Ahoy - Mac's Web Log

Hi

I'm Jean Allen. 

My Gt Uncle - Horace George Moss, Royal Naval Rating - Signaller J.12422 (CH) was on HMS Pathfinder when she went down on the 5 September 1914 and was one of the ones who did not survive. My great grandmother (who I can remember quite well - she died when I was 13) always expected him to walk through the door and never accepted that he was dead. 

I have managed to download his history from the National Archives - b September 1895 and enrolled May 1911, enrolled 7 September 1913 for 12 years until the final sad entry - Lost in HMS Pathfinder. I have been to Chatham (quite near to where I live) and seen the very impressive war memorial to those lost at sea in the lst World War and found his name mentioned there. I don't know if you have seen it but it is on the highest hill overlooking the dockyard - now of course so very different from when he was based here. 

I have found it hard to find anything out about the Pathfinder, some snippets here and there - I think the most informative was from Wikipedia with a quote by Aldous Huxley who witnessed the explosion. I have found some info on the U boat plus on the Captain.  Would The Times have carried info on the sinking do you think as it was so close to the start of the War?
 
Anyway, I thought you would be interested.
 
Regards.
 
Jean Allen

Hello Jean,
 
Here is your Great Uncle's note from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site, and his Certificate, I note he is recorded on the Chatham Naval Memorial. Here is the URL for that Memorial:
 
http://ww1cemeteries.com/british_cemeteries_memorials/chatham_naval_memorial.htm
 
Best wishes.
 
Mac.

See "Two successful U-Boat Commanders of WW1, Kapittanleutnants Otto Hersing and Lothar von Arnauld de la Periera"

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