With HMS Neptune At Jutland.

British War Medal 1914 - 1920.
Victory Medal.
283818 P. C. Watts, Chief Stoker, Royal Navy.

Percy Charles Watts was born on 29th September 1877 at Overton, Hampshire, and appears on the 1881 Census as the youngest of six children born to Nathaniel Watts, a shepherd, and his wife Matilda. The family were resident at 13 Station Road, Overton, at this time. Percy seems to have followed his father's occupation of shepherd at first but on 29th October 1896 he joined the Royal Navy, signing up for an initial period of twelve years.
His Service Record describes him as almost 5' 8" tall with brown hair, hazel eyes and a fair complexion. Initialy rated as a Stoker 2nd Class, Percy was advanced to Stoker in November 1897 and subsequently served on HMS Resolution, a Royal Sovereign class Battleship launched in 1892. The 1901 Census records him as a 23 year old on this ship. He stayed with Resolution until July 1901, during which time the ship participated in the annual fleet manouevres in the Atlantic. A selection of pictures of HMS Resolution as well as an interesting description of the work done by the stokers is available here.

"The stoker on board a ship of war had a very busy time in the 1890s, he worked in a hot stokehold shovelling coal into a fiery furnace or trimming coal from some pocket or coal box situated under the armoured deck. He would also do a turn as an oiler in the hot atmosphere of the engine room or become half smothered in dirt while sweeping the sooty boiler tubes, cleaning out the accumulation at the backs of the furnaces which glowed with heat; scaling boilers; cleansing the bilges, or wiping up slush by the bucketful. After being mustered and reported clean, he could then turn in, sleep or go on deck for a breath of fresh air."

In September 1901, Percy transferred to HMS Fox and it was with this vessel that he earned entitlement to the Africa General Service Medal with clasp "Somaliland 1902 - 04". In 1906, Percy was rated as Leading Stoker while serving with HMS Vulcan, a torpedo boat depot ship, and in 1908 he was married in Portsmouth.

There now followed a lengthy period of service, from January 1911 through to 1919, aboard HMS Neptune. These years saw Percy advanced to Stoker P.O., Acting Chief Stoker and finally Chief Stoker. He was also present at the Battle of Jutland in 1916, when HMS Neptune fired 48 12" shells, scoring several hits on the German battlecruiser Lützow. More information about HMS Neptune's role in the battle can be found here and here.
The death of Percy Charles Watts was registered in Portsmouth in the last quarter of 1961, by which time he would have been well over 80 years old.

From Mons To Gallipoli With The Lincolns.

1914 Trio.
6516 Pte. R. Crabb, 1st Lincolnshire Regiment.

Gallantry At High Wood, September 1916.

GV Military Medal.
3950 Pte. F. A. G. Stodart, 15th London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles).

Frederick Adolphus Gerald Stodart, the son of James William and Isabel Stodart, was born in 1888. The family are listed on the 1911 Census as living in an 8 room house at 77 Lucien Road, Tooting. By this time, James (62) and Isabel (51) had been married for 28 years and had had nine children, seven of whom were still alive. The oldest was William James Walter, aged 27, a clerk with an engineering firm. He would enlist in the Royal Engineers in 1916 but see only home service during the war. Next was Constance (25), Isabel (24), a basinette saleswoman, Frederick himself (22), a clerk with the railways, Percival Ernest (20), an advertising agent's clerk who would enlist in 1915 and serve with the Middlesex and Essex Regiments and the 2nd Life Guards, Norman (18), a clerk with an engineering firm and Archibald (16), a patent agent's clerk.

Following the outbreak of the Great War, Frederick Stodart, now residing with the family at 2 Charlemont Road, Tooting, enlisted in the 3/15th London Regiment (Civil Service Rifles) at Somerset House on 7th June 1915. His Attestation Papers describe him as just over 5' 5" tall and of good physical development. His religion is noted as Presbyterian. Following a period of basic training, he was sent to the Western Front to join the 1/15th Londons late in January 1916.

The 1/15th Londons, as part of the 47th (London) Division, were involved in the later stages of the Somme campaign and took part in the attack on High Wood on 15th September. A description of the battlefield can be read here. Zero hour for the attack was fixed at 5.50am but "B", "C" and "D" Companies of the Civil Service Rifles had been instructed to crawl out of their trenches and form up in No Man's Land before the actual time in order to be aligned with "A" Company, who were on the extreme right. The former Companies drew a murderous fire from rifles, machine guns and German artillery but "A" Company were able to get across to the German front line with comparatively little loss and were soon engaged in hand-to-hand fighting for the German first and second trenches. Bombing along the trench, trying to establish contact with "B" Company, they soon realised they were alone and, to make matters worse, the tanks that should have led the attack had failed to show up. The attack was in danger of stalling but the situation was saved by the Brigade Stokes mortar battery, which fired nearly 800 rounds in 20 minutes, pounding the German line in front of "C" and "D" Companies and enabling them to get forward and take their objectives. By evening, the whole of High Wood was in British hands and the 15th Londons were digging in in their new trench.

The following day was spent consolidating the new position, all the time under heavy shelling. In the evening, the men moved forward again to a half scraped trench only two feet deep. They set to digging decent cover and no sooner had they finished than they had to stand to in expectation of a German counter attack. And so it went on: a succession of alarms, intense bombardments and standing to. "It was indeed a trying time for all", according to the regimental history. Frederick Stodart had distinguished himself in the fighting and his bravery was recognised by the award of the Military Medal. On the 17th September, he suffered a shrapnel wound to his right hand and thumb. This heralded the end of his active service and on 21st September 1916, Frederick was invalided back to England. He was discharged from the army in March 1917 and awarded a Silver War Badge (no: 152101) and a pension of 20 shillings a week, subject to review after six months. He died in 1955 in Southend on Sea, leaving a wife, Gladys Eva Millicent, whom he had married in 1934 and who lived on until May 1981.

Pte. James Girdlestone, Coldstream Guards.

Queen's South Africa Medal with clasps "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State" & "Transvaal".
King's South Africa Medal with clasps "South Africa 1901" & "South Africa 1902".
Edward VII Army Long Service & Good Conduct Medal.
6552 Pte. J. Girdlestone, Coldstream Guards.

James Girdlestone was born in Fakenham, Norfolk, around the year 1863. He is listed on the 1871 Census as the third of five children born to James Girdlestone, a drover, and his wife Martha. By the time of the 1881 Census, James' father had died and his mother was taking in lodgers and working as a charwoman to support the family, who were living at 12 Hays Lane, Fakenham. James' occupation is recorded as "carpenter" and at some point he enlisted in the 3rd Volunteer Battalion of the Norfolk Regiment.

On 16th April 1885, James attested for regular army service in the Coldstream Guards, agreeing to serve three years with the Colours and nine years in the First Class Army Reserve. His papers describe him as being almost 5' 11" tall, 145lbs in weight and with grey eyes and brown hair. His occupation is now given as "painter". Six days later, James joined the Guards in London. He would have undergone a period of basic training followed by the routine of home service. In April 1890, he married Bessie Sawtell at All Hallows Parish Church in Barking and the following year's Census records him together with his wife and 6 month old daughter, Margaret Eliza, at his in-laws' house at 23 Trevor Road, Wimbledon. The couple had five more children over the next few years: Winnifred Laura (b. 1891), Charles James (b.1894), who would serve in World War One, following in his father's footsteps by enlisting in the Coldstream Guards and serving as a private in France in 1914, before being commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the Northumberland Fusiliers and serving with the Salonika Force, Dorothy Bessie (b.1896), Florence Victoria (b. 1897) and Sidney Kimberley (b.1900). The last two children were born in the Tower of London.

In June 1896, James reengaged to complete 21 years service with the Colours. In March 1899, he had his first taste of overseas service when the 1st Coldstream Guards were sent to Gibraltar. Following the outbreak of war with the Boers in October 1899, the Battalion set sail for Cape Town. James, however, would remain in Gibraltar until August 1900, at which time he would rejoin the 1st Battalion in South Africa, serving there for over two years and earning entitlement to both the Queen's and King's South Africa Medals. More information about the Coldstream Guards in the Boer War can be read here.
James Girdlestone returned to England in October 1902. The award of his Good Conduct Medal appeared in Army Orders of October 1903. In December 1905, his continuation in the service beyond 21 years was approved. James finally left the army on 15th April 1907, having claimed his discharge after three months' notice. He had served a total of 22 years. His Discharge Papers describe his conduct and character as "exemplary" and additionally state that he was in possession of four Good Conduct Badges and had been employed as a servant for 20 years.
Interestingly, the 1911 Census lists James, now aged 49, as a butler in Mainsforth Hall, Ferryhill, County Durham. This was the ancestral home of Colonel Herbert Conyers Surtees, a much-decorated soldier who had served in Egypt and Sudan, commanded the 1st Coldstream Guards from March to December 1900, and would go on to command the 52nd Infantry Brigade in World War One. Had James Girdlestone been Colonel Surtees' servant during the South African campaign and subsequently employed by the old soldier in civilian life? It would be nice to think so.