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Writer's pictureWendy Sadler

Joseph McCraken (Ch) 239868, Able Seaman.

Updated: Apr 30, 2020




Joseph was born in Belfast, County Antrim on 13th September 1891 to parents Joseph and Mary, the fourth of six children. On the 1901 census he and his family lived at 6 Northumberland Street, Belfast; Joseph was aged 9 and attending school.

He joined HMS Impregnable on 13th October 1907 as a Boy 2nd Class, rising to Boy 1st Class on 11th September 1908, leaving his job as a rigger and recorded as 5'5" tall, with brown hair, grey eyes and a scar on the back of his right hand.

He joined the flagship HMS Sutlej on 13th September 1908, still as a Boy, for 3 weeks before spending 5 weeks at HMS Vivid.

His remaining service follows:-

CRESSY - 30/11/1908 - 28/01/1909

MAGNIFICENT - 29/01/1909 - 15/02/1909

AFRICA - 16/02/1909 - 21/02/1911 - rising to Ordinary Seaman on 13/09/1909 and Able Seaman on 16/12/1910

PEMBROKE I - 22/02/1911 - 11/3/1911

ACTAEON - 12/03/1911 - 22/01/1912

BLENHEIM - 23/01/1912 - 30/09/1913

EGMONT - 01/10/1913 - 03/11/1913

PEMBROKE I - 04/11/1913 - 12/12/1913

ACTAEON - 13/12/1913 - 27/03/1914

PEMBROKE I - 28/03/1914 - 30/03/1914

VANGUARD - 31/03/1914 - 09/07/1917

Joseph was aboard the Vanguard during the Battle of Jutland and after his death was awarded the Star, Victory and British medals which were awarded to his mother.




#17 - 525/843

Sources:

1901 Ireland Census RG14 - Ancestry.com

Ireland, Casualties of World War I, 1914-1922

CWGC Register

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242/009 (1914 - 1919)3

Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 ADM 171/ 109

Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/9; Scan Number: 0226

Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188/426

Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 121/0589/MCC-MCC

Photo - CWGC



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