Engineman Herbert Scoggins HMD Golden Rule 1918

H.E.SCOGGINS
Engineman. RNR. 2205 ES
H.M. Drifter “Golden Rule”
26th February 1918

SCOGGINS, H E
Rank:………………….Engineman
Service No:……………2205/ES
Date of Death:………...26/02/1918
Service:………………..Royal Naval Reserve
…………………………H.M. Drifter "Golden Rule."
Grave Reference:……..Right of entrance.
Cemetery:
RUSHMERE (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD
CWGC: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/398018/SCOGGINS,%20H%20E

The WW1 Naval Casualties database records that Engineman 2205 E.S. (CH) Herbert Edward Scoggins was Killed or Died as a direct result of enemy action on the 26th February 1918 whilst serving on HM Drifter Golden Rule. He was born Badingham, Suffolk on the 17th June 1886. The relative notified of his death was his wife, who lived at Black Street, Gisleham, Near Lowestoft. He was buried in the Parish Churchyard at Rushmere, Near Lowestoft.

The Naval Service Records for ES 2205 Herbert Edward Scoggins, who was born Badingham, Suffolk on the 17th June 1886, are held under reference BT 377/7/131613
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8665812

No obvious Civil Probate for this man.

Family Genealogy site
donjaggi.net/winnifred/familygroup.php?familyID=F550&...

1886 – Birth

There is no obvious birth for a Herbert Edward Scoggins anywhere in Suffolk from the right period, even if we go +/- 2 years. At the time of the birth, Badingham fell into the Hoxne Civil District for the purposes of registering births, deaths and marriage. A check of the Hoxne District for the middle two quarters of 1886 does bring up some possibilities.

I use Genes Reunited for this kind of checking. Their transcription of the General Registrars Index of Births for England and Wales shows a Herbert Edward Scogings recorded in the Hoxne District in the July to August quarter, (Q3), of 1886. (Then, as now, you were allowed 42 days after the event to register the birth with the civil authorities.) A check of the scan of the original page attached to that transcription shows its correct.

As a second check I looked at the FreeBMD site. They have transcribed it as Herbert Edward Scoginls. The scan they have attached is of a lower quality and while I can see why they might have plumped for the Scoginls variant, ( in the index, surnames are shown in capitals, and in this area of the scan only the backbone of the second letter G, done in a typeface that is more angular, can be seen), the original is still the same document.

Of course Scogings for Scoggin could have crept in at any stage, a typo in the return sent from the Hoxne Registrars Office to the GRO, or a typo in compiling the yearly index. Or the family may simply have adopted a different spelling.

1891 Census of England and Wales

The family were recorded with the surname Scoggings on this census. They were living in a dwelling on Pound Green, Badingham, Suffolk. Herbert, aged 4 and born Badingham, was the only child recorded living there. Parents are John, (28, Agricultural Labourer, born Badingham), and Maryann, (28, born Peasenhall, Suffolk).

1901 Census of England and Wales

The 14 year old “Herbt”, born Badingham, Suffolk and employed as a Stable Lad, was recorded living “Near the Hall”, Coldfair Green, Knodishall, Suffolk. This was the household of his parents, John, (38, Horseman on Farm from Badingham), and Mary Ann, (38, born Peasenhall, Suffolk). As well as Herbert their other children living with them are:-
“Arthr”…….aged 9……..born Badingham
Martha…….aged 7………born Badingham
Flora………aged 5………born Badingham
“Mable”…..aged 2………born Peasenhall.
Father John also has his mother, the 70 year old widow Mary Scoggins, born Sibton, Suffolk and his sister-in-law, Esther Button, aged 28, single and born Peasenhall, living with them.

1911 Census of England and Wales

There is no obvious marriage in England and Wales for a Herbert Scoggins between 1901 and 1911, so he hadn’t left his parents household for that reason. There doesn’t appear to be a match for him on this census under the surname variants discovered so far. I suspect he was probably still living at home, but was out at sea on the night of the census.

His parents were recorded still living at Knodishall, (near Saxmundham). John, (48, Farm Labourer) and Maryann. (48), have been married 26 years and have had 9 children, of which 7 were then still alive. Still living at home are Arthur, (20, single, General Labourer at an Engineering Firm), Mabel, (12) and Emily, (8, born Knodishall).

1914 – Possible Marriage

The marriage of a Herbert E Scoggins to an Edith Bunn was recorded in the Mutford District of Suffolk in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1914. (Mutford Civil District covered Lowestoft and much of the surrounding Suffolk countryside and coastal areas. These included Gisleham, where Herberts' wife, as next of kin, was stated to be living at the time of his death, and Rushmere.)

Post August 1911 it became compulsory when registering a birth in England and Wales to also record the mothers maiden name. A check of the General Registrars Office Index of Births for England and Wales 1911-1983 produces just three matches for children registered with the surname Scoggins, mothers maiden name Bunn, and all are in the Mutford District, however things don’t quite add up so may be more than one marriage. The birth of a Herbert J was registered in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1914, followed by Arthur W in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1916. However the last, James, was recorded in the January to March quarter, (Q1), of 1920.

On the day

He died as a result of burns sustained on the night of 14/15th February when the Golden Rule, a hired net drifter, was damaged in action.
www.flickr.com/photos/36928008@N08/4493012769

German destroyers conducted a raid in the Dover area. Hired trawlers and drifters were badly battered by the German attack: CHRISTINA CRAIG, CLOVER BANK, COSMOS, JAMES POND, JEANNIE MURRAY, SILVER QUEEN, VERACITY, and W. ELLIOT sunk and GOLDEN RULE and VIOLET MAY damaged.

From The Dover Patrol 1914 - 1918 by Roy Humphries
"The convened Court of Inquiry could not fail to lay blame squarely on the shoulders of those who had commanded AMAZON and TERMAGANT and the M 26 monitor..........Vice Admiral Keyes could not find any excuse for the delay in engaging the enemy vessels who had not replied to a challenge signal. There was, he concluded sufficient evident to frame a charge for a trial by courts martial upon the commanders. All three were relieved of their respective commands immediately."
1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?/topic/27865-...

Night of 14/15th February 1918 – last German Raid on the Dover Straits.

Golden Rule, hired net drifter, damaged
FARROW, Henry S, 2nd Hand, RNR, SA 1237
GOWEN, Robert J, Deck Hand, RNR, DA 4331
SYMONDS, Henry, Engineman, RNR, ES 472
www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1918-02Feb.htm

On the night of 14th/15th February 1918, a dramatic raid took place by German destroyers against vessels of the Dover Patrol, causing serious losses which included the sinking of one armed trawler and seven drifters. The enemy’s object was to destroy the ‘light barrier’ as they called the British flare ships, whose effect was to make the Straits of Dover almost impassable. Two half flotillas of destroyers were employed on the raid. Between Folkestone and Griz Nez there existed a series of buoys which were used to assist the patrols to maintain their positions. About two and a half miles on either side of this line were stationed trawlers, paddlers and other small craft, to either burn flares or to use searchlights. There was also fifty-eight drifters patrolling this line.

At 12.40 a.m. one half flotilla of four destroyers started the attack from the NW by shelling the paddler Newbury, whose revolving searchlight made her an easy target. The destroyers then proceeded slowly down the drifter line and sank the drifters W. Elliot and Veracity. The paddler Lingfield and a motor launch also came under fire, but some drifters managed to make their escape. The enemy then disappeared.

Three destroyers made an attack from the SE at about 12.45 a.m. near the Griz Nez end of the line. The trawler James Pond was soon on fire. The crew endeavoured to extinguish the flames and beach her, but the vessel finally had to be abandoned. Proceeding along the line, the enemy shelled the drifter Clover Bank, which took fire, and afterwards sank. The destroyers then sank the drifters Cosmos and Jeannie Murray. Only four survivors escaped from these three craft. The next to be shelled were the drifters Golden Grain, Golden Rule, Violet May and Treasure, which were all damaged. At about 1.30 a.m. the Germans turned back when about halfway across the Channel and on the return journey met and sank the drifter Silver Queen, which had taken off the survivors of the Cosmos. Finally, after firing on two more drifters, these destroyers made off. This raid cost the Patrol heavy losses of men and ships. There were sunk one armed trawler, seven drifters, and one paddler and six drifters damaged.
www.dnw.co.uk/auction-archive/lot-archive/lot.php?auction...
www.naval-history.net/WW1Book-MN3b-Merchant_Navy_in_WW1_H...

Taken in: United Kingdom / England / Rushmere (show map)

Taken on: August 12, 2016

Tags:

Rushmere

Rushmere St Michael

England

In memoria

Dulce et decorum est

Home fallen of the Great War

Herbert Scoggins

Herbert Edward Scoggins

H.M Drifter Golden Rule

HMD Golden Rule

Dover Straits action 14/15th February 1918

Herbert Edward Scogings

Edith Bunn

Edith Scoggins « less

Sets appears in: • In memoria • Dulce et Decorum Est..Pro Patria Mori more » • Rushmere (Lowestoft) « less

Groups appears in: • The Great War 1914 - 1918 • Old Soldiers (rest in peace) more » • Military headstones • The Home Fallen of the Great War 1914 - 1930 (UK CWGC Headstones « less

Camera: Fujifilm FinePix S602 ZOOM, f/3.2, 1/180 sec, 8.9mm, ISO 200 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Fujifilm FinePix S602 ZOOM
Aperture:	f/3.2
Exposure Time:	0.006 sec (1/180)
Focal Length:	8.9mm
ISO:	200
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Microsoft Windows Photo Viewer 6.1.7600.16385
Show full info

Stats: 2,757 views / 3 comments