Michael Veale – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.S. Hampshire

Stoker Michael Veale – Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.S. Hampshire

Early Life

Michael Veale was born in 1882 in Swansea, the son of John and Margaret Veale, originally from Dungarvan, County Waterford.

Marriage and Family

1911 Census

In 1907, Michael married Mary Ellen. The 1911 Census is the only census in which Michael appears. At that time, the family were living at 18 Llangyfelach Road, Swansea. Michael, aged 29, was employed as a Steel Tube Worker, while Mary Ellen, aged 23, was at home caring for their daughter Madeline, then 3 years old.

Naval Service

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Michael later enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, he was among the “missing” Stokers from H.M.S. Hampshire, which was lost on 5^th June 1916. As a Stoker, Michael would have served deep within the ship, working in the boiler rooms to maintain steam and power—one of the most physically demanding and dangerous roles aboard a warship.

The Sinking of H.M.S. Hampshire

H.M.S. Hampshire

On 5^th June 1916, Hampshire departed Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands during a violent gale. She had been assigned a mission of great importance: transporting Field Marshal Lord Kitchener, the Secretary of State for War, and his staff to Russia for urgent diplomatic discussions. The weather was so severe that two escorting destroyers were forced to turn back, leaving Hampshire to continue alone along the exposed west coast of the Orkneys.

Lord Kitchener Wants You Poster

Unbeknown to the Royal Navy, the waters off Marwick Head had recently been mined by the German submarine U‑75. At approximately 7:40 p.m., the cruiser struck one of these mines. The explosion tore open her hull near the bow, causing catastrophic flooding and disabling her electrical systems. Battling heavy seas and listing badly, Hampshire sank within 15 minutes.

The storm made rescue efforts almost impossible. The sea was extremely rough, visibility was poor, and the ship went down so quickly that most of the crew were unable to launch boats or rafts. Of the nearly 750 men on board, only twelve survived. Lord Kitchener and his staff were among the dead, as was Stoker Michael Veale.

Michael Veale
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

Commemoration

As he has no known grave, Michael Veale is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours Royal Navy and Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve personnel who lost their lives at sea during the First World War