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Lt.Cmdr. Geoffrey Saxton White VC.
Royal Navy HMS E14
from:Bromley, Kent
(d.28th Jan 1918)
Geoffrey White was killed in action 28th of January 1918, aged 31. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial in Portsmouth.
An extract from the London Gazette, No. 31354, dated 24th May, 1919, records the following:- "For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty as Commanding Officer of H.M. Submarine E.14. on the 28th of January, 1918. E.14. left Mudros on the 27th of January, under instructions to force the Narrows and attack the Goeben, which was reported aground off Nagara Point after being damaged during her sortie from the Dardanelles. The latter vessel was not found and E.14. turned back. At about 8.45 a.m. on the 28th of January a torpedo was fired from E.14. at an enemy ship; 11 seconds after the torpedo left the tube a heavy explosion took place, caused all the lights to go out, and sprang the fore hatch. Leaking badly the boat was blown to 15 feet, and at once a heavy fire came from the forts, but the hull was not hit. E.14. then dived and proceeded on her way out. Soon afterwards the boat became out of control and as the air supply was nearly exhausted, Lieutenant-Commander White decided to run the risk of proceeding on the surface. Heavy fire was immediately opened from both sides, and, after running the gauntlet for half-an-hour, being steered from below, E.14. was so badly damaged that Lieutenant-Commander White turned towards the shore in order to give the crew a chance of being saved. He remained on deck the whole time himself until he was killed by a shell."
