Approximately a third of the local men who served in the Great War served at sea.
Stoker 1st Class John William James Russell
Some were with the Grand Fleet in the sea battles like the Battle of Coronel, when the HMS Monmouth went down with all 678 of her crew.
Able Seaman Alfred Parker, Stoker 1st Class John William James Russell, and Ordinary Seaman Robert Kent of Teignmouth were three of that crew.
In May 1916 the British and German navies clashed off the coast of Jutland, Denmark. 250 ships which were 10 miles apart pounded each other with shells for a whole day.
HMS Indefatigable - Courtesy of Michael W. Pocock and www.MaritimeQuest.com
Six local men died in that battle:
Chief Armourer Frank Morrish
Able Seaman Stephen Charles Sienesi
Private Arthur Sydney Kidston
Private William Henry Mutters of Dawlish.
Two Teignmouth brothers (Stoker 1st Class Frederick Meyers and Stoker 1st Class Edward John Meyers) died on the HMS Indefatigable, when her ammunition storage area exploded and she sank very quickly.
There was a terrific explosion aboard the ship - the magazines went. I saw the guns go up in the air just like matchsticks - 12" guns they were - bodies and everything. She was beginning to settle down. Within half a minute the ship turned right over and she was gone.
Written by Signaller C. Falmer
HMS Indefatigable.
The British and Germans had the largest navies in the world. They battled for control of the oceans, as those who controlled the shipping lanes could break the chain of essential supplies of food, equipment and re-inforcements to the enemy and win the war as a result.
The hunger strikes in Berlin. A delicatessen shop in Invalidenstrasse in Berlin is being plundered by the mob. © IWM (Q 110881)
At the outbreak of the First World War about 3000 civilian steam fishing trawlers were put into military service and more than 39,000 fishermen joined the Trawler Section of the Royal Naval Reserve to crew the ships they knew so well.
Deck Hands William Thomas, William Bruford and Harold John Hitchcock served on RN Trawler Minesweepers.
They cleared mines from sea routes, patrolled and attacked enemy submarines.
Sinking a mine by Riflefire. From The northern barrage : taking up the mines. 1920
This was vitally important work, the Maritime Archeology Trust estimate that in 1918 alone, enemy U-boats sank 5896 British vessels.
Fishing vessels on Admiralty service played a role in something in the region of 20 per cent of all allied U-boat sinkings during 1918.
Fishermen, the Fishing Industry and the Great War at Sea: A Forgotten History.
By Robb Robinson page 161
Leading Stoker Frank John Churchill served with Vivid III, the Devonport base for Trawler Division.
Several other local men served with HMS Vivid, the Royal Navy base at Devonport, the base had many vital roles including barracks, home of the Devonport ship-yard and Torpedo training school.
A Royal Navy submarine in open sea, crew standing on deck. © IWM (Q 67710)
Petty Officer Edward J. Dodd and Leading Seaman William Daniel Faruge Barge served on Royal Navy submarines.
William was killed in an attack by a German aircraft on his Submarine C25.
The majority of the naval casualties were by drowning as a ship that had been seriously hit would often go down with all hands lost.
The local men shown below all died at sea during the Great War or were discharged with wounds or illness and died soon after.
Local men in the Royal Navy
Royal Marines
