Newspaper Cutting
HMS Defence
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Gibson was born 1897 at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, one of 9 children, he was the second born of 5 sons and 4 daughters, of whom only 7 survived, his sister Sarah Jane born 1891 died aged 2 years in 1893, Mary (May) born 1897 died in 1898. His father Thomas Dundas Spiers Gibson born at Houston, Renfrewshire Scotland, March 22nd 1862, married at Gateshead during the first quarter of 1889, Ellen Elizabeth Blackbird born at Felling in 1870. Newly married they lived at Havelock Street, Heworth where Thomas was an assistant school master. Ten years later he had abandoned teaching and was the hotel/pub manager of the Collingwood Hotel, Collingwood Street, Heworth, where he and the entire family lived in. By 1911 the family had moved to 4a, Jesmond Terrace, Whitley Bay, and from where Thomas ran a glaziers shop for his own account, George (21) was employed in the glass trade as a glazier, John (14) as an assistant at a butchers shop.
On the outbreak of war he was 16/17 years of age. He left his civil employment as a cook in order to enlist in 1915 falsely declaring he was born November 12th 1892. Having previously served in the Mercantile Marine he was assigned as Able Seaman Tyneside Z/7535, transferred September 27th 1915 to the 6th Battalion Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and then on to “Victory II”, the Royal Navy Division Depot at Crystal Palace for training. The CP Depot was not solely a RND Depot between 1914-16 but also provided sea-service drafts in large numbers to Chatham, Portsmouth & Devonport.
Able Seaman Gibson was drafted from the C.P. Depot to “Victory I” barracks at Portsmouth for duty with the Grand Fleet, December 29th 1915. At the time of his demise he was serving aboard HMS Defence which had rejoined the 1st Cruiser Squadron of the Grand Fleet as its flagship upon her return from Cape Town, having been escort to a troop convoy bound for England.
HMS Defence was sunk, May 31st 1916 during the Battle of Jutland, the largest sea battle of WW1. As escort to the main body of the Grand Fleet she was fired upon by a German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger and 4 dreadnoughts while she engaged the disabled German light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden. Having been struck by the German ships her rear magazine exploded, the fire that ensued spread throughout the entire ship and ignited the secondary magazines. HMS Defence exploded and sank at 6:20, with the loss of all on board, estimated between 893 and 903 men.
At the time of her sinking it was believed the HMS Defence had been reduced to fragments however the wreck was discovered during a survey of the North Sea and English Channel in 1984 and inspected by a team of archaeologists in 2001, she was found to be largely intact. HMS Defence along with other Jutland wrecks was declared as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 in order to avoid further damage to the resting place of her crew.
The sacrifice of Able Seaman Tyneside Z/7535 John Gibson RNVR is recorded as one of more than 8,500 names of Royal Navy personnel inscribed on the Chatham Naval Memorial, an obelisk which stands overlooking the town of Chatham, Kent, commemorating those who were lost or buried at sea during WW1 and WW2 where no permanent memorial could be raised.
John Gibson had nominated his mother Ellen as his sole beneficiary, she received all monies due to him. Recipient of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, he was 19 years old and single.
The attached newspaper cutting states two of his brothers were in the Army. His eldest brother George Bowran Gibson born at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, June 6th 1889, a glass cutter by trade, who had emigrated to Australia from Bremerhaven, Germany, August 14th 1912 aboard the vessel Gneisenau bound for Fremantle, Western Australia, served with the 2/11th Australian Imperial Force, service number 7174. He survived the conflict and died at Canning, Western Australia, August 27th 1958.
Looking at the date of birth of John’s younger brothers, none of whom would have been old enough to enlist or serve overseas, leads me to believe that perhaps William Gibson born at Felling in 1900 may also have told an untruth as regards his age in order to serve his county. Details unknown.
Thomas Dundas Spiers Gibson died aged 71 years at Tynemouth in 1933, Ellen Elizabeth Gibson nee Blackbird died in 1952 aged 82 years, also in Northumberland.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
John Gibson is remembered at Heworth on G92.03 and on our List of Ships’ crews
