In East Mudros Military Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of M/1509 Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Mark Aitchison Tarn serving on H.M.S. Aquarius with the Royal Navy who died 31/08/1915.
Mr. D.K. Marshall, Winnipeg says that Mark was the son of John & Mary Tarn of 16 Hornby Road, Bootle.
He is thought to have died of pneumonia in hospital in France.
Acknowledgements: Les Tarn
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Mark Aitchison Tarn was the only son of Jonathan Tarn and Mary Aitchison, and one of 4 children.
Mark’s father Jonathan Tarn was born June 10th 1869 at Kirkhaugh, Northumberland. His parents were farmers of 125 acres at High Row, Northumberland but by 1891 Jonathan was employed as a joiner and living as a boarder at 70, James Street, South Shields in the home of widow Elizabeth Pattinson and her extended family.
His future wife, Mary Aitchison, was born at Jarrow in 1861 and baptised at All Saints, Newcastle upon Tyne December 15th. She was the daughter of the late James Aitchison and Isabella Alison. Her father was a mariner and whilst serving as Chief Engineer aboard the S.S Dursey had died of fever, July 24th 1869 at Taganrog, Russia. Her mother Isabella had died at South Shields in 1879. Isabella (13) and her siblings Mary (19) and William (13) were, “adopted,” by builder Charles Gidney, a widower with 2 young children and were living at 69, Croft Terrace, Jarrow, in 1881.
During the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/Jun) 1891 Jonathan Tarn and Mary Aitchison were married at South Shields, historically in County Durham.
Their daughter Mildred Elizabeth was born in 1892 in the district of South Shields as was Mark Aitchison, August 1st 1894, Nora Isabella 1898 and Ada Rebecca in 1902 however the Tarn family had migrated to the outskirts of Liverpool between 1902 and 1911 where Mark was educated at Christ Church Higher Grade and the Junior Technical Schools, Bootle.
In 1911 they were living at 16, Hornby Road, Bootle. Jonathan Tarn was employed by Messrs. J. Ellerman’s Engine Works as a joiner (ship work), Mildred Elizabeth (19) was an apprentice in the post office, Nora Isabella (12) and Ada Rebecca (9) were scholars. Edward Gidney, was living in their household as a boarder, employed as a refrigerating engineer at a cold meat stores. Mark Aitchison Tarn (16) was also included by them in the census, listed as a boy artificer in Portsmouth. He had been nominated by the local authority for training as Engine-Room Artificer on board the H.M.S. Fisgard, December 30th 1909.
Upon the outbreak of war Engine-Room Artificer 4th Class M/1509 Mark Aitchison Tarn was appointed to H.M.S. Vernon, a shore base of the Royal Navy at Portsmouth. Vernon was established in 1876 as the Royal Navy’s Torpedo Branch, he was later transferred to H.M.S. Aquarius.
H.M.S. Aquarius was a submarine depot in the Mediterranean in 1915 and finished the war as a water carrier and depot ship. The period from February 19th-Jan 9th 1916, known as the Gallipoli Campaign, saw more serving men fall victim to disease because of inadequate sanitation, unburied bodies and swarms of flies.
Whilst serving at the Dardanelles Engine-Room Artificer Tarn Royal Navy was taken seriously ill with acute dysentery. He was transported to the 15th Stationary Hospital, Mudros, on the island of Lemnos where he died, August 31st 1915.
Engine-Room Artificer 4th Class M1509 Mark Aitchison Tarn Royal Navy is at rest within Easy Mudros Military Cemetery, Greece, grave II. K. 186. He was 21 years of age and single.
His family received all monies due to him, his awards of the 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. His mother commissioned at a cost 0f 15 shillings 9 pence an additional inscription to be added to the plaque which marks her late son’s grave, it reads, “ETERNAL RSET GIVE UNTO HIM O LORD AND GRANT HIM EVERLASTING PEACE.
Mary Tarn received a pension sent to her at 16, Hornby Road, Bootle, Liverpool, which after her demise in 1932 passed to her husband Jonathan Tarn for life sent to his residence at 402, Stanley Road, Bootle, Liverpool.
Jonathan Tarn died at Liverpool, July 14th 1951. His personal effects in the sum of £98 11 shillings 6 pence were assigned, August 20th 1951 to his daughters Norah Isabella and Ada Rebecca Tarn, spinsters. Jonathan Tarn had excluded his eldest daughter Mildred Elizabeth from his Will as she had married, September 22nd 1917, to serving soldier George William Kearon who thankfully survived the conflict and was able to support his wife and children.
Mark Aitchison’s first cousin Arthur Edmund Tarn also served during WW1 and survived the conflict.
The sacrifice of Mark Aitchison Tarn was remembered in his father’s birthplace at Kirkhaugh, at Church of Holy Paraclete. His name also appears on a memorial plaque at St. Matthew’s Church Bootle where he served in his youth as a choir boy.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Mark Aitchison Tarn is remembered at Kirkhaugh on K12.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
