Name
John Fairclough
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/09/1914
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
203995(C)
Royal Navy
H.M.S "Cressy "
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 101-104
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
He was born on the 19th January 1884 in Holmfield, Aigburth in Liverpool and was educated at Beachwood, Herts. He was the third son of Thomas and Sarah Fairclough nee Rawlinson. His father came from Morsey Hill, Liverpool. His mother, two sisters and three brothers lived at 16 (poss 20), Bearton Road, Hitchin.
He had been employed at the Phoenix Motor Engineering Works in Letchworth having previously worked as a chauffeur in London.
He joined the Royal Navy in 1899 at the age of 18 serving until 1914 transferring into the Naval Reserve on the 19th January 1914. He was unmarried.
Wartime Service
He was recalled to full-time service on the outbreak of war in August 1914 and placed in Mess 10 on board H.M.S. ‘Cressy’. His Service Number was 203995(C) and he was a Gunner.
Three old cruisers, ‘Aboukir’, ‘Hogue’ and ‘Cressy’ were about twenty miles north-west of the Hook of Holland They were without destroyer escorts and were protecting Belgium and the cross-Channel route from attack. Lieutenant Otto Weddigen in the German Submarine U-9 sank them in turn by torpedo. After the other two had been attacked, the ‘Cressy’ made a zigzag course in the hope of avoiding being sunk while helping sailors in the water and trying to locate the enemy submarine. At 7.30am the ‘Cressy’ was struck and in five minutes turned over and sank. The ‘Cressy’ lost was 25 officers and 536 men, partly because her boats were away helping survivors from the other two ships. The U-Boat Captain said "All the while the men stayed by their guns looking for their invisible foe. They were brave and true to their country's sea tradition". In three quarters of an hour three large cruisers and 1,400 officers and men had been lost.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
