Able Seaman Stephen Charles Sienesi
HMS Petard, Royal Navy
Killed in Action
Date of Birth: 1882
Place of Birth: Leyton, Essex
Date of Death: 31 May 1916, Jutland, aged 34
Buried: Buried in Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Awarded the 1914 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal
Able Seaman Stephen Charles Sienesi age 34.
Stephen was born on the 2 December 1882 at Leyton, Essex, the son of Benjamin and Francis Jane Sienesi.
He joined the Royal Navy as a Boy, 2nd Class, in December 1900 and re-enlisted in 1912, his service number was 209400.
On 23 October 1915 he married Gertrude Warwick in Leeds.
Stephen was killed in action on board HMS Petard on 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland. His wife was living at Bitton Cottage, Teignmouth.
He is buried in Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 2015 a letter was found having been sent to Gertrude by a shipmate, Sid Preston, it reads:
Dear Mrs Seinesi,
It is with deepest Heartfelt Sympathy from the Ship's Company and myself I write these few lines imforming you of the death of Your loving husband who passed away at 4am on June 1, 1916 through wounds received whilst in battle.
He died the death of a hero while fighting for his King, Home and Country and he is greatly missed by all who knew him.
Before he departed this life he asked me to write to let you know, his last words being "Please Sid write to My Wife and let her know what hapened to me.
Yours Ever In Sympathy
S. Preston A.S.
The Battle of Jutland
This was the largest naval battle of the First World War (May 31 - June 1, 1916).
It involved involved 250 Warships and around 100,000 men.
The German and British navies were 10 miles apart and pounded each other with shells for a whole day.
The German High Seas Fleet had hoped to ambush and destroy the British Grand Fleet in the North Sea.
The British were warned by their codebreakers and put two forces to sea early, they lost 14 ships and over 6,000 men in the battle but the fleet was still ready to fight the next day.
Amongst those losses were six men from Teignmouth. Two brothers, Edward and Frederick Meyers, were both stokers aboard HMS Indefatigable; it was Frederick's 23rd birthday. Frank Morrish had just returned from leave, he was chief armourer on HMS Defence. Arthur Kidston and William Mutters were both serving in the Royal Marine Light Infantry; Arthur was on board HMS Black Prince and William on HMS Queen Mary. Seaman Stephen Sienesi died of wounds on board HMS Petard and was buried in Edinburgh.
The Battle ended in a stalemate, both sides claimed victory.
The German navy did not seriously challenge British control of the North Sea during the First World War again after that battle, as a result the British were able to blockade essential supplies from reaching Germany which contributed to Germany losing the war.
Warships of the Grand Fleet in the North Sea. © IWM (Q 68706)
