BORN HULL 04/08/1884. SON OF ADA AND THE LATE GEORGE ARMITAGE, AT 16 CHURCH STREET, THORNES LANE, WAKEFIELD, , WEST YORKSHIRE (CWGC ADDRESS). HIS NAME IS RECORDED ON HULL’S GILLETT STREET ROLL OF HONOUR (Hull Daily Mail 30 August 1916). ALSO LISTED AS DROWNED ON THE SYKES STREET ROLL OF HONOUR (Hull Daily Mail 09 October 1916)
HE SERVED AS A ROYAL NAVY STOKER ON HMS ‘BLACK PRINCE’. DIED AT SEA, DURING THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND, ON 31/05/1916, AGED 31. COMMEMORATED ON THE PORTSMOUTH NAVY MEMORIAL.
HMS BLACK PRINCE participated in the Battle of Jutland, but her end was a mistery for many years, as she had lost contact with the British fleet. The German account reads that HMS BLACK PRINCE briefly engaged the German battleship RHEINLAND at about 23:35 GMT, scoring two hits with 6-inch shells.
HMS BLACK PRINCE then approached the German lines and she turned away from the German battleships, but it was too late. The German battleship THURINGEN fixed the BLACK PRINCE in her searchlights and opened fire.
Up to five other German ships, including battleships NASSAU, OSTFRIESLAND and FRIEDRICH DER GROSSE joined. BLACK PRINCE was hit by at least twelve heavy shells and several smaller ones and sank within 15 minutes with no surivivors of her 857 complement.
