Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

From the CWGC site
CLAYTON, JOSEPH

Rank:
Trimmer
Service No:
898589
Date of Death:
09/10/1917
Age:
24
Regiment/Service:
Mercantile Marine Reserve

H.M.S. "Champagne."
Panel Reference
25.
Memorial
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Additional Information:
Son of Thomas and Jessie Clayton, of Liverpool; husband of May Clayton, of 99, Gladstone Rd., Edge Hill, Liverpool.

From the wrecks website:
Champagne HMS was a British Armed Merchant Cruiser of 5,360 tons built in 1895 by Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast as the Passenger/Cargo steamer OROPESA SS and owned by the Pacific Steam & Navigation Co., Liverpool.

In November 1914, whilst under the command of Captain Percy G Brown , she was taken over by the Admiralty for service as an armed auxiliary cruiser. As part of the 10th Cruiser Squadron under Rear-Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair, she sunk a German submarine in March 1915 whilst patrolling between Scotland and Norway off the Skerryvore Lighthouse. In 1917 she was lent to the French navy and was renamed the HMS Champagne, but retained her British crew.

On October 15th , 1917 she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine whilst in the Irish Sea with the loss of 5 officers and 51 men. On the 9th October 1917 she was torpedoed and sunk by a German submarine U-96 when 8 miles SW of the Calf of Man. 58 dead.

D, that entry seems to contradict itself in the last paragraph. I would believe Joseph Clayton died on the day HMS Champagne was sunk on 9th October. Wonder why the Wrecks site also mentions 15th.

I found another entry which was good http://www.uboat.net/wwi/ships_hit/1208.html

Your quote looks better. Will you delete my offering or will you?
D

No D. we will keep both.