Harold Stanley Cope

Able Seaman Harold Stanley Cope – Royal Navy, H.M.S. Indefatigable

Early Life

Harold Stanley Cope was born on 17^th March 1896 in Liverpool, the son of Walter Cope and Mary Cope.

1901 Census

At the time of the 1901 Census, the family was living at 147 Prescot Road, Fairfield St. John the Divine, Liverpool. Walter, aged 33 and born in Islington, worked as a photographic printer, while Mary, also 33, was born in King’s Cross, London. Their children were Harold (5) and Gladys M. (10 months). Also in the household was Walter’s widowed mother, Caroline Cope (72).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, Harold, then aged 15, was living away from home as a boarder at Derwen Road, Ystradgynlais, employed as an apprentice to an electrical engineer in a colliery. 

1911 Census

Meanwhile, his parents resided at 3 Penbryn Terrace, Brynmill, Swansea. Walter, now 43, was employed as a ship tallyman, while Mary was also 43. Their children at home were Gladys Mary (10) and Willie Edwin (8), both attending school.

Military Service

Royal Navy Registers of Seaman’s Service 

On his 18^th birthday, 17^th March 1914, Harold enlisted with the Royal Navy, entering as a Boy Class recruit. His Royal Navy Registers of Seaman’s Service have survived, recording his enlistment, training, and steady rise through the ranks to become an Able Seaman. His name is also listed in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, confirming his place among those who served and died in the Great War.

His final posting was to the battlecruiser H.M.S. Indefatigable, part of Vice-Admiral Sir David Beatty’s Battlecruiser Fleet.

H.M.S. Indefatigable at Jutland

H.M.S. Indefatigable 

H.M.S. Indefatigable was the lead ship of her class and one of the first British vessels to engage the enemy during the Battle of Jutland on 31^st May 1916. In the opening clash, she exchanged fire with the German battlecruiser SMS Von der Tann.

At around 16:00 hours, Indefatigable was struck by several heavy shells that penetrated her armour and ignited the magazines. A catastrophic explosion tore through the ship, which capsized and sank within minutes. Out of a crew of more than 1,000 men, only two survived.

Death

Able Seaman Harold Stanley Cope was among those lost when H.M.S. Indefatigable exploded and sank at the Battle of Jutland on 31^st May 1916. He was just 20 years old.

Burial

Harold Stanley Cope
Plymouth Naval Memorial
credit - findagrave

As with almost all his shipmates, Harold’s body was never recovered. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours Royal Navy personnel who were lost at sea during the First World War and have no known grave.

Legacy

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage, and Death Records

Harold Stanley Cope gave his life in the largest naval battle of the First World War. His preserved service record in the Royal Navy Registers of Seaman’s Service, alongside his entry in the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, provides a lasting testament to his service.

He is remembered not only on the Plymouth Naval Memorial but also locally on the St. Paul’s Church war memorial, Sketty, ensuring his story continues to be part of Swansea’s community history.