(Image: Imperial War Museum)

Arthur Forbes was born on 5 May 1892, the eldest son of Captain W B Forbes and Mrs Helen A Forbes of Rathwade, Bagenalstown, Ireland and joined the Royal Navy as a Cadet in September 1904. After time in the battleship HMS LORD NELSON, he joined submarines as a Sub Lieutenant in October 1913.

Promoted to Lieutenant in February 1914, he went to Hong Kong as First Lieutenant of HMS C37 in June of the same year. Forbes’ next submarine appointment was as First Lieutenant of E42 in April 1916. In August 1916 came his first command, that of HMS C7. He was awarded the DSO for the claimed sinking of a U-Boat, but, after the War, it was established that the U-Boat had not in fact been sunk. Nevertheless, his citation for the award stated:

Torpedoed a German Submarine on 5th April 1917. Their Lordships’ appreciation expressed to officers and men for the way in which they carried out their duties.

Arthur Forbes was appointed in command of H5 in June 1917. On the morning of Saturday 2 March 1918, the submarine was on passage for a patrol in the Irish Sea, when she was sighted crossing the bows of a steamer, the SS Rutherglen. The Captain of the Rutherglen believed that he had come across a U-Boat and he rammed H5, resulting in the loss of all the crew.

Arthur Forbes was the husband of Betty Forbes (née Sukerland) and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval War Memorial on Panel No. 28.