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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Able Seaman J/16315 Wilfred Jack Henry SPENCER - HMS Onslaught (HMS Diligence), Royal Navy


Accidentally Drowned on 29th October 1917 aged 21

 grave for Jack Spencer

Military History
     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
North Sea / Atlantic 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery, Orkney Islands
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
August 1914 ~ Hatton: Memorial Cross  |  Roll of Honour
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Enlisted Other Service Information
Accidentally Drowned 28 Mar 1912 at Portsmouth as a Boy II 28 Mar 1912 - enlisted as a Boy II
    23 Oct 1914 - signed on as adult
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units 1915 - Promoted to Able Seaman
at Sea off the Orkney Islands ~  
     

Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)           

Jack (Wilfred) is listed as dying on 29 Oct 1917. His navy service record reveals that he accidentally drowned per the below:

"Report of the C of E [Court of Enquiry / Court of Inquiry] in the death of the man who fell overboard on 29 October 1917 and was drowned. No blame is attributable to anyone."

HMS Diligence / HMS Onslaught

Although the CWGC list his ship as HMS Diligence this was his "depot" ship that dealt with adminstrative and pay work for the 18 Destroyers in the 12th Destroyer Flotilla, in fact he was aboard the destroyer HMS Onslaught (see below) when he died. HMS Diligence was based at Rosyth.

12th Destroyer Flotilla

12th_Destroyer_flotilla.jpeg

Service History

  • 05 Feb 1909 - Greenwich Hospital School
  • 28 Mar 1912 - Enlisted as a Boy II - Posted to HMS Ganges
  • 10 Dec 1913 - Promoted to Boy I - HMS Ganges
  • 11 Feb 1913 - HMS Hawke
  • 22 May 1913 - HMS Venerable
  • 13 May 1914 - Appointed Ordinary Seaman on HMS Venerable
  • 28 Jun 1914 - HMS Excellent
  • 17 Aug 1914 - HMS Afridi
  • 23 Oct 1914 - Signed on as adult - period of service to be 12 years
  • 20 Jan 1915 - Promoted to Able Seaman aboard HMS Afridi
  • 20 Oct 1915 - HMS Victory I
  • 09 Dec 1915 - HMS Excellent
  • 19 Jan 1916 - HMS Onslaught

Greenwich Hospital School (Royal Navy) Admission Record

Wilfred Spencer admitted 5 Feb 1909 and discharged to HMS Ganges 29 Mar 1913

Wilfred Spencer Greenwich Hospital school
 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Baptism Date/Place
23 Nov 1896 at Godshill, Isle of Wight 27 Dec 1896 at Ventnor St. Lawrence
   
Parents Names Abode
Wlfred John (RN) and Anna Spencer 181 Balaam Street, Plaistow, London
   
Schools Colleges
Greenwich Hospital School (Royal Navy) ~
   
Address History Employment History
1896 - Isle of Wight 1909 - Scholar
1901 - Not found 1912 - Boy in Navy 
1909 - Greenwick Hospital School, London  
1911 - Greenwick Hospital School, London  
1912 - Portsmouth Naval Base  
   
  • The Warwickshire Roll of Honour selected a different man as the identity of the Jack Spencer on the war memorial. They chose Pte 155729 Jack Spencer of 30th Battalion Machine Gun Corps who was born, raised and enlisted in Nuneaton and Stockingford. We could find no link, whatsoever, to the Hatton area and suspected that he was selected because he lived closest.

 

  • We chose Wilfred Jack Spencer because in 1909 his father was living at 5 Lammas Cottages, Linen Street, Warwick and in the 1911 Census his family, father Wilfred, mother Anna and two siblings were living at Brownslow Green, Hatton which gives us the link to Hatton, and the reason why Wilfred Jnr is included on the memorial.
     
  • Our thanks to Wendy Boland of SWFHS for finding his birth and early records and confirming that his parents lived in Hatton
  • Our thanks to KIZME RD; Simon Harley and Horatio 2 of the Great War Forum with their help in indentifying aspects of Wilfred's Naval Career.

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