The 746 names to be engraved on Orkney’s HMS Hampshire commemorative wall

An aerial view of restoration work at the Kitchener Memorial, showing the arc-shape of the planned HMS Hampshire wall (image: Scott McIvor)

It is less than six months until the centenary of the sinking of HMS Hampshire, just off Orkney on 5 June 1916, when 737 men were lost, including Britain’s Secretary of State for War Earl Kitchener. Later that month, HM Drifter Laurel Crown sank in the same area, with the loss of all nine crew. Both ships hit mines.

Next year a new commemorative wall, engraved with the names of all 746 men lost with the two ships, will be unveiled. It will be built on Orkney’s Atlantic coast next to the existing Kitchener Memorial, unveiled in 1926, and now being restored.

The wall’s arc shape was chosen following a public consultation. The names will be engraved in block letters, arranged alphabetically in panels facing the memorial. There will be separate panels, within the wall, for Kitchener’s party and for the Laurel Crown crew, which included George Petrie from Burray, Orkney.

The restoration and the new wall are being created as part of the Orkney Heritage Society’s Kitchener & HMS Hampshire Memorial project, run by volunteers, writes Graham Brown.

Today on this blog we publish a list of the 746 names, the result of research by local military historian Brian Budge and by memorial project member Andrew Hollinrake.

Andrew is also launching a new website, www.hmshampshire.org, and explains more: “The new website, for now, will just show a list of names. But we hope to have much more in the way of detail online later, including information and photographs we’ve gathered through our research, and from family members of the casualties.

“The final list of names comes from a number of sources including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, the National Archives at Kew, family history websites, relatives and newspaper archives.

“It has taken many hours of work but it is an honour to do this to remember the men from HMS Hampshire, Kitchener’s party and the Laurel Crown.

“I invite everyone with an interest in this project, particularly family members, to look at our list and please let us know if you think amendments are needed before the names are, literally, carved in stone.”

The project members estimate they are more than 90% of the way towards the funding needed for the restoration and the wall, with less than £10,000 still to find.

Anyone who wishes to donate towards the project can do so online at justgiving.com/orkneyheritagesociety/ or send a cheque payable to Orkney Heritage Society.

Relatives who would like to contact Andrew and the team about the published list of names, or who may have artefacts suitable for a planned exhibition around the time of the centenary, may email kitchener.memorial@gmail.com or write to Orkney Heritage Society, PO Box 6220, Kirkwall, KW15 9AD.

Alternatively, the volunteers can be contacted through Facebook (@Kitchener.Memorial), Twitter (@kitchenerorkney) and via this blog.

Three men whose names will be on the wall: George Petrie of Orkney (left), JWH Beechey (top right) and AG Watts (bottom right)

HMS Hampshire crew [list updated 15 February 2016]

Update – 13 May 2016: Please note that some further amendments have been made to get the final list of names which will appear on the commemorative wall. This final list can be viewed in full on our history website, hmshampshire.org.

ABURROW J A
ADAMS H
ADAMS W F
ADAMS W H
ALEXANDER P G
ALLEN E A
ALLEN F H
ALLEN W B
ALLUM G A
AMEY N P
AMEY W J
AMOS J J
AMY W M
ATTWOOD C E
ATTWOOD G
AUSTIN A E
AYLING C G J
AYTON G
BAGLEY J L
BAILEY C
BAILEY G
BAILEY H R
BAILEY J C
BAINES S
BAKER F G
BAKER P
BALLARD R G
BANCROFT I
BANWELL E J
BARBEARY C H
BARGEN T E
BARNARD J E T
BARNETT J
BARROW N
BARTLETT F H
BARTLETT G 284537
BARTLETT G Sussex 4/172
BARTLETT V G
BATES A
BATES B E
BATES G
BAULK A S
BAYNES G A
BEAN F F
BEAR J V
BEARMAN W J
BECK G E
BEECHEY J W H
BEESTON G S
BELCHAMBER E
BELL W A
BENNETT L S
BENNETT W H
BENTLEY F
BEVERLEY R
BEX W L
BILLINGHAM B
BILLINS W E
BIRTLES R
BISHOP G S J
BLACK R B
BLACKSHAW G
BLAKE E A J
BLANDFORD S T
BLOOR T
BOBBETT J J
BOND G H
BONNICK H A W
BORAMAN R J
BORNE J H
BOSWORTH M J
BOWEN G W
BRAGG J A
BRAIN W H
BRIDGES W F
BRINDLEY J
BRISCOE J
BROAD W H
BROCKWAY A G C
BROWN R
BROWN W
BROWNING H
BUCKENHAM J T
BUCKINGHAM R A
BUNTING T
BURDEN E
BURFOOT C N N
BURREN G P
BURROWS A
BURTON J R
BURY F
BUSBY W S
BUTLER F E
BUTLER G I
BUTLER R T
BYNG J
CADBY W G
CADMAN C
CAKE W
CAMERON W J
CANNON J A
CARD W G B
CARTER C C W A
CARTER T E
CARVIN C
CHAMBERS A H
CHAPLIN H G
CHARLTON A C
CHEATER H J
CHESWORTH A
CHILD A E
CHITTY A
CLARK W
CLAY F
CLAYTON W
CLEARY F W
COLBECK P
COLE F G
COLLECOTT F G
COLLETT J W
COLLIER S
COLLINS S
COLLIS W T
COMPTON A W
CONNELLEY P
CONSTABLE L A L
COOGAN J
COOK F
COOKE H N
COOMBS J R
COOPER G H
COOPER W L M
COPE H
COSSEY A E
COULTHARD T
COVEY J E
COWLEY G W
COX H
COX J
COX J C
COYLE J
CROMPTON E
CROSS A
CRUSE P
CULLINGTON F T
CUMMING D
CUNNINGHAM H
CUNNINGHAM J
DABBS H
DAGWELL F
DALLAS W A E
DANIELS E
DARBY W G
DASENT M
DAVEY E
DAVIS A
DAWSON A W A
DAWSON J B
DE STE CROIX W B
DEAN F P
DENHAM H S
DENNIS H
DEVESON P W
DEVLIN J
DIAMOND C H
DIAPER H J
DODD W
DOHERTY M
DOHERTY R
DOMINEY C J
DONNELLY G N
DOOLEY S
DOVE G W
DOWLAND S J
DOWNES J
DOWSON J
DRUMMOND F G
DUFF P
DUFFIN A J
DUNCAN A J C
DUNN L G A
DURRANT G W
DYER G
EADES J
EAST E R
ECCLESTON N
EDWARDS I S R R
ELLISON V
ELMER G J
ELSON R M
EPPS J F
EVANS G M
EVANS J
EVANS P
EVANS R
EVANS W A
EVERETT W
EWING W
EYRE J
FALLOWFIELD R
FARINDON A
FARTHING W T
FEAR E C
FELLOWES E E
FELLOWS B
FERRETT S J F
FERRETT T C J
FERRIMAN G F W
FIELD G
FIELDING P
FINCKEN C A T
FISKEN P
FITCH J W N
FITZGERALD J H
FLACK F
FLANAGAN B
FLAVIN M
FLEMING J H
FLEMING M T
FLEXMAN E F
FONEY F J
FORREST G H
FORREST J
FOSTER E
FOSTER J
FOTHERGILL E
FOWLER A T
FRASER C S
FREEMAN W A
FREEMAN W C
GALE H A
GALE W
GANDER J
GARDNER W F
GARRETT S
GARRETT W J
GARSDEN J W V
GEARNS J C
GEORGE E C
GERRARD F E
GIBBS W J
GIBSON W
GILDERSLEEVE H
GILES H
GISBORN J F
GLOVER F
GLOVER G A
GOBLE A E
GOMM C
GOODFELLOW B
GORDON J E G
GRACE W E
GRANT S A
GREEN G
GREEN J J
GREEN J
GREENAN J
GREENHILL B P K
GREENWOOD B T
GREY E V
GRINYER C E
GROOMBRIDGE V A
GROVES T P
GROVES W E
HACKEN R F
HAGAN J
HAGAN J S H
HAINES A W
HAINSWORTH H
HAMLIN C H
HANSELL A
HARDEN C
HARDING J
HARGREAVES J H
HARMAN D J
HARPER A H
HARRIS L W
HARRIS S J
HARRISON E G
HARRISON J W
HARRISON T
HART C G C
HART G
HARVEY J R
HARWOOD T J
HAWKINS E
HAWKINS J C
HAWKINS W
HAYES H J
HAYLER J
HAZEL S
HAZEON C S
HEAD G H
HEATH M
HEDGES E T
HEGGS J H
HENEAGE V
HENNESSAY J E
HENRY T W
HENWOOD D
HESELWOOD R
HEWITT F
HICK H
HIGGINS F A
HILL E T
HILL G H
HILL J J
HILL R
HILL T P
HILLS H G
HIRTZEL G H
HISCOCK J T
HOBBS F N
HOBSON M B
HOCKLESS L H
HODGKINSON J
HOLBROOK W
HOLDEN J
HOLL G W
HOLLAMBY F H
HOLLEY J F
HOLLIS S
HOLLOWAY F
HOLTOM H E
HOOK F C
HOOKER B H
HOOKHAM B
HOPE C
HORROCKS A W
HOUGHTON G
HOWDEN W H
HOWE H W
HUDSON S A
HUGHES R L
HUMPHREY A
HUNT F
HUNTER E
HUNTER E F
HUNTER F A
HUNTER G M
INNOLES W F
IRESON W
ISHERWOOD F
IVES J
JAMES G
JAMIESON W
JARVIS B
JARVIS J E
JEFFRIES H
JELLEY T W
JENNINGS G T M
JENNINGS H J
JENOURE A S
JEWITT L
JOELS E J
JOHNSTON J K/24401
JOHNSTON J 8299(S)
JOHNSTONE L H
JONES C
JONES E
JONES H
JONES J
JONES J A
JONES T
JONES W G
JORDAN A H
KANAAR J A G
KEBBLE A A
KEEPING T L
KENDALL A
KENNEDY J
KENNY T
KENWARD H C
KIMBER W J
KIRBY J H
KIRBY W J
KIRKUP F
KNIGHT G H
KNIGHT H
KNIGHT J G
KNOWLSON J W
LACEY R
LACY A
LAITY J H
LAMB J H
LAMPARD A E
LAMPITT J
LARKING A G
LARKINS H
LATTER W T
LATTIMORE G C
LAWLER W
LAWLER W G
LAWRENCE L J
LEACH T W
LEADER L J
LEDGER A E
LEDWOOD J W
LEE W H
LESLIE F P
LEWIS J G
LEWIS J H
LILLEY A L
LIND C N
LIPSCOMBE C W
LITTLE R T
LITTLEWOOD H R
LOCKER G W
LOVEGROVE T G
LOWE J
LOWE T
LOWE W C
LOWERY H
LYFIELD A G
LYNCH J
LYNN A E
MacGREGOR J D
MALLARD J A
MALLET C S B
MALLETT H F
MANSER F S J
MARINER E
MARNER G A
MARSHALL A
MARSHALL F G
MARSHALL G E
MARTIN C
MARTIN G F
MARTIN R P
MASKELL J E
MASTERS B W
MATTHEWS H
MAXTED H
MAYHEW E G
McADAM W
McCALL D
McDONELL P
McFARLANE R M
McGARRIGLE D
McGARVIE W C
McGOWAN F G
McGRATH H
McINTYRE A
McLAUGHLIN J
McLOUGHLIN R J
McNALLY H F
McNEILL R
McPHERSON A J
MEDHURST C A
MELHUISH W J
MERRITT C H
MERWOOD R
MEW J
MIDDLETON R C
MITCHNER H
MOORE G W
MOORE R
MORETON W A
MORLEY A
MORPHEW G A
MORRIS E O
MORRIS F S
MORRIS F A
MORTIEAU A J
MORTON A F
MORTON C E A
MOULD A C
MUDIE D B
MULLEN D
MULLENS F C
MULVEY P
MUNTON A
MUSSON T
NAYLOR A G S
NEELD A W
NEWBEGIN J
NEWMAN J
NINEHAM W E
NOEL H
NORRINGTON T E
NORRIS A C
NORTH A
NORTH G
NORTHOVER S J
NOVICE J A
NOWLAND F
NUGENT M L O
NYE C W
O’CONNELL A A
OLIVER F C
OLIVER J W
ORMONDE W A
OUBRIDGE W B
OULTON W H
OWEN N
PAGE J H
PAMPLIN J H
PARKER G H
PARKER J
PARKHURST A J
PARKS W
PARSONS H
PARSONS S C
PARSONS W R
PASHLEY A E
PATON D
PATTENDEN A
PAYNE A
PAYNE H
PAYNE H E
PEARCE A J J
PELLETT E A
PENGILLY P W
PERRY D
PERRY P E
PESSELL P J
PETERS W R
PETTETT E
PETTETT W J
PHILLIPS A
PIPER F S
POLLARD J
PONSFORD C H
PORTER A J
POTTER F
POWELL J
POWELL W G
PRAGNELL G V
PRAGNELL W
PURNELL E
QUINTON W E
RAGLESS P J
RAMSEY P R
RANDELL G
RAWLINS W E
REDFERN T H
REED G E
REED W
REES W H
REEVE G E
REYNOLDS G
REYNOLDS P
REYNOLDS S H
RICHARDS E
RIGBY J E
RILEY E
RIORDAN T J
ROBERTS P B
ROBERTSON J W
ROBERTSON W H
ROBEY W C
ROBINSON A F
ROBINSON E F H
ROGERS E J
ROGERS W
ROGERS W E
ROSE R J
ROSSITER T
ROWELL W G
ROWLEY J
RUSSELL F
RYAN S
RYAN W
RYLES M
SALISBURY W H
SALOWAY W L
SANDOM G C
SAUNDERS A
SAVILL H J
SCHEURER A L
SCRIVEN T G
SEE C W
SEMPLE R
SEXTON R P A
SEYMOUR H J
SHAILL T E
SHANKS J 270194
SHANKS J K/27968
SHARP W H
SHARPLES T H W
SHAW J P
SHEARMAN C N
SHEPHERD F R
SHEPHERD W
SHERWIN C E
SHIELDS W
SHORT W H
SIDEBOTHAM W
SILK E G
SILLS E E
SIRDIFIELD J T
SKINNER W
SKYNNER W W
SMEDLEY J H
SMITH A K/18646
SMITH A SS/114387
SMITH A PO/15494
SMITH B
SMITH E
SMITH G E
SMITH G S
SMITH G W
SMITH H W
SMITH W J/38334
SMITH W K/2353
SNELL S S
SNOW V G
SNOWDEN J N
SOWDEN W R
SPARKES S J
SPARROW W C J J B
SPEDDING F
SPENCER E G
SPIERS O A
SQUIRE W C
STABLES G
STAFFORD W E
STALLARD G T
STANLEY S
STARMORE E S
STEAD E
STEELE C T
STEPHENS S W
STEVENSON W
STEWART F G
STEWART R C
STRINGER A D
STRINGER C T
STRINGER H
STRINGER J E
SUCKLEY W V
SUTTON A L
SWEETZER H D
TAILBY G A
TAPPER S C
TAYLOR E E
TAYLOR H d P
TAYLOR J A
TERRY P W
THOMPSON R A
THOMPSON W
THORNTON W J
THWAITES W H
TIDEY S W
TILBURY W
TILLING H C
TINGLEY J C
TIPPING E
TIZARD P L E
TOONE S
TREFFRY F C
TRODD H V
TROTT J H
TRUE E B
TUCK C E A
TUCKER C A E
TUNNICLIFFE J
TURNER E J
TURNER F
TURNER F H
TWOMEY L J
VARNDELL E H
VEALE M
VERLANDER G C
VERNON H F
VINCE S J H
VIVIAN R C
WAGSTAFF A H
WAIGHT F E
WALDEN E
WALKER A
WALKER A E
WALLER W J
WALTERS C C
WATERMAN W F
WATERMAN W G
WATERS H
WATTHEW F H
WATTS A G
WATTS C W
WAUGH J
WEBB J H
WELSBY W
WENHAM W F J
WEST C
WHEELER C W
WHEELER G B
WHEELER W A
WHELAN H A
WHITE B
WHITE E
WHITE F K/15718
WHITE F SS/114743
WHITE G V
WHITE J
WHITE W E
WHITLOCK H
WHITNEY F W
WHITWORTH J
WICKENS T J
WICKER R A
WIGFALL T B
WIGG W J
WILDEN G P
WILKINSON C W
WILLIAMS C
WILLIAMS E H
WILLIAMS G
WILLIAMS J G W
WILLIAMS P G
WILLIAMS W
WILLS W S
WILSON A
WILSON B J
WILSON W
WITHINGTON C
WOOD F
WOOD J
WOOD W
WOODGER J E
WYMER F L H
YEATES C H
YOUNG J G

Kitchener’s party

BROWN D C
DONALDSON H F
ELLERSHAW W
FITZGERALD O A G
GURNEY J W
KITCHENER H H
McLOUGHLIN M
MACPHERSON R D
O’BEIRNE H J
RIX L C
ROBERTSON L S
SHIELDS W
SURGUY H
WEST F P

Laurel Crown crew

BAKER T J
COULL J
DURRANT C
MITCHELL R
MURPHY A
NICOLSON M
PETRIE G
SLATER R
STEPHENSON C P

Advertisement

HMS Hampshire and 737 men were lost 99 years ago today

Aerial view of the Kitchener Memorial (image: Frankie Tait)

Ninety-nine years ago tonight the British warship HMS Hampshire sank just off the coast of Orkney, in the north of Scotland, leading to the loss of 737 men, including Britain’s Secretary of State for War, Earl Kitchener.

The ship was taking Kitchener to Russia for secret talks when, at about 7.45pm, she hit a mine in atrocious weather conditions and sank in about 15 minutes.

For many years it was thought more than 600 men were lost, including Kitchener, but now our Kitchener & HMS Hampshire Memorial project has discovered the true figure to be 737.

This week we issued a press release – reproduced below – to mark the anniversary and to announce, and explain, this shocking new death toll figure.

Our project is to “better remember” all the men who were lost by building an HMS Hampshire commemorative wall, engraved with all the men’s names, alongside Orkney’s Kitchener Memorial, which we plan to restore.

There is still an annual memorial service for Earl Kitchener at St Paul’s Cathedral, London, this year on Sunday 7 June. You can find more about this on the Kitchener Scholars website: http://kitchenerscholars.org/copy-of-memorial-service-at-st-pauls-cathedral-1-1

Graham Brown

Kitchener & HMS Hampshire Memorial press release: 4 June 2015

Volunteers working on a planned commemorative wall to more than 700 men lost on HMS Hampshire in the First World War believe they have identified all the men on board, 99 years after the sinking.

The warship sank off the coast of Orkney on 5 June 1916 while taking Earl Kitchener, Britain’s Secretary of State for War – famous for the “Your Country Needs You!” recruitment posters – to Russia for secret talks. There were only 12 survivors.

Ten years later the Kitchener Memorial, a 48-feet high stone tower overlooking the site of the sinking, was unveiled on cliffs at Marwick Head, on the Atlantic west coast of Mainland Orkney. It has a plaque which only makes brief reference to the men lost with Kitchener.

But those working for Orkney Heritage Society’s Kitchener & HMS Hampshire Memorial project want to “better remember” all those lost by building an arc-shaped low wall, engraved with their names, alongside the memorial.

It was long believed that 643 men died after HMS Hampshire hit a mine in stormy weather but recent research by Orkney historian Brian Budge discovered the names of more than 730 men who were lost, with many of the additional names being part of Kitchener’s party.

Now project committee member Andrew Hollinrake has researched online and travelled from Orkney to spend hours digging through hundreds of files at The National Archives in Kew, London, to arrive at a final figure of 737 men lost, including Kitchener. Part of his research involved untangling two family names which had been wrongly joined together.

Andrew explains: “Brian Budge had compiled a list of names from various sources including the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website. This included 723 members of the ship’s complement, and most of Kitchener’s party. But more than one source referred to other, previously-unnamed civilian staff on the mission to Russia, suggesting that there were as many as 13 accompanying Kitchener.

“One of the party, Kitchener’s personal servant, was named by many sources as Henry Surguy-Shields. I discovered that this was an error, and the name listed had been a misreading of a press bulletin naming Henry Surguy and “—- Shields”, with a dash in place of Shields’ forename being mistaken for a hyphen, and so misread as a double-barrelled name.

“I visited the National Archives and, after sifting through several large volumes of documents relating to the sinking, I found not only a detailed list of the sailors lost, but also a complete list of Kitchener’s party. This included William Shields, a former soldier, valet to Lt Col Fitzgerald, Kitchener’s military secretary.

“Also listed was Frank West, personal servant to Sir H.F. Donaldson, another key member of the mission as a technical advisor to the Ministry of Munitions. I was already on the trail of West, since I’d found a reference to him in a family tree published on Ancestry.co.uk, but it was good to confirm his presence from an official, primary source!

“We’re now fairly sure we have the complete list, bringing the total to 737.”

The proposed commemorative wall’s arc shape was chosen following a public consultation. Planning permission for the wall, a little over a metre high, is being sought from Orkney Islands Council.

The project team also plan to restore the existing Kitchener Memorial to its original condition, retaining its iconic profile.

The restored tower and the commemorative wall are to be officially unveiled at events marking the centenary of the sinking on Sunday 5 June 2016. Relatives of those lost, including Kitchener, are expected to attend.

Anyone who wishes to donate towards the £200,000 cost can do so online at justgiving.com/orkneyheritagesociety/. The project committee is also applying for grants towards the cost and has already secured a £50,000 grant from Orkney Island Council’s Community Development Fund.

Neil Kermode, leading the project for Orkney Heritage Society, says: “As the centenary of the loss approaches, we believe the hundreds of men who died deserve to be better, and appropriately, remembered. The project committee is working hard to get grants towards the cost but we will also rely on public donations. We would be grateful for any help, large and small.”

Follow the progress of the project on Facebook (@Kitchener.Memorial), Twitter (@kitchenerorkney) and via a blog at kitchenerhampshire.wordpress.com/.

Anyone without computer access who wishes to donate may send a cheque, payable to Orkney Heritage Society, to Orkney Heritage Society, PO Box 6220, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 9AD.