On the Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of EA1934 Chief Engine Room Artificer Wilfred Charles Agar, serving on H.M.S. Comet with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 06/08/1918.

The son of Robert and Margaret Agar, of Coatharn, Redcar, Yorks. and the husband of Mary A. Agar, of 95, Queen Street, Coatham, Redcar, Yorkshire.

Wilfred Charles Agar was born on the 7th September 1886, baptised 10th October 1886, Christ Church, Coatham, the eldest son of 4 children to father Robert Agar, born at Wath, July 1863, died 3rd February 1932, and his wife Margaret nee Britton, Agar, born  12th February 1861, baptised 10th March 1861, died 31st December 1947.They were married on the 30th July 1885..

The other children were:-

• Robert Archie Agar, born 9th September 1890. baptised 14th November 1890, died 9th September 1963, at Saanich, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.  Robert emigrated to Canada on the 19th June 1911 onboard the SS Lake Manitoba, ship number 113497. He was heading for Quebec in Canada to work as a Joiner/Carpenter. Robert enlisted into the Canadian Army on the 6th August 1914 at Edmonton. He was 5 feet nine and a half inches, 162 lbs, Dark Complexion, Blue Eyes, Black hair. Medically examined at Valcartier n the 1st September 1914.  Service number 18165. [sic]. He was initially posted to the 4th Battalion. [He had served 2 years prior in the Prince of Wales Own for two years]. On the 6th August 1914 he is posted into the 9th Battalion, service number 18161. Arrived in the UK on the 4th October 1914, onboard SS Zeeland, ship number  13460, and is based at Tidworth with the 9th Battalion. 29th May 1915, he is now posted into the 12th Battalion. at Seacliffe. [Robert also had a Hernia in which he had an operation on his right Groin on the 26th April 1915, discharged 17th May 1915, then convalescing at home foe 12 days, till the 28th May 1915].He arrived in France on the 12th August 1916. Taken on strength to the 2nd Battalion on the 12th August 1916. Promoted to a Corporal 4th November 1916. 7th January 1917, Robert is attached to the No 1 Canadian Divisional SChool as Musketry Instructor, but this ends on the 16th January and is returned to his unit. [Robert was Absent for 9 hours whilst on service and forfeits one days pay]. On the 4th May 1917, he was admitted to no 4 Stationary Hospital with a Shrapnel wound to his face and right arm received from the day before. This was later changed to a Gunshot Wound. Returned to his unit on the 22nd May 1917. Promoted to Sergeant 12th May 1917. Wounded on the 14th June 1917, admitted to the no 26 General Hospital at Etaples, [Eat Apples], on the 16th June 1917. Then admitted to the 3rd Western General Hospital at Cardiff on the 23rd June. 10th July 1917, he is now at the Canadian Convalescent  Hospital at Bear Wood at Wokingham. Posted to the Eastern Ontario Regiment Infantry Depot at Seaford as Invalided wounded. Also struck of strength from the 2nd Battalion.  Then on the 17th August he is transferred to another Canadian Convalescent Hospital at Epsom. 7th September 1917, he is then discharged to the 3rd Canadian Convalescent Depot at Seaford.  Robert embarked on the SS Metagama, ship number 136791, on the 15th March and disembarked at St John’s on the 24th Match 1919. He was discharged from the Army on the 25th March 1919 at St Johns’. Robert reached the rank of CSM. He was given permission on the 6th November to Marry a Florence Bessie nee Woodward, Agar on the 26th November 1918 at Seaford, Sussex. In 1918, his address was stated as 10 Bentinck Terrace,  Coatham, Redcar, Yorkshire. Florence address was 8 Summersville Gardens, Boyne Park, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. The UK Address was 35 East Street, Seaford Sussex. They eventually had two children, Phylis Ethel Agar, born 1920, [who married a M. Westmacott of St James], and a Wilfred K Agar , born 1922.  In December 1950, Robert and his wife were residing at 429 Belleville Street, Victoria, British Columbia. In 1938, Robert was residing at Winnipeg. He died at 713 Discovery on Monday 9th September 1963. Robert had served in both World Wars and was a member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Britannia Branch no 7 and  a life member of the N.W.M.P. Lodge no 11 Regina Sask. He had moved to Victoria in about 1948, prior to this he was at St James, Manitoba. In 1931 the family were residing at Tuxedo, in the province of Manitoba. In 1957.  he was residing at  821 Princess Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia.
• Ralph Lancelot Agar, born June 1902, baptised 4th July 1901, died 12th August 1931. In 1911, was residing at 10 Bentinck Terrace, Coatham, Redcar, with his parents and Robert Archie and sister Ethel  May Agar. In 1921, Ralph was a part time  apprentice Naval Architect at Sir Taylor Dixon and Co ltd Shipyard at Middlesbrough. He married a Getrude Mary Dobby in 1929, born 23rd February 1893, baptised 2nd April 1893 in Bedale, died 27th January 1976. 1925, he is residing at 74 Queen Street, Redcar. In 1939, she was an Elementary Head school teacher residing at the School house, Leyburn Road, Yorkshire. She married again on the 24th March 1971 to  a Lionel Hearn.
• Ethel May Agar, born 3rd July 1903 at 10 Bentinck Terrace, Coatham, Redcar, baptised  28th July 1903, died 1978. She married a James ‘Jim’ Edward Taplin, [born 16th July 1901], on the 2nd February 1928 at 9.15am, died 1974. James was an assistant cashier in a bank and was an ARP in the Water Utilities Supply in WW2. They had one child, an Ethel Mary Taplin, born 2nd October 1937, she later married a McKenzie on the 6th January 1959. They were residing at 6 The Roseway, Saltburn by the Sea in 1939.

Wilfred Charles Agar took his Board of Trade Examinations at West Hartlepool to be a 1st Class Engineers on the 15th June 1911 which he passed successfully. He took his 2nd Class Engineer exams on the 20th November 1908 at West Hartlepool.

On the 29th March 1915, Wilfred got married to a Mary Anne nee Wallis, Agar born 5th February 1888, baptised 13th March 1888, died 29th March 1942, of 95 Queen Street, Coatham, Redcar, at Christ Church, Coatham. Wilfred was residing at 10 Bentinck Terrace,  Coatham, Redcar, Yorkshire.

Wilfred emigrated to Canada onboard the SS Laval, ship number 134499, arriving at Quebec on the 8th August 1914 from Middlesbrough. However, he returned to the UK, in Second Class, on the 15th March 1915 at Liverpool from St John and Halifax on the SS Grampian, ship number 124220, from the Canadian Pacific Line. He enrolled into the Royal Navy on the 22nd September 1915 as a 1st Engineer. 5 feet Eight Inches with a Fair Complexion with Brown eyes. He was residing at 95 Queen Street, Coatham, Redcar. 29th September he is attached to the Pembroke  station until the 9th November 1915. From the 10th November 1915, he is transferred to HMS Comet, now with the Station base Vivid. The depot base is now Blenheim from the 13th November 1915.  Wilfred is recommended by the officer commanding the Blenheim Station on the 22nd November 1915 to be a Chief Engineer. This is approved and confirmed on the 27th November 1915

William Charles Agar was the Chief Engine room Artificer on HMS Comet when she exploded whilst under tow. He was also an employee of Smith Docks working at South Bank in Middlesbrough as a Fitter.

HMS Comet was an Acorn class destroyer of the Royal Navy that saw active service in the First World War. She was built under the 1909-1910 programme by Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company in Govan. She was launched on the 23rd June 1910 and lost after a collision while under tow on the 6th August 1918 in the Mediterranean. Initially it was believed that she was torpedoed and sunk by an Austrian U-boat, but this was dismissed since no submarine claimed her sinking. The Acorn class marked a return to oil-firing as pioneered in the Tribal or F class of 1905 and HMS Swift of 1907. This change allowed a generally smaller vessel than the Beagles even with an increase in armament. The Comet was built to an individual design by Fairfield Shipbuilding although the Acorns had a more-or-less uniform appearance, with three funnels, a tall, thin fore funnel, a short, thick central and a short narrow after stack. Comet had two 4-inch guns on the fo’c’sle and on the quarterdeck. The 12-pounder guns were amidships, one on each side between the first pair of funnels, and the torpedo tubes were abaft the funnels, mounted singly with a searchlight position between them.

HMS Comet was escorting SS Gordonia, ship number 125663, from Taranto to Malta when they collided on the 4th August.Two days afterwards (on August 6th), HMS Comet, having lost a significant part of her stern as a result of the collision, was herself under tow when an explosion occurred, which sank the ship.Stern Destruction: The impact completely severed and destroyed a significant part of her stern (the back of the ship). Compartment Obliteration: The striking vessel drove directly through the aft living spaces. A lieutenant’s cabin [Lieut Brian Bickmore],  located in this section was entirely obliterated, resulting in immediate structural collapse and his instant death. Compromised Buoyancy: Losing the stern compromised the ship’s steering gear, aft compartments, and overall structural integrity. This left her completely immobilized, dead in the water, and requiring an immediate emergency tow, which ultimately led to her accidental sinking two days later.

The brother Robert Archie Agar wrote to the Lord Mayor of Plymouth Alderman Solomon Stephens enquiring about his brother and what happened to HMS Comet. 20 years after his  brothers death. Mr R.A. Agar states that his brother left Redcar, in Yorkshire, in 1915 to enlist in the Royal Navy at Chatham, and he believes served continuously in the Comet in the Mediterranean and during the Gallipoli campaign. Commander of the Comet was Henry de R Tupper, who later commanded H.M.S. Egmont. 1938 Newspaper

Margaret in 1939, was residing alone at 308 Laburnum Road, Redcar. She died on the 31st December 1947.

Mary Anne Agar was residing in 1921 at 14 Linden Street, Dewsbury Road, Leeds with her father John James Rueben Wallis, who was widowed and a sister Elsie Wallis, born 1900.

Sources: The National Archives: The British Newspaper Archive; Jennifer Stephenson; Benjidog; Naval History Net; Smiths Dock; South Shields Local History; K Buckland; Canadian Service WW1 Records; Canadian Newspapers;

Wilfred Charles Agar is remembered at Harton on H104.01, South Shields in S86.004, also at  North Shields on N34.04 and in N34.30, and in our List of Ships’ Crews.