Tracing the Families of the Crew of World War 1 Battleship
HMS REVENGE
The Battle of Jutland
Tracing the Families of the Crew of World War 1 Battleship HMS REVENGE The Battle of Jutland
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This was my Grandfather - Harry Freeman. Boy 2nd class Royal Navy 1915. |
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Harry Freeman. Boy 2-RN We are looking for information on his friends, the crewmen of HMS Revenge and particularly for the identities of the crewmen in the old photographs which my Grandfather treasured and kept all his life
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2nd Lieutenant Tom Freeman 6 Btn Northamptonshire Regement. Killed in action
Regina Trench Cemetery Grandcourt
An exceptionally young Harry Freeman a jockey at eleven |
Harry Freeman (pictured above) from Wooton Street in Bedworth in Warwickshire was my grandfather and for many, many years the Bedworth chimney sweep. He was a proud man having served his country & worked in the pit like so many from the town of bedworth. Harry was to marry Lizzy and have four children. Tom, Cicerly, Laura and Ray (Raymond Harry) Freeman, who was my dad and a man many loved dearly. For a poor family the kids did Grandpop Freeman and Grandma Freeman proud with both Tom Freeman and Ray Freeman winning scholarships to the Grammar school in Nuneaton. Harry Freeman had a horse called 'Tommy Donkey' which was ageless but seemed to change colour and size every few years or so! It pulled his dust cart relentlessly around the Bedworth Streets and few didn't know Grandad well. Harry Freeman kept pigs at the bottom of his garden and had an allotment down by the canal behind the pub called the Miners Arms in Collycroft, on which he kept a shiny black horse drawn hearse with a broken wheel, stunningly coach built and quite magnificent, with dark purple velvet and satin linings and curtains. The hearse became his shed in which he kept old newspapers to wrap the rhubarb in, loads of plant pots and broken fruit boxes. He threw little away did grandpop.
Harry Freeman was devastated at the loss of his older brother Tom Freeman in the Trenches of the Somme. So he lied about his age and joined HMS. Impregnable at Devonport in Plymouth for basic training on the 4th of May 1915 while the recruiting office turned the other way. Harry Freeman's Navy records show his date of birth to be the 5th May 1899 and his occupation is listed as a coal miner. His birth certificate contradicts this information and indicates that he was born in Bedworth, Warwickshire and sets his date of birth as 5th May 1901. That made him just 14 years of age when he signed up!
Like many young men like him, Harry Freeman had indeed lied about his age and enlisted to fight the Germans as soon as he left school. This must have been with the full knowledge of his parents Tom and Mary Freeman - but there would have been no stopping him anyway.
Harry Freeman's older brother and his hero, was Second Lieutenant Tom Freeman (Left above) of the 6th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment. Attached to the 54th Trench Mortar Battery was fighting at the Somme. He was to be killed at the age of 22 on the 17th of February 1917 and is buried in a small cemetery in the middle of a field near Albert, alongside his comrades the Canadians. My grandfather Harry Freeman was a staunch supporter of the Royal British Legion all his life. If there are any members of the Bedworth British Legion who remember him or who may have photographs of him, please contact me using the address at the page below.
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This photo and the following photographs were carried with Harry Freeman in his old black wallet throughout his time on HMS Revenge and with him for the rest of his life. Harry Freeman always wore his medals proudly on Armistice day often times pinning them on my chest and always crying at the last post. The crew members whose images are posted below, must have been very special to Harry Freeman both as comrades and good friends. We would love to know who they are. Thanks to so many of you who write in. ___________________________________________________________________________
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Crew of the REVENGE. 1916-18
The photographs that follow are of some of the crew members that Harry Freeman of Bedworth Warwickshire served with on HMS Revenge between 1st February 1916 and 9th February 1919. Specifically, throughout the Battle of Jutland.
If you recognise a relative amongst them, perhaps your Great Grandfather or an Uncle, please feel free to contact me and we can identify them here on the web site:
So far there are just three crewmen identified! |
Harry
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Circled William Ryan grandfather of Moira Hannam. Directly behind him a very young Harry Freeman
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Torpedomen on the Revenge Recently identified - Front Row, bottom left, hatless - Robert Thomas Wills. Thanks to Kern Deremaux, his Great, Great Grandson for identifying him. |
Some of the crew of HMS Revenge between 1916 and 1919. Immediately to the right of the capstan
we believe is Reginald Sidney Ash Our thanks to him for contacting us
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If you are related to any of these HMS Revenge crewmen or knew Harry Freeman, please get in touch with us.
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Harry Freeman was also assigned to HM Ships: HMS Impregnable HMS Oropesa HMS Vivid HMS Revenge |
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HMS St Vincent |
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Young Harry Freeman saw action against the following vessels: SMS Seydlitz German Battlecruiser
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And again after she was torpedoed.
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SMS Kaiser |
SMS Hindenburg |
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Can you assist with our Family History Research:
Battle of Jutland. HMS Revenge - See Crew Photos" If any of these seamen on this page are related to you tell us about them"
Can you assist with historical information on any of the following families? Freeman, Bedworth, England Jackson, Bedworth, England Mockford Bedworth, Nuneaton. Hood, Nuneaton England. Allen, Nuneaton, England Surman, Nuneaton & Stockingford, England
Please CONTACT US if you can assist with any information or family links. Thanks, David Freeman - The Freemanart Consultancy
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KEYWORDS: Battle of Jutland, Jutland, Revenge, Revenge crew, crew, MS. Revenge, crewmen, Crew of the REVENGE, HMS St Vincent, HMS Impregnable, HMS Oropesa, Impregnable, Oropesa, Devonport, basic training, Germans, information, 2nd lieutenant, Harry freeman, freeman, tom freeman, HMS Vivid, 6 Btn, Northamptonshire, Regement, Navy records, chimney sweep, 54th Trench Mortar Battery, trench, mortar battery, trench mortar battery, fighting , Somme. 6 Battalion, Northamptonshire Regement, HM Ships, identities, Bedworth, warwickshire, comrades, crew members, Torpedomen MS REVENGE, Ray Freeman, David Freeman, RN. Royal Navy, Tracing HMS Revenge Crew 1916-1919 HMS. REVENGE Battleship World War 1 | Tracing crew members Harry Freeman Buy RN - Bedworth Legion Warwickshire | Battle of Jutland Royal Navy Photographs images |
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