For How Much Longer?

In the main Post Office collection office in Southfields Road Eastbourne there are a few plaques in memory of the members of the postal service who died during the World Wars. One of these commemorates ordinary seaman John Hancock who died when HMS Hawke was sunk by enemy action during the First World War. 

HMS Hawke was a Royal Navy cruiser patrolling the North Sea which had returned to harbour in the Moray Firth for repairs. The ship was torpedoed when it left harbour and the official story stated that it was hit because it stopped to let another ship board. However an account, only recently released, in the wartime diary a naval officer serving at the time, states differently:

“Apropos of the loss of the Hawke, it is interesting to note that 2 hours before she went to sea on her last trip, Capt Williams came on board to ask for 2 days extra in harbour to repair his engines. This was refused as he could still do 10 knots. In order to obviate the danger of submarine attacks it is customary for all our warships to leave and enter the Moray Firth at full speed, minimum speed 17 knots. The Hawkecould not possibly at forcing power do more than just over half this speed. Capt Williams realised the extreme danger of this, hence the appeal to the Admiral. His last words to the Flag Lieut. when leaving the Q.D. of the Crescent, were “it is pure murder sending the ship with over 500 officers and men on board to sea in this state.”

His words proved correct in a disastrously short space of time. The story of the Hawkebeing stopped for boarding a ship, when hit by the submarine was invented by the Admiralty to prevent unpleasant questions and a public outcry. She was attacked going out the Moray Firth at maximum speed viz: 10 knots, and an extra 5 knots would have probably saved her. Those five knots could have been obtained by an extra 2 days in harbour.

The above is strictly confidential, and were it discovered at the present time would lead to my dismissal from the service, but it is a point that may be of interest in future years.”

On 15 October 1914 HMS Hawke was torpedoed leaving harbour by a German U9 submarine and it sank in a few minutes with the loss of her captain, 26 officers and 500 men – only 4 officers and 60 men were saved. Among the dead was postman Ordinary Seaman John HANCOCK of Eastbourne. He has no known grave, but is commemorated on The Portsmouth Naval Memorial.