Able Seaman Adams
Friday 19th March 1915: Readers may be aware that since last month British naval forces have been bombarding the Turkish forts at Gallipoli. This is a narrow finger of land which is part of Europe, separated from Asia by a narrow strait of water known as the
Yesterday a combined fleet of eighteen British and French battleships with supporting cruisers and destroyers sought to pass through the Dardanelles at their narrowest point, just one mile wide. Sadly, this has been a complete failure due to the presence of minefields. The French battleship Bouvet and the British ships Ocean and Irresistible have been sunk.
To lose two capital ships is a blow to the Royal navy, but a harder blow is to their pride in not succeeding in their mission. At the present time the navy comprises far more capital ships than any other fleet in the world and is still a hugely formidable instrument of war. Comprising 36 older ships with lesser armament constructed before HMS Dreadnought in 1906 and thus known as pre-dreadnoughts (Ocean and Irresistible were of this type), 24 modern ships known collectively as dreadnoughts and 9 battlecruisers.
Another Royal Naval pre-dreadnought which has been badly damaged is HMS Inflexible, sister-ship to the ill-fated Irresistible. Turkish shore batteries knocked out one of her main guns and a number of shells exploded high in her superstructure. We have heard that Able Seaman Ralph Stuart Adams of 176 Foster Hill Road, Bedford has been killed on the Inflexible. He was 22 years old and had been educated at Bedford Modern School from whence he joined the navy.
Source: Bedfordshire Standard 26th March 1915
(1) He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Chatham Memorial.
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