William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-

Thomas was born at Sunderland on the 26th October 1878. His parents George and Jane Annie (nee White) married in 1877. They went on to have a large family of at least 7 or even more children.

1881 census shows father working as a stoker on the railway. His children at that time were Jane, Margaret, Thomas, Ernest.

By 1891 father was now an engine driver. There was an addition to the family as a daughter Edith had arrived. The family had a housekeeper named Annie Davison.

On the 1st May 1900 Thomas joined his first ship 'Pembroke II'. He gave his occupation as a fitter/turner. His religion was Church of England. His character throughout his service was recorded as being very good.

In 1901 Thomas was boarding with several other sailors of the same rank at 72 Hull Road, Gillingham, Kent.

By 1907 Thomas married Sarah Hannah Lister. They had 2 children together namely Doris and Thomas.

On April 2nd 1911 his wife was at home at 21 Hastings Street, Sunderland with her 2 children and her sister (a dressmaker) whilst Thomas was recorded for the census at midnight as being aboard HMS Argyll at Gibraltar.

During his naval service Thomas served on many, many ships.

He was eventually killed in action on the 13th May 1915 whilst aboard HMS Goliath which was torpedoed by the Turkish destroyer Mauvenet in Dardanelles.

The following information explains the battle engagement:-

Of the Canopus class, the Goliath was a typical pre-dreadnought. Completed in 1900, of 13,000 tons and 430-feet long, she carried four 12-inch guns, twelve 6-inch and a large number of smaller weapons. She had served off the East African coast earlier in the war but was recalled to participate in the attempt on the Dardanelles. Her crew was over 700. She had provided fire-support for the landings on April 25th and continued to do so thereafter, sustaining light damage from Turkish shore batteries. On the night of 12th-13th May she was anchored in Morto Bay, close to Cape Helles, the southern tip of the Gallipoli Peninsula, in company with a similar vessel. Five destroyers had been assigned to protect them and visibility was low due to fog.

Though the Mauvenet-i-Milliye was commanded by Senior Lieutenant Ahmet Saffet Ohkay, a German officer, Lieutenant Rudolph Firle, one of many seconded to the Turkish Navy, was assigned to the vessel to give specialist advice on torpedo attack. Taking advantage of darkness and fog patches the torpedo boat passed through the Turkish minefields in early evening and then anchored under cover of the Turkish-held Gallipoli shore about seven miles north-east of the anchored pre-dreadnoughts. She remained there until shortly after midnight and in the meantime, around 23.30, the searchlights sweeping the anchorage from the British ships were switched off. (Why this was done is one of the mysteries of the entire operation).

The Mauvenet-i-Milliye now crept down along the shore and the Allied destroyers failed to detect her. Only at 0100 hrs were two of these destroyers, HMS Beagle and HMS Bulldog, sighted directly ahead. The Turkish vessel’s advance was now noticed and Goliath signalled a request for the night’s password. It was too late. The Mauvenet-i-Milliye was in torpedo-range and she launched three torpedoes. They proved to be equally spaced along the pre-dreadnought’s length – one hit below the bridge, a second below the funnels and the third near the stern. The Goliath capsized and sank almost immediately, so quickly in fact that 570 of her crew of more than 700 were lost, including the captain. The darkness and the fast current running – up to three knots – hampered rescue efforts significantly.

HMS Goliath is lying just in the traffic of the Straits and special allowance must be asked in order to dive the wreck. The wreck is in a bad condition and is torn apart. She is in a mud layer and lies turtle. Only some of her outer shell and her propeller can be seen the wreck site.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle 18/05/1915 reports:-

Warrant Officer Thomas Marwood who lost his life in the sinking of H.M.S. Goliath in the Dardanelles, was a Sunderland man and his wife resides at 2 Tel-el-Kebir Road, Hendon. Mr Marwood was only recently transferred to H.M.S. Goliath. He had been in the Navy about 15 years.

The 1939 register shows that his widow Sarah never remarried but is noted as being incapacitated (she was aged 56 years). Her children Miriam and Thomas still resided with her.

Thomas was awarded the 1915 Star, the British War medal and Victory Medal.

Thomas Marwood is remembered at Hendon on H123.04 and at Sunderland in S140.048 part 8 page 159.

Goliath wreck site
The CWGC entry for Artificer Engineer Marwood