St Stephens by Saltash War Memorial
CLAYDON, William (A)
Believed to be William CLAYDON son of William & Martha CLAYDON
who was born in 1876 at Glastonbury, Somerset and whose birth was
registered in the March Q of that year at Wells (5c, 578).
1881 census aged 5 living with parents & siblings at High Street,
Glastonbury.
1891 census aged 15 living with parents & siblings at Norbins Road,
Glastonbury, Errand boy. NB: entered on this census as William ‘C’
CLAYDON.
1901 census: Not found
1907 marriage to Maria CLAYDON, marriage registered March Q at St.
Germans (V 5c 57)
1911 census aged 35 staying with wife & in-laws at Coombe Farm, St.
Stephens, Saltash. Occupation P.O. Royal Nay
WW1 Royal Navy record:
Name: CLAYDON W.
Rank: Leading Seaman
Service number: 171700
Vessel: HMS Goliath
Date Died: 13th May 1915 – Age 32
How Died: Killed in Action
Additional Information: Son of William and Martha Claydon, of
Glastonbury; husband of Maria Claydon, of Coombe Farm, St.
Stephens-by-Saltash, Cornwall.
Memorial: Plymouth Naval Memorial
On the night of 12-13 May 1915 HMS Goliath was anchored in Morto Bay off
Cape Helles, along with HMS Cornwallis and a screen of five destroyers,
in foggy conditions.
Around 01:00 hours on 13th May 1915, the Turkish torpedo boat
Muavenet-I-Milliye, which was manned by a combined German and Turkish
crew, eluded the destroyers HMS Beagle and HMS Bulldog and closed on the
battleships. Muavenet-i Milliye fired two torpedoes, which struck
Goliath almost simultaneously abreast her fore turret, and abeam the
fore funnel, causing a massive explosion. Goliath began to capsize
almost immediately, and was lying on her beam-ends when a third torpedo
struck near her after turret. She then rolled over completely and began
to sink by the bows, taking 570 of the 700-strong crew to the bottom.
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