Joseph William Morris

Joseph William joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker 2nd Class on 4 April 1913 on a 12 year continuous service engagement.

He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Victory II, 4 April 1913-9 September 1913 (Stoker II Class); HMS Maidstone, 10 September-31 October 1913; Victory II, 1 November 1913-21 February 1914; HMS Superb, 22 February 1914-30 June 1916 (23 April 1913 Stoker 1st Class); HMS Dolphin, 1 July 1916-12 July 1916; HMS Titania (submarine depot ship), 13 July 1916-5 September 1916; HMS Maidstone (submarine depot ship), 6 September 1916-22 November 1916. Record annotated ‘DD [Discharged Dead] 22 November 1916: lost on duty.’

Joseph served in HMS Superb at the Battle of Jutland, 31 May 1916/1 June: Battle Fleet, fleet flagship Iron Duke (Admiral Sir John Jellicoe), Fourth Battle Squadron, Third Division (Monarch, Superb, Iron Duke).

On 1 July 1916 Joseph was drafted to HMS Dolphin, the Royal Naval shore establishment at Gosport and the base of the Royal Navy Submarine Service from 1904 to 1999. After nearly two months serving in submarine depot ships Joseph joined HM Submarine E30 (Lt Cdr GN Biggs) on 6 September 1916. A British 'E' class submarine built by Armstrong Whitworth, Newcastle upon Tyne, E3o was laid down on 29 June 1914 and commissioned in November 1915.

HMS E30 with a ship's company of 30, was lost in the North Sea, thought to have been mined off Orfordness, Suffolk, on 22 November 1916. The minefield was not identified until 25 November.

Joseph William is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Panel 19).

WMR 14789: Plungar WW1 Memorial, Frog Lane, Plungar, Leicestershire NG13 0JE. Eight names including Joseph William Morris.

CWGC Additional information: Son of Isaac and Jane Morris, of Plungar, Bottesford, Notts.

Additional research, record updated RF (July 2026)