Tag Archives: Officer’s Cook

Commonwealth War Graves, Domestic, Great War, Hampshire, history, injury, Kent, Malta, Officer's Cook, Officer's Steward, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Officer’s Steward Giovanni Teuma

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Officer’s Steward Giovanni Teuma

Giovanni Teuma was born on 25th December 1878 in Valetta, Malta. There is little information about his early life, but documents confirm that his parents were Paulo and Vinza Teuma.

Most of the information about Giovanni comes from his service records. He enlisted in the Royal Navy on 13th February 1898 as a Domestic 3rd Class. He was noted as being 5ft 5ins (1.65m) tall, with brown eyes, black hair and a dark complexion.

Giovanni’s first posting was on the cruiser HMS Venus. He remained on board for more than three years, which would be his longest assignment. Over the next fifteen years, he would serve on another dozen vessels, returning to shore at HMS Victory and HMS Pembroke – the Royal Naval Dockyards in Portsmouth, Hampshire, and Chatham, Kent, respectively – in between voyages.

Giovanni continually attained a Very Good rating at his annual reviews, and rose through the ranks over the years. He was promoted to Domestic 2nd Class in March 1905 and Officer’s Steward 2nd Class in October 1907. At this point, however, his ranks started to vary, spending just over a year as Officer’s Cook 1st Class before returning to the rank of Officer’s Steward 2nd Class.

On 21st January 1914, Giovanni was stood down: he seems to have requested extended shore leave. He returned to action three months later, retaking his previous rank. On 11th August, just a few weeks after war was declared, he was assigned to the light cruiser HMS Arethusa, as Officer’s Steward 1st Class.

The Arethusa had been launched in the autumn of 1913, and was confirmed as the flotilla leader of the Harwich Force when was was declared. Within weeks of Officer Steward Teuma boarding her, she was involved in the Battle of Heligoland Bight. Severely damaged by two German cruisers, a number of the crew were killed and injured, and she had to be towed home.

When the Arethusa docked at HMS Pembroke, those who were injured were taken to the Royal Naval Hospital in Chatham. Officer’s Steward Teuma was one of those treated there but, sadly, his wounds were to prove too severe. He passed away on 29th August 1914, the day after the battle: he was 35 years of age.

Givoanni Teuma was laid to rest in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, not far from the Kent naval base he had visited regularly.

Commonwealth War Graves, Great War, history, illness, Kent, Malta, Officer's Cook, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Officer’s Cook 3rd Class Paolo Spiteri

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Officer’s Cook Paolo Spiteri

Paolo Spiteri was born in Valetta, Malta, on 25th January 1881, the son of Stephen Spiteri. Sadly there is very little further information on his early life, other than he worked as a cook when he left school.

Paolo saw a life at sea as a good career, and, in August 1901, aged 20, joined the Royal Navy. Over the next twenty years, he travelled the world, serving on more than twenty ships and working his way up from a domestic in the kitchen to an Officer’s Cook 3rd Class.

By 1921, Paolo was based at HMS Pembroke – the shore establishment at the Naval Dockyard in Chatham, Kent – and contracted pneumonia there. Admitted to the Naval Hospital in the town, the condition sadly got the better of him, and he passed away on 5th April 1921. He was 42 years old.

Officer’s Cook Paolo Spiteri was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery, not far from the dockyard at which he was based.

Commonwealth War Graves, Cook, Great War, Hampshire, history, illness, Kent, Malta, Officer's Cook, photography, Royal Navy, story, war

Officers’ Cook Carmelo Ellul

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Officer’s Cook Carmelo Ellul

Carmelo Ellul was born in Valetta, Malta, on 26th May 1889. There is little information about his early life, other than the fact that he worked as a baker.

He came to England at some point in the early 1900s, and was living in Portsmouth. It was here that he met Selina Southcott, who had been born on the Isle of Wight, and the couple married in 1904. The couple would go on to have three children, all boys: Maurice, who was born in 1911; Alva, who was born in 1912, but who died as a toddler; and Edwin, who was born in 1916.

Carmelo seemed to want a life of adventure: in the summer of 1912, he enlisted in the Royal Navy. Over the next eight years, Officer’s Cook Ellul served on a number of naval vessels, including HMS Bacchante, which toured the North Sea, and was involved in the Battle of Heligoland in August 1914.

Carmelo’s naval life continued after the war ended, although he seems to have been more shore-based than before. He was serving on HMS Waterhen on 24th January 1920, when he collapsed with an epileptic fit, and died of heart failure. He was just 32 years old.

Carmelo Ellul was laid to rest in the Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, presumably as his ship was moored in the nearby Naval Dockyard in Chatham.