| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Thomas Herbert was born in Hornsea the 25 Jul 1874 the son of James and Ann Myers. He spent all his adult life in the Royal Navy, joining at the age of 15, and on his 18th birthday signing-on for 12 years, on completion of which he signed on again for a further period from 1904. As a Boy Entrant, his early years in the Navy were spent on various training ships in Devonport, including "Lion" and "Vivid I", followed by service on a variety of ships which took him all over the world. He attained the rank of Leading Seaman in 1907, and in 1909, at the age of 35, Thomas married Elizabeth Wetherston in Hornsea Parish Church. Elizabeth remained in Hornsea, living in Marlborough Avenue.
On 2 Sep 1913 he joined the crew of HMS Defence, flagship of the 1st Cruiser Squadron which took part in the hunt for Goeben and Breslau in Aug 1914. It was stationed off Dardanelles in Sep; was sent to South Atlantic to reinforce Rear-Admiral Cradock's squadron, then diverted to Cape of Good Hope in Nov 1914. "Defence" became flagship of 1st Cruiser Squadron, Grand Fleet, in Jan 1915. On the 31 May 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, HMS Defence was sunk and with the loss of all hands.
The following is taken from an eye-witness account of the fate of "Defence" by an officer on HMS Obedient
"...out of the mist there appeared the ill-fated 1st Cruiser Squadron led by the Defence. ... She was being heavily engaged, and salvoes were dropping all around her. ...The ship was lost to sight in an enormous black cloud which rose to a height of some hundred feet, and from which some dark object, possibly a boat or a funnel was hurled into space, twirling like some gigantic Catherine-wheel. The smoke quickly clearing, we could see no sign of a ship at all - Defence had gone."
Thomas is remembered on the Hornsea War Memorial.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |