Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Chatham Naval Memorial | 23 Kent | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.130 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 46C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Early Life :
Widow: Mary, M 46 Second Avenue, Fazackerley LiverpoolService Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HMS Ettrick |
On July 7th, 1917, the British destroyer HMS ETTRICK, built in 1903 by Palmer's Shipbuilding & Iron Co., was torpedoed by German submarine UC-61. The attack happened 15 miles southwest of Beachy Head. The torpedo caused severe damage and ETTRICK had her bow blown off, causing 48 casualties. The HMS ETTRICK main part stayed afloat, but she was not repaired. She was sold for breaking in 1919. |
| Action : Naval Campaign |
Naval Campaign is defined as to include all sea operations where attrition rates are in ones and twos and which do not fall within specific naval battles such as Jutland, Coronel, Falklands etc. This includes Merchant Navy losses.
Detail :
303108. (Ch) Petty Officer William Metcalf, Royal Navy.
On 7th July, 1917 she was torpedoed by the German submarine UC-61 commanded by Kapitaenleutnant Georg Gerth, 15 miles south by west of Beachy Head in the English Channel with the loss of 49 officers and men. She lost her bows and was towed back to port. She was not repaired and was instead hulked until the end of the First World War when she was sold on 27th May, 1919 to the James Dredging Company for breaking. The crew of UC-61 were captured by the French in August of the same year.
See also: Wrecksite EU.
William has no known grave and is therefore commemorated on the Royal Naval memorial at Chatham.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | King's Navy No. 2901 E.C. | East Kent |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
17th July 1916 | 30th October 1916 | 5th December 1916 |
Roll lists METCALFE Stoker Petty Officer Torpedoed by UC-61 15 miles SW of Beachy Head, blowing off her bow. 49 casualties. He was a Stoker, Petty Officer aboard H.M.S Ettrick at the time of initiation in 1916 and based out of Gillingham. The contribution record shows a final comment of "Died Aug. 1917."
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