1911 Census (Oakley, Ref 76)
Name: Sidney Claridge
Address: Oxford Road, Oakley
Building: Cottage
Age: 14
Born: 1897, Lambeth, Surrey
Status: Single
Occupation: Labourer on Farm / Student Part Time
Other people on census:
Father (Head): Richard Claridge (age 53, Married 26 years, Army Pensioner, allotment farmer, born 1858 Brill, Bucks)
Mother: Rose Claridge (age 46, Married 26 years, 9 children born alive, 7 children living, 2 children died, born 1865 Windsor, Berks)
Brothers: Richard Claridge (age 20, Single, Labourer on Farm / Part time Student, born 1891, Lambeth, Surrey)
Herbert Claridge (age 16, Single, Apprentice Wheelwright / Student Part Time, born 1895 Lambeth, Surrey)
Frank Joseph Claridge (age 9, at School, born 25th Dec 1901 Brill, Bucks, bapt. 9th Oct 1910, Oakley Church)
Sisters: Sophia Agnes Claridge (age 11, at School, born 5th Dec 1899 Little London, Bucks, bapt. 29th July 1900, Oakley Church)
Violet Mary Claridge (age 6, at School, born 10 Mar 1905 Brill, Bucks, bapt. 9th Oct 1910, Oakley Church)
1901 Census (Brill, ref 46)
Name Sidney Claridge
Address: Little London, Brill, Bucks
Age: 4
Born 1897, Lambeth, Surrey
People on census
Father (Head): Richard Claridge
Age 43
Born 1858, Brill, Bucks
Status Married
Occupation Army Pensioner
Other people on census
Mother: Rose Claridge (age 36, Married, born Windsor, Berks)
Brothers: Thomas Claridge (age 10, born Lambeth, London)
Herbert Claridge (age 6, born Lambeth, London)
Sidney Claridge (age 4, born Lambeth, London)
Sisters: Rose Claridge (age 12, born St Martins-in-the Field, London)
Sophia Agnes Claridge (age 1, born Brill, Bucks)
Grandmother Susanna Claridge (age 58, born Quainton, Bucks)
Chatham Naval memorial
After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided.
An Admiralty committee recommended that the three manning ports in Great Britain – Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth – should each have an identical memorial of unmistakable naval form, an obelisk, which would serve as a leading mark for shipping. The memorials were designed by Sir Robert Lorimer, who had already carried out a considerable amount of work for the Commission, with sculpture by Henry Poole. The Chatham Naval Memorial was unveiled by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII) on 26 April 1924.
Chatham Naval Memorial commemorates 8,517 sailors of the First World War and 10,098 of the Second World War.
TELEGRAPHIST SIDNEY ARTHUR CLARIDGE
Known as: Sidney Claridge
Born: 3rd February 1897, Lambeth Surrey
Baptised: Unknown
Pre-War Occupation: Shop Assistant
Rank: Telegraphist
Married: Unmarried
Height: 5 feet 1¼ inches (1.55 metres)
Chest girth: 32 inches
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Complexion: Fair
Marks: Scar from appendicitis operation
Father: Richard Claridge (born 1858, Brill Bucks, bapt 4th April 1858, Oakley Church, married Jul-Sep 1884, Windsor, Berks; died 19th Jan 1917, aged 59, buried Botley cemetery)
Mother: Rose Claridge, nee Giles (born Apr-Jun 1865 Windsor, Berks)
Brothers (4): Richard T.G.W. Claridge (born 1890, Lambeth Surrey, died 27th Aug 1917, )
Thomas Claridge (born 1891, Lambeth, Surrey)
Herbert Claridge (born 1895, Lambeth, Surrey)
Frank Claridge (born 1902, Brill, Bucks)
Sisters (3) Rose Hannah Claridge (born 1889, St Martins in the Field, London; buried 1st June 1916, Oakley Church age 26))
Sophia Claridge (born 1900, Brill, Bucks)
Violet Claridge (born 1905, Brill Bucks)
Paternal Grandfather: Thomas Claridge (born 1810, Brill, Bucks,, bapt. 30 Sept 1810, buried 27th July 1876, Oakley Church aged 65)
Paternal Grandmother: Susannah Claridge, nee Franklin (born 1st Aug 1825, Quainton, Bucks, buried 5th March 1902, Oakley Church, aged 76)
Maternal Grandfather: William Giles (born 1826, Winkfield, Berks)
Maternal Grandmother: Ann Giles (born 1826, Baughurst, Hants)
Died: 22nd August 1916
Cause of Death (Presumably) Drowned
Age at death 19
Buried Submarine E16, Heligoland
Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914-1919
First Names: Sydney Arthur
Surname: Claridge
Birth town: Lambeth, Surrey
Nationality: British
Date of death: 22/08/1916
Fate: Killed or died as a direct result of enemy action
Rank: Telegraphist
Service Number: J24632
Service Royal Navy
Ship H. M. Submarine E16
Age 19
Cemetery Body not recovered for burial
Relatives notified Mother – Rose. Elmthorpe Road, Lower Wolvercote, Oxford
Medals
Naval War Medals p.314
1914 Star. I.C. 2737/1916 issued to Mother
Victory Medal I.C. 2737/1916 issued to Mother
British Medal I.C. 2737/1916 issued to Mother
Memorials/notes etc.
Oakley War Memorial.
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL – Panel 17
Waddesdon Deanery Magazine – (Mar 1915 – Oakley roll of honour)
Military background
ROYAL NAVY
Enlisted at 16th May 1913 (aged 16)
Service number J.24632
Service:
H.M.S. Ganges (Royal Navy training establishment), 16th May 1913 to 10th Oct 1913, rating: Boy
H.M.S. Impregnable (First-rate ship of the line – training ship), 11 Oct 1913 to 8 Sep 1914, rating: Boy telegraphist
H.M.S. Vernon (Stone frigate – shore establishment), 9th Sept 1914 to 13 Oct 1914, rating: Boy telegraphist
H.M.S. Topaze (third-class protected cruiser), 14th Oct 1914 to 28th Oct 1914, rating: Boy telegraphist
H.M.S. Prince of Wales (Formidable-class pre-dreadnought battleship), 29th Oct 1914 to 18th Nov 1914, rating: Boy telegraphist
H.M.S. Pembroke II (Royal Naval Air Station at Eastchurch), 19th Nov 1914 to 27th Nov 1914, rating: Boy telegraphist
H.M.S. Victorious (Majestic-class pre-dreadnought battleship), 28th Nov 1914 to 2nd Feb 1915, rating: Boy telegraphist (3rd February – Very Good character, Superior ability)
H.M.S. Victorious, 3rd Feb 1915 to 4th Feb 1915, Ordinary telegraphist
H.M.S. Pembroke II, 5th Feb 1915 to 12th Feb 1915, Ordinary telegraphist
H.M.S. Dolphin (Royal Naval shore establishment sited at Fort Blockhouse in Gosport, the home of the Royal Navy Submarine Service), 13th Feb 1915 to 22 Mar 1915, Ordinary telegraphist
H.M.S. E16 (E-class submarine), 23rd Mar 1915 to 24th Jun 1915, Ordinary telegraphist (24th June – Very Good character, Satisfactory ability)
H.M.S. E16, 25th Jun 1915 to 22nd Aug 1915, Telegraphist, DD
DD – Died on Duty 22nd August 1916 lost his life on duty.
HMS E16 was an E-class submarine built by Vickers, Barrow-in-Furness for the Royal Navy. She was laid down on 14 Oct 1912, launched 23 Sep 1914, completed 26 Feb 1915 and commissioned on 27 February 1915. Her hull cost £105,700. Like all post-E8 British E-class submarines, E16 had a displacement of 686 tons at the surface and 890 tons while submerged. It had a total length of 180 feet (55 m) and a beam length of 22 feet 8.5 inches (6.922 m). It contained two diesel engines each providing a power of 1,600 horsepower (1,200 kW) and two electric motors each providing 840 horsepower (630 kW) power. The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 16 knots (30 km/h) and a submerged speed of 10 knots (19 km/h). British E-class submarines had fuel capacities of 50 tons of diesel and ranges of 3,255 miles (5,238 km) when travelling at 10 knots (19 km/h). E16 was capable of operating submerged for five hours when travelling at 5 knots (9.3 km/h). It was fitted with a 6 pounder (2.7 kg) gun, five 18 inches (460 mm) torpedo tubes, and one spare torpedo tube. Its torpedo tubes were fitted at the front and the aft; unlike pre-E9 submarines, the two midship section torpedo tubes were not included. E-Class submarines contained wireless systems with 1 kilowatt (1.3 hp) power ratings; in some submarines, these were later upgraded to 3 kilowatts (4.0 hp) systems by removing a midship torpedo tube. Its claimed highest dive depth was 100 feet (30 m) although it was capable of reaching depths of below 200 feet (61 m). Its complement was thirty-one crew members.
HMS E16
E16 was responsible for sinking the destroyer V188 in July 1915. E16 was the first E-class to sink a U-boat (U6) sunk 4 miles (6.4 km) south-west of Karmøy island off Stavanger, Norway on 15 September 1915. E16 sailed from Harwich, England on 18th August 1916 for the last time, she was sunk by a mine in Heligoland Bight on 22 August 1916. There were no survivors.
22 August 1916 – Lost in North Sea (unknown cause)
E16 was last sighted thirty-five miles east of Yarmouth by HMS E38. E38 later observed a group of warships moving north, in the vicinity of Terschelling, Splashes were seen near to one of the warships which may have been depth charges exploding. Reports of enemy vessels attacking a periscope on the 22nd August may have been against E16.
Crew:
ANFIELD, John W W, Leading Seaman
BEARD, Frederick J, Leading Seaman
BEVAN, Edward W R, Engine Room Artificer 3c
BOAGEY, Robert, Act/Leading Stoker
BOWLER, Arthur, Able Seaman
BULBECK, William H, Able Seaman
BUTCHER, Mark, Able Seaman
CAMERON, Alistair G, Ty/Sub Lieutenant, RNR
CARPENTER, Thomas, Stoker 1c
CASTLE, William G, Petty Officer
CLARIDGE, Sidney A, Telegraphist
DUFF-DUNBAR, Kenneth J, Lieutenant Commander
EDKINS, Frank, Stoker 1c
FRAMPTON, Peter J, Able Seaman
GIBSON-CARMICHAEL, Alexander D, Sub Lieutenant
GRICE, Herbert H, Stoker 1c
HEGARTY, Thomas, Stoker 1c
HORGAN, Patrick, Stoker Petty Officer
HUGHES, James, Signalman
LAKE, Charles, Petty Officer
MORGAN, George E, Engine Room Artificer 4c
O’NEILL, John, Stoker 1c
PAGE, Edwin J, Able Seaman
PEERLESS, Herbert W, Able Seaman
PICKERING, William G, Leading Stoker
PRIOR, John S, Stoker 1c
REID, William S, Chief Engine Room Artificer, RNR
SHARPE, Percy W, Stoker 1c
THORNTON, Alfred, Leading Seaman
WADE, Arthur E, Act/Chief Engine Room Artificer 2c
WILBRAHAM, George, Engine Room Artificer 4c
The wreck of Submarine E16 was found in early 2001 by a German diver, Rolf Schuett, in the Heligoland Bight north of the Dutch Island of Terschelling. It was found to have a large, gaping hole in the hull, which indicates a mine or a torpedo explosion.
It was thought E16 was sunk after entering a minefield from the swept channel – the reported damage may be the confirmation of this theory