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June 1, 1939 HMS Thetis, while on her sea trials, submerged but failed to return to the surface. The captain and a lieutenant managed to escape the sub, but 101 men were trapped inside. Within several hours two more men escaped. The wreck was quickly located and a valiant effort began to raise the boat before the crew died from lack of oxygen. Cables were passed around the stern and Thetis was pulled up, the stern breaking the surface. The plan was to cut a hole in the hull to rescue the remaining men. However, before this could be done Thetis tragically broke free of the line and sank again. This time for good. All 99 men died. This was the worst submarine disaster in British history. The Thetis was located and raised in April of 1940, refitted and renamed Thunderbolt. This unlucky boat was sunk for a third time on March 14, 1943 by the Italian corvette Cicogna. This time all 63 hands were lost. |
© 2005 Michael W. Pocock MaritimeQuest.com |
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HMS Thetis' stern having broken the surface during the rescue operation. |
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Roll of Honour |
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In memory of those who lost their lives in |
HMS Thetis N-25 June 1-3, 1939 |
"Remember Their Names Lest We Forget Their Sacrifice" |
Name
|
Rank / Rate
|
Service
|
Notes |
|
Allen, William E. |
Leading Telegraphist |
RN |
||
Ankers, Thomas |
Civilian |
Vickers-Armstrongs |
||
Armstrong, James I. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Aslett, William Henry |
Civilian |
Admiralty |
||
Bailey, Frank |
Civilian |
Admiralty (a) |
||
Bath, William G. |
Civilian |
(b) |
||
Batten, Francis B. |
Leading Signalman |
RN |
||
Beatty, William B. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Bolus, Guy Howard |
Lt. Commander |
RN |
||
Brambrick, Thomas |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Bresnen, Frank R. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Broad, Samuel |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Brooke, Robert S. |
Leading Stoker |
RN |
||
Brown, William |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Byrne, Alan W. |
Electrical Artificer 2nd Class |
RN |
||
Chapman, Harold |
Lieutenant |
RN |
||
Chinn, Arnold G. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Cornish, George P. |
Chief Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Costley, James |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Cragg, Horace T. |
Civilian |
Vickers-Armstrongs |
||
Craig, James |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Craven, Archibald |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Creasey, Jack C. |
Engine Room Artificer |
|||
Cromblehome, Stanley |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Crount, Robert W. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Cunningham, David |
Leading Stoker |
RN |
||
Dillon-Shalland, Harold J. |
Chief Stoker |
RN |
||
Dobells, Gilbert H. |
Civilian |
(b) |
||
Duncan, David N. |
Civilian |
Brown Bros. & Co. |
||
Dunn, Alfred H. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Eccleston, Harold |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Fenney, James S. |
Leading Stoker |
RN |
||
French, Howard W. E. |
Engine Room Artificer |
RN |
||
Garnett, Richard Newstead |
Lt. Commander |
RN |
(c) |
|
Gisborne, Edward |
Civilian |
Admiralty |
||
Glenn, Roy Demetrius |
Commissioned Engineer |
RN |
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Goad, Thomas T. |
Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Graham, Graham T. W. |
Telegraphist |
RN |
||
Green, Louis E. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Griffiths, John |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Hambrook, Walter L. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Hamilton, Clifford J. S. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Harwood, George A. |
Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Hayter, Reginald George Bazaine |
Commander |
RN |
(d) |
|
Henderson, Colin Maxwell Hume |
Lieutenant (E) |
RN |
HMS Dolphin |
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Hill, Albert Adair Fitzgerald |
Civilian |
(a) |
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Hills, Albert G. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Hole, Wilfred T. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Homer, Richard |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Hope, John A. |
Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Horne, Charles William |
Civilian |
Admiralry |
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Horsman, Harry Rushworth |
Civilian |
Admiralty |
||
Howell, Harold G. |
Engine Room Artificer |
RN |
||
Hughes, Joseph C. |
Petty Officer Cook |
RN |
||
Hunn, Leslie William |
Civilian |
Admiralty |
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Jackson, Peter F. O. |
Chief Engine Room Artificer |
RN |
||
Jackson, OBE, Stanley |
Engineer Captain |
RN |
HMS Dolphin |
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Jamison, Anthony Geoffrey |
Lieutenant (E) |
RN |
||
Kendrick, Edward A. |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Kenney, Thomas W. |
Leading Stoker |
RN |
||
Kipling, Robert |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Lewis, Edward H. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Lloyd, Thomas Clive Conway |
Lt. Commander |
RN |
(e) |
|
Longstaff, Norman |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Luck, Walter A. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Matthews, William A. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Mitchell, Ernest |
Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Morgans, James A. |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Mortimer, Thomas W. |
Telegraphist |
RN |
||
Ormes, William C. |
Chief Engine Room Artificer |
RN |
||
Orrock, William |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Owen, Walter P. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Page, James A. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Pennington, Lionel Grant |
Commander (E) |
RN |
(f) |
|
Poland, William Anthony Weston |
Lieutenant |
RN |
||
Perdue, Henry Otho |
Petty Officer |
RN |
HMS Tedworth (g) |
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Quinn, Philip L. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Read, John A. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Robinson, Arthur B. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Rogers, Frank |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Rogerson, Richard |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Ryan, Patrick Edward James |
Lieutenant |
RN |
HMS Trident |
|
Scarth, George L. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Smith, Alfred H. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Smith, Cornelius |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Smith, William H. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Smithers, Cecil E. |
Petty Offiicer |
RN |
||
Stevens, Stanley W. G. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Stock, Francis H. |
Leading Steward |
RN |
||
Summers, George A. |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Turner, John H. |
Leading Seaman |
RN |
||
Tyler, Donald Vivian |
Civilian |
Vickers-Armstrongs |
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Watkinson, Arthur Stanley |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Watterson, William |
Civilian |
Cammel Laird |
||
Wells, James W. |
Stoker Petty Officer |
RN |
||
Wilcox, Norman D. |
Civilian |
Mersey Piolt |
||
Wilson, Thomas |
Able Seaman |
RN |
||
Yates, Albert E. |
Stoker 1st Class |
RN |
||
Youles, Edward J. |
Leading Stoker |
RN |
||
Young, James |
Civilian |
Vickers-Armstrongs |
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| Notes | ||||
(a): |
Royal Corps of Naval Constructors. | |||
(b): |
Liverpool City Caterer's Staff. | |||
(c): |
Commanding Officer of HMS Taku. |
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(d): |
Naval Engineering Department. |
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(e): |
Commanding Officer of HMS Trident. |
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(f): |
Engineer in Chief's Department. |
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(g): |
Died of the bends during the salvage operation of HMS Thetis Aug. 23, 1939. |
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