Edward George Pickett – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Defence

Stoker 2^nd Class Edward George Pickett – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M.S. Defence

Early Life and Family Background

1911 Census

Edward George Pickett was born in 1895 in Swansea, the son of James Pickett and Eliza Pickett. The 1911 Census records the family living at 48 Pentrecwyth Road, Swansea. James, aged 41, was employed as a Spelter Furnacesman, while Eliza, aged 35, managed the home. Their children were Edward G. (16), working as a Copper Waker Labourer; Catherine (13); Maggie Jane (12); Thomas James (7), who was attending school; and Mary Annie (3).

Service with the Royal Naval Reserve

Edward George Pickett
Royal Navy Service Records

Edward enlisted in 1915 and served with the Royal Naval Reserve, where he was rated as a Stoker 2^nd Class. His role placed him deep within the ship, working in the boiler rooms to maintain the engines and machinery that powered the vessel—physically demanding and often hazardous work.

H.M.S. Defence – The Ship He Served On

H.M.S. Defence

H.M.S. Defence was a Minotaur‑class armoured cruiser, the last of her type built for the Royal Navy. Constructed at Pembroke Dockyard, she was launched in 1907 and commissioned in 1909. At over 14,000 tons, she carried a powerful armament of 9.2‑inch and 7.5‑inch guns, supported by smaller quick‑firing weapons and torpedo tubes, and was protected by an armour belt up to 6 inches thick.

Before the First World War, Defence served in several important roles, including escorting the Royal Yacht Medina during King George V’s voyage to India in 1911–12, and later acting as flagship on the China Station. At the outbreak of war, she operated in the Mediterranean and South Atlantic before joining the Grand Fleet in early 1915. By 1916, she was part of the 1^st Cruiser Squadron, tasked with screening and supporting the main battle fleet.

Battle of Jutland and the Loss of H.M.S. Defence

On 31^st May 1916, during the Battle of Jutland, the largest naval engagement of the First World War, H.M.S. Defence took her place in the line of battle. While closing to engage what was believed to be a damaged German vessel, she came under intense fire from German battlecruisers and battleships. Several heavy shells struck her, detonating her magazines in a catastrophic explosion. The ship was destroyed within moments, resulting in the total loss of her crew, estimated at more than 900 men, including Stoker 2nd Class Edward George Pickett.

Death and Commemoration

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Edward George Pickett
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Edward died on 31^st May 1916 during the sinking of H.M.S. Defence at the Battle of Jutland. With no known grave, he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours Royal Navy and Royal Naval Reserve personnel lost at sea whose bodies were never recovered