No.J/28855, Boy 1st Class, William Henry KENT
Aged 16
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William Kent was born on 9th June 1898 in Islington.(Islington Q2-1898 1B:234). His parents are as yet unknown. 1901 census...Aged 2, he was at London Road, Brandon with his widowed grand mother Emily KENT [50], his uncle Frank KENT [17] bricklayer's labourer; aunt Beatrice KENT [13] and cousin Ernest [6]. All except William were born in Brandon 1911 census...Aged 12, he was at London Road, Brandon, (recorded as Brandon born) boarding with William and Emma HUNTER. William HUNTER was given as his guardian by the Royal Navy. |
click here to go to the Brandon at War website for more information
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He enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1913, giving his date of birth as 9th June 1898,in Islington, a carter, 5 feet 1.5 inches (156.2 cm)tall, chest 32.5 (82.6 cm)", yellow hair,
grey eyes. He signed for 12 years and started his training at H.M.S.Ganges, the shore base near Shotley, on 19th December 1913, promoted to Boy 1st Class on
August 1st 1914. His training continued at HMS Pembroke, the shore barracks at Chatham on 30th Odctober 1914 and then he went to sea on HMS Formidable on
1st December 1914.
H.M.S. Formidable was the lead ship of four Formidable class pre-Dreadnought battleships, commissioned in 1901. She carried a main armament of four 12 inch guns mounted in twin turrets and twelve 6 inch guns. She was on gunnery exercises off Portland, 30 miles south of Lyme Regis and after, despite warning of submarine activity the fleet remained on patrol, even steaming in line. At 02:20 on 1st January U-Boat 24 fired a torpedo which struck her number one boiler on the port side. She began to list and Captain Loxley gave the order to abandon ship. Several boats were launched and capsized in the heavy seas. At 03:05 a second torpedo hit on the starboard side. Two escorting light cruisers Topaze and Diamond came alongside and rescued about 80 men and around 04:50 she rolled over and sank. Of the crew of 780, only 233 survived. The Captain's dog Bruce was washed ashore and has a named grave in the pet's cemetery in Abbotsbury Gardens.
HMS Formidable sunk photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
