Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

During the war there were a number of Naval Accidents which we have isolated because of their shocking caualties and the corresponding impact on members of the craft. There were a number of vessels destroyed in port by explosions which we would today categorise as 'Health & Safety' failures.

Detail :

The Scotsman provides an account of the incident in its 29th April, 1919 edition: "LOSS OF BRITISH TUG - CARGO OF EXPLOSIVES. BRUSSELS, April 27. -

According to the Independance Relge, the British tug Hugli; which sank off Nieuport at about eight o'clock on Saturday evening, made signals of distress which were observed from the shore. Lifeboats put out, but arrived too late. Seven bodies have been thrown up on the coast. Ten of the sailors were rescued by the breeches buoy and taken away in British motor cards. The captain, a young sailor of 26 remained at his post to the last.

The British Commodore at Ostend drove in his motor car from Ostend to Nieuport to take charge of the rescue measures, the care of the rescued, and the removal of the bodies thrown upon the shore.

The Hughli, beside the usual cargo of food supplies, was carrying a load of explosives for the clearing of Ostend Channel. Whether the Hughli struck a sandbank or whether an explosion took place on board is uncertain. Eye-witnesses of the wreck, however, saw a column of smoke and water rising over the spot where the vessel sank.- Reuter.

VESSEL ENGULFED IN HEAVY SEA. Inquiries yesterday showed that the disaste to the store steamer Hughli, with the loss of 29 lives, on her voyage from Dover to Ostend, was due to the ship being engulfed in heavy sea. It was bad weather when she left Dover on Saturday afternoon, and rapidly became worse. the actual scene of the disaster was between Mindolenerde and Westende, not far from Ostend, and the vessel in such shallow water that her mast and funnel are still showing. Heavy cross seas are experienced at this point in such weather as prevailed lately, and the tons of water shipped from such seas would easily account for the disaster. Some survivors were washed ashore, and are in hospital at Ostend. Corpses of others have also come ashore in lifebelts. All shipping at Ostend has flags at half mast, the Hughli being on of their supply ships."

His name appears also appears in the Dover Express on the 9th May, 1919 when the Secretary of the Admiralty announced the names of those lost in the "HUGHLI" which was sunk of Middlekerke whilst on its way from Dover to Ostend. He is noted amongst the casualties as "McGladdery, Sub-Lieut. W. R.N.V.R."

Masonic :

William is a Lieutenant of the Royal Naval Reserve who, when initiated in 1918, was 23 years of age. He appears to have advanced no further than that of Entered Apprentice. The contribution record shows that he was "Lost at Sea April 1919."

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley