Stoker 1st Class
Ernest
SMITH
Royal Navy
21
Ernest Smith was born in Poplar in London on 7 August 1894, the son of Henry Sherriff Smith (a sign writer) and Sara Mary Smith (née Chipperfield) of 9, Suffolk Street, Poplar. At the time of the 1911 Census, Ernest Smith was listed as a boarder (with his younger brother Frederick) at the home of his grandfather (Edward Chipperfield). Ernest was then employed as a warehouseman for a provisions dealer.
Ernest Smith joined the Royal Navy as Stoker 2nd Class at HMS PEMBROKE at Chatham on 13 January 1913 giving his previous employment as a Ship’s Storekeeper. After New Entry training he was drafted to the battleship HMS QUEEN on 31 May 1913, then to the light cruiser HMS SENTINEL on 14 July 1913 and, a month later, he joined the light cruiser HMS JUNO. On 27 January 1914 he was drafted to the light cruiser HMS PATROL ‘on commissioning’ at Portsmouth.
Stoker 1st Class Ernest Smith joined HMS DOLPHIN ‘for the Submarine course’ on 23 July 1915 and was then drafted to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MAIDSTONE at Harwich on 9 September 1915 and later joined HMS E5.
On 7 March 1916 E5 was on patrol in the North Sea North of Juist Island when it was sighted by a German battle cruiser SMS SEYDLITZ. Some depth charges were dropped – apparently without effect. Later a submarine, believed to be E5, was sighted by German cruiser SMS REGENSBURG further East and close by a German minefield off the West of the Ems River. HMS E5 was not seen again but the cause of her loss is unknown.
Ernest Smith is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial on Panel 17. His Next of Kin was listed as his mother, Sara Mary Smith, then at 73, Spruce Hill, Walthamstow, London.
One Response
K/17473 Stoker 1st Class Ernest Smith was my great uncle. The family came from London and he joined the Royal Navy before the Great War in January 1913. His first ship was HMS Queen, a pre-dreadnought battleship and we have a photo of him in uniform from this time.