| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Clarence the son of John Francis Plaxton, a farmer/market gardener and his wife Alice, nee Wastling, of Thearne was born the 29 Dec 1892 and baptised at St Johns, Beverley the 4 Feb 1893. He had four sisters Frances Laurel, Eva, Margaret Alice and Annie. In 1898 Clarence started attending Woodmansey School leaving at the age of 14 to obtain work. In 1911 Clarence was living as a lodger with Alice Elizabeth Hardy, a widow, and her 18 years old son, in Woodmansey, next to the school. The census lists him as being a market gardener.
Clarence joined the Royal Navy as a 2nd class Stoker on 19 Aug 1913, and was promoted to 1st Class Stoker a year later, he was assigned to the ships Victory II, Edgar, Victory II and Invincible. At 6.33pm on 31 May 1916 the HMS Invincible, the world's first battle cruiser, was sunk in the battle of Jutland, only 6 crew members survived. Clarence's body was never recovered.
"At the short range of 9,000 yards she was targeted by her enemies and just like the two other battle cruisers HMS Indefatigable and HMS Queen Mary destroyed earlier in the battle, she blew up in a massive conflagration. The explosion engulfed the entire ship and sunk it in less than a minute, giving little chance for any of her crew to escape. Within moments of the explosion, two halves of this proud ship jutted upwards from the seabed of the North Sea in an ugly reminder of what happens when battleships blow up. The two halves of the ship stayed afloat for nearly 24 hours before falling to the seabed, entombing the 1,025 casualties…".
According to the newspaper report of his death, in 1916 he was residing with Mr S C Peck, of Beckside, Beverley, who was informed of his death by the Admiralty. The list of Naval Casualties states that his father John F Plaxton, c/o F. G. Hobson of Beverley, was informed.
His death was commemorated in the Hull Daily Mail by his 4 sisters on the 2nd anniversary of his death. "We miss him most who loved him best."
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |