Name
Christopher Reginald Maris
27 August 1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/02/1918
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Leading Telegraphist
J/12544
Royal Navy
H.M.S. "Cullist"
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Ref. 29
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Welwyn Village memorials, Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Pre War
Christopher Reginald Maris was born on 27 August 1894, the son of Frank Maris and Edith (nee Hood) of Welwyn, Herts. In 1901 he was living with his grandmother in Southampton, his mother having died in 1897.
On the 1911 Census, he was living with his father and stepmother at 23 Micklethwaite Road, Fulham and working as a Clerk in a Motor Tyre Works. He later lived at 12 Parrymead Street, Fulham, London.
He entered the Royal Navy in May 1911 training until Sep 1911 as Boy II on HMS Ganges, a boy entrant Training Establishment. He was posted to HMS Impregnable as Boy Telegraphist and signed for 12 years service in August 1912 while serving on Zealandia Battleship. Between Oct 1912 and Feb 14 he was at various Shore Establishments in Portsmouth area specialising in Telegraphy. In late Feb 1914 he was promoted to Leading Telegraphist and posted to HMS Birmingham Light Cruiser until Jan 1915.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of WW1 he was serving on HMS Birmingham until Jan 1915 when he transferred to HMS Queen Mary battleship until Oct 1915.
Another period of shore establishments followed until May 1917 when he joined HMS Cullist (originally Westphalia). Cullist which was a merchant vessel which had been equipped as a submarine decoy vessel or "Q-ship" as they were more commonly known.
It saw action from May 1917 but was sunk on 11 February 1918 when, following a surprise attack, the ship was torpedoed and sank within minutes in the Irish Sea of the coast of Northern Ireland. The attacking U-boat, U-97, came to the surface and the crew tried to locate Lt. Cdr. Simpson the vessel's commander. Although he was wounded and in the water, the submarine's crew could not locate him and thought he had been killed in action. The U-boat commander then took a number of prisoners of war on board to prove his victory and left the combat zone. 43 out of the 70 crew were killed.
Having been lost at sea, Christopher's name is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.
Additional Information
Probate was granted to Kate Taverner Maris, Spinster, with effects of £14 14s 7d.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer
