Crew lost from HMS Fiona.

Name - Peter Matfin Gray
DOB - September quarter 1887
Place of Birth - Newcastle Upon Tyne
Parents - Cornelius Gray and Ann Matfin
Early History -  Just two years after Peter’s birth, his father died, aged just 29.  His mother married again at the end of 1890 to John Paxton and he was recorded on the 1891 census aged 3 living at 2 Mill Road, in the parish of Elswick, Newcastle. He had an older brother, Cornelius, listed also.
By the 1901 census Peter had 5 more siblings and was the oldest child in the household after Cornelius had left the household.  He worked as an errand boy as he was 14 years old by then and the whole family had moved to 39 Ramshaw Street, still in the same parish. Peter was recorded as having the surname Paxton, after his stepfather, but it seems he did not want to be known by this change as he used Gray for all of his life.  
Tragedy had struck Peter’s mother again and her husband John died in 1902.  On the 1911 census he was recorded living at the same address as 10 years previously, supporting his mother and 4 younger siblings as a metal turner, although his two younger brothers aged 18 and 16 also worked. 
He married Sarah Hedley in the summer of 1916.

Rank - Able Seaman R,N,V,R, Tyneside 1/5

Service History - He gave his birth date at 14th July 1888 when he enlisted with the Royal Navy Division on 30th November 1908.  He was 5’5” tall with dark brown hair and blue eyes, with a fair complexion and could not swim. ​On the outbreak of war Peter was drafted from the Tyneside Division to the Naval Brigade Camp in Deal in August 1914 then called to Crystal Palace Depot on 11th November 1914.  He joined Drake Battalion “A” Company on 22nd December 1914.

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Cap Badge R.N.D. Drake

 On May 11th 1915 he was wounded in Dardanelles with a bullet to his right thigh and sent to the General Hospital in Alexandria and once healed was sent to Mustapha Convalescent Camp in Alexandria on 7th July 1915.  At the beginning of August 1915 he embarked to HMT Sudmark to re-join his battalion but was discharged again due to diarrhoea on 25th August 1915.  On 27th March 1916 he was discharged to the UK for the Royal Navy.  It is not known when he joined HMS Fiona.

He was awarded the 1914 Star and is remembered at the Chatham Naval Memorial.

Newcastle Daily Chronicle - Wednesday 19 September 1917
Mrs. Gray , 38 Mary Street, Newcastle, has been officially informed that her husband, Able Seaman Peter Gray, R.N.V.R, has been accidently drowned while trying to save others. 
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Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915
1891, 1901 & 1911 England census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 10b; Page: 73
Great Britain, Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War, 1914-1924
National Archives ADM 339/1/14987
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 008 (1914 - 1919)
CWGC Register
UK, Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/8; Scan Number: 0635
Researched by Wendy Sadler

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Name - Percy Walter Walters
DOB - 31st July 1897
Place of Birth - Rotherham, Yorkshire West Riding
Parents - Joe and Kate
Early History -  Noted on the 1901 census aged 3 and living at 5 Eldon Road, Rotherham with his parents and two siblings, Dorothy and Wilfred.  Ten years later the family had the addition of son Arthur and they had moved to 37 Selbourne Street, Rotherham.  Percy was 13 years old and worked at a stove grate works as a brusher down.

Rank - Ordinary Seaman - RND Tyneside Z/9077 and RNVR Z/10418

Service History - Enlisted on 4th January 1916, recorded as 5’6” tall, with brown hair and grey eyes, a dark complexion and without the ability to swim.  He was attached to the 6th Battalion on 15th January 1916 but by March 1916 was discharged in order to “resume civilian employment due to being in possession of a War Service Badge”.  He joined the RNVR on 27th October 1916, rated as an Ordinary Seaman and was stationed at HMS VICTORY from 14th November 1916 until 21st February 1917. He was then attached to HMS PEMBROKE I from 22nd February but discharged on the 9th March to spend 10 days in cells.  On his reinstatement he was posted to HMS FIONA (attached to HMS VICTORIOUS III) from 20th March to 30th June 1917.  HMS FIONA was then transferred and attached to HMS GIBRALTAR (1st July 1917) - Percy remained with the ship until it was lost, 2 months later.

Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 - FreeBMD
1901 & 1911 England Census
UK, Royal Naval Division Index, 1914-1919
CWGC Register
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 010 (1914 - 1919)
UK, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Service Records Index, 1903-1922
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty and predecessors: Office of the Director General of the Medical Department of the Navy and predecessors: Service Registers and Registers of Deaths and Injuries. Registers of Reports of Deaths
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/10; Scan Number: 0886
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 185/0968/WAL-WAL
​Researched by Wendy Sadler

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Name - Thomas Henry Taylor
DOB - 29th July 1898
Place of Birth - Folkestone, Kent
Parents - Thomas and Annie
Early History -  On the 1901 census Thomas was aged 2 and lived with his parents at 29 Youngs Road, Folkestone.  The family remained at the address for the next 10 years as they were recorded there on the 1911 census - Thomas however was not noted on this date at his home as he was a patient within the Victoria Hospital in Folkestone (reasons unknown).

Rank - Private,  RMLI CH/20592


​Service History - Thomas enlisted with the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 11th May 1916 aged 17, leaving his previous job as a general labourer. His features were listed as him being 5’6” tall with brown eyes and black hair, a dark complexion and 4 vaccination scars on his left arm.
He spent 6 months at the Recruiting Depot in Deal, before being transferred to Chatham Division on 23rd November 1916.  He remained at Chatham until 22nd May 1917 and was posted to HMS FIONA, his only ship the following day.  He remained aboard her until she was lost.  Thomas’s body was never discovered and he is remembered at the Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent.

He was just 19 years old when he died.

Folkestone, Hythe, Sandgate & Cheriton Herald - Saturday 15 September 1917
Private Thomas Henry Taylor, R.M.L.I., aged 19, was drowned recently whilst on patrol duty. He was the son of Mr. Thos. Taylor, of 29, Mead-road, and an old boy of the North Council School.
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Sources:
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 - FreeBMD
1901 & 1911 England Census
National Archives - ADM 159/134/20592
CWGC Register
UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 010 (1914 - 1919)
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/10; Scan Number: 0663 
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Pension Record Cards; Reference: 178/0914/TAY-TAY
​Researched by Wendy Sadler

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