Can anybody tell me about this ship and what happened please ? In Memory of Able Seaman ROBERT WILFRED SOPER J/23332, H.M.S. "Black Prince.", Royal Navy who died age 19 on 31 May 1916 Son of William and Alice Soper, of Wood Court, Ashell, Ilminster, Somerset. Remembered with honour PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL casualty list in The Times 9 June 1916
This is as good as anything I can think of Annie... The Black Prince missed the main battle of Jutland, having become detached to the west. Her captain, T.P. Bonham, turned south, presumably expecting the battle to have moved in that direction. Just after midnight on 1 June, she sailed right into the middle of the German fleet, finding herself close to the centre of the High Seas Fleet. She was picked out by searchlights and fired on at short range by the German battleships. After only two minutes she was on fire from end to end, and all resistance had stopped. After burning for a few minutes, at 12.10 she exploded with all hands. 37 officers, 815 men and 5 civilians were lost in this terrible explosion...
Thanks Calley - that was awful wasn't it ?? ... I found a few other things that may be of interest ... In Memory of Captain THOMAS PARRY BONHAM H.M.S. "Black Prince.", Royal Navy who died age 43 on 31 May 1916 Son of Admiral C. W. Bonham, R.N., and Mrs. Bonham. Remembered with honour PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Sadly it seems that there are a few in this family that have no known grave In Memory of Private ROY BONHAM 1306, 7th Bn., Australian Infantry, A.I.F. who died between 25 April 1915 and 02 May 1915 Remembered with honour LONE PINE MEMORIAL Roy BONHAM Regimental number - 1306 Place of birth - Sydney, New South Wales School - Monbulk State School, Victoria Religion - Church of England Occupation - Carpenter Address - c/o Miss V Lennie, 712 Malvern Road, Armadale, Victoria Marital status - Single Age at embarkation - 28 Next of kin - Father, R C Bonham, c/o Mr E Crespin, Leongatha, Victoria Previous military service - Nil Enlistment date - 10 November 1914 Rank on enlistment - Private Unit name - 7th Battalion, 2nd Reinforcement AWM Embarkation Roll number - 23/24/2 Embarkation details - Unit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board HMAT A46 Clan Macgillivray on 2 February 1915 Rank from Nominal Roll - Private Unit from Nominal Roll - 7th Battalion Other details from Roll of Honour Circular - Name given on Roll of Honour circular as Harold Roy Clyde BONHAM. Grandson of Admiral C.W. BONHAM, Royal Navy; nephew of Commander T.P. BONHAM, RN, who went down with his ship, HMS 'Black Prince', at the Battle of Jutland, 1916. Fate - Killed in Action 25 April 1915 Place of death or wounding - Gallipoli, Turkey Date of death - 25-29 April 1915 ; secondary dod: 25/04/1915 Age at death - 27 Place of burial - No known grave Commemoration details - The Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 28), Gallipoli, Turkey Other details - War service: Egypt, Gallipoli Medals - 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal PRIVATE ROY H. C. BONHAM. 7th Batt, (killed in action), was born in Sydney, N.S.W., and was 28 years of age. He was the eldest son of Mr. K. C. Bonham, and grandson of the late Admiral C. W. Bonham. Ryde, Isle of Wight, England. Two of his uncles were Major C. B. Bonham. R.N., and Captain T. P. Bonham, R.N., members of an old Wiltshire family of that name, and a long line of fighting ancestors. His only brother is at present in camp at Seymour. The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. - 1848-1954) Tuesday 29 June 1915
