Leading Seaman
Harry Parker
PAIGE
Royal Navy
25
Harry Parker Paige was born in Ketteringham, Northampton on 2 April 1894, the son of Albert Henry Parker Paige (a stockman on a farm) and Louisa Paige (née Brittain).
Harry joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Seaman at HMS IMPREGNABLE on 15 September 1910 and signed on for a twelve year Continuous Service Engagement commencing on 2 April 1912. He trained as a Seaman Torpedoman serving in the cruiser HMS LEVIATHAN from 1 October 1911, briefly in the battleship HMS PRINCE GEORGE from 31 January 1912 and then in the cruiser HMS ANTRIM from 8 March 1912. He then served in the battleship HMS VANGUARD from 10 April 1912 to 26 November 1913. From 13 December 1913 to 26 July 1914 he was in the shore establishment HMS ACTAEON and in the Torpedo School Ship HMS VERNON where he would have completed his Leading Torpedo Operators training and this was followed by a draft to the battleship HMS LORD NELSON from 29 July 1914 to 23 November 1914. He joined the 5,600-ton Cruiser HMS DIDO for the Torpedo Boat Destroyer HMS LUCIFER on 21 January 1915.
Harry Paige joined submarines at HMS DOLPHIN as Able Seaman (LTO) on 13 December 1916. He was married in Portsmouth on 18 April 1917 to Helen Rosina Mabel Paige (née Ward) of Stanley Villas, Library Road, Upper Parkstone, Poole, Dorset. After completion of his Submarine training he was drafted to the Submarine Flotilla Leader HMS FEARLESS ‘for Submarine K1 on Commissioning’ on 1 May 1917. HMS K1 ran aground on 17 June 1917 near Bow Rock off the Orkneys. The Commanding Officer, Charles Stuart Benning, was ‘court martialled’ but was acquitted on the grounds that ‘rats had eaten that portion of his charts of the area.’ On 18 November 1917 HMS K1 was taking part in a ‘sweep’ in the North Sea off the Danish coast led by the cruiser HMS BLONDE with three other K Class submarines of the 12 Submarine Flotilla. When changing over the fuel supplies to K1’s boilers a mistake occurred and sea water extinguished the fires causing steam to the turbines to be lost. With K1 stopped in the water she was hit and damaged on the Port side by the following submarine K4 and began to flood. After discussions it was decided to rescue the Crew of K1 and they were taken by boat to HMS BLONDE. K1 was then sunk by 4-inch gunfire from HMS BLONDE and the flotilla returned to harbour.
Harry Paige then returned to HMS DOLPHIN, before being drafted to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE (9th Submarine Flotilla) at Harwich ‘for Submarine L15’ on 1 May 1918 where he was rated Leading Seaman (LTO) on 15 June 1918, serving in L15 until 24 March 1919.
A volunteer for service with the Royal Australian Navy on 25 March 1919 Harry Paige was ‘loaned to the Royal Australian Navy for three years’ when six ‘J’ Class Submarines were ‘gifted to Australia’ and, according to his RN Service Record, he was drafted to the Submarine Depot Ship HMAS PLATYPUS. His new RAN Service Record shows him drafted to HMAS PLATYPUS ‘for Submarine J4’.
Harry Paige is reported to have died in the Sydney Hospital on 30 September 1919 as the result of a fracture of the base of the skull – it is reported that he was in the Navy House in Sydney when a fall from a balcony caused the injury. He was buried in the Sydney Necropolis at Rookwood on 1 October 1919. His wife later remarried.