BORN HULL 09/01/1887. SON OF HENRY & ELIZABETH SMITH.
HIS WIFE, VICTORIA (RINGER), LIVED AT 59, EASTBOURNE STREET AND 6, ST MARYS WALK, REDBOURNE STREET, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). DROWNED ON THE TRAWLER, “EMLEY”, WHICH STRUCK A MINE, ON 28/04/1918. HIS BROTHER, FRED, GRIMSBY CHUMS, DIED OF WOUNDS A WEEK BEFORE ON 21/04/1918, AGED 31.
BOTH BROTHERS ARE LISTED ON THE ST JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH MEMORIAL, NEWINGTON, HULL.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 06/05/1918.
HMT Emley, built by Cochrane & Sons Ltd., Selby in 1911 and operated at the time of her loss by Royal Navy, was a British navy trawler of 223 tons. On April 28th, 1918, HMT Emley was sunk by a mine from the German submarine UC-40 (Hermann Menzel), off Ilse of May. 8 persons were lost.
At the time of loss the EMLEY was hired to the Admiraty for war service as a mine-sweeper. On the 07/03/1918 the vessel was sold to Hull steam Fishing & Ice Co. Ltd., Hull.
PEOPLE ON BOARD HMT EMLEY123
COLLEY, ROBERT , Trimmer (no. 7801TS), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
FITZPATRICK, GEORGE WILLIAM , Deck Hand (no. 9198DA), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
MACDONALD, JOHN (20), Leading Deck Hand (no. 14142DA), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Son of Donald Macdonald, of 2, Upper Garrabost, Stornoway, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
MASSIE, JAMES MUNRO , Engineman (no. 14TS), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
SMITH, HERBERT HENRY , Deck Hand (no. 2327DA), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
TAIT, ARTHUR LAING , Deck Hand (no. 1142SD), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
TUNNAH, ROBERT , Trimmer (no. 5471TS), H.M. Trawler Emley, Royal Naval Reserve, 28/04/1918, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
