Name
Percy James Newman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/03/1918
25
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
M/11997
Royal Navy
H.M. S/M. "H5."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
29
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted Town Memorial, St Peter's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Born in Berkhamsted on 20th March? 1892, Hames Thomas and Susanna Alice Newman, who was living at 105 High Street, Berkhamsted at the time of Percy's death.
In 1901 the family were living at 175 High Street, Berkhamsted.
In 1911 Percy was listed at Incents House, 105 High Street, Berkhamsted, he was 19, a mechanical engineer work for a chemical manufacturer. The household consisted of parents: J T Newman and S A Newman, older sisters, Marjorie Alice H (23) and Dorothy Gladys M (20), younger sisters Muriel Elsie O (17), Kathleen Janet (15), Mary Irene Christine M (13) and Vera Octavia (11), One other sibling Theo Frank (older brother) was not listed. His father was a press and portrait photographer.
He was employed at Cooper's in the Engineering department,
He enlisted "for hostilities only" on 8th February 1915.
Wartime Service
On enlistment he was recorded as 5' 6", 37" chest, dark brown hair, Blue/grey eyes and fresh complexion.
His posting were Pembroke T (training) - 8 Feb 1915 to 5 July, Dolphin - 6 July to 9 Sept, Maidstone - 10 Sept to 16 Dec, Alecto (H5 Class submarine) - 17 Dec - 28 Feb 1917, Vulcan (H5 Class submarine) until his death.
The Vulcan sunk on 6th March 1918 in a collision with an identified vessel off the north Wales coast - all on board died. The wreck was given war grave status.
Historians believe that the submarine was deliberately rammed and sunk and unfortunately, in error, by the British cargo ship the SS Rutherglen. It is worth noting that crews of British ships were instructed to ram all submarines on sight. It is believed that the crew were paid a bounty for the sinking. Whether this was a mistake or to "hide" the mistake is not known.
Additional Information
Note that Percy kept a short war diary which gas been scanned along with other documents and is included in the digital publications section of this site's archive at www.hertsatwar.co.uk/archive/digital-publications-books-and-publications/personal-diaries/diary-p-j-newman-submariner.
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Bob Barton
