Thomas and Ann Monk, 17 Olive Street, Aberavon, Port Talbot
Date of death
30 September 1918 (Aged 31)
Grave
23.7 Port Talbot (Holy Cross) Churchyard, Wales
Other Memorials
Inverkeithing Memorial
Other Information
HMS Cumberland was an armoured cruiser which spent most of the war on convoy escort duties.
HMS Cumberland
The ship had 32 Belleville water tube boilers to be stoked.
Fred appears in the Census 1911 at Simpson’s Cottage, North Queensferry, aged (24) born England, Loco Engine Driver, Naval Base Works, living with Brother-in-law Charles Haycroft who was also a Loco Driver. Fred joined the navy for “Hostilities Only” on 7 March 1918.
He was 5 feet 7 ½ inches tall, with fair hair and grey eyes and had suffered the amputation of the fourth finger of his left hand. After brief training at RN Barracks Devonport, he joined his ship.
He died in Mill Road Hospital, Liverpool of Influenza. A Petty Officer, another Stoker and a Royal Marine from the ship all died the same day.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Census 1911
National Archives. Service Record BT 3777/7/25916
National Archives. Record of Service ADM 188/965/49994> www.naval-history.net
Brian Armstrong
Alex Morris
Here dead we lie, Because we did not choose
To live and shame the land, From which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, Is nothing much to lose,
But young men think it is, And we were young.
[Here Dead We Lie, A.E. Housman]
When You Go Home,
Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow,
We gave our Today
[Kohima, attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds]
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
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