Able Seaman J/17342 James Brown

Family details:
Son of William and Fanny M. Brown, of 12, New Cross St., St. Helens, Lancs.

Census details:
1901 - 6 years old James is living at 80 Ormskirk Street, St Helens with parents William (30), Fanny (29) and two siblings: Mary E (3), William (6 Mths). 1911 - Sees 16 years old 'Apprentice Butcher' James living at 12 New Cross Street, St Helens with parents William (41), Fanny (40) and four siblings: Mary E (13), Edith (4), Annie (3), Alice (1).

[pic]imgs/WW1_misc/Brown_J_RN.jpg[/pic][caption]Image Courtesy of Ste M.[/caption] [pic]imgs/WW1_misc/BrownJames_RN.jpg[/pic][caption]The St Helens Reporter - Courtesy Ste M[/caption] [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/HMS_Warrior_zpsbdf49554.jpg[/pic][caption]HMS WARRIOR[/caption] HMS Warrior was a Duke of Edinburgh Class armoured cruiser weighing 14,500 Tons. Warrior was launched in 1905 as the first of four armoured cruisers in her class War Service. Warrior was transferred to the Ist Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet, She was engaged in the pursuit of the German battlecruiser Goeben and light cruiser Breslau at the outbreak of World War I, but was ordered not to engage them. Warrior participated in the Allied sweep which led to the sinking of the Austro-Hungarian Light Cruiser SMA Zenta at the Battle of Antivari in August 1914. A few days later she was ordered to Suez to defend the CANAL against any Turkish attack and remained there until 6 November when she was ordered to Gibraltar to join a squadron of French and British ship to search for German warships still at sea off the African coast. Warrior joined the Grand Fleet in December 1914 and was assigned to the Ist Cruiser Squadron. Jutland. On the 31st May 1916, the 1st Cruiser Squadron was in front of the Grand Fleet, on the right side. At 5:47 p.m., The squadron flagship, HMS Defence, and Warrior spotted the German 2nd Scouting Group and opened fire. Their shells felt short and the two ships turned to port in pursuit, cutting in front of the battlecruiser HMS Lion, which was forced to turn away to avoid a collision. Shortly afterwards they spotted the disabled German light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden and closed to engage. When the two ships reached a range of 5,500 yards from Wiesbaden they were spotted in turn at 6:05 by the German battlecruiser SMS Derfflinger and four battleships who were less than 8,000 yards away. The fire from the German ships was heavy and Defence blew up at 6:20. Warrior was hit by at least fifteen 28-centimetre (11 in) and six 15-centimetre (5.9 in) shells, but was saved when the German ships switched their fire to the battleship HMS Warspite when its steering jammed and caused Warspite to make two complete circles within direct sight of the High Seas Fleet. Warrior was heavily damaged by the German shells, which caused large fires and heavy flooding, although her engines continued running for long enough to allow her to withdraw to the west. She was taken in tow by the seaplane tender HMS Engadine who took off her surviving crew of 743. She was abandoned in a rising sea at 08:25 a.m. on 1st June when her upper deck was only 4 feet above the water, and subsequently floundered. Engadine being a much smaller ship had considerable difficulty in manovering her. Warrior suffered 98 Casualties at the Battle of Jutland, including Able Seaman James Brown who was buried at Sea. (Researched by Jeff Keenan) [center][pic2]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/J17342_James_Brown_zpsba1d712d.jpg[/pic2][/center][caption]The panel on the Plymouth Naval Memorial bearing the name of Able Seaman James Brown[/caption]