Harry Petty – Royal Navy, H.M.S. Contest
Petty Officer Stoker Harry Petty – Royal Navy, H.M.S. Contest Early Life Harry Petty was born in 1892 in Falmouth, Cornwall , the son of Harry Petty and Bessie Edgcombe , who were married in Falmouth in 1891 . 1901 Census The 1901 Census records the Petty family residing at 5 Somer Court, Falmouth, Cornwall . Harry’s father, Harry (36) , born in Yorkshire, was employed as a Mariner , while his wife Bessie (34) cared for their children: Herbert C. E. (13) , Harry (9) , and Hilda Mary (1) . Naval Service Harry Petty Royal Navy Records In 1909 , Harry Petty enlisted in the Royal Navy , beginning a career that would see him rise to the rank of Petty Officer Stoker . Stokers played a vital engineering role aboard Royal Navy ships, maintaining boilers, furnace rooms, and propulsion systems in cramped, unforgiving conditions deep within the vessel. Harry later married Elsie E. Petty , of 5 Mantana Place, Landore . He served aboard H.M.S. Contest , an Acasta‑class destroyer...
