Able Seaman J/19371 Peter Forsyth

The St Helens Newspaper & Advertiser
Courtesy Ste M

Regiment/Unit: Royal Navy - H.M.S.'Pathfinder'
Theatre of War: At sea

Age at death: 19
Date of death: 5th of September 1914 (Saturday)
Born: St Helens, Lancs
Resided: St Helens, Lancs
Burial / Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial - 2.

BMD details:
Birth Date:16/07/1895

Family details:
Son of Robert King Forsyth and Martha Ann Forsyth, of 19, Carlow St., Toll Bar, St. Helens.

Census details:
1901 - 5 years old Peter is living at 126 Argyl Street, St Helens with parents Robert (36), Martha (33) and five siblings: Ethel (11), Joseph (8), Lily (7), Stanley (3), Stella (1). 1911 - Sees 15 years old 'Shop Assistant' Peter living at 64 Cambridge Road, St Helens with parents Robert (46), Martha Ann (43) and six siblings: Joseph Raynor (18), Stanley (13), Stella (12), Lily (17), Gladys (10), Emmie (4). Also at the address is Ann Reynor (82).

Notes:
[url=lmem.php?lmem=20]Remembered on St John the Evangelist, Ravenhead War Memorial[/url] [url=/lmem.php?lmem=37]Also Remembered on Thatto Heath Council School Memorial[/url]

[pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/HMS_Pathfinder_zps2862dba6.jpg[/pic][caption]HMS Pathfinder[/caption] HMS Pathfinder was the lead ship of the Pathfinder class scout cruisers, and was the first ship ever to be sunk by a torpedo fired by submarine. She was built by Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, launched on 16 July 1904, and commissioned on 18 July 1905. She was originally to have been named HMS Fastnet, but was renamed prior to construction. Pathfinder spent her early career with the Atlantic Fleet, Channel Fleet (1906) and then the Home Fleet (1907). At the start of the First World War she was part of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla, in the Firth of Forth. Pathfinder was sunk off St. Abbs Head, Berwickshire, Scotland, on Saturday 5 September 1914 by the German U-21, commanded by Leutnant zur See Otto Hersing. Typical of the scout cruisers' poor endurance, she was so short of coal whilst on patrol that she could only manage a speed of 5 knots, making her an easy target. The ship was struck in a magazine, which exploded causing the ship to sink within minutes with the loss of 259 men. There were 11 survivors. [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/Forsyth_Peter_RN.jpg[/pic][caption]The St Helens Reporter - Courtesy Ste M[/caption] [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/J19371_Peter_Forsyth_zps3fbc8a29.png[/pic] [pic]imgs/WW1_memorials/ChathamMemorialpanel02.png[/pic][caption]The panel on the Chatham Naval Memorial bearing the inscription for Able Seaman Peter Forsyth ([url=http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=11429.0]Image Courtesy Of Bobdonk[/url])[/caption]