Henry Symonds

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Golden Rule, Henry died on 15th of February 1918 at the age of 35. 

Henry was born at Toft Monks, Norfolk, on 2 April 1883, a son of William and Mary Ann Symonds. He was baptised at Toft Monks Parish Church on 30 May 1886. In 1891 his family lived at Church Road, Toft Monks. 

In 1903 Henry married Marian Ellen Bird, this was registered in the Loddon district. In 1903-4 they lived at Thorpe next Haddiscoe, and in 1908 at Haddiscoe. By 1911 they were living at 14 The Street, Oulton, and henry was a drift-net fisherman. Later Marian lived at 3 Factory Street, Lowestoft.

Henry joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 10 August 1914. Note: his service record gives his year of birth as 1893. Initially he served with the drifter Eyrie. On 2 September 1914 the Eyrie struck a mine and was lost, but Henry survived this incident. Next he joined the trawler Sussex County. On 16 March 1915 he joined the trawler Brothers and on 10 August 1917 he joined the Golden Rule. 

Henry was serving on the Golden Rule when he was killed in an event known by some as the ‘Massacre of the Drifters’. Captain Taprell-Dorling, in his book Swept Channels described the event:

"On the night of 14-15 February 1918, an enemy submarine was reported in the minefield [off Dover] by the drifters, and heavy firing began. The "P" boats, monitors and destroyers on patrol concluded that the firing was at the submarine. They were unaware that a flotilla of German destroyers had steamed through the patrol and were attacking the paddle minesweepers, trawlers and drifters who were burning lights to assist in illuminating the minefield.

The trawler James Pond, commanded by Chief Skipper A.E. Berry, D.S.C., R.N.R., was burning her flares near the French coast when he saw three destroyers approaching from the eastward at high speed. Flashing past at very close range, they each fired salvoes. It was impossible to miss. The raiders disappeared into the darkness, to leave the trawler damaged and blazing.

The enemy destroyers had not finished. After passing the James Pond they turned sharply to the north-north-west along the line of drifters, firing salvoes into them as they steamed by. These little ships did not hesitate to return the fire with the tiny guns they possessed; but 3 and 6 pounders were nothing of a match for the 4.1's of the enemy. The Christina Craig, Clover Bank, Cosmos. Jeannie Murray, Silver Queen, Veracity and W Elliott, all between 60 and 96 tons, were sunk one after the other. Still more were damaged."

In the action the Golden Rule was badly damaged.