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Ldg.Sea. William Edward Cockings
Royal Navy Drake Btn. Royal Naval Division
from:Bethnal Green, London
My great-granddad - William Edward Cockings (1880-1959) from his service record, seems to have had an interesting time of it during his service in the Navy in WWI. Prior to the war he joined the Navy in December 1898, aged 18, and his record shows he served on a variety of ships, all with good or very good conduct and rose to the rank of leading seaman. Leaving the Navy in 1905 he became a police constable in the Metropolitan Police but kept his links to the Navy becoming part of the Royal Fleet Reserve to serve until 1910.
He re-enrolled for a further 5 years in 1910 and was called up for sea service at the outbreak of war in August 1914. He served for two weeks in August 1914 aboard HMS Cressy (which was torpedoed with great loss of life a month later) before joining Drake Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, which took him to Gallipoli until the battalion was withdrawn for sea service in 1916. He appears to have left the RND in April 1916 being transferred to land-based HMS Pembroke for a month.
His next ship was the brand new HMS Chester which he joined in early May 1916. Chester was involved in the Battle of Jutland 3 weeks later taking 17 150mm shell hits causing casualties of 29 men killed and 49 wounded; many of the wounded lost legs because the open backed gun-shields did not reach the deck and give adequate protection. Amongst the gun crew fatalities was 16 year old John Cornwell who received the Victoria Cross. Following repairs he served on HMS Chester until Jan 1919 as part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron.
Following the war he returned to his police duties until retirement in 1933.
