On Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent is the name of Stoker 7799/S Fred Thompson serving on H.M.S. Queen Mary with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 31/05/1916.
He was the son of Herbert Thompson, of 5, Lyndhurst Street, Thornaby on Tees, Yorkshire.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Fred Thompson was one of 9 children all of whom survived. His father Herbert Thompson and his mother Sarah Ann Day both hailed from Sheffield, Yorkshire where they were born on April 24th 1862 and 1863 respectively. The 1911 census states they were married in 1881.
Their son Robert was born at Thornaby, Yorkshire in 1888 and Herbert William on May 9th 1890. In 1891 they occupied 4 rooms at 5, Lyndhurst Street in the parish of Tharnaby, South Stockton which became their permanent home. Herbert supported his family employed as a stove grate grinder.
Frank Thompson was born in 1892, Sarah Jane on December 13th 1893 Thomas 1895, Percy 1897, and Fred in 1899. The youngest of their children Mary and Grace Amelia were born in 1901 and on March 3rd 1903 respectively.
By 1911 Herbert had the support of his sons Robert (22) and Herbert (20) employed as labourers while Percy (14) Fred (11), Mary (10) and Grace (8) were scholars. Sarah Jane and Thomas had left the family home. Thomas (15) was employed as a horseman/servant by farmer Frederick Anton at Newly Grange, Nunthorpe, North Yorkshire. Frank Thompson emigrated the U.S.A. and settled in Delaware, Pennsylvania where he created a family and died February 12th 1977.
As early as 1911 there were already rumblings of a possibility of war with Germany. Within hours of Germany, as part of a massive attack on France, invaded Belgium violating Belgian neutrality. After a request to Britain by the Belgians for help, London gave Berlin an ultimatum which expired August 4th 1914 at 11 p.m. London time. When this was ignored, King George V then declared war on Germany that same evening. Men from all walks of life in answer to Kitchener’s call to arms volunteered to serve their Country.
The Army soon had all the men it required. Winston Churchill who at the time was First Lord of the Admiralty proposed that the surplus of men be assigned to the Royal Naval Reserve.
It would seem Fred Thompson gave false information as regards his age as his record states he was born on June 14th 1896 implying he was 19 years of age when he enrolled on May 9th 1915, he was in fact only 16 years old. His physical appearance may have assisted him in this as he was described as 5 feet 6 and ¾ inches tall, fair hair and blue eyes with a mole on his right cheek.
Once enrolled Fred was assigned as Stoker 7799/S and gave the details of his father Herbert Thompson of 5, Lyndhurst Street, Thornaby on Tea as his next of kin. On June 11th 1915 Stoker Thompson was at Stockton on the banks of the River Tees then transferred to H.M.S. Queen Mary on September 1st 1915.
H.M.S. Queen Mary was laid down in 1911 she was built at Palmer Shipbuilding and Iron Company, Jarrow, on the River Tyne. Launched in 1912 and commissioned for service September 4th 1913. After sea trials and pre-war voyages to Russia she prepared for combat August 28th 1914 supporting in early fighting.
Refitted with a new fire control system in 1915 she returned to duty in February 1916. As the 1st Squadron Battlecruiser she sailed in support of the 5th Battle Squadron in the opening phases of the Battle of Jutland. Engaging at 3:48 pm on May 31 1916, the German fire proved accurate from the outset.
At 3:50 pm Queen Mary opened fire on SMS Seydlitz with its forward turrets. As Beatty closed the range, Queen Mary scored two hits on its opponent and disabled one of Seydlitz’s aft turrets. Around 4:15 pm , HMS Lion came under intense fire from Hipper’s ships. The smoke from this obscured HMS Princess Royal forcing SMS Derfflinger to shift its fire to Queen Mary. As this new enemy engaged, the British ship continued to trade hits with Seydlitz.
At 4:26 pm a shell from Derfflinger struck Queen Mary detonating one or both of its forward magazines. The resulting explosion broke the battlecruiser in half near its foremast. A second shell from Derfflinger may have hit further aft. As the after part of the ship began to roll, it was rocked by a large explosion before sinking.
Her wreck was discovered in 1991 and rests in pieces, some of which are upside down, on the floor of the North Sea. HMS Queen Mary is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 as it is the grave of 1,266 officers and men, only 20 of her crew were rescued.
Stoker 7799/S Fred Thompson died May 31st 1916, only 17 years old and single. Awards 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
His sacrifice is commemorated on the Chatham Memorial, Kent. In the shape of an obelisk it bears the names of of over 18,000 members of the Royal Navy who have no known grave, having died at sea where no permanent memorial could be raised, it is of three commissioned at the end of WW1 by the Admiralty, the others being at Plymouth and Portsmouth.
It should be noted the C.W.G.C. have in error listed the service number 7799/S of Stoker Thompson as 77995 but have correctly recorded his age.
Fred’s death came as ban ulterior blow as it had been preceded by that of his mother Sarah Jane Thompson nee Day (52) on January 14th 1916 of cardiac failure and acute bronchitis. His father Herbert Thompson was awarded a pension for life. After his demise on May 2nd 1923 at Middlesbrough this passed to Fred’s widowed sister Sarah Jane Wise on July 9th 1924.
Fred’s brother in law Benjamin Cyril Wise had been killed on May 3rd 1918, his brother Herbert William Thompson served and survived the conflict.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Fred Thompson is remembered at Thornaby on Tess on T70.01 and T70.02 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
