Name
John Fairclough
19th January 1884
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
22/09/1914
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
203995(C)
Royal Navy
H.M.S "Cressy "
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HELLES MEMORIAL
Panel 101-104
Turkey (including Gallipoli)
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin
Pre War
He was born on the 19th January 1884 in Mossley Hill, Liverpool and was educated at Beachwood, Herts. He was the third son of Thomas and Sarah Fairclough (possibly née Rawlinson). His father came from Mossley Hill, Liverpool. His mother, two sisters and three brothers later lived at 16 Bearton Road, Hitchin.
In 1891 the family were living at Coachman’s Cottage, Cranborne, Dorset. Present were both parents: Thomas (38) and Sarah (41), with Thomas working as a Coachman. Their children were: Thomas (12), Elizabeth (10), Mary (8), John (7), Ellenor (4) and Frederick (2).
John joined the Royal Navy as as a ‘Boy 2nd Class’ on 13 April 1899, when he was 14, with his previous employment given as a gardener. From that date his pre-war service was: H.M.S. Impregnable to 11/1/1900, Ganges 26/4/1900 - promoted to Boy 1st Class on 1/2/1900, Minotaur to 2/10/1900, Agincourt to 6/11/1900, Benbow to 22/8/1900, Vivid to 9/9/1901, Implacable to 8/9/1904 - promoted to Ordinary Seaman 19/1/1902 – at which point he was 18 and signed up for 12-years - he was 5’ 7” tall with black hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion. He was then promoted to Able Seaman 1/10/1903, Wildfire to 5/7/1905, Pembroke 11/8/1905, Amphitrite to 20/2/1907, Cochrane to 17/2/1908, Bacchante to 2/5/1910, Pembroke I to 4/11/1910, Lord Nelson to 30/6/1913, Pembroke I to 18/1/1914. At which point his service was complete, transferring into the Naval Reserve on the 19th January 1914. Throughout his service his character was almost always given as ‘very good’.
After his naval service he was employed at the Phoenix Motor Engineering Works in Letchworth having previously worked as a chauffeur in London.
Wartime Service
He was recalled to full-time service on the outbreak of war in August 1914 and placed in Mess 10 on board H.M.S. ‘Cressy’. His Service Number was 203995(C) and he was a Gunner.
Three old cruisers, ‘Aboukir’, ‘Hogue’ and ‘Cressy’ were about twenty miles north-west of the Hook of Holland They were without destroyer escorts and were protecting Belgium and the cross-Channel route from attack. Lieutenant Otto Weddigen in the German Submarine U-9 sank them in turn by torpedo. After the other two had been attacked, the ‘Cressy’ made a zigzag course in the hope of avoiding being sunk while helping sailors in the water and trying to locate the enemy submarine. At 7.30am the ‘Cressy’ was struck and in five minutes turned over and sank. The ‘Cressy’ lost was 25 officers and 536 men, partly because her boats were away helping survivors from the other two ships. The U-Boat Captain said "All the while the men stayed by their guns looking for their invisible foe. They were brave and true to their country's sea tradition". In three quarters of an hour three large cruisers and 1,400 officers and men had been lost.
Additional Information
His mother, Sarah, was informed of his death when living at 16 Bearton Road, Hitchin.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
