Harry Deadman (1898-1914)

Forenames: 

Harry

Family Name: 

Deadman

Gender: 

  • Male

Date of Birth: 

25th July 1898

Date of Death: 

26th November 1914

Grave: 

Father: 

Mother: 

Birth Record: 

Quarter: 

July-September

Year: 

1898

Registration District: 

Source: 

FreeBMD

Notes: 

Born in Soberton, the tenth child of Samuel and Martha. The 1901 census lists the family at Cold Hill, with his father working as a Navvy. By 1911 his mother had died and the family lived at West Street. Some time around then he worked as a garden boy.
He joined the Royal Navy on his birthday (Military no. J.28342) and joined the crew of HMS Impregnable 5th Nov 1913 as a Second Class Boy before being promoted to First Class after 8 months. He then served on HMS Endymion and HMS Victory I, before being stationed on HMS Bulwark 26th August 1914.
He died aged16, in an internal explosion that destroyed HMS Bulwark off Sheerness, the second worse accidental explosion in UK history; 736 men lost their lives.
Commemorated on Soberton War Memorial (as well as Portsmouth Naval Memorial)

His enlistment documents list him as 5'2" with Brown hair, grey eyes, and a fresh complexion.