HMS Vanguard

[emma@esh]

All this talk about ships etc reminded me about the grave you found

Edward RAYNER B.A. Exhibitioner of Pembroke College Cambridge M.B. B.C. CANTAB. F.R.C.S. ENG St Thomas Hospital London.
Surgeon R.N.(Temp) Who was Killed in the explosion on HMS Vanguard July 9 1917 Age 31

Hopefully this inscription is correct. After the 'accident' involving myself and the back of my pc I lost the most up to date version of the MI's...

Anyway I can't remember if you followed the story up or not (lost emails etc)

I looked on the web and found this https://www.gwpda.org/naval/adm101398.htm

which is the Vanguard's Surgeons diary pre 1917. He wasn't on the ship in 1917 as he left the year before so presumably his post was taken by Edward Rayner?

Another interesting story...

[Robin]

In Memory of Edwin RAYNER who fell asleep for Jesus Nov 5th 1911 Age 63

Also of Louisa wife of the above who died at Tunbridge Wells on September 6th 1919 aged 63 years

When they are glad that they are at rest and so he bringest them unto the haven where they should be Psalm ?? ???

???????? of Harold Leslie RAYNER B.A. of Corpus College Oxford

2nd Lieutenant 9th Devonshire Regiment wh was killed in action near Mametz in the battle of the Somme should be Psalm ?? ???</I>

???????? of Harold Leslie RAYNER B.A. of Corpus College Oxford

2nd Lieutenant 9th Devonshire Regiment wh was killed in action near Mametz in the battle of the Somme July 1st 1916 Aged 26.


Edward RAYNER B.A. Exhibitioner of Pembroke College Cambridge M.B. B.C. CANTAB. F.R.C.S. ENG St Thomas HosJuly 1st 1916 Aged 26.

Edward RAYNER B.A. Exhibitioner of Pembroke College Cambridge M.B. B.C. CANTAB. F.R.C.S. ENG St Thomas Hospital London.
Surgeon R.N.(Temp)

Who was Killed in the explosion on HMS Vanguard July 9 1917 Age 31

The brother would be worth a look as well.

[emma@esh]

I don't know how clued up you are about WW1 but I am sadly lacking in my knowledge about it ( though I have to say I am actually finding it more interesting now ) but from what I have briefly ascertained The 9th Devonshire regiment was stationed at Mansel Copse and were attacked there on the 1st of July 1916 - over 160 men were killed from that and the 8th Regiments on that day.....

"Near this place, Noel Hodgson, the Devonshires' Bommbing Officer, wrote his last poem shortly before the Devonshire Regiment suffered greatly from the fire of a German machine-gun situated in a civil cemetery on the edge of Mametz.

Captain Martin, whose model of the battlefield indicated this danger, lies buried near to Hodgson in the Devonshire Cemetery.

The trench from which the Devonshires advanced was later used to bury the dead. The inscription at the entrance to the cemetery originally placed over the graves reads "The Devonshires held this trench; the Devonshires hold it still".

the last poem www.lib.byu.edu/~english/WWI/over/Hodgson(big).html



What a horrible story, but I expect it was one repeated many times over that day.

[emma@esh]

Sussex Express July 27th 1917 page 4

Wadhurst Officers Death

Surgeon Edward Rayner R.N, who was killed in The Vanguard,was the elder son of the late Edward Rayner of 'Beechlands' Wadhurst and Mrs Rayner of the Queens hotel Upper Norwood and the brother of Second Lieutenant Harold Leslie Rayner who was killed in action on July 1st (sic) last year. When the war broke out he was house surgeon to the Isolation Block of his hospital and at once offered his services to the Admiralty. He served in Gallipolli with The Royal Navy Division Engineers after the trying experiences of which he was invalided for five months. In the autumn of last year he was appointed Surgeon to The Vanguard.

[Robin]

Rayner H.L. Second lieutenant 9th Battalion Devonshire Regiment.Date of death 01/07/1916
Son of Mrs L Rayner, of The Haven Blachington Road Tunbridge Wells

Mametz is a village in the Department of the Somme, 6.5 kilometres east of Albert. Devonshire Cemetery is 800 metres south of Mametz and is situated on high ground some 450 metres west of the road from Albert to Peronne (D938), 6.5 kilometres from Albert.

Mametz was within the German lines until 1 July 1916 when it was captured by the 7th Division, and Mametz Wood, north-east of the village, was cleared on the days following 7 July. The 8th and 9th Battalions of the Devonshire Regiments, forming parts of the 7th Division, attacked on 1 July 1916 from a point on the south-west side of Albert-Maricourt road, due south of Memetz village, by a plantation called Mansel Copse. It was there, on 4 July, that they buried their dead in a section of their old front line trench. All but two of the burials belong to these battalions. Devonshire Cemetery contains 163 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, ten of which are unidentified. The cemetery was designed by W H Cowlishaw.

[Robin]

Surgeon Edward RAYNER, R.N. who was killed in the Vanguard, was the elder son of the late Edward Rayner of Beechlands Wadhurst Sussex, and Mrs Rayner of the Queens Hotel, Upper Norwood and brother of Second Lieutenant Harold Leslie Rayner, who was killed in action on July 1st last year.
Born in Hampstead in 1886. he was educated at Heddon Court and the South Eastern College, Ramsgate, were he was conspicuous in sports, winning several challenge cups and first-class prizes. in 1905 he entered Pembroke College, Cambridge, and took a first class in the Natural Science Tripos in 1908. he received his medical education at Cambridge and St Thomas's Hospital qualifying as M.R.C.S.Eng and L.R.C.P.Lond. in 1912. The same year he recieved the degree of M.B. and B.C.Cantab. He acted as House Surgeon and casualty officer as St Thomas's while working for his F.R.C.S. which he passed in 1913.
When war broke out he was house surgeon to the isolation block at his hospital, and at once offered his services to the Admiralty. He served in Gallipoli with the Roayl Naval Division Engineers, after the trying experiences of which he was invailded for five months. in the autumn of last year he was appointed surgeon to the Vanguard.

Was he injured in Gallipoili?
Was he invalidided for injury or what.?
I assume mum sold Beechlands after Dad died ?

[emma@esh]

I wonder if there would be any records for either of these brothers at Kew Archives.