Enoch Idris Jones – Royal Navy, H.M.S. Marmion

 Ordinary Seaman Enoch Idris Jones – Royal Navy, H.M.S. Marmion

Early Life

Enoch Idris Jones was born in 1898 in Swansea, the son of Enoch Jones and Eleanor Davies.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census records the family living at Sidney Street, Swansea, where Enoch (33) worked as a Coal Miner and Eleanor (35) cared for their four children: William G. (10), Thomas J. (8), Enoch Idris (3), and David (2).

1911 Census

By 1911, the Jones family had moved to 37 Sydney Street, Brynhyfryd, Swansea. Enoch (43) continued as a Coal Miner Hewer, while Eleanor (43) managed the home. Their older sons, William G. (20) and Thomas J. (18), were working as a Coal Miner and Tinworker, respectively. The younger children—Enoch Idris (13), David (12), Eleanor (9), Francis C. (8), and Rachel (6)—were all attending school.

Naval Service

Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services

As a young man, Enoch Idris Jones enlisted in the Royal Navy, with the surviving Royal Navy Registers of Seamen’s Services confirming that he enlisted in 1916. He served as an Ordinary Seaman aboard the destroyer H.M.S. Marmion during the First World War.

Operational Role of H.M.S. Marmion

H.M.S. Marmion was an M‑class destroyer, designed for high‑speed operations and deployed with the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow. M‑class destroyers were built to counter fast German torpedo boats and typically reached speeds of around 34 knots, making them essential for patrol, escort, screening, and reconnaissance duties.

In wartime service, Marmion frequently operated in the North Sea, an area notorious for poor visibility, heavy seas, and intense submarine activity. Destroyers like Marmion escorted convoys, protected the fleet, and patrolled dangerous waters where the threat from U‑boats and collisions in fogbound conditions was ever‑present.

Loss of H.M.S. Marmion – 21^st October 1917

H.M.S. Marmion

On 21^st October 1917, H.M.S. Marmion was tragically lost during operations in the North Sea. In heavy weather and thick fog, she collided with the destroyer H.M.S. Tirade, causing catastrophic damage that led to Marmion breaking apart and sinking with severe loss of life.

Death and Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Enoch Idris Jones
Fredrikstad Military Cemetery, Norway
credit - fidnagrave

Ordinary Seaman Enoch Idris Jones was among those who perished in the disaster. The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that Enoch was killed in service, supporting the official account of his wartime death. He is buried at Fredrikstad Military Cemetery, Norway, where his sacrifice is honoured