In Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:
F. Bunter
Chief Armourer, RN, 155806
H.M.S. Nottingham
19th August 1916
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Frederick Bunter was born June 11th 1869 in Plymouth, Devon.
He joined the Royal Navy for the duration of 12 years, June 27th 1890..He was described as 5 feet 5 and a half inched tall, light brown hair, light blue eyes and a fair complexion. He joined at the shore base H.M.S. Cambridge as Armourer’s Mate then moved to H.M.S. Defiance the Navy’s torpedo school ship and by 1910 had been raised to the rank of Chief Armourer Officer 155806.
The list of ships where Chief Armourer Officer Bunter served are too numerous to mention. His final ship was the H.M.S. Nottingham, a Royal Navy light cruiser attached to the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron at the Battle of Jutland during which the ship received no damage and the crew emerged unscathed. This was preceded by the Battle of Dogger Bank in 1915 attached to the 1st Light Cruiser Squadron and a few months later Nottingham was attacked by U17 and U6 who fired torpedoes at her and missed.
August 19th 1916 H.M.S. Nottingham was in the North Sea at 65 nautical miles northeast of Whitby when at 6 a.m. she was attacked by German submarine U52 commanded by Kapitãnleutnant Hans Walther who fired two torpedoes hitting the ship causing a huge explosion. At 6.25 a.m. a third torpedo struck by which time Captain Charles B. Miller had ordered his crew to take to the lifeboats. Ten minutes after the third strike the ship lost power and sank.
Thirty eight members of Nottingham’s crew were lost including Chief Armourer Officer 155806 Frederick Bunter. His wife Margaret Ellen was informed of his fate August 21st.
Two bodies from the Nottingham were recovered, brought ashore and taken to Tynemouth Infirmary where they lay in the mortuary whilst preparations were made for their internment. They were Chief Armourer Instructor Frederick Bunter from Plymouth and Stoker Petty Officer James McIlrath from Belfast.
August 23rd 1916 in the afternoon their coffins draped with Union Jacks and covered with floral tributes were placed in hearses and taken in a procession to Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery for burial. They were accompanied on their final journey at the head of the procession by a Naval party with arms reversed and followed by the band of the Duke of Wellington Regiment playing Chopin’s Funeral March. Bringing up the rear were naval officers and seamen. Present at the ceremony were relatives of both men.
After a brief ceremony conducted by a naval chaplain the men’s coffins were lowered into their final resting place and a salute was fired over the graves. Chief Armourer Officer 155803 Frederick Bunter Royal Navy is at rest within Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery grave K. C. 12143. He was 49 years of age. Awards;1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
Frederick had married Margaret Ellen Davies in 1904 in Liverpool, Lancashire but in 1911 their home consisted of 3 rooms at 61, Belgrave Road, Mutley, Plymouth. Their marriage was childless.
Margaret Ellen Bunter nee Davies did not remarry, she died at 15, Sydney Road, Chester, the home of her sister Annie Burgess, February 22nd 1956.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest in Peace.
Frederick Bunter is remembered on our List of Ships’ crews.
