James Davidson Mitchell Durno

A Petty Officer Stoker with H.M.S. Scourge, James died on 19th of November 1915 at the age of 33. 

James was born at Lowestoft on 4 December 1881 (some sources state 6 February 1882), a son of Alexander and Margaret Durno. His family lived at 4 Summer Road, Lowestoft. He was baptised at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft, on 4 December 1882. Around 1887 his family moved to Morayshire, Scotland. In 1891 his family lived at Thom Street, Duffus, Moray. In 1901 they lived at 9 Setter Street, Burghead, Moray, and James was a mason’s apprentice. Later his parents lived at Bruce Street, Saint Aethans, Burghead.

James was working as a stonemason when he joined the Royal Navy at Burghead on 7 April 1904. 

When the First World War began James was a Stoker Petty Officer serving on the destroyer H.M.S. Scourge. In Marh 1915 the Scourge went to the Dardanelles to help support the Gallipoli campaign. On 7 August 1915 a Turkish shell hit the Scourge’s engine room and the ship had to undergo repairs. 

On 19 November 1915 one of the ship’s boilers exploded and six men killed, including James. He was buried at sea.  

For further details of H.M.S. Scourge see: HMS Scourge (1910) (historyofwar.org)

Note: Some records will state he was serving with H.M.S. Blenheim when he died. The Blenheim was the ‘mother’ ship which held the necessary pay and victualling accounts for sailors serving on smaller vessels such as H.M.S. Scourge.