On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 272055 Engine Room Artificer Second Class George Kirman serving on H.M. Submarine B6 with the Royal Navy who died 16/08/1915.

The son of George and Sarah Jane Kirman, of 134, Victoria Road, Chatham and the husband of Ada May Kirman. He was a native of Sunderland.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

George was born in Sunderland on 5th August 1883 to George Kirman, a coppersmith and his wife Sarah. By the time of the 1891 Census George was living with his parents, two brothers and one sister at 13, Albany Road, Chatham, Kent.

By 1901 the family had moved to 36, Victoria Road, Chatham and had expanded with the addition of two more daughters and one more son. George was employed as an apprentice shipwright.

George enlisted in the Royal Navy on 16th October 1905 when he was described as being 5ft 8in tall with brown hair, grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He married Ada May Channon in Chatham at about the same time and she moved in with her in-laws, now living at 134, Victoria Road, Chatham while George was at sea.

George was killed in action on 16th August 1915 while serving on HM Submarine B6. There is some confusion as to the location of his death. Some of the records state that he died in the Dardanelles but others state that he was killed by rifle fire from the shore during an expedition against the Senussi tribe in North Africa.

George Kirman is remembered at Sunderland in S140.48 Part 8 page 158 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.