Name
Edward John Newdick
17 April 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
25/05/1915
26
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
233545
Royal Navy
H.M.S. "Triumph"
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Navy Star, British War Medal and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
9
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Baldock Town Memorial, St Mary the Virgin Church Memorial, Baldock
Pre War
Edward John Newdick was born on 17 April 1889 in Baldock, Herts, the son of William and Annie Newdick, and was baptised on 16 June 1889 at Baldock. He was one of four children.
On the 1891 Census the family were living High Street, Baldock, where his father was working as a blacksmith. They remained in High Street in 1901 but his father was then working as a brewery engine driver. His parents were at the same address in 1911 but Edward had joined the Royal Navy in 1905 and, when he reached the age of 18, signed up for 12 years from 1907.
He married Jane Ann Knowels on 30 December 1911 in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Wartime Service
He was a serving sailor at the outbreak of war and had been serving on HMS Triumph, a pre-dreadnought battleship, from 6 August 1914 when it was operating in East Asia as part of the campaign against the German colony at Tsingtao. It was transferred to the Dardanelles in January 1915 and supported the main landing of Anzac forces at Gaba Tepe on 15 April 1915.
Edward was killed in action on 26 May 1915, aged 26, whilst serving on HMS Triumph which was struck by a torpedo fired by German U-boat U-21 off Gaba Tepe. HMS Triumph began to list heavily to starboard and the majority of her crew were evacuated to HMS Chelmer before she capsized 10-15 minutes later and sunk with the loss 78 men.
His body was not recovered for burial and his name is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent.
Additional Information
His widow received a pension of 10 shillings a week from 25 November 1915.
She later remarried to Philip Duffield in Scotland in 1921 and lived at 8 Lily Place, Aberdour, Fifeshire.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Adrian Pitts, Paul Johnson, livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org
