Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Portsmouth Naval Memorial | 9 Hampshire | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 38D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HMS Natal |
Class and type: Duke of Edinburgh class armoured cruiser Tons burthen: 13,550 tons Length: 505 ft (154 m) Beam: 73.5 ft (22.4 m) Armament: 6 x BL 9.2-inch (233.7 mm) Mk X guns 4 x BL 7.5-inch (190.5 mm) Mk II guns 2 x 12pdr guns 28 x 3pdr guns |
| Action : Naval Accident |
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 :
PARKER, Arthur George, Bandmaster, HMS Natal On the 30th December 1915 Natal was lying in the Cromarty Firth with her squadron, under the command of Captain Eric Back RN. Shortly after 3.20pm, and without warning, a series of violent explosions tore through the ship. She capsized five minutes later. The most probable explanation was that a fire had broken out, possibly due to faulty cordite, that ignited a magazine. The exact number of casualties is still debated, and ranges from 390, up to 421. Some were killed in the immediate explosions, others drowned as the ship capsized, or succumbed to the freezing water of the Cromarty Firth. Most of the bodies which were recovered from the sea were interred in Rosskeen Churchyard, Invergordon. A small number of casualties were interred in the Gaelic Chapel graveyard in Cromarty. There was a huge amount of speculation about the loss of the Natal. A mine laying U-boat was thought to be the cause but an underwater inspection revealed massive damage from an internal explosion. Sabotage by German agents was suspected but never proved. With her hull still visible at low water, it was Royal Navy practice on entering and leaving Cromarty right up to the Second World War for every warship to sound ?Still?, and for officers and men to come to attention as they passed the wreck. 5 Freemasons died on the Natal. They were; PARKER Arthur George Bandmaster WARREN William George Carpenter POULTER William Henry Chief Engine Room Artificer JEANES John Frederick Richard Chief Shipwright BANYARD Ernest Stanley Mechanician
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Lord Charles Beresford No. 2404 E.C. | East Kent |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
25th February 1913 | 25th March 1913 | 27th January 1914 |
Listed as a 28 year old Bandmaster on H.M.S. Natal in 1913 at the time of his initiation into Lord Charles Beresford Lodge No. 2404. The contribution record shows that he was "Killed on W.S. Dec 1915."
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