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Officers and Men Killed in
Action or Died of Wounds, H.M.S. Chester, Battle of
Jutland 31st May -1st June 1916. |
Extract from the
Official History; " Naval Operations" by Sir Julian S. Corbett. 1923
. ........Admiral Hood, in response to the order to support
Admiral Beatty, had reached about twenty-five miles ahead of the
battle fleet with the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron. One of his
attached light cruisers, the Canterbury, was about five miles
further forward; the other, the Chester, was the same
distance to the westward on his starboard beam, while his four
destroyers, Shark, Acasta, Ophelia and Christopher,
formed his antisubmarine screen ahead. The Chester
was thus nearest to the enemy, and at 5.27 her commander,
Captain R. N. Lawson, hearing the sound of guns to the
south-westward, turned in that direction to investigate. Soon he
could see far-away flashes breaking the mist where the 5th Battle
Squadron was still fighting, and in another minute or two the form
of a three-funnelled cruiser with some destroyers took shape
crossing ahead of him. Realising at once that she was an enemy, he
turned to starboard to bring his guns to bear, but as this movement
brought one of the destroyers in admirable position for attack on
his port bow he swung north and was opening fire on his phantom
enemy when he saw she was not alone. Two other ghost-like forms were
astern of her, and in a minute or two the Chester was
smothered in bursting shell. Within five minutes she had three of
her guns disabled : the majority of the guns' crews were lying dead
or wounded, and with only her after gun in action she turned away
north-eastward at utmost speed, dodging the salvoes like a snipe.
It was Admiral Boedicker's light cruiser squadron (2nd Scouting
Group) she had run into, as on Admiral Hipper's disengaged side it
was continuing to the northward some four miles on his starboard
beam, and the ships chasing the Chester
were the
Frankfurt (flag), Wiesbaden, Pillau and Elbing.
The Chester seemed doomed, but rescue was at hand.
Directly Admiral Hood heard the firing abaft his starboard beam he
swung round north-west (5.37). As the German cruisers were closing
to the eastward the courses quickly converged. In a few minutes our
battle cruisers could see emerging from the mist the Chester
zigzagging in the storm of shell splashes that were drenching
her. A minute later her eager pursuers came suddenly into view.
Immediately they saw their danger they swung round to starboard on
the opposite course to Admiral Hood, but it was too late. As they
passed, his guns crashed into them, while the Chester
escaped across the Invincible's bows, firing her last shots
as she ran northward into safety........
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Lieutenant,
George Henry Walker Williamson.
Chaplain,
The Rev. Cyril Ambrose
Walton. |
Arter, Edward George, Ld. Sea. |
Ashton, Robert John , Boy 1. |
Blake, Percy Frank, Off.Std. 3. |
Chowns, Albert Ernest, Boy 1. |
Cooper, William Hide, Sh.Cpl.1. |
Cornwell, John Travers Boy 1.
(02/06/16) |
Fassnidge, Pte., Edward, R.M.L.I. |
Fosker, Harry, Sailmaker's Mate. |
Furby, John William Ord. Sea. |
Gibbs, John Porter, Pte. R.M.L.I. |
Grimley, James Martin, Pte. R.M.L.I. |
Howling, Arthur Leonard, Off. Std. 2. |
Kirkpatrick, J. N., Ord. Sea. |
Lawless, Percy, A.B. |
Lister, George, Yeoman of Signals. |
Luxton, John Henry, A.B. |
McKenzie, Frederick George , Sig. |
Oldershaw, James Vincent, Yeoman of Signals. |
Patterson, William John, Pte. R.M.L.I. |
Preston, Thomas Pte, R.M.L.I. |
Raven, Reginald Alfred, Boy 1. |
Smith, William, Pte. R.M.L.I. |
Spillett, George, P.O. 1. |
Thorp, Raymond William, Bugler, R.M.L.I. |
Tucker, Albert Henry, Pte. R.M.L.I. |
Waghorn, Ord. Sea. James David. |
Wells, John, Ord. Sea. |
Wise, Sidney, Ord. Sea. |
Yelloly, John Henry, Ord. Sea. |
end |
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