Assistant Paymaster
Charles WAKEFORD
Navy
Died: 9th October 1917 - Age: 37

Commemorated:

1. Memorial:Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon23
2. Memorial:The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour8C GQS
3. Grave:Great Crosby (St. Luke's) ChurchyardC.557 Lancashire
    

Awards & Titles:

 

Service Life:

Campaigns:

Unit / Ship / Est.: HMS Champagne 

"Mike: H.M.S. "" Champagne,"" an auxiliary cruiser, carrying a crew of 34 officers and 271 other ratings, was cruising off the West Coast of the Isle of Man on the 9th October, 1917, when she was torpedoed by an enemy submarine. Captain Percy Brown, R.N. , and 46 of the crew of the vessel landed at Port Erin. On the news being received at Government Office, an inspector of police and a doctor were despatched by motor car to Port Erin, to render any assistance possible. At 2 p.m. , the inspector of police reported that 50 of the crew had been landed at that place, one of whom was suffering from wounds and another from shock. At 1 p.m., the Peel lifeboat was launched, and arrangements were made for all fishing vessels lying in Peel Harbour to proceed to the scene of the disaster. At 3 p.m., news was received from Port Erin that 150 of the crew had been landed at Port St. Mary, and at 5 p.m. the Peel lifeboat returned to Peel with 21 survivors. For these latter clothing was obtained from Knockaloe Camp, and medical aid was provided. Harbour Master Elliot, of Port Erin, being the local representative of the Shipwrecked Mariners Society, provided clothing for the men landed at the southern ports, and the Inspector of Police (Inspector Duke) arranged for billets for the survivors. The total number reported landed in the Island out of the crew of 305 was 217, but some additional survivors were subsequently found.? The Champagne started life as the Oropesa. She was built in 1895 by Harland and Wolfe for the Pacific Steam Navigation Company and in her wartime role was armed with two 6 inch guns and two six pounders. In November 1914, whilst under the command of Captain Percy G Brown , she was taken over by the Admiralty for service as an auxiliary cruiser. As part of the 10th Cruiser Squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair, she sunk a German submarine in March 1915 whilst patrolling between Scotland and Norway off the Skerryvore Lighthouse. In 1917 she was lent to the French navy and was renamed the Champagne, but retained her British crew. On October 15th , 1917 she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine whilst in the Irish Sea with the loss of 5 officers and 51 men. "

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 :

Great War Forum - See more.

"Whilst the DIGBY (ARTOIS) and OROPESA (CHAMPAGNE) had been lent to France temporarily, at the time of her loss the CHAMPAGNE had reverted to the RN but the name had been retained. She was on her way from Liverpool to rejoin the Patrol.

The following is an extract from the report of her commanding officer, Captain Percy G. Brown, RN, to the Commmander-in-Chief, Plymouth.

"I regret to report the loss of HMS CHAMPAGNE torpedoed by enemy submarine in the following circumstances.

On the 9th October at 6.10 a.m., mean course N 21deg E (mag) zig-zagging, Lat 54.17' N, Long 5.10' W, speed 13 kts, the ship was struck by a torpedo in the engineroom the starboard side. The lookout at the starboard after gun saw a periscope and gave the order "Close up", we were struck by the torpedo almost instantaneously, and the periscope disappeared. Ship's company automatically went to action stations - the leading torpedo man put the depth charges to safe and reported to me., the confidential books were locked up in the steel safes by the decoding Officers and other confidential papers destroyed. All steam was cut off by the explosion. I believe the Engineer Officer of the watch was blown to pieces and there were several other casualties in the engineroom. .........

The main engines were stopped by the explosion , and we could not go astern, but the ship lost way almost at once, the wind was WNW Magnetic, squally, force 5 to 7, sea state 6.

The 1st Lieutenant asked me to give the order to abandon ship, I said "No, not yet, as the ship may float for a considerable time, and we may bag the submarine if he comes up". Almost immediately after this there was a second explosion on the port side in the forepart of the after welldeck. I at once gave the order "Abandon ship"; up to this time not a single gripe had been cast off, nor any attempt made to go to the boats. The ship remained on an even keel but began to settle rapidly.The boats, with the exception of the collapsibles, were got away smartly, although difficulty was experienced owing to the rough sea.

Four men Oliver Ward, AB, RNVR, AB Ryan RNVR, LS Watkins RNR and LS W. Cox RNR volunteered to remain by foremost pair of guns. Ward saw a submarine come to the surface about 300 to 400 yards away on the port beam. The port foremost 6" gun was fired at once, projectile apparently went just over. The submarine at once dived and the gun was reloaded and a tube inserted. These men remained by their gun and I regret to say that Cox was the only one who was picked up."

He then goes on to explain the difficulty in getting the collapsible boats over the side with no steam available. At 6.30 a third torpedo struck the ship which broke her in two and the boats experienced difficulty in picking up men out of the water. Two boats sailed to the Isle of Man and others were later towed there by trawlers. Captain Brown considered the casualties to have been 5 officers and 53 men missing out of a complement of 305. He finishes up: "The ship went down with a portion of her guns manned and ready to fire and traditions of the Service were upheld. At the time of the attack we were going as fast as we could keep up, lookouts were stationed all round the ship and were alert. We had no escort."

An initial report of the event appears in the Hull Daily Mail -29 October 1917 - "CHAMPAGNE AND BEGONIA - DEATH-ROLL OF 153. The following officers of the Royal Naval Reserve, the Admiralty announced on Tuesday, lost their lives on the armed mercantile cruiser Champagne, which was torpedoed and sunk:-
[...] Assistant Paymaster Charles Wakeford[...]"

By 29th October the Hull Daily Mail had more to report: "THREE MEN FOUND DROWNED. In the sea off Heysham and Morecambe on Saturday, three bodie were found of seafaring men between the ages of 40 and 50. The features of one was somewhat decomposed, but the others died not appear to have been in the water many days. The disc on one body bore the name of Charles Wakeford, [...] paymaster, R.N.R He had also a bunch of 13 keys, and wore an gold ring. Discos on the other bodies showed the name of W. Laden, and W.A. Marshall, R.N.V.R., Mersey."

A report in the Lancaster Guardian newspaper of 3rd November 1911 regarding the Coroners inquest reads: "U-BOAT VICTIMS. On Monday, at the Council Offices, Mr. N. Holden, coroner, held an inquest upon the bodies of three men found floating in the sea at Morecambe on Friday night and Saturday morning. They were identified by identity discs. The first was Mr. Charles Wakeford, assistant paymaster, R.N.R., about 21 years of age, whose father is a professor at the Colonial Institute, London, and whose body was identified by Lieut. Commander Donald Greg, of Liverpool. The body was found opposite Sandylands about 9 p.m. on Friday, and upon it were found the disc, a wristlet watch, gold ring, and a bunch of keys. Evidence was given that the vessel in which the deceased was engaged, sailed on the 8th October and was torpedoed and sunk on the 9th. Mr. Wakeford, with others got onto a raft, but deceased was washed away about an hour before the survivors were picked up. The body of William Albert Marshall, found by Percy Gardner, fisherman, in deep water about one mile from the shore opposite Bars Pool, was identified by his father, William Marshall, of 8, John-street, Warrington. He was 18 years of age and had been serving in the R.N.V.R. since the 4th July. The body of William Laden, found by Richard Gardner, fisherman, 200 yards from the Central Pier at 7 a.m. on Saturday, was identified by one of the survivors, Arthur Pembar, second steward, who said he last saw Laden on the poop of the vessel, just before she split in two. He was about 28 years of age, and a seaman in the R.N.V.R. He belonged to Edinburgh, and witness first knew him on a ship that was previously torpedoed. - The jury returned a verdict that the deceased were drowned while serving in a ship sunk by an enemy torpedo."

Research has found his grave which is at St. Luke's Churchyard, Great Crosby. C.557. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission issue the following statement: "Recent research has shown that this casualty is buried here and the Commission is in the process of producing a headstone to mark his grave. His previous commemoration on the Plymouth Naval Memorial will be removed as and when the appropriate panel is next replaced."

Masonic :

TypeLodge Name and No.Province/District :
Mother : Lodge of Perfect Friendship No. 376 E.C.Suffolk

Initiated
Passed
Raised
16th February 1916
15th March 1916
9th April 1916
 

Source :

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

Additional Source:

Last Updated: 2019-11-13 04:52:08