WE recently saw the centenary of the Royal Navy's worst wartime accident.

Weymouth historian Greg Schofield got in touch to inform us that among the 843 men who lost their life on HMS Vanguard, were three Weymouth men.

Relatives of those killed in the Royal Navy's worst wartime accident were among those marking its centenary.

The sinking was one of the worst maritime disasters in British naval history.

Vanguard exploded and sank in Scapa Flow off Orkney on July 9 1917.

Vanguard was a St Vincent class battleship and veteran of the Battle of Jutland.

She suddenly blew up just before midnight. A definitive cause for the cordite explosion in one of the two magazines which served the midship turrets ‘P’ and ‘Q’, has never been found.

The centenary of the sinking was commemorated in Orkney on July 9 2017. Servies were held on both land and sea.

A number of vessels took part in a wreath-laying service over the wreck site of HMS Vanguard.

This was followed by a service at the Lyness Royal Naval Cemetery on the island of Hoy, where 41 of the ship's crew are buried.

The day culminated with a special night watch service at St Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall.

Starting at 11pm, it marked the moment when the ship was destroyed by the explosions on board.

Naval divers changed the White Ensign laid by the Royal Navy in 2009 on the wreck and carried out a survey of the ship’s remains.

They worked together with a group of civilian divers on board MV Huskyan who were granted a special licence by the Ministry of Defence to survey and take pictures of the site earlier this year.

Naval Regional Commander Scotland and Northern Ireland, Captain Chris Smith said: "The history of the Royal Navy and Scapa Flow are tightly entwined.

"Last year, we recognised the huge sacrifice made by our sailors at the Battle of Jutland and commemorated the loss of HMS Hampshire.

"Next month we will recognise the achievement of Squadron Commander Edwin Dunning with his first-ever landing of an aircraft on a ship at sea and his subsequent death a few days later, but this weekend we are firmly committed to commemorating the tragedy that was the loss of HMS Vanguard.

"The devastating explosion, completely accidental rather than a result of enemy action, was a shock when it happened and the tragic loss of more than 840 lives is still felt through their descendants and those in Orkney who feel passionately that we should mark the centenary in appropriate fashion."

Organiser Emily Turton, of Huskyan Dive Charters, said: "The data gathered by the team has allowed a greater understanding of the layout of the site, and also allows the wider community a chance to see HMS Vanguard after 100 years underwater."

Here in the pages of Looking Back today, we pay tribute to the three Weymouth men who died in the disaster nearly 100 years ago to the day.

Thanks to Greg Schofield for his diligent research.

As always in Looking Back, if you have any connection to these men, do get in touch with us using the details below.

*Walter Hebbern was a gunner/corporal in the Royal Marine Artillery. He lived at 8, East Row, St Leaonard’s Road, Chapelhay, and left four young children.

*Alfred Rowland Herbert Mills was an officer’s steward 2nd Class and died aged 33. He had been in the Navy for 16 years and on HMS Vanguard since 1914; before that he had served on HMS Black Prince. He lived at 52, Cromwell Road, Westham.

*Frederick Charles Poore was an officer’s steward 1st Class, aged 39. He was one of the best known Weymouth men on the ship, and lived at ‘Bay View’, Augusta Place, Esplanade.

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