Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence

Lest We Forget
British Legion
The Royal British Legion

H.M.H.S. DOVER CASTLE

SS Dover Castle was built by Barclay Curle & Company Glasgow, Yard No 443, in 1904 and launched 4th February 1904. Her propulsion was steam, quadruple expansion engines, 969 nhp, 14.5 knots. She was built as a Passenger/Cargo Vessel for Union-Castle Mail Steamship Co Ltd, London with tonnage of 8,271. She was converted to a hospital ship in World War 1 becoming HMHS Dover Castle. She was sunk by UC.67 on 26th May 1917, when 50 miles north of Bone on passage Malta for Gibraltar. The first torpedo struck her, killing 6 crew members, a seventh casualty was a bath attendant found drowned two days after the sinking. He is buried in Bone War cemetery. H.M.H.S. "Karapara" 270 survivors off the "Dover Castle" and transferred them to Gibraltar. HMS "Chameloen", an escort, participatied in the rescue. Dover Castle's captain and a volunteer crew remained on board hoping they could save the ship but an hour later the sub struck again and she sank in three minutes. One source states that the second torpedo (to deliberately sink the crippled vessel) was fired by one of the escorts. Save for the crew killed, everyone else was saved.

[Source: www.clydebuiltships.co.uk and www.clydesite.co.uk ]

Seven crew members killed

BARRETT Owen William
Fireman and Trimmer, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 35. Born 18 February 1882 in Leamington. Resident 34, North Avenue, Southend. Son of George William Barrett, of 22, Victoria Avenue, Worcester, and the late Ellen Eliza Barrett (nee Watts). Engagement 26 July 1902 for 12 years, extended 21 November 1905 for 12 years, Porter before joining, height 5 feet 2 inches, brown hair, hazel eyes, dark brown complexion. In the 1901 census he was aged 19, born Leamington, Warwickshire, a servant, Lift attendant (domestic), resident Sailors Home, Canning Place, Liverpool, Lancashire,. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.
BARTLEY Charles Thomas
[Listed as Thomas on ship records] Fireman, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 39. Born Southampton. Resident 5, Cossack Place, Southampton. Son of the late Charles and Elizabeth Bartley (nee Thorn). No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.
BRAND George Charles
Fireman, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 22. Son of George William and Annie Brand, of 38, Ordnance Rd., Canning Town, London. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.
KENTCHEN William George
Trimmer, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 29. Born at Southampton. Son of William and Phyllis Kentchen; husband of Nellie Kentchen (nee Allen), of 21, Bedford Place, Southampton. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.
MOOR Arthur H

Bathman, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 28 May 1917. Buried in BONE WAR CEMETERY, ANNABA, Algeria. Plot 8. Row G. Grave 15.

See also an article by Meghan Hawkes relating to his time in New Zealand

MUNDAY Walter
Trimmer, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 35. Born at Stepney, London. Son of Sarah Munday, of 21, Oxford Rd., Stratford, London, and the late Thomas Munday. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.
TAYLOR Henry George
Trimmer, H.M.H.S. "Dover Castle" (London), Mercantile Marine. Killed or drowned when H.M.H.S "Dover Castle" was torpedoed 26 May 1917. Aged 17. Son of George and Ellena Taylor, of 24, Blake Rd., Canning Town, London. No known grave. Commemorated on TOWER HILL MEMORIAL, London.

Last updated 3 May, 2023

Friends of the War Memorials
War Memorials Trust
Main page
Commonweath War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Copyright © Roll-of-Honour.com 2002- | GDPR Cookies
Email: webmaster@roll-of-honour.com