On Portsmouth Naval Memorial is the name of J73076 Ordinary Seaman Thomas Trueman serving on H.M.S. Louvain with the Royal Navy who died 20/01/1918.

The son of W. and M. A. Trueman, of 3, Southend Terrace, Sheriff Hill, Gateshead on Tyne.

Brenda McMahon has submitted the following:-

Thomas was born the son of William and Mary on 22 February 1894 at Gateshead. The couple had no fewer than 11 children but only 4 were shown on 1911 census, several had died previously. They survivors were Ethel, Martha (known as Madge), Frederick and Thomas. The father was a miner working as a coal hewer.

By the 1911 census the family were still living at Southend Terrace, Sheriff Hill and it shows Thomas working as a coal putter although when he joined the Navy his occupation was as a steel work erector.

Thomas served in the Royal Navy from 5 July 1917. His records show he was 5 feet 7 inches tall with brown hair, grey eyes and fresh complexion. His religion was Church of England.

His first ship is given as H.M.S. Victory I, serving from 5 July 1917 until 31 December 1917 then on to H.M.S. Europa I from 1 January 1918 until his death 20 January 1918. At some point he seems to have been transferred to H.M.S. Louvain as it was on that ship he lost his life along with 224 comrades on board (only 16 survived).

H.M.S. Louvain was cruising towards the Dardanelles travelling through the Kelos Strait in the Aegean Sea when it was torpedoed and sunk by UC22. The captain of this U boat was Carl Bunte.

Thomas is reported as being killed aged 24 years as a direct result of enemy action. His body was never recovered for burial and he is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Thomas Truman (sic) is remembered at Gateshead Fell on G39.064 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.