Able Seaman
Percival John
WHITE
Royal Navy
39
Percy White was born in Newport, Isle of White, on 11 May 1901, the son of William Thomas and Florence Louisa White. Before joining the Royal Navy he is recorded as having been a milkman.
He joined the Royal Navy at HMS IMPREGNABLE as a Boy Seaman on 19 November 1915, with his year of birth being recorded as 1900, which would have made him appear to be 15 on joining. He was rated Ordinary Seaman on 11 November 1917 and Able Seaman on 9 May 1918. He saw sea service in HMS DIDO, EURYALUS, CADMUS, COLOMBO and WARSPITE over the next 12 years.
Percy joined HMS DOLPHIN for submarine training in July 1932 and was then drafted to HMS MEDWAY for HMS PERSEUS in December 1932. He served in HMS NARWHAL from May 1938 and joined HMS SNAPPER on 1 January 1939.
He died when SNAPPER was lost with all hands, probably on the night of 10 February 1941, leaving a widow, Constance Gladys White (née Moore) whom he had married in 1924, and a son Colin Jack White, He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 50.
One Response
Percy White was the Grandfather I never knew. My father Colin Jack White died in Apr 2004, he didn’t talk much about losing his father, but I remember vividly him describing how, as teenage boys would, he had a chart of all the ships of the fleet and he would cross off the names as they were lost. He told me how he crossed each of the S Class off one by one knowing Snapper would inevitably be lost. My Dad went on to become the Chief Shipwright in HMS Belfast during the Korean War (if you visit HMS Belfast look for the toolbox in the Shipwright’s workshop with the initials CJW on the top). Following in my forebears’ footsteps I joined the RN on 7 Sep 1973 and in 1981 followed my Grandfather into the Submarine Service, serving as Polaris Weapon Engineer Office for 5 deterrent patrols in HMS Revenge (Port Crew) and later for 3 deterrent patrols as Weapons Engineer Officer in HMS Resolution (Starboard Crew). Away on patrol I would sometimes think of my Grandfather and how some things in submarines had changed but others had not. Percy White may have died over 80 years ago but the effect of his loss is still felt to this day and that’s why we should remember them all and keep their stories alive for those that follow us. Once a Submariner, always a Submariner.