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Remembered Today:

HMS QUEEN MARY


Guest fairytopia

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Guest fairytopia

Does anyone know of any survivors from the hms Queen Mary?

My husbands great uncle John W Haycroft was one of the casualties.

Thanks, Lisa.

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Hello Lisa

QUEEN MARY survivours

Midshipman P.R. Dearden was rescued by British ships.

Boy 1c T.O. May was severely wounded.

Midshipman V. St J. Van der Byl, A.B. A.H. Brend J 22156, A.B. E. Cunnah J 20438, Leading Stoker H. Hughes, A.B. J. Hutchinson J 20122, A.B. F.W. Mead J 20995, and Stoker P.O. M. Taylor were slightly wounded.

Stoker 1c A.B. Clark, Stoker A. Edwards, RNR 2924 T, and P.O. E.B. Francis 178395 were wounded.

A.B. A.T. Sherwood J 7221 was rescued by German ships and made a POW.

don

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The name was of course reused for a World War Two ship.

In 1966 I was in charge of supplying the RN with cryptographic equipment among other things and moved the stocks of this from Chatham to RNSD Copenacre. Chatham took the opportunity to get rid of all sorts of rubbish.

When we were checking everything at Copenacre we found an enormous box (think small garden shed) still addressed, 'HMS Queen MARY, New York Dockyard'.

It had obviously been forgotten. When opened up it had inside it a mechanical cryptographic machine. I have often wished that I had been able to keep it as a souvenir, but in fact it went for scrap.

I also wonder just how it worked.

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  • 4 months later...

My grandfather, Leading Stoker H E Hughes is one of those identified below. His original service number was SS 105320, the after 25 March 1910, K 6445. In an extract from a letter home, when in the Royal Naval Hospital, Chatham he says, "I think I was in the water for two hours when four of our boats, destroyers, came up into the fighting, the first three passed me by, the fourth stopped and then I had to let go my piece of wood and swim for it." [The destroyer was HMS Laurel.]

In his report to the Admiralty he describes his ascent "up five ladders" from "F" boiler room and that he was "in the water when he caught a piece of shrapnell [sic] in the head which dazed me a great deal."

He was a Petty Officer Stoker when discharged in July 1929 and remobilised 26 August, 1939. He died at Greenock base ship HMS Orlando, 29 August, 1943.

David Hughes

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Hello David

Thank you for the information on Herbert Ernest Hughes and his service number which was lacking from my list.

My records show Herbert was attached to ROOKE when he died. This was the Boom Defense Central Depot at Rosyth. ROOKE, like so many other shore establishments, was a ledger location, but the personnel assigned to her could be anywhere. In Herbert's case at Greenock in ORLANDO.

In research, it has always been my contention that if everyone got all their snippets together, there wouldn't be any questions left to answer.

All best and thank you again.

don

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Hello Don,

Thanks for your comment - I was unaware of the subtleties of the Boom Defense infrastructure.

Your response does raise another question for me, however, in that his MOD file has him stationed at [or attached to] ROOKE in Oct/Nov 1940 and subsequently at ORLANDO - to August 1943. However, then in typewritten parenthesis - which is to say it isn't a scribbled after-thought, it then describes ROOKE as a "Destroyer - Flotilla Leader". Hmm, a boom defence destroyer?

Regards,

David

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Just on the off-chance ..

I'm interested in a Stoker Peter Kennedy who goes down with this ship. I have his pic and obit BUT interestingly the obit mentions that he (kennedy) is included in a picture of various sailors taken on deck of the ship shortly before its last voyage.

Any 'Mary' experts out there recall seeing any such pic ... more in hope than anything else.

Des

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Just on the off-chance ..

I'm interested in a Stoker Peter Kennedy who goes down with this ship. I have his pic and obit BUT interestingly the obit mentions that he (kennedy) is included in a picture of various sailors taken on deck of the ship shortly before its last voyage.

Any 'Mary' experts out there recall seeing any such pic ... more in hope than anything else.

Des

There are some crew pictures here, Des. No men named though.

Marina

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Hello David

"Your response does raise another question for me, then in typewritten parenthesis - which is to say it isn't a scribbled after-thought, it then describes ROOKE as a "Destroyer - Flotilla Leader". Hmm, a boom defence destroyer?"

ROOKE was a destroyer leader built at the end of the First War. She did serve in the Second War, but not as ROOKE. ROOKE was renamed BROKE on 13 April 1921. BROKE was subsequently lost at Algiers on 8 November 1942 at the beginning of the North African invasion.

don

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Thanks Marina ... I'll have a good gander at my pic at home!

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Rooke became the name of a barracks in Gibraltar.

I lived there in 1954/5

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The name was of course reused for a World War Two ship.

In 1966 I was in charge of supplying the RN with cryptographic equipment among other things and moved the stocks of this from Chatham to RNSD Copenacre. Chatham took the opportunity to get rid of all sorts of rubbish.

When we were checking everything at Copenacre we found an enormous box (think small garden shed) still addressed, 'HMS Queen MARY, New York Dockyard'.

It had obviously been forgotten. When opened up it had inside it a mechanical cryptographic machine. I have often wished that I had been able to keep it as a souvenir, but in fact it went for scrap.

I also wonder just how it worked.

HMS QUEEN MARY which was sunk at Jutland was the only ship of that name on the list of the RN.

Perhaps your box was intended for the Cunard Line's RMS QUEEN MARY.

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Chief stoker Peter Kennedy

CHIEF Stoker Kennedy was lost with HMS Queen Mary in the recent naval battle off the Danish Coast (Jutland).

His mother, who resides in Larne Street, Ballymena, has received official intimation from the Admiralty that it is feared he has gone down with his ship. Stoker Kennedy was a reserve man and prior to being called up was a head

fireman in Workman, Clarke & Co.’s north yard. He was a native of Ballymena and served for 15 years in H.M. Navy. Deceased, who was an enthusiastic member of Cavehill L.O.L. 1956 and the RBP 181, leaves a wife and five children who reside at 26, Ritchie Street, Belfast. He has two brothers and a brother-in-law on active service.

Ballymena Observer, June 16. 1916.

post-1582-1121775531.jpg

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  • 2 months later...

My grandfather , I belive he was a gunnery sargent his last name was Birch survived the sinking of HMS queen Mary

I don't know many details but think he was blown clear of the ship (so glad he was or a huge family would not exist now)

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In 1966 I was in charge of supplying the RN with cryptographic equipment among other things and moved the stocks of this from Chatham to RNSD Copenacre

Its a small world - from 1990-94 I was a Fleet Liaison Officer in Issue Control at RNSD Copenacre! :D

Dave

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  • 1 month later...

>Hello Lisa

QUEEN MARY survivors

Don<

Hello Don and Lisa'

I did not know there were survivors; my mother told me that as a 17 year old she heard a man on a bicycle ride up Sussex St. in (old) Hartlepool calling out "Queen Mary lost with all hands". Mother's fiance 'Joe' was in the stokehold and did not survive. His mother was grief stricken and insisted that the young girl hand over all of Joe's letters.

He might have been my father had he lived but I dont know his surname. Is there anyway I can examine a list of the stokehold crew who were lost?

My eventual father volunteered for the DLI but fortunately for him he was put in the artillery and got away with just wounds and malaria.

Harry

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Harry,

I have transcribed about 1100 names of those lost On the Queen Mary - below are the stokers with the first name of Joseph. There appear to be about the same number of Josephs in other branches. Joseph Burns below has a likely address. Other details may be available via the CWGC site.

David

JOSEPH BELL

Stoker

6196S

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH HARRIS [19]

Stoker 1st Class

K/17749

Royal Navy

Wooton Rivers, Marlborogh, Wilts

JOSEPH BAKER [37]

Chief Stoker

286450

Royal Navy

JOSEPH YOUNG [30]

Stoker 1st Class

K/16832

Royal Navy

JOSEPH JONES

Stoker

7710S

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH WILLIAM BURBIDGE [23]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/112368

Royal Navy

JOSEPH BURNS

Stoker

1914S

Royal Naval Reserve

8 Bedford St, West Hartlepool

JOSEPH DALE [21]

Stoker 1st Class

K/18737

Royal Navy

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

JOSEPH HAGAN [30]

Petty Officer Stoker

293299

Royal Navy

JOSEPH ROBERT HAIGH [30]

Petty Officer Stoker

K/2363

Royal Navy

JOSEPH HANSON [26]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/110329

Royal Navy

JOSEPH KNOTT [26]

Stoker 1st Class

K/13959

Royal Navy

JOSEPH MALCOLM [29]

Stoker

2681T

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH MARMONT [28]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/113150

Royal Navy

JOSEPH PARSLOW

Stoker 1st Class

K/17647

Royal Navy

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That was quick David! Thankyou for all that information.

I need to do more research, I may be wrong with the name Joe. My wife listened to my mothers tales more closely than I, she tells me now. She reckons that it was Joe's brother (Mams sweetheart) who died in the Queen Mary and that Joe began to walk out with Mother afterwards but the relationship did not last.

All this leaves me without a surname or a first name for the stoker. All I have is that they lived in the same street in Hartlepool (not West Hartlepool) and that street was Sussex st.

Meanwhile I have asked my wife to please write down all she remembers.

I need to connect the crew list with Sussex St or even Hartlepool in total, the latter would be much better as it would make a good article for our local family history society's journal (which covers the town). Tradition has it that there were many Hartlepool men on that ship.

If you have any further advice it would be appreciated.

I have checked out the names you gave on the CWGC. thanks for that pointer.

regards

Harry Nicholson

Whitby

Yorks

UK

Harry,

I have transcribed about 1100 names of those lost On the Queen Mary - below are the stokers with the first name of Joseph. There appear to be about the same number of Josephs in other branches. Joseph Burns below has a likely address. Other details may be available via the CWGC site.

David

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  • 4 weeks later...

I now have my Grandfathers SR (James Abraham Birch) if any one wants it let me know :) And if anyone is willing to find out what his rating was that would be great , also some of the ships he served on I can't make them out :(

Thanks to all the many posters here that have helped a lurker learn :lol:

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Toocool,

Post your Grandfathers SR as a New topic in Ships and Navies, Im sure the pals will fill in the gaps for you. If you have a problem getting them on, Email them to me and I will see what I can do.

Regards Charles

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  • 6 months later...
Harry,

I have transcribed about 1100 names of those lost On the Queen Mary - below are the stokers with the first name of Joseph. There appear to be about the same number of Josephs in other branches. Joseph Burns below has a likely address. Other details may be available via the CWGC site.

David

JOSEPH BELL

Stoker

6196S

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH HARRIS [19]

Stoker 1st Class

K/17749

Royal Navy

Wooton Rivers, Marlborogh, Wilts

JOSEPH BAKER [37]

Chief Stoker

286450

Royal Navy

JOSEPH YOUNG [30]

Stoker 1st Class

K/16832

Royal Navy

JOSEPH JONES

Stoker

7710S

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH WILLIAM BURBIDGE [23]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/112368

Royal Navy

JOSEPH BURNS

Stoker

1914S

Royal Naval Reserve

8 Bedford St, West Hartlepool

JOSEPH DALE [21]

Stoker 1st Class

K/18737

Royal Navy

Newcastle-upon-Tyne

JOSEPH HAGAN [30]

Petty Officer Stoker

293299

Royal Navy

JOSEPH ROBERT HAIGH [30]

Petty Officer Stoker

K/2363

Royal Navy

JOSEPH HANSON [26]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/110329

Royal Navy

JOSEPH KNOTT [26]

Stoker 1st Class

K/13959

Royal Navy

JOSEPH MALCOLM [29]

Stoker

2681T

Royal Naval Reserve

JOSEPH MARMONT [28]

Stoker 1st Class

SS/113150

Royal Navy

JOSEPH PARSLOW

Stoker 1st Class

K/17647

Royal Navy

On Burntisland War Memorial there is a William Ernest Baker. Onlt one I can trace is stoker killed on QM at Jutland. Anyone know if this one had Burntisland connection?

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Welcome to the forum John

You can look at the records of all the Royal Navy ratings from Burntisland in the online Registers of Seamen's Services. It costs £3.50 to download them.

William Ernest Baker was a member of the Royal Naval Reserve so his service sheets are at Kew, not online.

Btw, the best way to add to a topic is to click on fast reply. You can edit your post to delete the quotes in your post.

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