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Leading Seaman Bowthorpe - HMS Vindictive - 1918

Here lies a

Gallant Seaman

Daniel Allan Bowthorpe RN

Of this city

Who died in his 22nd year

On St George’s Day, April 23rd 1918

Of wounds received on Zeebrugge Mole

 

Name: BOWTHORPE, DANIEL ALLAN

Rank: Leading Seaman

Service: Royal Navy Unit Text: H.M.S. "Vindictive"

Age: 22 Date of Death: 24/04/1918 Service No: J/18711

Grave/Memorial Reference: 46. 307. Cemetery: NORWICH CEMETERY, Norfolk

www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_details.aspx?casualty=2803060

 

No match on Norlink

 

The 4 year old Daniel is recorded on the 1901 Census at 34 Wingfield Road, Norwich,This is the household of his parents, David, (aged 41 and a Baker from Norwich), and Martha, (aged 40 and from Norwich). Their other children are:-

Arthur…………….aged 19.….Shoemaker….born London Westminster

Elizabeth………..aged 18.….Box Maker…..born London, Westminster

Ethel……………….aged 10.….born Norwich

Florence………….aged 16.…Box Maker……born Norwich

Gertrude…………aged u/1.….born Norwich

Maud………………aged 14.….born Norwich

Sidney…………….aged 2.……born Norwich

Thomas…………..aged 7.…..born Norwich

 

And in their 2up/2down terrace house they also has a boarder Ellen Munday, aged 19 and a Boot Trimmer from Norwich !

 

The raid began with a diversionary attack against the mile-long Zeebrugge mole. The attack was led by the old cruiser, HMS Vindictive, with two Mersey ferries, Daffodil and Iris II. The three ships were accompanied by two old submarines, which were filled with explosives to blow up the viaduct connecting the mole to the shore. Vindictive was to land a force of 200 Royal Marines at the entrance to the Bruges Canal, however, at the time of the landing the winds changed and the planned smoke-screen to cover the ship proved ineffective. The marines, whose objective was to destroy German gun positions, immediately came under heavy fire and suffered heavy casualties. Vindictive, spotted by German gun positions, was forced to land in the wrong location, resulting in the loss of the marines' heavy gun support. Eventually, submarine HMS C3, commanded by Lt. R. D. Sandford, destroyed the viaduct as planned, by explosion. Sandford was awarded the Victoria Cross for this action.

The plan to sink three old cruisers to block the flow of traffic in and out of the Port of Bruges-Zeebrugge did not go as planned. The failure of the attack on the Zeebrugge mole resulted in heavy German fire on the three blocking ships, Thetis, Intrepid and Iphigenia, which were filled with concrete. Thetis did not make it to the canal entrance, after it had hit an obstruction and was scuttled prematurely. The two other ships were sunk at the narrowest point of the canal.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zeebrugge_Raid

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Vindictive_(1897)

www.mckenzie.uk.com/

www.fotosearch.com/IST512/1217192/

www.mckenzie.uk.com/zeebrugge/Preparation_-_Albert_McKenz...

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Uploaded on February 22, 2010
Taken on July 25, 2009