; she was a cruiser that provided defence for the east coast of England. The vessel was badly damaged during the German bombardment of Hartlepool in December that year; Roland remained on board for more than three years.

In August 1917, Crewman Mayes returned to Chatham. HMS Pembroke was a crowded place that summer, additional accommodation was made available in the dockyard’s Drill Hall, and this is where Roland was billeted.

On the night of the 3rd September, the German Air Force was trialling night raids on English locations; Chatham found itself in the direct line of fire. The Drill Hall received a direct hit, and Carpenter’s Crewman Mayes was killed, along with close to 100 other servicemen resting there. He was just 21 years of age.

Along with 97 other victims of the Chatham Air Raid, Roland William John Mayes was laid to rest three days later in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham.

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

Stoker 1st Class William Shirley

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Stoker 1st Class William Shirley

William Leonard Shirley was born in the spring of 1896, the second of six children to Edward and Helen Shirley. Edward was a brewer’s drayman who raised his family in South Croydon, Surrey.

When William left school, he found work as a baker’s delivery boy. War was on the horizon, however, and he was destined for the Royal Navy. His full service details are not available, although it is clear that he had enlisted as a Stoker by 1917.

William seems to have been based at HMS Pembroke – the shore-based establishment at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. Again, details are sketchy, but he was definitely there in September 1917.

This was a busy time for HMS Pembroke, and the barracks were using the dockyard’s Drill Hall as temporary additional accommodation for the overflow of servicemen there at the time. Stoker 1st Class Shirley was based there on the night of the 3rd September, when the German Air Force performed their first night raid on England. The Drill Hall received a direct hit, and William, along with nearly 100 others, was killed. He was just 21 years of age.

William Leonard Shirley was laid to rest with the dozens of other victims of the Chatham Air Raid in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham.

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

Seaman Nathaniel Gooby

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Seaman Nathaniel Gooby

Nathaniel Gooby was born on 28th October 1897, the only son of William Gooby and his third wife, Margaret. Both of William’s previous wives – Tryphena and Amelia – had died before their time, but Nathaniel had six half-siblings, up to forty years older than him.

William was a carpenter, who had been born in England, but had moved to Newfoundland when he was young, and this is where he lived and raised his families.

Sadly, very little documentation remains to evidence Nathaniel’s life. He enlisted as a Seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve, potentially after war was declared (he would have been 16 years old at the outbreak of the conflict). By the summer of 1917 he was based at HMS Pembroke – the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent.

That summer was a busy time for the Dockyard, and temporary accommodation had been set up for the influx of military personnel based there. Seaman Gooby was billeted at Chatham Drill Hall and was sleeping there when the first night air raid was carried out by the German Air Force on 3rd September 1917. The Drill Hall received a direct hit, killing 98 servicemen – Nathaniel included. He was just 19 years of age.

Nathaniel Gooby was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham, along with the other victims of the Chatham Air Raid.

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

Stoker 1st Class Alfred Finlay

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Stoker 1st Class Alfred Finlay

Alfred James Finlay was born in Croydon, Surrey on 7th September 1893. His mother was Emily Finlay, although there is little more information to confirm details of his early life.

He was working as a shop porter when he was drawn to a life at sea and, on 9th April 1912 he enlisted in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. Alfred’s enlistment papers confirm that he was 5ft 5ins (1.66m) tall, had brown hair and brown eyes. While he had a fair complexion, he was also noted to have a scar above his left eye, another on his left thigh, and had a tattoo of a pierced heart on his left arm.

After his initial six months’ training at HMS Pembroke – the shore-based establishment at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – he was assigned to the cruiser HMS Lancaster, where he spent a couple of months. He had another few weeks at HMS Pembroke, before being sent to another cruiser, HMS Chatham.

Alfred spent more than three years on Chatham, and was promoted to Stoker 1st Class during his time aboard. Returning once again to Kent, his service from here on in seems to have been mainly shore-based: HMS Pembroke in Chatham; HMS Vivid in Devonport; HMS Victory in Portsmouth.

Stoker Finlay returned to HMS Pembroke in the summer of 1917. It was a busy period for the Naval Dockyard in Chatham, and a lot of the servicemen there – Alfred included – were billeted to temporary accommodation at the nearby Drill Hall. It was here that he was sleeping on the 3rd September, when the German Air Force undertook their first night raid over England. One of the bombers scored a direct hit on the Drill Hall, and Alfred was killed. He was just 24 years old.

Alfred James Finlay was laid to rest, along with the dozens of other victims of the Chatham Air Raid, at the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham.

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

Ordinary Seaman Henry Bird

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Ordinary Seaman Henry Bird

Henry David Bird was born on 11th April 1898 in Hoxton, East London. He was the third of eleven children to carter and carman Henry Bird and his wife Florence.

When he left school, Henry Jr found employment as a munitions worker, but shortly before his nineteenth birthday, he was drawn to a more active role. On 8th January 1917, he enlisted in the Royal Navy as an Ordinary Seaman. His enlistment papers show that he was 5ft 4ins (1.63m) tall, with brown eyes, brown hair and a fresh complexion. They also noted that he had a scar on his right index finger.

Henry’s first posting was at HMS Pembroke, the shore-based establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. After a couple of months’ training, he was assigned to the cruiser HMS Concord. He served on board for for a few weeks, before returning to Chatham in May.

The summer of 1917 was a busy time for HMS Pembroke; Ordinary Seaman Bird was one of those billeted in the Drill Hall, sleeping there, rather than in the overcrowded barracks in the dockyard itself. It was here that he was sleeping on the 3rd September, when the German Air Force undertook their first night bombing raid. One of the planes scored a direct hit on the Drill Hall, and Henry was killed instantly. He was just 19 years of age.

Henry David Bird was buried in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham, along with the dozens of other servicemen killed in the Chatham Air Raid.

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

Able Seaman Gregory Wootton

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Able Seaman Gregory Wootton

Gregory Ernest Wootton was born on 28th October 1898, the only child of Henry and Isabella Wootton. The family lived in East London, and the year of Gregory’s birth was a challenging one. His parents married that year, and Henry also passed away, leaving Isabella to raise her son on her own.

She was made of stern stuff, however, and moved back in with her father, Joseph, while finding employment as a florist, working with artificial flowers. By 1909, Isabella had remarried, wedding policeman Harry Mee, and moving to South London, where the couple had a child of their own, Gregory’s half-brother, Leonard.

War was edging close to Europe, although Gregory was underage when hostilities broke out. By late 1916, however, this was no longer the case, and he was drawn to the Royal Navy. On 6th November, he gave up his job as a case maker, and enlisted as an Ordinary Seaman. His sign-up papers show that he stood 5ft 4ins (1.62m) tall, had brown hair, brown eyes and a fresh complexion.

Ordinary Seaman Wootton’s first posting was at HMS Pembroke, the shore-based establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent. After a couple of months, he was moved north, to HMS Ganges, which was a similar training base in Suffolk. While here, he was promoted to Able Seaman.

In June 1917, Gregory was on the move again, returning to Chatham. While here, at a particularly crowded time for the dockyard, he was billeted at the nearby Drill Hall. On the night of the 3rd September, while resting, the first German night raid dropped bombs on Chatham, directly hitting the Drill Hall. Able Seaman Wootton was killed instantly. He was just 18 years of age.

Gregory Ernest Wootton was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham. He was buried with the other 97 victims of the Chatham Air Raid.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, Gunner, Hampshire, history, Kent, killed in action, photography, Royal Marines, story, Surrey, war, Wiltshire

Gunner George Hewlett

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Gunner George Hewlett

George Henry Hewlett was born on 11th July 1892, the oldest of four children to Henry and Louisa Hewlett. Henry was a painter from Hampshire, who travelled for work. George and his youngest sibling were born in Romsey, while his two brothers were born in Swindon, Wiltshire. By the time of the 1901 census, when George was eight years old, the family had settled in Hammersmith, London.

The next census, in 1911, recorded the family as living in Caterham, Surrey. By this time, George and his father were working as gardeners, while his brothers were working as grocers. Louisa, meanwhile, was employed as a live-in housekeeper for a spinster and her mother just around the corner.

War was coming and George was determined to do his bit. Full details are not available, but he enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry, taking on the role of Gunner. In May 1918 he was on board HMS Iris, a Mersey ferry requisitioned by the Royal Navy for support in the planned raid on Zeebrugge.

On 23 April 1918, HMS Iris was towed across the English Channel to Zeebrugge by HMS Vindictive; she was carrying a couple of platoons of the 4th Battalion of the Royal Marines as a raiding party. When the Vindictive neared the Zeebrugge she cast the ferry aside. Iris tried to pull up to the breakwater under heavy fire in order to off-load the raiding parties which were on board. She sustained heavy fire and a shell burst through the deck into an area where the marines were preparing to land. Forty-nine men were killed, including Gunner Hewlett. George was 28 years of age.

George Henry Hewett’s body was brought back to England. He was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, not far from the dockyard at which he was based.

George’s two brothers also fought in the First World War.

John William Hewlett, who was two years younger than George, joined the 1st Royal Marine Battalion of the Royal Naval Division as a Private. He fought on the Western Front, and was killed in fighting on 22nd October 1916. He was 21 years of age. John was laid to rest at the Mesnil-Matinsart Cemetery near the town of Albert in Northern France.

Joseph Herbert Hewlett was born three years after George. When war was declared, he enlisted in the Buffs (East Kent Regiment), joining the 4th Battalion as a Private. Dispatched to India, he was initially based in Bombay, but was injured in fighting. He was sent back to England, and treated at the Military Hospital at Netley, near Southampton. Sadly, his wounds proved too severe – he passed away on 4th April 1915, aged just 20 years old.

In the space of three years, Henry and Louisa Hewlett had lost all three of their sons to the war. After George’s death, a local newspaper reported this was their “sad and proud record”. [Dover Express: Friday 31st May 1918]

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

Leading Stoker John Madden

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Leading Stoker John Madden

John Joseph Madden was born in Cork, Eire, on 13th August 1894, one of ten children to John and Mary Madden. John Sr was a jarvey – or coach/cab driver – while his son found work as a messenger boy when he left school.

John Jr wanted bigger and better things, however, and so, on 26th June 1913, at the age of 19, he left Cork for a life in the Royal Navy. Joining up as a Stoker 2nd Class, his initial posting was at HMS Pembroke, the shore-based establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham. After five months’ training there, he was assigned to HMS St George for his first posting.

Over the next few years, Stoker Madden served on five different vessels, rising through the ranks to Stoker 1st Class, and Leading Stoker. His final ship was HMS Conquest, which he boarded on 1st April 1916. The cruiser served in the North Sea and was damaged by a shell during the German raid on Lowestoft just weeks after John came on board.

HMS Conquest was involved in a number of other skirmishes during Leading Stoker Madden’s time on board, On 13th June 1918, while on patrol, she struck a mine, and was badly damaged. Seven of those on board, including John, lost their lives in the incident. He was just 23 years of age.

The ship sailed back to the Naval Dockyard in Chatham; John Joseph Madden was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in nearby Gillingham.

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

Able Seaman John Hannon

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Able Seaman John Hannon

John Hannon (or Hannan) was born on 9th November 1885, in the Cork village of Ladysbridge. He was one of ten children to labourer Michael Hannon and his wife, Kate.

Given his proximity to the coastal port of Cork, it is no surprise that John sought adventure on the high seas. In May 1903, he joined the Royal Navy as a Boy, and served on HMS Black Prince. His enlistment papers gave his height as 5ft 4ins (1.62m), and recorded that he light brown hair, blue eyes and a sallow complexion. He also had a tattoo on each wrist.

As soon as he turned eighteen, on 9th November 1903, he was formally signed up, and given the rank of Ordinary Seaman. Over the next eighteen months, he served on two more ships – HMS Minotaur and the training ship HMS Boscawen – and was promoted to Able Seaman in August 1905.

John’s naval career continued apace up until the Great War. When hostilities broke out, he was assigned to HMS Tiger, and served on the ship at the Battles of Dogger Bank (1915) and Jutland (1916).

At the start of 1918, Able Seaman Hannon was transferred to HMS Hindustan; this was one of the many ships that supported the Zeebrugge Raid on the 23rd April. The plan was to scuttle a number of ships in the entrance to the Zeebrugge Canal in Belgium, thus preventing the German Navy from launching into the North Sea.

Over 1700 men were involved in the raid and heavy fighting left close to 300 sailors dead, with a similar number wounded. Sadly Able Seaman Hannon was one of those to lose their lives in the battle. He was just 32 years old.

John Hannon’s body was brought back to England; he was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, close to the Naval Dockyard in Chatham that he had occasionally called home.

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

Stoker 1st Class Henry Wate

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Stoker Henry Wate

Henry Wate was born on 15th June 1897, the youngest of seven children (four of whom survived) to Henry and Norah Wate. Henry Sr was from the East End of London. He raised his family in a three-room tenement in White Horse Alley, just off Cowcross Street, next to the busy Farringdon Station.

By the time of the 1911 census, Henry Sr and Norah had been married for thirty years. The head of the household, Henry was working as a rad dealer, while Norah was a housewife. Of their children, William (the eldest) worked as a labourer for a bike dealer, Annie was a packer in a chocolate factory, Nellie was a waitress and Henry Jr was still at school, though only just. Henry’s niece Julia was also staying with them, and was employed as a fancy leather worker.

When war broke out, Henry Jr was working as a carman, carting goods to and from the nearby railway. When the call came, however, he joined up, enlisting in the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class. After a couple of months training at HMS Pembroke – the shore establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham – he was assigned to HMS Wallington. This was a trawler, requisitioned by the Royal Navy to act as a boom/balloon vessel, presumably to tether barrage balloons.

In January 1917, Henry received a promotion to Stoker 1st Class. He returned to Chatham six months later. That summer, HMS Pembroke was becoming crowded and he was billeted at the Chatham Drill Hall.

On 3rd September 1917, the building took a direct hit from a German bomber. Stoker Wate, along with 97 others, was killed instantly. He was just 20 years old.

Henry Wate was laid to rest – along with the others who perished that night – in a mass funeral on 6th September 1917 at the nearby Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham.

Full details of the night raid on Chatham Drill Hall can be found here.

Henry’s older brother William also served in the Great War. Twelve years older than his brother, William joined the Royal West Surrey Regiment in January 1915 as a Private. He was posted to France in July, and ended up serving on the Front Line for nearly four months.

In September 1915, Private Wate fell ill with heart palpitations. Shipped back to England for treatment, he was admitted to the Brook War Hospital in Greenwich, South London. The medical report confirmed that William had had rheumatic fever as a child, and had had an attack of ‘sycope’ (low blood pressure and a loss of consciousness) in 1911. The report concluded that he had heart disease and he was discharged from military service in 1916, as a result of this.

Little is known about Williams post-army life. All that can be confirmed is that he passed away from his heart condition on 23rd November 1918 aged 33. He was buried in St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Kensal Green, North London.