Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Portsmouth Naval Memorial | 20 Hampshire | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.128 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 31C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of Mary Ann Arnold (formerly Lemon), of 23, Front Brents, Faversham, Kent, and the late Walter Lemon.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: HMS Black Prince |
Class and type: Duke of Edinburgh class armoured cruiser Tons burthen: 13,550 tons Length: 505 ft (154 m) Beam: 73.5 ft (22.4 m) Armament: 6 x BL 9.2-inch (233.7 mm) Mk X guns 10 x BL 6-inch (152.4 mm) Mk XI guns 22 x 3pdr guns |
| Action : Jutland - HMS Black Prince (sinking of) |
As a member of Rear Admiral Sir Robert Keith Arbuthnot's First Cruiser Squadron, the Black Prince participated in the Battle of Jutland, where she was sunk with heavy loss of life. The circumstances under which she sank were mysterious for some years after. During the battle, the ship lost contact with the rest of the British fleet, sending off a wireless signal at 8:48 to report a submarine sighting. As the British had lost contact and did not see the ship destroyed, they were unsure as to whether a submarine or surface ship was responsible for sinking the Black Prince. Recent historians, however, hold to the German account of the ship's sinking. Separated from the rest of the British fleet, the Black Prince approached the German lines at approximately midnight. Realizing his error, Bonham ordered his crew to turn around, but it was too late. The German battleship Th?ringen fixed the Black Prince in its spotlights and opened fire. Up to five other German ships, most of them within 1000 yards, joined in the bombardment; the Black Prince was sunk within 15 minutes.
16 Freemasons were amongst those who were lost in the Black Prince. GRIER William James Boatswain HALLIDAY Charles Frederick Lieutenant LEMON Herbert Sidney Electrical Artificer MIDDLETON Albert Artificer MORRELL William Anthony Gunner PAUL FE Chief Cook PIKE William George Henry Engineer Artificer. In total 67 Brethren lost their lives at Jutland
Detail :
N5651 Electrician Artificer Herbert Sidney Lemon, Royal Navy. He died at the battle of Jutland aboard H.M.S. Black Prince, but his date of death is at least one time confused with that of his familial brother (and masonic brother from the same lodge) "Arthur Charles Lemon", who also died during the course of the war.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | United Brethren No. 1923 E.C. | Malta |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
5th February 1914 | 30th March 1914 | 4th June 1914 |
He is a 22 year old Electrician aboard H.M.S. Black Prince at the time of his initiation in 1914 into United Brethren Lodge, Malta. The contribution record shows that he "died 31.5.16."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley