| Notes: | MFP. Awarded the 1915 Star, Victory and War Medals. He was born in Baycliffe, enlisted in Lancaster and resided in Baycliffe. 28/10/1915 Died at sea. He was drowned when a cross channel cargo vessel re named HMS Hythe which had worked out of Dover for the Sout East & Chatham Railway Company befoe the was and had been converted into a naval mine sweeper and used as a ferry. The ship left Mudros Bay on the 29/10/1915 sailing for Gallipoli and was in collision with HMS Sarnia at 20.10 hrs off Cape Helles. The Hythe sand drowning 129 men. P/627 Sgt Johnson, MMP, P/1725 L/Cpl Morriss, MFP, P/1756 L/Cpl Pollitt, and P/1755 L/Cpl Venn MFP were drowned. They appear to be reinforcements as they all have similar numbers.
Info from Army Register of Soldiers' Effects, 1901-1929. 28/10/1918 Died between Mudros & Helles. 12/12/1916 RP charges 10/-, 31/3/1916 widow Margaret received £2-03-09 and 22/8/1919 £3 war gratuity.
Info from Dependant's Pension Card. Matthew Porter, No. P/1760, MFP, L/Cpl, 28/10/1915 drowned HMS Hythe after collision. Dependant Margaret Porter, Baycliffe, Ulverstone. Lancashire, Mother who received a graduated pension 6/11/1918 4/5 per week to 5/- per week.
Matthew Porter.
Extract from The Scotsman 18 November 1915.
Lost Abroad The Hythe. Drowned: Porter, 1760, L/Cpl, M, MFP.
Extract from the Accrington Observe and Times 23 November 1915.
EX-CHURCH POLICEMAN DROWNED.
Official information has been received that Lance Corporal Porter, formerly a policeman at Church, has been drowned at sea. After the outbreak of was P C Porter joined the Military Foot Police and he along with two other police constables from Clitheroe were drowned in the Mediterranean, the boat on which they were passengers sinking after a collision with another vessel. PC Porter was a fine, stalwart young fellow and had been stationed at Church for about two years. His parents resided at Ulverston. Only yesterday one of his friends at Church received a letter from him written at sea, in which he described some of his experiences. |
