Jutland Bank, 31st May 1916. Extract from the Official History; " Naval Operations" by Sir Julian S. Corbett. 1923 For Admiral Hipper was in action again. At 4.10, being then eleven miles away abaft the beam of the Lion, he inclined inwards a couple of points, and as Admiral Beatty simultaneously altered still more to port to press his van, he was able at 4.17 to re-open fire at extreme range. The Lion had not yet been able entirely to master the fire that was smothering her. To the Germans she must have been invisible, for the Derfflinger, mistaking the Princess Royal for the flagship, began firing on the next astern, which the Seydlitz was also engaging. Thus the Queen Mary, at from 15,800 to 14,500 yards, became the target of both these ships. For about five minutes she stood it gallantly. She was fighting splendidly. The Germans say full salvoes were coming from her with fabulous rapidity. Twice already she had been straddled by the Derfflinger, when at 4.26 a plunging salvo crashed upon her deck forward. In a moment there was a dazzling flash of red flame where the salvo fell, and then a much heavier explosion rent her amidships. Her bows plunged down, and as the Tiger and New Zealand raced by her to port and starboard, her propellers were still slowly revolving high in the air. In another moment, as her two consorts were smothered in a shower of black debris, there was nothing of her left but a dark pillar of smoke rising stemlike till it spread hundreds of feet high in the likeness of a vast palm tree. Two such successes were beyond anything the Germans had reason to expect. Admiral Scheer's plan had broken down, and yet they were gaining even more than he could have hoped for...... Foot Note: "The casualties were 57 officers and 1,209 men killed; 2 officers and 5 men wounded. One officer and one man were subsequently rescued by German destroyers." http://www.northeastmedals.co.uk/britishguide/jutland/hms_queen_mary_casualty_list_1916.htm I found this young sailor while I was looking for something else ..... what an awful lot of casualties !! In Memory of Able Seaman WALTER EDWARD SCOTT J/12301, H.M.S. "Queen Mary.", Royal Navy who died age 21 on 31 May 1916 Son of Alfred Ernest and Ellen Scott, of The Cottage Sewerage Works, Twickenham, Middx. Remembered with honour PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
What a terrible loss of life. Statistically, it was safer to be in the Navy than the Army but that fact was no consolation to those poor souls!
One of the many officers of H.M.S. Queen Mary who perished in the Battle of Jutland, 31st May, 1916, was sub-lieut. Algernon W. Percy, R.N.R., the only son of Lord and Lady Algernon Percy, of Guy's Cliffe, Warwick. In 1902 he received a commission in the 3rd Battalion Northimberland Fusiliers (of which Regiment Lord Algernon Percy was then Colonel Commanding) and served in it until 1910. On the outbreak of war he was gazetted Sub-Lieut. in the Royal Naval Reserve, and was employed on H.M. yacht Catania, on patrol duty, till January 1915, when he was appointed to H.M.S. Queen Mary. Andy
Thanks for that Andy ! ... Sounds like he was a bit older than that picture shows !! I found this - says he was 31 .... I've never seen a grave reference like that before ... thats interesting ! Name: PERCY, ALGERNON WILLIAM Initials: A W Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sub-Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve Unit Text: H.M.S. "Queen Mary." Age: 31 Date of Death: 31/05/1916 Additional information: Son of Lord and Lady Algernon Percy, of Guy's Cliffe, Warwick. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: In small War Plot. Cemetery: FREDRIKSTAD MILITARY CEMETERY
