Crew Losses on H.M.S. ABOUKIR, CRESSY and HOGUE

[PRC]

3 hours ago, Harvey39 said:

I've had a look at a few archives online but can't find the article from 1915 that you transcribed, and therefore haven't been able to see the picture either.  So if you have access to it still, or the photo, please let me know!

 

Hi Ben and welcome to the forum.

 

This isn't from an online archive but a 25 year old microfilm that you have to view on 40 year old machines. Both film and viewers have been heavily abused by the public over the years so I really must apologise for the quality. Normally I can at least tidy them up a little bit with Photoshop Elements but this one has defeated me.

 

 

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

[CWYNN]

Hi,

 

Thank you for this great information. I have just found out an ancestor of mine died on H.M.S. Aboukir.
Name: Thomas Procter
Rank: Able Seaman

[PRC]

Hi @CWYNN and welcome to the forum.

 

WW1 Naval Casualties records that he was born at Grimsby, Lincolnshire on the 23rd September 1887. A.B. 224748 (CH) Thomas Procter, Royal Navy, was killed or died as a direct result of enemy action whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Aboukir on the 22nd September 1914, (the day before his birthday). The next of kin informed of his death was his father, Frederick Thomas, of 84D Castle Street, New Clee, Gt. Grimsby.

 

The same address for his father crops up on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission webpage for Thomas.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3049875/THOMAS PROCTER/

 

His one page statement of seamans service can currently be downloaded for free from the National Archive. You just need to have an account, and even that can be set up, (no financial details required), when you place your first order. Here's the location in their catalogue. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6727556

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

[CWYNN]

41 minutes ago, PRC said:

Hi @CWYNN and welcome to the forum.

 

WW1 Naval Casualties records that he was born at Grimsby, Lincolnshire on the 23rd September 1887. A.B. 224748 (CH) Thomas Procter, Royal Navy, was killed or died as a direct result of enemy action whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Aboukir on the 22nd September 1914, (the day before his birthday). The next of kin informed of his death was his father, Frederick Thomas, of 84D Castle Street, New Clee, Gt. Grimsby.

 

The same address for his father crops up on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission webpage for Thomas.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3049875/THOMAS PROCTER/

 

His one page statement of seamans service can currently be downloaded for free from the National Archive. You just need to have an account, and even that can be set up, (no financial details required), when you place your first order. Here's the location in their catalogue. https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6727556

 

Hope that helps,

Peter

 

Hi Peter,

 

Thank you so much for this information, it is really helpful.

 

Callum

[Guest]

HMS HOGUE and Caister man, Bertie Aaron George.

 

HMS ABOUKIR in WW1 was named after the Lord Nelson Battle of the Nile (also known as the Battle of ABOUKIR Bay) with the names derived from ABUKIR or ABU QIR bay on the Mediterranean just north of Alexandria in Egypt.

Following the battle several Naval Ships carried the name.

 

HMS HOGUE named after the 1692 sea battle of La Hogue with France and the NINE YEARS WAR.

 

In 1914 at the start of WW1 HMS ABOUKIR was a substantial Cressy Class Cruiser of 12,000 tons, launched in 1900, having two 9.2 inch guns now and stern and a central battery of 12 six inch guns plus many quick firer’s and machine guns.

 

Sister ships HOGUE and CRESSY, having similar armaments and all capable of 21 knots, joined her to patrol the North Sea towards the Dutch coast. 

 

There followed the Battle of Heligoland Bight. 

 

Bertie Aaron George, a married man of 31 years living at 41 Tan Lane, Caister (near Great Yarmouth) with three children, was a Naval Reservist on the HMS HOGUE.

Like thousands of others he served his Country in WW1 expecting to return home to his family and his home in Caister but this was not to be. 

 

His parents Charles Bonney George, the ninth grave of the 1901 BEAUCHAMP disaster and Sarah Ann George.

 

 Bertie’s wife Gertrude Emma received the sad news by letter from the King and Queen signed by Winston Churchill on behalf of the Admiralty.

 

Bertie married Gertrude Emma Brown on April 4th 1907 having three children aged 7, 3 and just one year old when he died 22 September 1914. Gertrude lived until 1967 aged 80.

At the 1911 census his two sons were Frank Robert George born 1907 and Frederick Charles George only 3 months old and Bertie was described as a Fisherman on a Steam Drifter. Third son Alec George was born in 1913 still living at 41 Tan Lane in 1939.

 

HMS HOGUE went to help HMS ABOUKIR when torpedoed by a German Submarine but she also fell to the deadly weapons.

The third Cruiser CRESSY claims she sunk two submarines but then suffered the same fate making a triple tragedy and considerable loss of life. 

 

Was there a pack of submarines as they often raided with five or six or was it just one very lucky U- Boat ?

 

Survivors were saved by the Lowestoft Sailing Trawlers CORIANDER and J. G. C. 

Skippers Phillips and George Jacobs received cash rewards and Board of Trade Silver Medals. In all 837 survived but 62 officers and 1397 men perished.

 

Fishermen and others in Lowestoft and Yarmouth were offered a reward of up to £1000 for information leading to the destruction or capture of an enemy ship or submarine.

 

There are two plaques in the Caister on sea Church, one for Bertie Aaron George and the other for the brother of the Caister Vicar T. F. U. Robson.

 

Bertie is pictured with a German postcard of the battle and the Hogue at anchor.

 

MEMORIAL

Bertie Aaron George is included upon the Roll of Honour at Chatham Naval Memorial lovingly found by descendant Ian Wakefield.

There is also a Memorial Plaque in Caister Parish Church, pictured above.

 

However, the best memorial of all is that the children, brothers and sisters and the many descendants will never forget Bertie Aaron George.

 

With thanks to Ian Wakefield for the pictures and family history of Bertie.

 

LATE NEWS FROM FURTHER RESEARCH

 

Bertie George played in a football match for the Red and Green brigade of Caister Football Club on Monday 19 April 1909 in front of a large crowd at The Warren.

The match was a friendly between Club Single and Married men. 

Towards the end of the game Bertie George scored an equaliser for the Married men and the crowd ‘cheered themselves hoarse’
 

PH

[PRC]

Remembering them

Peter

[Zeeraider]

Harold Ozanne commanded the Royal Marines onboard Cressy. He had been involved in recruit training and physical education so I assume he was a pretty fit 35 years old. I understand he survived several hours in the sea. There was a suggestion that some men were rescued and torpedoed a second time - has that been mentioned in this thread?  Here is a nice photo of Harold on a vessel which I think is the Cressy, but open to other suggestions. 

Colin

https://sites.google.com/view/harold-ozanne/military-career/cressy

 

[PRC]

7 hours ago, Zeeraider said:

 There was a suggestion that some men were rescued and torpedoed a second time - has that been mentioned in this thread? 

They weren't aboard for very long judging from the eye-witness accounts I posted previously, but yes it did happen.

On 21/08/2019 at 22:37, PRC said:

Few snippets from the local Norfolk Press that may be of relevance - emphasis is mine:-

Edward Sturley, Rotterdam Road, Lowestoft. HMS Aboukir.

"He then made his way forward, and slid down on to the ram, upon which he sat for about five minutes, with another man standing on his shoulders, the vessel gradually settling meanwhile. At last he reached the water's level, and having waited till the order was given "Every man for himself", slid gently off the ram and swam for the Aboukir's cutter, which had about 85 on board, besides others hanging on to her sides by ropes, Sturley himself towing astern of her. The cutter was pulled towards the Hogue, which was then only about 200 yards away, having come up considerably since the Aboukir was struck. No sooner, however, had they got alongside the Hogue, and started to take the men aboard her, than that vessel was torpedoed also. The cutter was shoved away immediately, and an attempt made to reach the Cressy, but before they reached her she too shared the fate of her sister ships...At about this time Sturley scrambled over the stern of the cutter, and relieved a mate of the tiller, having himself been in the water half an hour......

Sturley has the impression that many of the crew of the Hogue lost their lives in their efforts to jump clear of the vessel as she settled, as they alighted on the bulwarks, or "chocks", or some other obstacle, and fell stunned into the sea. "

On 23/08/2019 at 23:22, PRC said:

Eastern Daily Press 10th March 1915

(Picture) A.T. HARVEY, of Sutton Bridge,

Who escaped from two battleships torpedoed by the Germans, but went down with the Clan McNaughton. He nearly met his death on the outbreak of war, when, owing to the collapse of a wireless apparatus, he and another sailor were thrown into the water, His companion was instantly killed, but Harvey was picked up uninjured. He was on the Hogue when it went down, and being thrown into the water swam to the Cressy just as that ship was torpedoed. He then made his way to another boat, and was eventually rescued. He came home, but stayed for only one day, and then joined the ill-fated Clan McNaughton.

As to your second question about whether the picture of Harold Ozanne was taking aboard the Cressy, while I can't be certain about the ships' name on the life belt just behind his right shoulder, I would say from the overall shaping that it does not say H.M.S. Cressy. A higher resolution scan of the picture might bring out more detail.

In the meantime and working with what we've got. I've tried sharpening it and removing some of the glare and it possibly reads H.M.S. Hogue - but that's a best guess. So could be from when he was stationed aboard the Hogue between May 1906 to January 1908. Or of course could be from when he was visiting a sister ship of the Squadron in the opening weeks of the Great War for some unknown purpose.

Cheers,
Peter

Edited 23 September , 2022 by PRC
Typos

[JWK]

I see that the link to the documentary in my earlier post does not go to the documentary anymore, but rather to the DVD (which I can recommend wholeheartedly! Crystal clear cinematography)

The documentary is also available on Youtube:

 

[Zeeraider]

Peter, many thanks for all of that. I agree it certainly looks like Hogue on the life belt (great detective work!) so I'll settle for that. And from a Live Bait perspective its still completely relevant. And as you say Harold did serve on Hogue, so it makes sense. 

Random fact - Harold's best man was Cyrus Hunter Regnart (RMLI). I know there is a thread here on his exploits. I am putting together a web site on his life story just for my own entertainment. 

[Zeeraider]

many thanks JWK - I will certainly watch this

 

kind regards

Colin

[JWK]

Found this website. Which may be of interest?

https://thedockyard.co.uk/the-collections/digital-exhibitions/three-cruisers/three-cruisers_sailors/

 

Edited 23 September , 2022 by JWK