Ernest Henry Hinton
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WW1 Pension Ledgers record gives his name as 'Ernest H Hinton (Ernest H Smith).' First name given as 'Edwin' on 1901 and 1911 Census and in the newspaper report of his death. RN record gives name as Ernest Henry Hinton, date of birth 28 January 1895, but a record of the registration of his birth has not yet been traced. Ernest Henry was the son of Edwin George Hinton and Miriam (née Popplewell). His father was born in Christchurch, Hampshire, in 1869, the son of Frank and Ann Maria Hinton. His mother was born Holbeck, Yorkshire West Riding, in 1872. Edwin and Miriam were married in 1898 (reg. J/A/S Bramley Yorkshire) and had three children: Edwin/Ernest Harry b. Southampton 28 January 1895; Norah Irene b. Liverpool 1905 bap. Liverpool March 1906 and Frank b. 1915 (reg. Mansfield). In 1901 Edwin George, a contractor's storekeeper, Miriam and their son Edwin (6) were living with Miriam's widowed father, Joseph Popplewell, a retired spinner, at 28 Branch End, Gildersome, Bramley, Yorkshire. They had moved to Liverpool by 1905 when the second child, Norah, was born (reg. Toxteth Park). She was baptised in March 1906 and her parents' address was given on the baptismal register as 5 Duncan Street. By 1911 the family was living at 7 Alma Terrace, Selby, Yorkshire: Edwin, a contractor's storekeeper (railway), Miriam, Edwin (16) a blacksmith's striker (drainage works) and Norah (6). Edwin completed the census record with the information that he and his wife had been married for 17 years ie. abt 1894, which would have made the date of marriage the year before their eldest son's death. According to a newspaper report of Edwin/Ernest's death in 1914, his family was living at 46 Coxmoor Road, Sutton in Ashfield. However, two Naval records gave his father's address as 46 Skegby Road, Eastfieldside, Sutton in Ashfield. Edwin George Hinton died in 1918 (reg. O/N/D Mansfield). His widow, Miriam, and her two children, Norah and Frank, were living at Gildersome, Bramley, in 1921. Miriam died in August 1959 and was buried in Woodkirk St Mary churchyard, Yorkshire.
Ernest Henry Hinton joined the Royal Navy on 4 August 1911 as a Boy Servant, later rated Officers' Steward Class 3. He served in the following ships and shore establishments: Pembroke, 4 August 1911-27 March 1913 (Boy Servant, Officers’ Steward 3rd Class, 28 January 1913); HMS Cressy, 29 March 1913-22 September 1914. Service document annotated: ‘NP. 2259 DD 22 September 1914. Drowned in North Sea when HMS Cressy was sunk by German submarine.’ Ernest was killed on 22 September when HMS Cressy was sunk by torpedos fired by German submarine U-9 (Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen). Ernest's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial (Panel ref. 7). 'Live Bait Squadron' - HMS Cressy was assigned to the 7th Cruiser Squadron shortly after the outbreak of war in August 1914. The squadron was tasked with patrolling the Broad Fourteens of the North Sea in support of a force of destroyers and submarines based at Harwich which protected the eastern end of the English Channel from German warships attempting to attack the supply route between England and France. During the Battle of Heligoland Bight on 28 August, the ship was part of Cruiser Force 'C', in reserve off the Dutch coast, and saw no action. After the battle, Rear Admiral Arthur Christian ordered Cressy to take aboard 165 unwounded German survivors from the badly damaged ships of Commodore Reginald Tyrwhitt's Harwich Force. Escorted by her sister Bacchante, she set sail for the Nore to disembark their prisoners. On the morning of 22 September, Cressy and her sister ships Aboukir and Hogue, were on patrol without any escorting destroyers as these had been forced to seek shelter from bad weather. The three ships were steaming in line abreast about 2,000 yards (1,800 m) apart at a speed of 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). They were not expecting submarine attack, but had lookouts posted and one gun manned on each side to attack any submarines sighted. The weather had moderated earlier that morning and Tyrwhitt was en route to reinforce the cruisers with eight destroyers. U-9, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Otto Weddigen, had been ordered to attack British transports at Ostend, but had been forced to dive and take shelter from the storm. On surfacing, she spotted the British ships and moved to attack. She fired one torpedo at 06:20 at Aboukir which struck her on the starboard side; the ship's captain thought he had struck a mine and ordered the other two ships to close to transfer his wounded men. Aboukir quickly began listing and capsized around 06:55 despite counter flooding compartments on the opposite side to right her. As Hogue approached Aboukir, her captain, Wilmot Nicholson, realized that it had been a submarine attack and signalled Cressy to look for a periscope although his ship continued to close on Aboukir as her crew threw overboard anything that would float to aid the survivors in the water. Having stopped and lowered all her boats, Hogue was struck by two torpedoes around 06:55. The sudden weight loss of the two torpedoes caused U-9 to broach the surface and Hogue's gunners opened fire without effect before the submarine could submerge again. The cruiser capsized about ten minutes after being torpedoed and sank at 07:15. Cressy attempted to ram the submarine, but did not succeed and resumed her rescue efforts until she too was torpedoed at 07:20. Weddigen had fired two torpedoes from his stern tubes, but only one hit. U-9 had to manoeuvre to bring her bow around with her last torpedo and fired it at a range of about 550 yards (500 m) at 07:30. The torpedo struck on the port side and ruptured several boilers, scalding the men in the compartment. As had happened with the other two ships, Cressy took on a heavy list and then capsized before sinking at 07:55. Several Dutch ships began rescuing survivors at 08:30 and were joined by British fishing trawlers before Tyrwhitt and his ships arrived at 10:45. Only 837 men were rescued from the three ships and 62 officers and 1,397 men lost: 560 of those lost were from Cressy's ship's company. In 1954 the British government sold the salvage rights to all three ships to a German company and they were subsequently sold again to a Dutch company which began salvaging the wrecks' metal in 2011. Submarine U-9 was commissioned on 18 October 1910. Kapitanleutnant Otto Weddigen (b. 1882) in command, 1 October 1911-11 January 1915; four ships sunk (3 armoured cruisers, 1 protected cruiser, 56,284 tons). In command U-29, 16 February 1915-18 March 1915; 4 steamers sunk, 2 steamers damaged (March 1915). Kapt. Weddigen was killed on 18 March 1915 (Pentland Firth). Submarine was surrendered 26 November 1918 and broken up in Morecombe in 1919
CWGC additional information: 'Son of E. G. and Miriam Hinton, of Stone Row, Street Lane, Gildersome, Leeds. Native of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Notts.' Mansfield Reporter, 2 October 1914: ‘A Sutton Hero Who Went Down With HMS ‘Cressy.’ Mr Edwin Hinton, whose home is at 46, Coxmoor-road, and whose father is the timekeeper on the new railway, is one of the gallant sailors who lost their lives in honour of their country. Hinton, who was 19 years of age, joined the Navy three years ago at Chatham, and he has spent practically the whole of this time as officers’ steward on the ill-fated HMS Cressy, and was very popular both with his fellow-seamen and the officers. He was a good athlete, and won the shield in the light-weight boxing competition in his Division. The last time he was over at Sutton was at Easter, but, just prior to the outbreak of war, started home from Chatham on seven days’ leave, but was recalled when he had reached King’s Cross, owing to the commencement of hostilities. As the only son, Mr and Mrs Hinton feel the loss very severely. As he was a fine swimmer, his parents are hoping against hope that he may by some means have been saved, but, unfortunately, his name does not appear amongst the list of saved. During the war several postcards have been received from him stating that he was in good health, the last letter, received a few days ago, including (sic) the following references to the Heligoland battle: ‘Dear Father, Mother and Sister, I am taking this chance of telling you a little bit of my sport during the war …. After embarking 700 Royal Marines for Ostend – and we did travel , too – we landed the troops, and they then asked for volunteers for first-aid so I gave my services, and it was nearly up with us. We found a party of Sausages (sic) (200 strong) routing the town, so we gave them some lead, and, after half-an-hour’s fighting, they threw up their hands and I came through safe and sound. I was too small – they cannot hit a haystack. Well, we went aboard again singing ‘Hearts of Oak are our Ships, Jolly Tars are our Men’ and we did let it rip too. I am in good health and spirits, so cheery up; you will see your proud son come home some day with a medal like a frying-pan. So good-bye for the present. Love from Teddy, The Powder Monkey.’’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
