Thomas John Gregory – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M. Trawler Epworth

Trimmer Thomas John Gregory – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M. Trawler Epworth

Family Background and Early Life

Thomas John Gregory was born in 1882, the son of Thomas Gregory and Mary Ann Grey.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Gregory family were residing at 21 Little Wind Street, Swansea. Thomas senior, aged 32, was employed as a labourer on ships, while his wife Mary Ann, aged 29, managed the household. Their children were Thomas J. (9), Edith A. (7), Charles (5), William (3), and Katie (8 months).

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 45 Garden Street, Swansea. Thomas senior, then 42, was employed as a boilermaker’s helper, and Mary was recorded as 37. The children listed in the household were Thomas (19), a mason’s labourer; Edith (17), an assistant in a fancy bakery; Charles (15); William (13); Katie (11); and Maggie (10). Also residing at the address were a boarder, William Cokayal (43), and a servant, Margaret Slocombe (17).

Thomas married Susan How in 1901, establishing his own family prior to the outbreak of war.

Naval Service

H.M. Trawler Epworth

During the First World War, Thomas served with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, ranking as a Trimmer aboard H.M. Trawler Epworth. Trimmers worked in the engine and boiler rooms, ensuring the steady supply and distribution of coal to maintain steam pressure — a physically demanding and hazardous role, particularly in small auxiliary patrol vessels operating in mined and submarine-threatened waters.

The Hull steam trawler Epworth was requisitioned for war service in November 1914 and converted for use as a minesweeper. Like many civilian fishing vessels taken into naval service, she operated in dangerous North Sea waters clearing mines and safeguarding shipping routes vital to Britain’s war effort.

Loss of H.M. Trawler Epworth

On 22^nd May 1917, H.M. Trawler Epworth foundered in the North Sea following a collision. The disaster resulted in the loss of the skipper and ten crew members, including Thomas John Gregory.

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records 

Thomas John Gregory
Plymouth naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

The British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirm that Thomas lost his life on 22^nd May 1917. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours sailors of the Royal Navy and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve who died at sea during the First World War and have no known resting place.