An Appeal for an Expert Naval Researcher

[chris basey]

Grandfather Leading Seaman Arthur James Ward died on Sunday 7th April 1918, aged 30 years. He was one of three sailors of HMS Nicator who died that day. He is buried in a churchyard on the western side of Lough Swilly, County Donegal. A second man is buried in a churchyard on the other side of the Lough. The third man was never found and is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. Family lore said that Grandfather died whilst trying to rescue a man who had fallen overboard.

I didn’t get involved in this until just a few years ago and immediately wanted to know more and to establish the circumstances of his death. So it was off to PRO where I found that:

1.The three service records just show death by drowning

2.The Depot ship HMS Hecla was in Lough Swilly at the time. HMS Nicator tied up to her on the 6th April. Her log has no mention of the drownings but does detail a grave party and a funeral party going ashore. HMS Nicator sailed again at 5.20pm on Wednesday 10th April, after the funerals.

3.Ships’ Logs for HMS Nicator are missing for the period 1st April 1917 to 31st March 1919!

So it was stalemate. Until last week, when I was lent a pile of Deanery Magazines that included entries for Grandfather’s home village for 1918. The Rector had recorded the sad death of Arthur Ward as a result of a collision between two destroyers!! Was this a new line of enquiry?

Back to NA where, sure enough, both ADM12/1597A and ADM12/1598A show entries for ‘collision’. In respect of the former I need case number 1311 but there is a gap in the index between numbers 1310 and 1318. In respect of the latter I need reference L1633 and, yes, you’ve guessed it, there’s a gap in the index between numbers 1630 and 1634!

Staff at NA couldn’t have been more interested and helpful but are stumped for suggestions for progress. I am going back on Monday and will plough through the ADM12 items in case there’s a reference to an officer on HMS Nicator on that day that I can investigate.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other lines on enquiry, please? If Monday produces nothing it looks as if the final line must be drawn.

[Jonathan Saunders]

No mention of it in Naval Operations - which is hardly surprising as there are a number of "omissions" in the official history.

Similar to the Deanery magazines but have you tried contemporary newspapers for your grandfathers home locality? It might have a more comprehensive report of local man killed, alternatively local newspapers for that part of Donegal where the accident occurred. I realise neither of these tasks may be geographically practical but could be a long term aim.

When I first saw 1918 - destroyer - collision, I did wonder if an error had been made by the Rector and he was in fact describing the OPAL and NARBOROUGH collision off the west coast of Orkney in Jan 1918 - probably not the case here, but the point remains that genuine errors were often made when rumours were rife and information was stifled.

[Jonathan Saunders]

I should add I am not an expert Naval researcher

[chris basey]

Signals

Thanks for your interest. My searches of all local newspapers drew a blank but I have the names of Irish papers that might have something - that's for the day that I can get to Ireland. Unfortunately, that type of news was sensitive at the time, so any mention is unlikely to include names of ships.

The most frustrating part of all this is that, despite three different references in documents at NA, none of the relevant papers are catalogued so are not available.

Just have to keep hoping - something will eventually turn up.

Best wishes

[Guest Nigel999]

Just a thought , but have you researched either, or both of the other men in regards as to their respective local press?...On another tac..do you know if any of the men have an entry in the National roll of the Great war?...If NICATOR collided with another vessel...have you any idea which Flotilla she was attached to?...I'm thinking if she collided with one of her Flotilla ships...the log of that ship may throw light. Other than that..who was C-in-C of that particular area..and if so are his papers in public hands?

I'm not expert enough to suggest further avenues at the PRO...but if you can supply the refs for all those you have tried..I do know someone who may be able to throw up some ideas.

I'm sure that there will be something somewhere..its just a case of finding it...Like always