Name
James Odell
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Able Seaman
Royal Navy
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pirton School Memorial
Biography
James appears on the School War Memorial, confirming that he attended the school. Parish records suggest only one man of this name who could have served, and he was born on September 18th 1883 to John and Mary Odell (née Dawson). He would have been thirty at the outbreak of war. Baptism records list eleven children: Jane (bapt 1881), James (b 1883), Martha (bapt 1885), Robert (b 1886), Nellie (b 1888), Frank (b 1890), William (1894), Arthur (b 1896), John (b 1898, died at seventeen days), Frederick (b 1899) and Marjorie (b 1902). His brothers Arthur and Frederick served and died in the war and are listed on the Village War Memorial.
For most of John and Mary’s married life, the family lived at number 2 Silver Street, which was part of what is now number 10 or 12 Royal Oak Lane.
The family is shown in the various censuses of 1891, 1901 and 1911 as living near Little Lane, or in Dead Horse Lane - later renamed as Royal Oak Lane. In fact, these could have all been the same house. His brother’s official war records give the address as number two.
The Parish Magazine of September 1915 records that James enlisted in the Royal Navy during 1914 and served on the H.M.S. Galatea., but in fact he had joined the Royal Navy much earlier. The Register of Seamen's Services for James shows that he joined for twelve years on September 18th 1901 at eighteen and that he had been an electrician’s labourer. He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a dark but fresh complexion, he was only 5’ 2” but grew to 5’ 4 ¾”. His records show that he ‘Passed educationally for Petty Officer’ on March 2nd 1909.
The list of the ships he served on before the war is not always easy to read, but seems to include the H.M.S.s: Northampton, Cleopatra, Victory, D(?) of Welent, Hood, Forequeen, Brilliant, Vernon, Barfleur, Duncan, Fisgard, Hecla, Imperieuse, Weymouth and ending in the Royal Fleet Reserve September 19th 1913.
Whether due to the anticipation of war or for other reasons James rejoined H.M.S. Veron on August 2nd 1914, moving to H.M.S Galatea on November 14th. This ship was a light cruiser and, at the time, brand new, having been completed in December 1914. In January 1915, the Parish Magazine records that Miss Helen Davis from Hitchin arranged for the Pirton men who were serving to receive a booklet called ‘The Happy Warrior’, which contained bible thoughts for each day of 1915 and some of the last words of Lord Roberts as the preface. James had written saying, ‘I am very glad that they all think of us at sea.’
The North Herts Mail of June 15th 1916 reported that ‘Able Seaman J Odell of H.M.S. Galatea sent a wire home saying he went through the recent battle in the North Sea The news is very comforting to his relatives and we trust that should there be another scrap he will pull through alright without any injury.‘
His ship is recorded as firing the first salvoes at the Battle of Jutland on May 31st 1916, when she attacked the German light cruiser Elbing.
He stayed with the Galetea until June 1919, when he moved first to the Victory until June 1921 and then to the Thunderer, until June 22nd 1922, when he presumably retired from service.
Acknowledgments
Text from the book ‘The Pride of Pirton’ by Jonty Wild, Tony French & Chris Ryan used with author's permission
