D.S.C. for Plucky Yarmouth Skipper
Eastern Daily Press, Saturday, September 23rd, 1916
D.S.C. FOR PLUCKY YARMOUTH SKIPPER
Skipper F.G. Harris, R.N.R, of Waveney Road, Southtown, Yarmouth, has been honoured by the award of the D.S.C. The official intimation states – “Skipper Harris showed most seamanlike qualities on the occasion of the attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on July 9th, 1916. He went to the assistance of the damaged drifters, took them in tow, and brought them safely into harbour.” Skipper Harris, R.N.R., D.S.C., has been a master of fishing boats out of Yarmouth for several years, and joined the Trawler Section, R.N.R., in February 1915. About a year ago he was sent to the Mediterranean, where he has been engaged coping with Austrian and German submarines, and has done good work, which is now crowned by this official recognition.
Skipper Harris appears to have survived the war as there is no likely candidate on the Commonwealth War Graves database.
The Royal Naval Reserve Service Records catalogue at the National Archive gives one likely candidate and one possible candidate.
The likely candidate is Frederick George Harris, Service Number WSA 1147, who was born Gorleston, Suffolk on the 2nd August 1881.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8586153
The other, more unlikely, candidate is a Frank Gillard Harris, service number B 7878 who was born Brixham, Devon on the 8th April 1901.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8489909
He also appears under service number A 12768, same date and place of birth.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8471151
And with service number C 7047, same date and place of birth.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8499043
I’ve included him for completeness, but given his youth at the time that news of the DSC award was published I cannot see him as a man who, “has been a master of fishing boats out of Yarmouth for several years”
From a piece in the Great Yarmouth Mercury of responses to an article on the fishermen of the town. One item that brought in a number of comments was about a pleasure cruiser, the Golden Galleon.
The rusting hulk of the pleasure craft was broken up at St Olaves when her current owner could not be traced, and she was threatening to be a danger to navigation. “What a shame the Golden Galleon came to such a sad end,” comments Robert Keenan.
Mrs Gibbs had sent me snaps of people enjoying a cruise on the Golden Galleon and one of a uniformed man on the quayside, asking if anyone could identify them. That resulted in Penny Bailey reporting: “My husband and brother-in-law are fairly certain that the photo of the elderly gent in a captain’s hat was their grandfather, Frederick George Harris DSC, GSM (1884-1954) who lived on Anson Road and skippered the Galleon when they were children, so that was probably in the very late 1940s/early 1950s.
“Mr Harris’s father-in-law was Alfred George Crisp who was coxswain of the Elizabeth Simpson lifeboat. I have seen her logbook and Alfred’s brother was also a coxswain. The logbook used to be in the Maritime Museum archive so I expect it is now at the Time and Tide.”
(The remainder of the article mixes up Alfred Crisp and Frederick Harris, but at the end the citation quoted for “Mr Crisp” of an award from the King of Serbia uses the same wording and references the same action as that for which Frederick Harris received his Distinguished Service Cross.)
Unfortunately I could not track down the original article on-line which contained the quayside picture.
Note also the year of birth discrepancy – the article states 1884 while his Naval Reserve records show 1881.
Birth
Until 1891 the town of Gorleston was in the Mutford District, transferring then to the Yarmouth District. I could not find the birth of either a Frederick or George Harris registered in the Mutford District between the start of 1880 and the end of 1884. (NB a John Gladen Harris was registered in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1881.)
Looking at the Yarmouth District there was a birth registered of a George William in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1881.
Going back to the Mutford District and bearing in mind that a birth had to be registered with the Civil Authorities within 42 days, (or face a criminal prosecution and fine), then the only Frederick Georges’ are Lewis, (July to September 1881) and Mann and Watson, (October to December 1881).
Strangely I couldn’t find a birth for an Ethel \ Ethel May either. (See below – an Ethel Harris born c1887\88 is the nearest thing to a commonality in the 1901 and 1911 censuses.)
Other family baptisms
I couldn’t find a baptism for Frederick recorded online but I could find the following at St. Andrew, Gorleston.
Charles Frederick Gladdon Harris, born 1st January 1878, baptised 12th May 1878. Only a mothers name is shown – Elizabeth Harris.
freereg2.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5670cf31f493fd4a73...
Going on the details from the 1911 census, the most likely marriage of his parents took place at St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth, on the 7th November 1877. A John Gladden Harris, aged 30 and a Bachelor, married Elizabeth Mary Rundall King, aged 28 and a Spinster. John was a Fisherman, living at St Nicholas Road. His father, William Gladden Harris, was a Barber. Elizabeth also lived on St Nicholas Road and her father was Charles King, Pilot. Witnesses were a William and Amelia Aggs.
freereg2.freereg.org.uk/search_records/55106b0fe93790332e...
1891 Census of England and Wales
No obvious match for the couple and their son but I will throw one census entry into the mix. Up until the 1911 census, the returns were actually completed by a census taker, who would go door to door. My understanding is that they would take notes and then write up the actual census schedule. Dealing with a large number of individuals, some of whom could neither read or write or have documented evidence of key factual pieces of information, it is inevitable, before you even introduce the complication of local accents, that incorrect information would be recorded – plus many people probably wanted to get the census taker off their doorstep asap, especially if he was accompanied by a couple of constables.
The census taker would then have four weeks to check any queries and then formally write up the census schedule. Some did this more diligently than others – some returns, complete with coffee stains, are reminiscent of homework done at the last moment.
The upshot of that is the Harrison family, recorded at 86, High Street, Gorleston. If the details recorded on the wedding and baptism above and the information from the 1901 and 1911 censuses below do indeed reflect the individual members of the Harris family, then the make up of the Harrison family seem to tie right in.
Head is John, aged 43, a Sailor from Lowestoft.
His wife is Elizabeth, aged 43 and born Gorleston.
Their children are:-
Charles………aged 13……..born Gorleston
John………….aged 10……..born Gorleston
Fredk…………aged 7………born Gorleston
Earnest……….aged 6………born Gorleston
Ethel…………aged 3……….born Gorleston
1901 Census of England and Wales
The 19 year old Fred, born Gorleston, Suffolk, single and a Fisherman-Deck Hand, was recorded living at 7 Leandels (? – tbc) Buildings, Gorleston, (after 8 & 9 which would have been other flats, the next address on the schedule is 1 Pier Plain while the ones before it are on Bell’s Marsh Road.)
This was the household of his married mother, Elizabeth L Harris, aged 53 and born Gorleston. Her other children still living at home are Ernest, (16, Fisherman-Deck Hand, born Gorleston) and Ethel, (13, born Gorleston).
1905 Marriage
The marriage of a Frederick George Harris to a Gertrude Sarah Crisp was recorded in the Yarmouth District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1905.
(Note – the Great Yarmouth Mercury article states Frederick died in 1954. The executor of Freds estate was an Ada Kezia Fuller, wife of Percy Charles Fuller. Assuming Ada was likely to be his child I looked for the birth of an Ada Kezia Harris anywhere in England and Wales and without any time constraints. The only one I found was born in the Yarmouth District in 1905, (see next entry). Checking the 1911 Census for England and Wales for an Ada Harris, born c1905, produces only one entry, living with mother Gertrude, who has been married 6 years. (See entry below). A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Marriages for England and Wales produces only one possible match for the marriage of a Frederick Harris to a Gertrude – this one.)
1905 – birth of daughter Ada
The birth of an Ada Kezia Harris was registered in the Yarmouth District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1905
1907 – birth of son Alfred
The birth of an Alfred George G Harris was registered in the Yarmouth District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1907.
1908 – birth of daughter Winifred
Two possibles – both recorded in the Yarmouth District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1908 – Winifred Evelyn and Winifred Maud.
1911 Census of England and Wales
There is no obvious match for Fred or his mother, although there is potentially a candidate for Elizabeth. There is a 61 year old Elizabeth Mary, born Gorleston, who was recorded living with her husband, John Gladen Harris, (aged 63, General Labourer, born Lowestoft). The couple have been married 33 years and have had 5 children, all then still alive. Living with them are their daughter Ethel May, (aged 23 and a Machinist at a Clothing Factory, born Gorleston.)
There would a strong likelihood that Fred might have been at sea and so missed the census – indeed he may, like so many others, have chosen deliberately to have sailed to avoid it.
The most likely candidate for his wife is a 24 year old Gertrude Harris, born Gorleston and married 6 years. Gertrude states she and her husband have had 3 children, all then still alive. She is the only adult in the household, at 6 Bells Road, Gorleston, but describes herself as the wife of the head of household. Living with her are her three children Ada, (5), Alfred, (4) and Winifred, (2), all born Gorleston.
Post August 1911 it became compulsory when registering a birth with the Civil Authorities in England and Wales to also record the mothers maiden name. While the combination of children being registered with the surname Harris, mothers maiden Crisp isn’t uncommon, there are few registered in the early years of the new process that are worth high-lighting as potential children of Frederick and Gertrude as the registrations are in the Yarmouth District.
Q3 1911………Cissie G
Q3 1915………Frederick H
Q1 1918………Frederick
Q1 1921………George A.
Q2 1923………Lewis R
The Great War
The citation for his DSC appeared in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 6th September 1916. Two other citations for the same action are on the same page.
Act.Lieut. Frank Stewart Lofthouse, R.N.R.
Lieut.Lofthouse showed admirable presence of mind on the occasion of the attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on the 9th July 1916. When the cruiser opened fire on his drifter at point-blank range, this officer immediately ordered the crew to put on lifebelts, and immediately went to the wireless apparatus himself and twice sent out a message as to the presence of the cruiser. Whilst he was sending this message three shots hit the ship. He then came on deck and, finding his ship was sinking, he got his crew overboard and by his example and behaviour kept them together until they were picked up six hours later.
Skipper James Ritchie, R.N.R., 1271 W.S.A.
Skipper Ritchie behaved in an admirable manner and displayed great coolness under fire on the occasion of an attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on the 9th July 1916. He was instrumental in saving many lives by taking his drifter alongside damaged drifters and by picking up men who were in the water.
www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29736/supplement/8768/d...
This was more than just an attack on a group of drifters but one of a series of attacks designed to break the Otranto Barrage in the Adriatic.
The Wikipedia article gives the background.
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Greek side of the Adriatic Sea in the First World War. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations there. The blockade, or rather the fleet capital ships in support of it, was effective in preventing surface ships from escaping the Adriatic, but it had little or no effect on the submarines based at Cattaro.
The Adriatic is 72 km (39 nmi; 45 mi) wide at the Otranto Straits. The blockade consisted mainly of a fleet of drifters, most of them British, and usually armed with a 6-pounder gun and depth charges. In 1915 when the blockade was begun, two divisions of 20 would be on patrol at a time, equipped with steel indicator nets intended to trap submarines or at least alert the surface vessels to their presence. A third division would be at Brindisi. The drifters were supported by destroyers and aircraft. However, the demands of the Gallipoli Campaign and other naval operations left the Otranto Barrage with insufficient resources to deter the U-boats, and only the Austro-Hungarian U-6 was caught by the indicator nets during the course of the war. It was later considered that the straits had simply been too wide to be netted, mined or patrolled effectively.
The ease with which German and Austrian submarines continued out of the Austro-Hungarian ports in spite of the barrage (and the success they had in disrupting shipping in the whole of the Mediterranean) strongly embarrassed the Allies, the system being called "a large sieve through which U-boats could pass with impunity". In 1917–1918, reinforcements from the Australian and American navies brought the blockading force up to 35 destroyers, 52 drifters and more than 100 other vessels. But submarines continued to slip through until the end of the war, while only the introduction of the convoy system and better coordination amongst the Allies helped to cut the losses they were causing
The Austrians mounted a number of nighttime raids against the barrage, five in 1915, nine in 1916 and ten in 1917. After a raid by four Huszár-class destroyers in December 1916, a conference in London concluded that the drifters were insufficiently defended
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto_Barrage
On the 30th August 1915, the British Admiralty issued orders for 60 drifters to be prepared to leave for the Adriatic as soon as possible. These were crewed primarily by fishermen, with divisional officers from the Royal Naval Reserve. Not used to military discipline, the naval officers initially despaired of their charges, though they improved rapidly. Lieutenant M.E. Cochrane, the second in command, commented that “the human material was of the best … it needed only a period of polishing before it would shine with exceptional lustre.”
The first drifters arrived at Taranto on the 22nd September, evidently without warning. Rear Admiral Cecil Thursby complained, “You can imagine my surprise when suddenly 60 drifters were dumped on me with no organisation, provisions, stores or anything else.” The drifters were organised into three divisions of 20. At any one time, two divisions would be deployed with their nets, while the third would be in Brindisi. Two drifters from each division would be at a subsidiary base at Taranto for docking, boiler cleaning, and repairs. The Italians provided a pair of merchant ships (Gallipoli and Adratico) and a small auxiliary steamer (Mazzini), which was armed with three six-pounders and used for inspections, mail delivery, etc. When they arrived, the drifters had no armament, although Thursby worked to acquire some. On the 12th October, Restore was sunk by the German U39, graphically illustrating the need to provide some form of self-defence. By the 8th November all the drifters were armed, typically with 47mm or 57mm guns and a few three-pounders.
Each trawler carried a series of light steel indicator nets anchored to the sea bed at various depths. These were intended to capture enemy submarines by entanglement, though this rarely worked in practice. Thursby complained that he did not have sufficient drifters, and during winter boats often had to take shelter and nets were lost. On the 15th November 1915, the Admiralty dispatched a further 40 drifters, which began to arrive on the 7th December. Warships and aircraft supported the drifters, though at various times during the war other priorities meant that very few warships could be spared for this duty.
After an Italian cruiser and French destroyer were lost in June 1916, the Italians stopped using cruisers during daylight, leaving destroyers to protect the Barrage. In July, the Austro-Hungarians raided the line, sinking two drifters, damaging two more and taking nine prisoners.
www.russellphillipsbooks.co.uk/wwi-otranto-barrage/
Fatalities were recorded that day aboard the Ben Bui, (hired net drifter, damaged), Clavis, (hired net drifter, sunk) and the Frigate Bird, (hired net drifter, damaged). Both the Clavis and the Frigate Bird lost their Skippers, so Fred Harris wasn’t aboard them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto_Barrage
The Otranto Barrage consisted of a line of drifters, mostly British, which were intended to trap enemy submarines that could then be attacked with depth charges. There were not enough drifters to have a continuous line and submarines could evade the line; in 1916 most passed it on the surface at night. In July 1916 there were supposed to be 50 drifters at sea, but a French officer reported that there were only 37, of which only 10 had their nets out. Strong currents meant that the drifters would move apart. Rear Admiral Mark Kerr, commander-in-chief of the British Adriatic Squadron, thought that 300 drifters were needed.
warandsecurity.com/tag/otranto-barrage/
On the night of the 8th/9th July the Austrian attacking force consisting of the cruiser Novara and torpedo boats 73F, 54T and 87F. Losses for the defenders were the drifters Astrum Spei and Clavis sunk.
www.gwpda.org/naval/j0300000.htm
1954 – Death
The Great Yarmouth Mercury article records him as dying in 1954, and has him born 1884. This would certainly tie in with the Frederick G Harris, whose death at the age of 70 was recorded in the Yarmouth District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1954.
The death of a Frederick George Harris of 64 Anson Road, Great Yarmouth was recorded on the 1954 Probate Calendar as having occurred on the 28th May 1954. Probate was granted at the Norwich Court on the 18th June 1954 to Ada Keziah Fuller, wife of Percy Charles Fuller.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Harris&...
D.S.C. for Plucky Yarmouth Skipper
Eastern Daily Press, Saturday, September 23rd, 1916
D.S.C. FOR PLUCKY YARMOUTH SKIPPER
Skipper F.G. Harris, R.N.R, of Waveney Road, Southtown, Yarmouth, has been honoured by the award of the D.S.C. The official intimation states – “Skipper Harris showed most seamanlike qualities on the occasion of the attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on July 9th, 1916. He went to the assistance of the damaged drifters, took them in tow, and brought them safely into harbour.” Skipper Harris, R.N.R., D.S.C., has been a master of fishing boats out of Yarmouth for several years, and joined the Trawler Section, R.N.R., in February 1915. About a year ago he was sent to the Mediterranean, where he has been engaged coping with Austrian and German submarines, and has done good work, which is now crowned by this official recognition.
Skipper Harris appears to have survived the war as there is no likely candidate on the Commonwealth War Graves database.
The Royal Naval Reserve Service Records catalogue at the National Archive gives one likely candidate and one possible candidate.
The likely candidate is Frederick George Harris, Service Number WSA 1147, who was born Gorleston, Suffolk on the 2nd August 1881.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8586153
The other, more unlikely, candidate is a Frank Gillard Harris, service number B 7878 who was born Brixham, Devon on the 8th April 1901.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8489909
He also appears under service number A 12768, same date and place of birth.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8471151
And with service number C 7047, same date and place of birth.
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8499043
I’ve included him for completeness, but given his youth at the time that news of the DSC award was published I cannot see him as a man who, “has been a master of fishing boats out of Yarmouth for several years”
From a piece in the Great Yarmouth Mercury of responses to an article on the fishermen of the town. One item that brought in a number of comments was about a pleasure cruiser, the Golden Galleon.
The rusting hulk of the pleasure craft was broken up at St Olaves when her current owner could not be traced, and she was threatening to be a danger to navigation. “What a shame the Golden Galleon came to such a sad end,” comments Robert Keenan.
Mrs Gibbs had sent me snaps of people enjoying a cruise on the Golden Galleon and one of a uniformed man on the quayside, asking if anyone could identify them. That resulted in Penny Bailey reporting: “My husband and brother-in-law are fairly certain that the photo of the elderly gent in a captain’s hat was their grandfather, Frederick George Harris DSC, GSM (1884-1954) who lived on Anson Road and skippered the Galleon when they were children, so that was probably in the very late 1940s/early 1950s.
“Mr Harris’s father-in-law was Alfred George Crisp who was coxswain of the Elizabeth Simpson lifeboat. I have seen her logbook and Alfred’s brother was also a coxswain. The logbook used to be in the Maritime Museum archive so I expect it is now at the Time and Tide.”
(The remainder of the article mixes up Alfred Crisp and Frederick Harris, but at the end the citation quoted for “Mr Crisp” of an award from the King of Serbia uses the same wording and references the same action as that for which Frederick Harris received his Distinguished Service Cross.)
Unfortunately I could not track down the original article on-line which contained the quayside picture.
Note also the year of birth discrepancy – the article states 1884 while his Naval Reserve records show 1881.
Birth
Until 1891 the town of Gorleston was in the Mutford District, transferring then to the Yarmouth District. I could not find the birth of either a Frederick or George Harris registered in the Mutford District between the start of 1880 and the end of 1884. (NB a John Gladen Harris was registered in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1881.)
Looking at the Yarmouth District there was a birth registered of a George William in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1881.
Going back to the Mutford District and bearing in mind that a birth had to be registered with the Civil Authorities within 42 days, (or face a criminal prosecution and fine), then the only Frederick Georges’ are Lewis, (July to September 1881) and Mann and Watson, (October to December 1881).
Strangely I couldn’t find a birth for an Ethel \ Ethel May either. (See below – an Ethel Harris born c1887\88 is the nearest thing to a commonality in the 1901 and 1911 censuses.)
Other family baptisms
I couldn’t find a baptism for Frederick recorded online but I could find the following at St. Andrew, Gorleston.
Charles Frederick Gladdon Harris, born 1st January 1878, baptised 12th May 1878. Only a mothers name is shown – Elizabeth Harris.
freereg2.freereg.org.uk/search_records/5670cf31f493fd4a73...
Going on the details from the 1911 census, the most likely marriage of his parents took place at St Nicholas, Great Yarmouth, on the 7th November 1877. A John Gladden Harris, aged 30 and a Bachelor, married Elizabeth Mary Rundall King, aged 28 and a Spinster. John was a Fisherman, living at St Nicholas Road. His father, William Gladden Harris, was a Barber. Elizabeth also lived on St Nicholas Road and her father was Charles King, Pilot. Witnesses were a William and Amelia Aggs.
freereg2.freereg.org.uk/search_records/55106b0fe93790332e...
1891 Census of England and Wales
No obvious match for the couple and their son but I will throw one census entry into the mix. Up until the 1911 census, the returns were actually completed by a census taker, who would go door to door. My understanding is that they would take notes and then write up the actual census schedule. Dealing with a large number of individuals, some of whom could neither read or write or have documented evidence of key factual pieces of information, it is inevitable, before you even introduce the complication of local accents, that incorrect information would be recorded – plus many people probably wanted to get the census taker off their doorstep asap, especially if he was accompanied by a couple of constables.
The census taker would then have four weeks to check any queries and then formally write up the census schedule. Some did this more diligently than others – some returns, complete with coffee stains, are reminiscent of homework done at the last moment.
The upshot of that is the Harrison family, recorded at 86, High Street, Gorleston. If the details recorded on the wedding and baptism above and the information from the 1901 and 1911 censuses below do indeed reflect the individual members of the Harris family, then the make up of the Harrison family seem to tie right in.
Head is John, aged 43, a Sailor from Lowestoft.
His wife is Elizabeth, aged 43 and born Gorleston.
Their children are:-
Charles………aged 13……..born Gorleston
John………….aged 10……..born Gorleston
Fredk…………aged 7………born Gorleston
Earnest……….aged 6………born Gorleston
Ethel…………aged 3……….born Gorleston
1901 Census of England and Wales
The 19 year old Fred, born Gorleston, Suffolk, single and a Fisherman-Deck Hand, was recorded living at 7 Leandels (? – tbc) Buildings, Gorleston, (after 8 & 9 which would have been other flats, the next address on the schedule is 1 Pier Plain while the ones before it are on Bell’s Marsh Road.)
This was the household of his married mother, Elizabeth L Harris, aged 53 and born Gorleston. Her other children still living at home are Ernest, (16, Fisherman-Deck Hand, born Gorleston) and Ethel, (13, born Gorleston).
1905 Marriage
The marriage of a Frederick George Harris to a Gertrude Sarah Crisp was recorded in the Yarmouth District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1905.
(Note – the Great Yarmouth Mercury article states Frederick died in 1954. The executor of Freds estate was an Ada Kezia Fuller, wife of Percy Charles Fuller. Assuming Ada was likely to be his child I looked for the birth of an Ada Kezia Harris anywhere in England and Wales and without any time constraints. The only one I found was born in the Yarmouth District in 1905, (see next entry). Checking the 1911 Census for England and Wales for an Ada Harris, born c1905, produces only one entry, living with mother Gertrude, who has been married 6 years. (See entry below). A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Marriages for England and Wales produces only one possible match for the marriage of a Frederick Harris to a Gertrude – this one.)
1905 – birth of daughter Ada
The birth of an Ada Kezia Harris was registered in the Yarmouth District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1905
1907 – birth of son Alfred
The birth of an Alfred George G Harris was registered in the Yarmouth District in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1907.
1908 – birth of daughter Winifred
Two possibles – both recorded in the Yarmouth District in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1908 – Winifred Evelyn and Winifred Maud.
1911 Census of England and Wales
There is no obvious match for Fred or his mother, although there is potentially a candidate for Elizabeth. There is a 61 year old Elizabeth Mary, born Gorleston, who was recorded living with her husband, John Gladen Harris, (aged 63, General Labourer, born Lowestoft). The couple have been married 33 years and have had 5 children, all then still alive. Living with them are their daughter Ethel May, (aged 23 and a Machinist at a Clothing Factory, born Gorleston.)
There would a strong likelihood that Fred might have been at sea and so missed the census – indeed he may, like so many others, have chosen deliberately to have sailed to avoid it.
The most likely candidate for his wife is a 24 year old Gertrude Harris, born Gorleston and married 6 years. Gertrude states she and her husband have had 3 children, all then still alive. She is the only adult in the household, at 6 Bells Road, Gorleston, but describes herself as the wife of the head of household. Living with her are her three children Ada, (5), Alfred, (4) and Winifred, (2), all born Gorleston.
Post August 1911 it became compulsory when registering a birth with the Civil Authorities in England and Wales to also record the mothers maiden name. While the combination of children being registered with the surname Harris, mothers maiden Crisp isn’t uncommon, there are few registered in the early years of the new process that are worth high-lighting as potential children of Frederick and Gertrude as the registrations are in the Yarmouth District.
Q3 1911………Cissie G
Q3 1915………Frederick H
Q1 1918………Frederick
Q1 1921………George A.
Q2 1923………Lewis R
The Great War
The citation for his DSC appeared in the Supplement to the London Gazette of the 6th September 1916. Two other citations for the same action are on the same page.
Act.Lieut. Frank Stewart Lofthouse, R.N.R.
Lieut.Lofthouse showed admirable presence of mind on the occasion of the attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on the 9th July 1916. When the cruiser opened fire on his drifter at point-blank range, this officer immediately ordered the crew to put on lifebelts, and immediately went to the wireless apparatus himself and twice sent out a message as to the presence of the cruiser. Whilst he was sending this message three shots hit the ship. He then came on deck and, finding his ship was sinking, he got his crew overboard and by his example and behaviour kept them together until they were picked up six hours later.
Skipper James Ritchie, R.N.R., 1271 W.S.A.
Skipper Ritchie behaved in an admirable manner and displayed great coolness under fire on the occasion of an attack by an Austrian cruiser on a group of drifters in the Adriatic on the 9th July 1916. He was instrumental in saving many lives by taking his drifter alongside damaged drifters and by picking up men who were in the water.
www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/29736/supplement/8768/d...
This was more than just an attack on a group of drifters but one of a series of attacks designed to break the Otranto Barrage in the Adriatic.
The Wikipedia article gives the background.
The Otranto Barrage was an Allied naval blockade of the Otranto Straits between Brindisi in Italy and Corfu on the Greek side of the Adriatic Sea in the First World War. The blockade was intended to prevent the Austro-Hungarian Navy from escaping into the Mediterranean and threatening Allied operations there. The blockade, or rather the fleet capital ships in support of it, was effective in preventing surface ships from escaping the Adriatic, but it had little or no effect on the submarines based at Cattaro.
The Adriatic is 72 km (39 nmi; 45 mi) wide at the Otranto Straits. The blockade consisted mainly of a fleet of drifters, most of them British, and usually armed with a 6-pounder gun and depth charges. In 1915 when the blockade was begun, two divisions of 20 would be on patrol at a time, equipped with steel indicator nets intended to trap submarines or at least alert the surface vessels to their presence. A third division would be at Brindisi. The drifters were supported by destroyers and aircraft. However, the demands of the Gallipoli Campaign and other naval operations left the Otranto Barrage with insufficient resources to deter the U-boats, and only the Austro-Hungarian U-6 was caught by the indicator nets during the course of the war. It was later considered that the straits had simply been too wide to be netted, mined or patrolled effectively.
The ease with which German and Austrian submarines continued out of the Austro-Hungarian ports in spite of the barrage (and the success they had in disrupting shipping in the whole of the Mediterranean) strongly embarrassed the Allies, the system being called "a large sieve through which U-boats could pass with impunity". In 1917–1918, reinforcements from the Australian and American navies brought the blockading force up to 35 destroyers, 52 drifters and more than 100 other vessels. But submarines continued to slip through until the end of the war, while only the introduction of the convoy system and better coordination amongst the Allies helped to cut the losses they were causing
The Austrians mounted a number of nighttime raids against the barrage, five in 1915, nine in 1916 and ten in 1917. After a raid by four Huszár-class destroyers in December 1916, a conference in London concluded that the drifters were insufficiently defended
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto_Barrage
On the 30th August 1915, the British Admiralty issued orders for 60 drifters to be prepared to leave for the Adriatic as soon as possible. These were crewed primarily by fishermen, with divisional officers from the Royal Naval Reserve. Not used to military discipline, the naval officers initially despaired of their charges, though they improved rapidly. Lieutenant M.E. Cochrane, the second in command, commented that “the human material was of the best … it needed only a period of polishing before it would shine with exceptional lustre.”
The first drifters arrived at Taranto on the 22nd September, evidently without warning. Rear Admiral Cecil Thursby complained, “You can imagine my surprise when suddenly 60 drifters were dumped on me with no organisation, provisions, stores or anything else.” The drifters were organised into three divisions of 20. At any one time, two divisions would be deployed with their nets, while the third would be in Brindisi. Two drifters from each division would be at a subsidiary base at Taranto for docking, boiler cleaning, and repairs. The Italians provided a pair of merchant ships (Gallipoli and Adratico) and a small auxiliary steamer (Mazzini), which was armed with three six-pounders and used for inspections, mail delivery, etc. When they arrived, the drifters had no armament, although Thursby worked to acquire some. On the 12th October, Restore was sunk by the German U39, graphically illustrating the need to provide some form of self-defence. By the 8th November all the drifters were armed, typically with 47mm or 57mm guns and a few three-pounders.
Each trawler carried a series of light steel indicator nets anchored to the sea bed at various depths. These were intended to capture enemy submarines by entanglement, though this rarely worked in practice. Thursby complained that he did not have sufficient drifters, and during winter boats often had to take shelter and nets were lost. On the 15th November 1915, the Admiralty dispatched a further 40 drifters, which began to arrive on the 7th December. Warships and aircraft supported the drifters, though at various times during the war other priorities meant that very few warships could be spared for this duty.
After an Italian cruiser and French destroyer were lost in June 1916, the Italians stopped using cruisers during daylight, leaving destroyers to protect the Barrage. In July, the Austro-Hungarians raided the line, sinking two drifters, damaging two more and taking nine prisoners.
www.russellphillipsbooks.co.uk/wwi-otranto-barrage/
Fatalities were recorded that day aboard the Ben Bui, (hired net drifter, damaged), Clavis, (hired net drifter, sunk) and the Frigate Bird, (hired net drifter, damaged). Both the Clavis and the Frigate Bird lost their Skippers, so Fred Harris wasn’t aboard them.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otranto_Barrage
The Otranto Barrage consisted of a line of drifters, mostly British, which were intended to trap enemy submarines that could then be attacked with depth charges. There were not enough drifters to have a continuous line and submarines could evade the line; in 1916 most passed it on the surface at night. In July 1916 there were supposed to be 50 drifters at sea, but a French officer reported that there were only 37, of which only 10 had their nets out. Strong currents meant that the drifters would move apart. Rear Admiral Mark Kerr, commander-in-chief of the British Adriatic Squadron, thought that 300 drifters were needed.
warandsecurity.com/tag/otranto-barrage/
On the night of the 8th/9th July the Austrian attacking force consisting of the cruiser Novara and torpedo boats 73F, 54T and 87F. Losses for the defenders were the drifters Astrum Spei and Clavis sunk.
www.gwpda.org/naval/j0300000.htm
1954 – Death
The Great Yarmouth Mercury article records him as dying in 1954, and has him born 1884. This would certainly tie in with the Frederick G Harris, whose death at the age of 70 was recorded in the Yarmouth District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1954.
The death of a Frederick George Harris of 64 Anson Road, Great Yarmouth was recorded on the 1954 Probate Calendar as having occurred on the 28th May 1954. Probate was granted at the Norwich Court on the 18th June 1954 to Ada Keziah Fuller, wife of Percy Charles Fuller.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Calendar?surname=Harris&...