On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 806/ES Engineman George Oswald Smailes serving on H.M. Trawler Saxon Prince with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 28/03/1916.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

George was born on 25th March 1876 in North Shields the son of William Smailes, a mariner and his wife Hannah.  In 1881 he was living with his widower father, two brothers and two sisters at 74, King Street, North Shields. Hannah had died in July 1880.

Ten years later George was the oldest child at home at 4, Appleby Street, Chirton living with his father, stepmother Elizabeth, one brother, one sister and a step sister.

George married Alice Brunton at Christ Church, Tynemouth in 1899 and the couple set up home at 2, Prospect Terrace, Tynemouth. George was working as an engineman on fishing trawlers.

By the time of the 1911 Census the couple were living at 29, Coburg Street, North Shields. George was obviously at sea and Alice was looking after Elsie May and William Robson. Alice declared on the form that they had been married for 11 years and 11 children had been born – nine of whom had died.

George enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on 7th August 1914 when he was described as being 5 feet 5 inches tall with blue eyes and a fresh complexion. His current address was given as 31, Coburg Street, North Shields. George was posted to HMS Halcyon, the command and depot ship for North Sea Fisheries based at Yarmouth.

George was lost on 28th March 1916 when HM Trawler Saxon Prince foundered off Dover in a storm with the loss of all hands.

CWGC gives his name as Smails.

George Oswald Smailes is remembered at North Shields on N34.22 (Smails) and N34.77,  (Smailes), at Tynemouth in T36.14 page 24 (Smails) and in our List of Ships’ Crews.