Claud William Briggs
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Claud (Claude) William was born 1893 in Carlton the son of William Thomas and Ann Harriet Briggs (nee Miles). William and Ann were both born in Carlton, Nottingham, William in 1870 (A/M/J Basford), and were married in 1892 (O/N/D Basford). They had four children of whom three survived infancy: Claud William b. 6 September 1893, Ida Maria b. 1896 (O/N/D Basford) and Agnes b. 1899 (A/M/J Basford). In 1901 William (30), a cabinet maker, and Ann (30) were living on Fox Hill Road, Carlton, with their three surviving children, Claud (7), Ida (5) and Agnes (2). By 1911 the family home was at 3 Church Street, Carlton. William was still working as a cabinet maker and his eldest daughter, Ida (14) was a stocking embroiderer in the hosiery trade while Agnes was still at school. Claud had joined the Royal Navy two years earlier and in 1911 was serving onboard HMS Devonshire. The family address given on the CWWG website was Aston Villa, Church Street, Carlton. It is likely that Agnes married William S Armstrong in 1923 (A/M/J Basford). In 1924 his sister Ida gave birth to a son and named him Claude William in memory of her brother. Claud's father, William died in 1949 (Sep Basford).
Claud joined the Royal Navy on 19 May 1909 at the age of 16 and on his 18th birthday on 6 September 1911 he joined on a 12 year engagement. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: HMS Ganges, 19 May 1909-24 September 1909 (Boy 2nd Class); HMS Impregnable, 25 September 1909-12 December 1909; HMS Ganges, 13 December 1909-17 June 1910 (Boy 1st Class 18 December 1909); HMS Vivid, 18 June 1910-31 August 1910; HMS (-), 1 September 1910-13 February 1910; HMS Vivid 14 February 1911-15 February 1911; HMS Hannibal, 19 February 1911-13 March 1911; HMS Devonshire, 14 March 1911-5 June 1911; HMS Mars, 6 June 1911-30 October 1911 (Ordinary Signaller, 6 September 1911); HMS Sapphire, 31 October 1911-28 August 1913 (Signaller, 18 May 1912)’ Vivid I, 29 August 1913-13 September 1913; HMS Impregnable, 14 September 1913-22 September 1913; HMS Powerful, 23 September 1913-23 September 1913; HMS Impregnable, 24 September 1913-31 July 1914; HMS Momouth, 1 August 1914-1 November 1914. His service record was annotated, ‘NP 278/14. DD [Disharged Dead] 1 Nov. 1914 when HMS Monmouth was sunk in action off Chilian coast.’ He had been onboard HMS Monmouth for only four months when the ship was sunk in action off the Chilean coast at the Battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914. There were no survivors. Claude's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. He was eligible for the 1914 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
HMS Monmouth, and other ships in the squadron had been ordered to intercept a small German fleet including the SMS Scharnhorst and SMS Gneisenau which vastly outgunned the British ships. At the battle of Coronel on 1 November 1914 Monmouth was sunk with all hands. This was one of the worst British naval defeats in the Great War. In memoriam published 1st November 1917 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “BRIGGS. – Lost on H.M.S. Monmouth, November 1st, 1914, Claude William, beloved son and brother. Never forgotten. – Dad, Ida, and Agnes.” Above is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918 “BRIGGS. – Lost on H.M.S. Monmouth, November 1st, 1914, Claude William, beloved son and brother. Never forgotten. – Dad, Ida, and Agnes.”
