Hi Guys, here is another sucess story from my ongoing family history project.
Albert Richard Thompson was my paternal Grandma's eldest brother. He was born 4th November 1884 in St Anns, Nottingham. At the age of 16 he enlisted in the Royal Navy for 12 years.
I have completed my research on him today after purchasing a copy of his service record.
He served on a sucession of training ships. Ironically he finally went to sea on HMS Aboukir on which another relative of mine would later be killed in WW1.
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/ww1-a...1914-a-249592/
In 1907 he bought himself out of the Navy, "Shore by Purchase" as it was known then, returning to civillian work in engineering as an Iron Planer. That year he got married.
In 1914 he was recalled to the Navy and was posted to HMS Good Hope on 13th July 1914. 90% of her crew were Reservists like Albert. HMS Good Hope a Drake class armoured cruiser and was the flag ship of Rear Admiral Cradock. She was sunk by gunfire on 1st November 1914 by the German armoured cruisers SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau off the Chilean Coast during the battle of Coronel, the entire crew, along with Albert, was lost.
The Coronel Memorial - About
Albert left a wfe and 4 children aged between 6 years and a just a few months old.
My Great Grandad had lost his eldest son. Sadly in 1944 he would suffer the loss of his youngest son Sid in another war.....
https://www.warrelics.eu/forum/after...ir-force-1101/
Cheers, Ade.
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