E36 Submarine

[Guest]

I am new to this Forum. I have a Memorial Plaque to P/O Stoker to 304521 Herbert Henry CONEY, KIA on E36 Submarine January 1917.

Also have his original parchment papers stating from when he first served 1903, is there any way of finding out if he served on other Submarines.

Any help or advice would be much appreciated. 

[wandererpaul]

Herbert Henry Coney

 

he has a very long record on find my past - subscription needed.

 

Herbert Henry Coney

Service number 304521

Birth year 1883

Birth date 02 Oct 1883

Birth place Antwerp

Birth county Belgium

Birth country Low Countries

 

First name(s) Herbert Henry

Last name Coney

Birth year 1883

Birth day 2

Birth month Oct

Birth town Antwerp

Birth county Belgium

Death year 1917

Death date 19/01/1917

Service number 304521. (PO)

Rating Sto. P.O.

Service R.N.

Ship/unit Hm Submarine E36

Cause of death Killed or died by means other than disease, accident or enemy action

Cemetery Body not recovered for burial

Location of grave Not recorded

Relatives notified Widow. Lucy, Oakhurst, Grayshott, Hants.

Edited 12 July , 2018 by wandererpaul

[Guest]

Thanks for the information, much appreciated.

[Jim Strawbridge]

"Cause of death - Killed or died by means other than disease, accident or enemy action".

 

My brain isn't working well this morning but I am lost as to how he may have died if none of the three causes mentioned. Only murder comes to mind. Or maybe an organ giving up on him but not through disease. But the obvious is drowning. If sunk following an enemy attack or hitting a mine I would have thought cause to be enemy action. If the submarine sprang a leak and died with all hands below deck would this not be an accident? Any other views?

[Malcolm12hl]

The loss of E.36 was a bit unusual, which might account for the strange description of cause of death.  She had left Harwich for a North Sea patrol in company with E.43 in the morning of 19.1.1917 and had parted company with her in the afternoon.  At about 9.45 pm., E.43 suddenly sighted another submarine crossing her bows only 50 yards away.  Last minute evasive measures failed, and E.43 hit the other submarine about 10 feet from her stern and then rode over.  The strange submarine disappeared and no survivors were found,  It was only realised that E.36 must have been the victim when she failed to return from patrol.  The location of the collision was 53.04.30N 04.00E.

[horatio2]

49 minutes ago, Jim Strawbridge said:

"Cause of death - Killed or died by means other than disease, accident or enemy action".

 

My brain isn't working well this morning but I am lost as to how he may have died if none of the three causes mentioned. Only murder comes to mind. Or maybe an organ giving up on him but not through disease. But the obvious is drowning. If sunk following an enemy attack or hitting a mine I would have thought cause to be enemy action. If the submarine sprang a leak and died with all hands below deck would this not be an accident? Any other views?

We have been round this buoy before. The descriptions are rubbish and I have no idea who dreamed them up. The official Admiralty "causes of death" are described in this earlier topic:-

 

[Jim Strawbridge]

Horatio2 - thank you for the explanation.

[RaySearching]

9 hours ago, wandererpaul said:

he has a very long record on find my past - subscription needed.

 

 

His service record can also be found on Ancestry 

Here UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939

 

 

As the post made by Malcom12hI (post5)

 

From Forces War Records

HMS E36, an E-class submarine was sunk in a collision in January 1917 — the wreck has apparently just been found near the Dutch island of Texel. The discovery was made when a fisherman found a large metal object using sonar images that strongly hinted that it was a British submarine wreck from the First World War. The fisherman, apparently, is fairly certain that it is the E36. Found at around eight meters depth, the submarine went down after a collision when it collided in that area with her sister ship, the E43 on the 19 January 1917. There were no survivors. This British E class submarine was built by John Brown, Clydebank and was commissioned on 16 November 1917.
 
Unit History: 19-01-1917: E36 and E43 left Harwich at 0730 for two patrol areas off Terschelling. A strong north easterly was blowing. At 1126 just before they left the coast, E43 signalled to E36 to proceed independently. At 1330 E36 was on the port beam but was out of sight by 1500. The sea was running fairly high and at 1850 E43, having lost her bridge screen, eased to 5 knots and turned 16 points to fit a new one. This delay must have enabled E36 to overtake her, for at 1950 off the Haaks LV, E43 had just altered course to true north when she suddenly sighted a submarine 3 points on the port bow apparently steering east and only 50 yards off. The helm was put hard to starboard and engines full astern but E43 struck E36 aft from the stern, rode right over her and saw her vanish on the starboard quarter in the darkness. E43 went astern but nothing could be seen in the darkness and heavy sea and nothing more was seen or heard of E36 –until the sighting of this probable wreckage. The site of the wreck is where a lot of people fish and it is likely that unexplored torpedos are still on board, according to a report by War History Online. 

 

Ray