Frederick Stanley Clement – Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Calgarian
Fireman Frederick Stanley Clement – Mercantile Marine Reserve, H.M.S. Calgarian
Family Background and Early Life
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| Stephen John Clement and Mary Bishop marriage certificate St. Mary's Church, Swansea |
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| 1901 Census |
At the time of the 1901 Census, the Clement family were living at 39 Balaclava Street, St Thomas, Swansea. Stephen John Clement (37) was employed as a hydraulic bridgeman, while his wife Mary (35) managed the household. Their children were Polly Jane (13), Gilbert (10), Brinley (7), Llewellyn Reginald (4), Frederick Stanley (2), and Rebecca Alice, aged five months.
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| 1911 Census |
By the 1911 Census, the family remained at the same address. Stephen John Clement (47) continued in his role as a hydraulic bridgeman, and Mary (45) cared for their family. Their children at this time were Gilbert (20), a wagon lifter; Brinley (17), a locomotive fireman; Llewellyn Reginald (14); Frederick Stanley (12); Rebecca Eileen (10); and Mildred Alexandra (6).
Maritime Service
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| H.M.S. Calgarian |
Calgarian was a large Allan Line steamship,
built in 1914 by the Fairfield Shipbuilding & Engineering Company.
She displaced 17,515 tons and measured 568.8 feet in length, with
a beam of 70.3 feet and a depth of 41.6 feet. Powered by turbine
engines producing 21,000 shaft horsepower, she was capable of speeds of up
to 20 knots.
At the outbreak of war, Calgarian was taken over by
the Admiralty and converted into an armed merchant cruiser, being
assigned to the 9th Cruiser Squadron. This squadron, composed of Royal
Navy vessels and five auxiliary cruisers, was tasked primarily with the patrol
of the Mid-Atlantic, intercepting enemy commerce raiders and protecting
Allied shipping routes.
In company with H.M.S. Vindictive, Calgarian
later took part in the blockade of the River Tagus, preventing German
liners from escaping Portuguese waters. She was subsequently employed in guarding
trans-Atlantic convoys, a vital role as German submarine activity
intensified.
Loss of H.M.S. Calgarian and Death
On 1st March 1918, under the command of Captain
R. A. Newton, Calgarian was engaged in escorting a convoy of 30
merchant vessels off the north coast of Ireland. In addition to her
convoy duties, she was also carrying a number of naval ratings who were
being transferred between stations or travelling on leave.
At this time, the German Admiralty had begun an intensive
submarine campaign against Allied shipping passing through the North
Channel between Ireland and Scotland. Calgarian became the first
victim of this concentrated effort when she was torpedoed by the German
submarine U-19, commanded by Johann Spieß, off Rathlin
Island, Northern Ireland.
The initial torpedo strike did not immediately sink the
ship, and the crew succeeded in temporarily containing the damage. Despite the
presence of destroyers and other escort vessels, the U-boat commander pressed
home his attack, firing additional torpedoes. Calgarian was struck by four
torpedoes in total and sank rapidly, taking with her two officers
and forty-seven ratings, among them Fireman Frederick Stanley Clement.
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| British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records |
According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Frederick Stanley Clement lost his life on 1st March 1918. The official record notes that his place and exact date of birth were not recorded, a common occurrence in wartime documentation.
Commemoration
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| Frederick Stanley Clement Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth credit - fidnagrave |
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