Spicer Arthur Louis 1897

Arthur Louis Spicer

Known as Lou
1897-1961

Father Nm: James Spicer 1858 Bricklayer Penn, Buckinghamshire

Mother Nm: Sarah 1863, Penn, Buckinghamshire
Marriage Dt:1922 at High Wycombe to Edith May Blinko

K comments:

Spouse comments: Edith May Blinko 1901

Children:Sheila J 1923, Michael L 1926.

1901 Census Totteridge Lane

With parents and 6 siblings.

1911 CENSUS

With Parents and 5 siblings . Apprentice Chairmaker at Furniture Manufacturer.

1911 CENSUS
 
 Royal Marines
WW1

Spicer Arthur Lewis, 4275, Marine, Royal Marines.

1914
  • 18 Dec. Enlisted in Royal Marines in London. Occupation Wood Carver and Chairmaker. Lou was allocated to the Chatham Division Royal Marine Light Infantry. It seems after some initial training Lou was put into reserve until 1915 he was officially under age to serve at this time.
1915
  • 1 Jul. Called up to the Chatham Division from reserve.
  • 17 Aug. Assigned to HMS Falmouth. The Falmouth was part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron at Rosyth Scotland and operating in Home waters.
1916
  • 31May -1 Jun. The Battle of Jutland.
    • Part of the squadron when on 31 May to 1 June 1916  was present at the Battle of Jutland.. HMS Falmouth was hit by one shell in this battle but survived and became the flagship for the squadron.
  • 19 Aug. Lou was onboard when his ship (Falmouth) was damaged by a German Uboat  U-66 and then sunk by U-63 under the command of Otto Schultze.
    • “The Falmouth was sunk during a relatively unknown naval operation of 19 August 1916. Six weeks after the battle of Jutland the German fleet made another sortie into the North Sea. The Grand Fleet responded by sailing south, but after the Nottingham was sunk by a U-boat, Admiral Jellicoe ordered the fleet to turn around to avoid a possible concentration of submarines. During the return journey, the Falmouth was hit by a torpedo from U 66. She survived this first blow and was taken under tow, but off Flamborough Head was hit by another torpedo from U 52, sinking on the next day. This abortive expedition convinced Jellicoe that the Grand Fleet must not be risked south of the Farne Islands without a strong shield of destroyers.”2
    • Casualties including wounded of Falmouth;
      Killed                                                                                                             COE, Maurice E, Stoker 1c, K 17579 (Ch)
      COLLIER, Andrew R, Chief Stoker, 279168 (Ch)
      FRY, Norman S, Stoker Petty Officer, 299469 (Dev)
      GILL, Joseph W (real name, but served as Henry J James), Stoker 2c, K 30700 (Ch)
      HARNER, William J, Stoker Petty Officer, 208347 (Dev)
      HEWITT, Stephen V, Stoker 2c, K 29724 (Ch)
      HOWELLS, William, Stoker, RNR, S 6983
      JONES, Thomas H, Stoker, RNR, U 1710
      MALLABY, Walter J, Stoker, RNR, S 6203
      MCWALTER, Joseph R, Stoker, RNR, U 1306
      RAWBONE, Albert C, Stoker 1c, 226427 (Ch)
      SANDERSON, Herbert H, Stoker 1c (RFR B 1648), 296163 (Ch)
      Wounded
      Apps, Edward Thomas, Stoker 1c, 304385
      Cherry, William Henry, Stoker Petty Officer, K 7339
      Clare, Thomas Charles, Leading Stoker, K 947
      Coleman, Edward, Stoker 1c, 308799
      Gordon, Matthew, Able Seaman, RNVR, TYNESIDE Z 6234
      Haynes, William Edward, Able Seaman, J 22085
      Ivory, Rupert Henry, Able Seaman, J 21592
      McCrane, P S, Stoker, RNR, 750V
      Mitchell, George Charles, Able Seaman, J 21485
      Roe, William Herbert, Wireman 2c, M 17586
      Sutton, Percival Sydney, Stoker 1c, SS 116013
      Tedray, Alfred, Chief Petty Officer, 185027
      Whitworth, William, Stoker 1c, SS 112405
  • 20 Aug. Surviving the sinking of the Falmouth, Lou is transferred back to Chartham and the Divison base.
  • 14 Sept. Assigned to HMS Weymouth and stays on this ship for the balance of the war.

1917

In 1917 Lou and HMS Weymouth were reassigned to the Mediterranean as part of the 8th Cruiser Squadron operating out of Brindisi. The Meditteranean was patrolled by allied navies from France, Italy, Britain and Japan. But this didn’t prevent several allied losses by U-boat action and the Hospital ship Dover being sunk in May 1917.

1918
  • 2 Oct. Lou was again to be torpedoed while at sea this time there was only damage to his ship ( HMS Weymouth) from an Austro-Hungarian submarine SM U-28 on 2 October 1918. HMS Weymouth was repaired and survived the war.
1919
  • Lou was on HMS Weymouth until 27 April 1919
  • 28 Apr. Dis-embarked to Chatham Division base and stayed there for one more year of service
1920
  • 28 Apr. Discharged from the service and went to Farm Cottage Terriers near High Wycombe the parent’s home.
Sources
  1. Wikipedia
  2. History of War
  3. Naval History at http://www.naval-history.net/
  4. HMS Falmouth Sinking
Medals

Gallery