Name
James Edward Sharpe
1872
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/02/1916
44
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
Mercantile Marine
S.S. "Duckbridge" (Newcastle)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Mercantile Marine War Medal
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial to the Men and Women of the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleet lost at sea.
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Cheshunt Memorials, Tower Hill Memorial London
Pre War
James Edward Sharpe was born in 1872 in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, son of James Sharpe.
1881 Census records James Jr. aged 8, a schooler at The Edmonton Union School, Chase Side, Edmonton, Middx. No 1891 Census for James Jr. was found.
1901 Census records James aged 27, as Crew, aboard the Grimsby Deep Sea Trawler “Sudero” (GY 219).
James Jr. married Isabella Riescher Russell, of Greenwich, London, the daughter of James Charles Russell, on 7th April 1903, in Cleethorpes, Lincs.
1911 Census, James Jr. (38) is recorded as married to Isabella, his occupation is given as a Fisherman, they have no children, and they are living at, 135 Barcroft Street, Cleethorpes, Lincs.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war James Jr, was still in the Merchant Marine.
On 22nd February 1916, James Jr. was serving aboard “SS DUCKBRIDGE” a British Merchant Ship on route from Cardiff to the Orkney Isles with Welsh steam coal for the British Fleet stationed at Scapa Flow, when she struck a mine 6 miles North of Straithie Point, with the loss of all 19 crew, James Jr. being one of them, his body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London. The mine was laid by the German Merchant Raider “SMS Mowe”.
James Jr. was awarded the Mercantile Marine War Medal & British War medal.
Additional Information
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
