| Notes: | MFP. He was born in Lewes, enlisted in Brighton and resided in Brighton. Died At Sea. He was drowned when ex cross channel cargo vessel HMS Hythe which had worked out of Dover for the South East & Chatham Railway Co before the war and had been converted into a naval mine sweeper and used as a ferry. The ship left Mudros Bay on 29/10/1915, sailing for Gallipoli and was in collision with MHS Sarnia at 20.10hrs off Cape Helles. The Hythe sank drowning 129 men. P/627 Sgt. N Johnson, MMP, P/1756 L/Cpl. Pollitt MFP P1760, L/Cpl Porter and P/1755 L/Cpl Venn MFP were drowned. They appear to be reinforcements as all the L/Cpl's numbers are similar
Info from Army Register of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929. Drowned between Mudros & Helles. 7/2/1916 his father Charles William received £-00-09, 12/2/1916 he received 10/- and 5/9/1919 £3 war gratuity.
Info from Pension Index Card: Morris, Herbert, P/1752, MFP, L/Cpl, 28/10/1915 drowned on "Hythe" after collision, MEF. Dependant Mrs Martha Morriss, mother, 4 Gladstone Terrace, Brighton, 8/8/1916 she was awarded a pension of 7/6 per week.
Herbert Morriss.
Extract from The Scotsman 18 November 1915.
Lost Abroad The Hythe. Drowned: Morris, 1752, L/Cpl, H, MFP.
Extract from the Sheerness Guardian and East Kent Advertiser 20 November 1915.
THE LOSS OF HMS HYTHE - 143 SOLDIERS DROWNED.
Many Sappers formerly stationed in St. Pauls Schoolroom.
The following casualties are reported as a result of the accident to HM Fleet Auxiliary Hythe. Many of the Sappers of the Royal Engineers were formerly stationed in St. Paul's Schoolroom, Sheerness. Unless otherwise stated the men are Privates:- 1st Reserve Regt. of Cavalry attached Military Mounted Police, Cooper, 10810, C. Military Foot Police, Morris, 1752, L/Cpl, H. Pollitt, 1756, L/Cpl, T. Porter, 1760, L/Cpl, M. Scott, 1750, L/Cpl, J. Venn, 1755, L/Cpl, G H. Military Mounted Police. Johnson, 627, A/Sgt, J A.
It was announced by the Admiralty at the end of October that the Hythe, an auxiliary sweeper had sunk during the night of October 28-29 after collision with another of HM Ships off Gallipoli, and the two Army Officers and 143 men were missing in addition to the crew. |
