On Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of 270779 Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Wilfred Elliott, serving on H.M. Submarine E22 with the Royal Navy who died 25/04/1916.
The son of Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Elliott, of Howden le Wear, Co. Durham and the husband of Elsie May Elliott, of 370, Commercial Road, Portsmouth.
Wilfred Elliott was a Freemason. Rev. David Youngson has submitted the following:
270779 Chief ER Art 2nd Class ELLIOTT Wilfred
Royal Navy
HM Submarine E22
The son of Mr and Mrs J T Elliott of Howden le Wear, County Durham he was born on the 11th August 1880 at Bishop Auckland. He was Initiated on the 9th February 1914 whilst serving on HMS Rosario; Passed 9th March 1914 and Raised on the 8th April 1914. He was killed in action on the 25th April 1916 aged 35. The husband of Elsie May Elliott of 370 Commercial Road, Portsmouth. He is Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panel 15.
HM Submarine E22 built by Vickers at Barrow in Furness in 1914 and commissioned in November 1915. She was involved in experiments to intercept Zeppelins in the North Sea carrying 2 Sopwith Schneider Seaplanes on her casing. The boat submerged leaving the planes on the surface returning to Felixstowe. She was torpedoed by the German Submarine UB18 off Great Yarmouth on the 25th April 1916 with no survivors.
Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
Wilfred was the oldest son of James Copeland Elliott, a miner and church organist from Witton le Wear and his wife Mary Elizabeth (nee Swan) and was born on 11th August 1880 in Howden le Wear. He had two brothers, Robert and James, and five sisters. He became an apprentice blacksmith at a local colliery and when he had served his time in September 1902, he enlisted with the Royal Navy for twelve years and worked as an Engine Room Artificer, his first ship being the Duke of Wellington II.
Based in Portsmouth, he married local girl Elsie May Nellthorpe in April 1907 and they had two sons, James Henry born in 1908 and Wilfred John in 1911.
At the outbreak of war Wilfred volunteered to remain in the Navy, serving on the Dolphin, Rosario and Maidstone.
On 25th April 1916, 270779 Chief Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Wilfred Elliott was serving on the submarine E22 in the North Sea off Great Yarmouth, when his boat was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Only two of the crew of thirty-three sailors survived and they were taken prisoner.
During the war Wilfred’s parents ran the Neville’s Cross Hotel in Durham, and afterwards moved to a house in the North Bailey, Durham.
Wilfred’s brothers, Robert Henry Elliott and James Copeland Elliott were also killed in action.
Wilfred Elliott is remembered at Durham City on D47.029 and on our List of Ships’ crews.
