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        H.M.S. 
          HERMES (1899) Crew List 
          Compiled & Copyright © Don Kindell 2009  
         
           
             HMS 
              Hermes was Highflyer class cruiser which served with the Royal Navy. 
              She is historically notable for being refitted in April-May 1913 
              to act as the first experimental seaplane carrier of the Royal Navy, 
              with a launching platform and room to stow three seaplanes (the 
              French La Foudre preceded her by about a year). She 
              was built at the yards of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering 
              Company, Govan, being laid down in April 1897, launched on 7 April 
              1898 and commissioned in October 1899. She initially served as the 
              flagship of the East Indies station and then the Cape station (1907-1913). 
              In May 1913 she was re-commissioned as a seaplane carrier. The conversion 
              involved fitting a stowage platform at the rear of the ship and 
              a launching platform at the front. The aircraft took off using wheeled 
              trolleys and were then retrieved by cranes. Two seaplanes were carried 
              during trials in 1913. The results of these trials were used to 
              help design HMS Ark Royal, completed as a seaplane carrier using 
              a pre-existing hull after her purchase in May 1914. After 
              the trials ended in December 1913 the aircraft equipment was removed 
              from the Hermes. She was converted back into a cruiser and commissioned 
              in May 1913, but taken out of service at the end of the year and 
              placed in reserve. At the start of the First World War Hermes was 
              once again converted to a seaplane tender, delaying her re-entry 
              to service until 31 August 1914. She was then part of the Nore Command 
              and used to ferry aircraft to France. On 30th October she arrived 
              at Dunkirk with one load of seaplanes. The next morning she set 
              out on the return journey. She was then recalled because a German 
              submarine was known to be in the area, but before the order could 
              be obeyed, she was torpedoed by U-27 off Ruylingen Bank in the Straits 
              of Dover. She sank with the loss of 22 of her crew. [Source: 
              Wikipedia 
              - HMS Hermes (1898)] 
        List 
          of crew members killed 
           
            | COLLIER | Tom 
                Donald | Air 
                Mechanic 1st Class F 48, Royal Naval Air Service. Aged 37. Husband 
                of Lillian Mary Collier, of 65, Windsor Rd., Holloway, London. 
                Native of Islington, London. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM 
                NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 7. |   
            | CRODDEN | Alfred 
                James | Petty 
                Officer 2nd Class 134672 (PO). Aged 45. Husband of Mrs. K. Dawson 
                (formerly Crodden), of 241, Buddle Rd., South Benwell, Newcastle-on-Tyne. 
                No known grave. Commemorated on PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, Hampshire. 
                Panel 2. |   
            | DARVILL | Alfred 
                 | Private 
                (RFR B 1844) 11827 (CH), Royal Marine Light Infantry. Aged 32. 
                Son of the late Arthur and Mary Louisa Darvill, of Battersea, 
                London. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, 
                Kent. Panel 7. |   
            | DODDS | John 
                Dickinson | Chief 
                Armourer 164607 (CH). Aged 41. Husband of Esther Elizabeth Kemp 
                Dodds, of 30, Lawson Rd., Southsea, Portsmouth. No known grave. 
                Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 6. |   
            | FERGUSON | Alexander 
                 | Air 
                Mechanic 1st Class J 8185 (PO), Royal Naval Air Service. No known 
                grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 7. |   
            | FREEMAN | Alfred 
                William | Stoker 
                1st Class SS 101080 (CH). Son of Richard and Francis Freeman, 
                of London; husband of Jane Freeman, of 20, Coronation St., South 
                Shields. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, 
                Kent. Panel 5. |   
            | GREENLAND | George 
                Edward | Able 
                Seaman (RFR B 150) 101643 (CH). Aged 52. Son of George and Harriet 
                Greenland. Buried in WOODLANDS CEMETERY, GILLINGHAM, Kent. Naval 
                Section 14. Grave 705. |   
            | HARRISON | Samuel 
                 | Private, 
                8310 (CH), Royal Marine Light Infantry. Aged 38. Son of James 
                and Louise Harrison, of Camberwell, London; husband of Charlotte 
                Harrison, of 119, St. John's Rd., Walthamstow, London. Buried 
                in CAMBERWELL OLD CEMETERY, London. 100. 23569. Screen Wall. |   
            | HART | Maurice 
                William | Assistant 
                Paymaster (Ret). No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL 
                MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 1. |   
            | IRVIN | Ernest 
                Sydney  | Stoker 
                1st Class (RFR B 8095) 293174 (CH). Aged 35. Son of William and 
                Lottie Irvin, of Upstreet, Canterbury; husband of Eliza Irvin, 
                of 14, The Wall, Sittingbourne, Kent. No known grave. Commemorated 
                on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 5. |   
            | JEFFERS | Claude 
                Herbert | Leading 
                Seaman 206682 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL 
                MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 1. |   
            | LITTLEFIELD | Alfred 
                William | Private 
                (RFR B 460) 6700 (CH), Royal Marine Light Infantry. Aged 40. Son 
                of Jacob and Julia Littlefield, of London; husband of Ellen Littlefield, 
                of 94, Russell Scott Buildings, Jamaica Rd., Bermondsey, London. 
                Awarded East and West Africa Medal (Brass River Expedition). No 
                known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 
                7. |   
            | McINNES | Norman 
                 | Seaman, 
                Royal Naval Reserve 1698 C. Aged 39. Son of Angus and Catherine 
                McInnes; husband of the late Annie McInnes. No known grave. Commemorated 
                on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 8. |   
            | McLEOD | Donald 
                 | Seaman, 
                Royal Naval Reserve 3477 B. Aged 37. Son of Angus and Annie McLeod, 
                of Ness, Stornoway; husband of Mary McLeod, of 30, Cross, Ness, 
                Stornoway. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, 
                Kent. Panel 8. |   
            | NASH | Henry 
                Charles | Chief 
                Stoker (RFR B 1718) 154256 (CH). Husband of Annie Nash, of 3, 
                King Edward Rd., Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. No known grave. Commemorated 
                on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 4. |   
            | PHIPPS | Thomas 
                 | Stoker 
                1st Class (RFR B 1436) 280900 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated 
                on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 5. |   
            | PRICE | Charles 
                Robert | Private 
                (RFR B 1259) 6634 (CH), Royal Marine Light Infantry. No known 
                grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 7. |   
            | RICHARDS | Paul 
                W | Carpenter's 
                Crew M 8141 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL 
                MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 6. |   
            | ROBERTSON | George 
                James | Officer's 
                Steward 1st Class 176673 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated on 
                CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 7. |   
            | SIMPSON | Maurice 
                Charles | Petty 
                Officer 1st Class 123763 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated on 
                CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 1. |   
            | WAITE | Isaac 
                 | Stoker 
                Petty Officer (RFR B 5300) 283584 (CH). No known grave. Commemorated 
                on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 4. |  Last 
        updated 
        17 September, 2009
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