Name
Arthur Noel Loxley
31 Oct 1874
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/01/1915
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Captain
Royal Navy
H.M.S. "Formidable"
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Panel 8.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Northchurch Village Memorial. St Mary’s Church Window, Northchurch, Individual plaque, St Mary’s Church, Northchurch, Chatham Naval Memorial, Chatham, Kent
Pre War
Arthur Noel was the eldest son of Alice Mary (nee Duncombe) and the late Rev. Arthur S Loxley (the former curate of St Mary’s Northchurch) of Gloucester.
Arthur joined the Royal Navy as a naval cadet at Britannia in Jul 1888. He became a midshipman in Jul 1890, sub-lieutenant in Apr 1894, lieutenant in Apr 1895, commander in Jan 1905 and captain in Jun 1911. His last ship was Inflexible in the Mediterranean (Nov 1912 to Aug 1914). He returned to UK in Aug 1914.
Wartime Service
Following the outbreak of war Arthur was appointed as Captain to HMS ‘Formidable’ (Battleship) in September 1914.
The squadron conducted operations in the English Channel, and was based at Sheerness to guard against a possible German invasion. Despite reports of submarine activity, early in the morning of 1 January 1915, whilst on exercise in the English Channel, Formidable sank after being hit by two torpedoes. Arthur, as Captain stayed with the ship and was killed following an explosion on board HMS ‘Formidable’ on 1 January 1915. His last words were: “Steady men, it’s all right. No panic, men, be British”. He is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Additional Information
Arthur had been given a dog , Bruce, as a companion. Bruce was also lost in the sinking. Arthur’s brothers, Reginald( RAF) and Vere( Royal Marines Light Infantry, were also killed in the Great War. Gerald served as Lieutenant RNVR.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk/first-world-war-database Royal Navy photographer, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2498143
