JOHN BARTLETT BUCKINGHAM (1880-1917)

Leading Stoker John Bartlett Buckingham 293892, HMS Brisk, was one of 32 men lost at sea when his ship was attacked by a German U-boat 2nd October 1917. He was yet another casualty of the First World War suffered by the the Buckingham family of North Hill.

John Bartlett Buckingham was born in Trefursdon on 14th March 1880 to John Buckingham and Susan (née Bartlett). He was baptised on 2nd May 1880 in St Torney's and was the eldest of twelve siblings. John snr was a labourer and the family moved around the Tamar valley as work became available. They lived for some time in Launceston and Stoke Climsland before moving to Saltash via Landulph.

Like his fourth cousin once removed, Edred Buckingham, John Bartlett Buckingham was a career navy man, having joined up on 2nd November 1899 for 12 years when he was 19 years old. He wasn't tall, standing at about 5 feet 6 inches with dark brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. On entry he was ascribed the role of a stoker at the shore base in Plymouth, HMS Vivid II. He served on a number of ships and at Royal Navy establishments including Colossus, Resolution, Defiance, Indus, Blake and St George. Throughout his career his character was always recorded as "Very Good", earning good conduct badges.

In 1905 John married a local girl, Annie Chiswell, and they lived in Saltash. They had two children - daughter Dora was born in 1906 and then John was born two years later.

Whilst posted to HMS Blake, a depot ship in Plymouth, he was promoted to Stoker Petty Officer and later served on HMS Hecla and HMS Brisk.

HMS Brisk was an Acorn-class (later H-class) destroyer. Launched in 1910, Brisk was the first destroyer equipped with two Brown-Curtis steam turbines and two shafts, important knowledge for a serving stoker. Brisk spent most of the war in anti-submarine warfare and was upgraded for this purpose with increasing capacity for attack with depth charges. She survived a torpedo attack from the German submarine U-84 and hitting a mine, but it was in this incident that many of her crew were lost.

The ship was serving off the coast of Antrim in Northern Ireland and had been sent there to protect allied shipping from German U-Boat attacks. The official record tells that the ship was hit amidships by a large German mine laid by a U-boat resulting in a huge explosion, killing 32 men. There is another report that a torpedo caused the explosion. The ship, according to this alternative record, was split in two and the bow portion sank whilst the stern section was towed back to port. By this time, though, the bodies had been lost to the sea and were never recovered.

John Bartlett Buckingham is remembered on the Plymouth Royal Naval Memorial, on the War Memorial in Saltash and on a Roll of Honour in the church of St John the Baptist in Saltash.