Name
George Cockman
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/09/1914
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Stoker 1st Class
K/9045
Royal Navy
H.M.S. "Aboukir."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
4.
United Kingdom
UK & Other Memorials
Hertford Town Memorial
Christchurch Plaque, now in Holy Trinity Church, Bengeo
Pre War
Born on 5 Oct 1891 in Ware, Hertfordshire son of Samuel and Emily Cockman and living in 3 Bluecoat Yard, Ware in 1901 and his father was a malt maker. Later he was living in 8 George Street, Port Vale, Hertford.
Wartime Service
Died when his ship, along with two others, Hogue and Cressy, were sunk by a single submarine, U-9 in the North Sea. 1,450 sailors were lost that day. George was serving on HMS Aboukir, a cruiser built in 1900 and assigned to the Mediterranean fleet, on returning to the UK in 1912 she was placed in reserve. On the outbreak of war she was assigned to the 7th Cruiser squadron patrolling the North Sea supporting a group of destroyers and submarines. On 22nd September 1914 she was on patrol with no escorting destroyers and accompanied by the cruisers Hogue and Cressy, she was trying to seek shelter from bad weather. The three ships were about 2000 yards apart when they were seen by the German submarine U-9, she fired one torpedo which struck the Aboukir at about 06.20, the captain thought they had struck a mine and signalled the other ships to close up to transfer his wounded men. Aboukir began to list and capsized at 06.55. Only one life boat was available as the others had either been smashed or could not be used as there was no steam to power the winches. Within an hour the two remaining cruisers had also been sunk by the U-9. 837 men were saved by Dutch vessels and British fishing trawlers, but a total of 62 officers and 1397 men were lost, of these 527 men were from the Aboukir, one of whom was George.
Additional Information
According to UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marines War Graves Roll the person notified of George’s death was an aunt, Mrs E. Cockman of 41 Ryde Street, Bengeo, Hertford.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Terry & Glenis Collins
