Survivors
There were two groups of survivors from the explosion and sinking. The first, were a group who were on shore leave, in Invergordon, either playing in or watching a football match. The second group were on board HMS Natal and were rescued from the disaster.
In a remarkable piece of administration a list of all the survivors, who were not officers, was created for the Captain of the Fleet, by the Senior Medical Officer of HMHS Plassy. This document survives and is dated 2nd January 1916 and is hand written. This hand written document was transcribed on 3rd January 1916 and also survives.
The original order to HMHS Plassy was as follows:
“From…..Captain of the Fleet, Home Fleets
To…..The Senior Medical Officer, Hospital Ship Plassy
Date…..2 January 1916
No…..H.F.0021/20
“The Commander in Chief would be glad if you would ascertain from the survivors on board “Plassy” their positions in “HMS Natal” at the time of the explosion and if possible forward the same to me today.”
Signed…..L Halsey, Commodore, Captain of the Fleet.”
To this order is attached the hand written list that is signed by Montague L.B. Rodd, Fleet Surgeon, SMO. This list has the same date as the original order and was received on the 3rd January 1916 and was immediately typed up and then countersigned by the Admiral.
The front page of this document is interesting as it indicates the early gathering of information for the Court Martial. The surviving document reads as follows:
“OFFICE COPY
21/HF.0021 3rd January 2001
Survivors from HMS “Natal” – Their positions on board at the time of the explosion.
List showing positions.
“IRON DUKE”
For information, in continuation of submission No. 12/H.F.0021of 1st January 1915(sic.)
Ratings against whose names a X has been placed have been interrogated and may be able to give valuable evidence.
Signed J. R. Jellicoe , Admiral”
The Survivors List of those on board HMS Natal
The following list is a transcription of that created in Home Fleets’ letter 21/H.F.0021 dated 3rd January 1916. It does not include anyone who was at the football match nor any surviving officers.
Those names marked with an X were those who were interrogated as possible sources of information for the Board of Enquiry.
(Abbreviations, spacings and capital letters in the following list are exactly as given in the original document.)
| NAME | RATING | POSITION AT THE TIME OF THE EXPLOSION | |
| W.T.Doneathy | Stoker | Stokers' Bathroom | |
| E.W. Whitten | Stoker | Abreast ship's galley | |
| X | E.W.Veale | Stoker | No 2 Stokehold (when he first heard the noise) |
| X | G.F.Cushing | Sto. P.O. | After boiler room, closing up the double bottom |
| T. Robinson | L. Sto. R.N.R. | Stokers' Bathroom | |
| W.E.Dane | L.Sto. | Forward CO2 Room | |
| W.H.Burrows | Stoker | Inside boiler, 'B' Stokehold | |
| D. Meldrum | Stoker | Mess deck | |
| T. Blakelock | Stoker, R.N.R. | On top of 'B' Boiler | |
| W. Little | Stoker | Head flat | |
| E. Adams | Lg. Sto. | In 'A' Boiler room | |
| F. Hardstone | Mechn. | Chief Stoker's Mess | |
| C.C.Parker | Stoker | Inside No.6 boiler in No. 2 Stokehold | |
| F.H.Skinner | Lg. Sto. | In No. 3 Stokehold | |
| T. Armstrong | Stoker, R.N.R | No. 2 Stokehold | |
| R. Keegan | Stoker | Upper Deck, near Y1 turret, facing aft | |
| J.B.McLennan | Ch.E.R.A. | ERA's Mess, forward of 53 Bulkhead | |
| X | C.T.Cuthbertson | Stoker | Stokehold of 2nd picket boat tied up to the port boom |
| J. Mott | Sto.P.O. | Engineroom of ..do.. | |
| X | A. Perry | Stoker | 1st picket boat, alongside port sea gangway (coaling) |
| X | H. Defroad | Sto. P.O. | ..do.. |
| X | W. Barlow | Stoker | After engine room stores |
| A.J. Picket | Sto. P.O. | 'B' Stokehold | |
| H. Millen | Stoker | Y.2 redoubt | |
| G.R.Dickenson | Sto. P.O. | 'B' Stokehold | |
| Geo. T. Lewis | Painter 2c | Paint Store | |
| X | M. Bransfield | Shipwt. | Main deck, portside, Petty Officer's Mess |
| R. Hilton | Sh. Corpl. | Police Office | |
| R. Willis | Shipwt. | Outside Police Office | |
| X | R. Kent | S.B.A. | Sick Bay |
| H. Henston | Carp. Crew | Fore Shelter deck | |
| X | D.J. Green | Pte, R.M.L.I. | Upper deck,near ladder leading from Quarter Mess Deck |
| A. Penfold | Pte, R.M.L.I | Lamp Room, portside forward | |
| E. Boylan | A.B. | Upper deck, midships, coaling picket boat | |
| G. Heath | P.O. | A.1 Shell Room | |
| X | J. Burgoyne | C.P.O. | Fore Shelter deck, stowing sand locker |
| X | E. Brewin | C.P.O. | Abreast of ventilator(from fore end Marines' |
| Mess Deck) on upper deck aft | |||
| L. Gorbutt | A.B. | In first picket boat alongside port sea gangway | |
| X | H. Finlay | A.B. R.N.R. | ..do.. |
| X | R. Ahearn | Lg. Sea. R.N.R. | ..do.. |
| X | A Schneider | Act Bomb.,R.M.A. | Quarter deck |
| (Corp of the Day) | |||
| X | H.T. Sutton | P.O.1c (Q'master) | On Quarter deck (just going to see the |
| time inside te screen door) | |||
| Geo. Wood | P.O.1c | Upper deck, starb'd side, forward | |
| Albert E. Tate | A.B. | Forecastle turret | |
| Roland C. Cousins | A.B. | Fore gun deck, starb'd side after end | |
| X | A. Runcles | Ord.Sea. | Signal Bridge |
| R. Meredith | Ord.sea. | Fore gun deck, facing aft | |
| Edward Stupple | Ord. Sea. | Maintop mess deck | |
| Stephen Boyer | A.B. | 7.5 inch roller ring, X2 turret | |
| M. Boyle | A.B. | Descending starboard fore shelter ladder | |
| X | James McDade | A.B. | After mess, on quarterdeck mess deck |
| X | Michael Fogarty | A.B. | "I was by the ventilator alongside funnels, alongside the |
| hatch, at voicepipe leading onto aft deck, and asked the | |||
| switch-keeper to break connections for after lights, and | |||
| he sang out 'all right'. The next I heard was a rumbling | |||
| noise, and I saw a flame coming up the after hatchway, | |||
| which caught me and threw me in the air and rolled | |||
| along the upper deck." | |||
| X | Herbert Amlot | A.B. | |
| George Davis | Sail. Mte. | sail room | |
| Charles Maidment | Lg. Sea. | Main deck, starboard side | |
| Arthur Turvey | Ord. | Foretop mess deck | |
| Henry Undey | Ord. | Forecastle shell room | |
| A.B.Mallett | Boy | Upper deck between K1 and A1 turrets | |
| F.S.Raven | A.B. | 43 Mess, Maintop mess deck | |
| Alfred Murray | Ord. | Foretop Mess deck | |
| A.C. Branton | ord. | Quarterdeckmen's Mess | |
| X | H.S.Hanley | P.O.1c | X2 turret |
| A.A.Rendle | A.B. | X2 turret | |
| F.Oldham | A.B. | Y1 turret | |
| E.Meyers | A.B. | Testing searchlights up the foremast | |
| C.R.Wilson | A.B. | Quarterdeckmen's mess | |
| F.W.Edmunds | Lg.Sig. | Decoding office, starboard side | |
| H.Boughen | A.B. | Fore shelter deck, starboard side | |
| F.Cassidy | A.B. | Outside A.1 turret | |
| X | W. Barken | boy | Fore end of quarterdeck |
| A.H.Sawyer | Sign. | Fore shelter deck | |
| W.H.Stock | Lg. Sea. | Foretopmen's mess | |
| D. Cock | A.B. | Maintopmen's mess, starboard side | |
| S.C.Fairservice | Ord. | Maintopmen's mess deck | |
| E.D.Pemberton | Ord. | By B.1 turret | |
| W.E.Wright | A.B. | Between bathroom flat and head flat | |
| A.T.Hickson | Ord. | Foretop Mess | |
| X | P. Golden | P.O.1c | Outside P.O.'s mess, maintop mess deck |
| X | R.C.Lewis | Lg. Sea. | Between two 7.5's, starboard battery |
| M.H.Kemp | A.B. | Head flat | |
| D.J.Thomas | Ord. | Outside A.1 turret | |
| A.Day | Boy | By after ash hoist | |
| J. Brennan | A.B. | Forecastle | |
| G.H.Morris | A.B. | Fore gun deck | |
| A.F.Bessant | A.B. | In armourer's shop, starboard side | |
| G. Poole | A.B. | Maintop mess deck | |
| A.C.Smith | Ord. | After shelter deck, descending from searchlight | |
| J.F.Plummer | Boy Tel. | Starboard side aft | |
| C. Milne | Boy | In Main top | |
| H. Shelford | Ord. Tel. | On after shelter deck | |
| W.F.Chandler | C.P.O. | Armament Office | |
| R.C.Wilson | Yeoman | Foreshelter deck | |
| L.Kirby | A.B. | Maintop mess deck,aft | |
| F. Blakeley | Boy | Coaling, 1st picket boat, port side | |
| C.J.Morris | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| D. Hughes | Ord. | Forward 9.2"space shell room | |
| H.Crawshaw | A.B. | Upper deck,starboard side,forward | |
| Godwin | A.B. | Upper deck,near starboard after 7.5" turret | |
| Parris | Lg.Sto. | Upper deck aft | |
| Morris | Gunner R.M.A. | Upper deck near starboard 9.2" turret | |
| X | Goode | P.O.1c | Upper deck amidships |
| Edward Illsley | Car. Crew | ..do.. | |
| Symes | Stoker | Upper deck, forward | |
| Potter | A.B., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Strotten | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| James Hunt | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| Letten | Stoker | Messdeck, forward | |
| Lindsay | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Newman | Lg. Sto. | ..do.. | |
| Smith | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Whatley | Lg.Sea. | ..do.. | |
| Rugg | Sto., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Channing | Ord. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| McKernan | Stoker, R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Gunton | Lg. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| X | Milton | P.O.1c | ..do.. (Captain's Coxwain) |
| Ernest Brittain | A.B., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Ern. A. Curle | Ord. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| Edward Gorringe | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Hine, Walter | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Coleman, Thomas | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Bullock, Geo. | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Richard Saunders | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Reginald King | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Walter Goldsmith | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Cecil J. Marshall | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Robert F. Worth | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Robert Manaton | H.A.A. | ..do.. | |
| Walter Garrett | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Henry Barr | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Reginald Dawe | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Campbell, Herbert | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Plummer, Wm. C. | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Townsend, F.S. | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Bendall, Walter | Ord. Sea | ..do.. | |
| Osborne, Samuel | Ord. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| William S. Rust | Lg. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| George Burman | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Norman Hammond | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Fox,H.E. | Teleg. | ..do.. | |
| Northan, Henry | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Fredk.W.Brush | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Fredk. J.Alabaster | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| William Perrett | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Edwd.L.Hardy | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Ernest V. Henson | Sign. | ..do.. | |
| Arthur Holland | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Harry Powsett | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Fredk.Wray | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Wm. Taylor | Lg. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| John H. Muers | Sto.R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Alex.Carlton | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Patrick Cronin | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Fred. H. Wistow | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Christopher Magee | Sto., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Robt. Borthwick | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Fredr.T.Merrick | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Walter T. Martin | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| James Travis | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Geo. Norton | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Fredk. Stephenson | Cooks mate | ..do.. | |
| William Sanders | Cooks mate | ..do.. | |
| Edward Wheatley | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Gilbert Pearse | Cooks mate | ..do.. | |
| James Bell | Sto., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Harry Keyzoy | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Herbert Winson | G.M.A. | ..do.. | |
| Henry J. Ward | Mechn. | ..do.. | |
| Alfred J. Beeney | Mechn. | ..do.. | |
| Geo. Beckerson | Mechn. | ..do.. | |
| Bert J. Turner | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Leonard Sheerwood | Canteen Server | ..do.. | |
| Robert Walsh | Stoker, R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Richard Coldrick | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Harold E. Wisbey | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Frank Clark | Lg. Sto. | ..do.. | |
| Charles Brunson | Lg.Sto., R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Leonard Anderson | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Percy Goldsmith | Blacksmith's mate | ..do.. | |
| Dean | O.S. | Mess deck, aft | |
| Key | S.S.A. | ..do.. | |
| X | Nicholson | Lg.Sea. | ..do.. |
| Burns | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Skelton | Boy | ..do.. | |
| X | Gates | P.O.1c | ..do.. |
| Sreadman | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| Brown | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Marsh | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| X | Stone | P.O.1c | ..do.. |
| Prior | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Beenan | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Robert Scott | Boy | ..do.. | |
| Walter Johnson | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| William Coombes | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| X | James Read | S.B.O. | ..do.. |
| John Lombard | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| John E. George | Lg.Sto. | ..do.. | |
| X | Henry A. Brunger | P.O.1c | ..do.. |
| John Enever | Boy | ..do.. | |
| William Hawes | Boy | ..do.. | |
| William Penner | Boy Tel. | ..do.. | |
| X | George Boynton | P.O.1c | ..do.. |
| John S. Rouse | Boy | ..do.. | |
| Alex Sked | Boy | ..do.. | |
| X | William Walker | P.O.1c | ..do.. |
| George White | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Anderson | Stoker, R.N.R. | Stokehold | |
| Wardhopper | Stoker, R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Parkin | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Shennin | Stoker, R.N.R/ | ..do.. | |
| George Fenton | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| A.G.Smith | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Thomas Taylorson | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| C. Wellburn | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Lance Bell | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Samuel Nelson | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Arthur Bostock | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Thomas Holt | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Thomas Kelvie | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Chas.J.Penton | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| X | Harry Nowell | Lg. Sto. | ..do.. |
| Robert Palliser | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Robert Clint | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Sidney Redrupp | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| George Healey | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| X | Wm. A. Saunders | Electn. | ..do.. |
| Jas. E. Rogers | Lg. Sto. | ..do.. | |
| John F. Kerns | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Frank Richardson | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| Thomas Arkle | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Jas. E. Houghton | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| Tighe, Edward A. | Lg. Sto. | ..do.. | |
| Alfred Owen | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| James Summerball | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| X | Arthur Hawkins | S.P.O. | ..do.. |
| James Hewitt | Stoker | ..do.. | |
| John Todd | Sto. R.N.R. | ..do.. | |
| X | Bowell | S.B.A. | Sick Bay |
| James Williams | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| X | Hughes | Boy | Signal Bridge |
| Brown | Stoker | Capstan Flat | |
| Savage | P.O.1c | Fore shelter deck | |
| Staff | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Matlocks | E.R.A. | Workshops | |
| Arthur Kelly | Arm. Crew | Workshops, U.D., forward | |
| X | Turner | Ch.Sto. | Torpedo Flat |
| Floydd | A.B., R.N.V.R. | Shell room passages | |
| Ernest Sanders | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| Charles Nugent | Ord. Tel. | ..do.. | |
| Robert H. May | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| X | Hy. Chas. Randall | Sergt. R.M.A. | Marines Messdeck |
| Charles Blow | Plumber | ..do.. | |
| Malcolm McBurney | O.S. | Shell room, forward | |
| Percy Howard | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| William Cardy | Lg.Sea. | ..do.. | |
| Fredrick Lidstone | Lg. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| James Hy. Turner | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| William Hy. King | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| Arthur Bird | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| Chas.Hy. Port | P.O.1c | ..do.. | |
| David Milne | Ldg. Sea. | ..do.. | |
| James Hy. Colley | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| William Aldridge | O.S. | ..do.. | |
| Leslie Pantony | O.S. | Boatswain's Store | |
| William Bolton | A.B. | ..do.. | |
| David Mort | A.B. | Carpenter's Store | |
| Alfred Draper | Stoker, R.N.R. | Bilges |