Thomas Henry Carpenter

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Grave/Memorial:  		Carpenter, Thomas H

13 July 1886 ?, Woking, Surrey

Charles & Jane (née Butcher)

Royal Navy (H.M.S. Invincible)

K.12394

Leading Stoker

31 May 1916, age 29?

Body not recovered for burial.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial: Panel 16. 		 
Biography:
Thomas Henry Carpenter was born, in about 1887, in Woking Surrey, the son of Charles, an attendant at Brookwood Hospital, &
Jane (née Butcher). The exact date of his birth is something of a mystery: His military records state it as 13 July 1886, however
the only birth of a Thomas Henry Carpenter near this time is in the first quarter of 1887, at Guildford.

Thomas was baptised at Knaphill Holy Trinity Church on 9th December 1888. When he married in 1916 he gave his age as 28.

Thomas was the second of five surviving children (from 8), having two brothers and two sisters.

After leaving school, Thomas was employed as a waiter. He joined the Royal Navy in August 1906, for a term of five years. He
stood 5 feet 3 inches tall. His complexion was described as ‘fresh’; he had brown hair and brown eyes.

He started as a stoker 2nd class, becoming a stoker 1st class after two years. In
January 1909, he was serving on H.M.S. Exmouth, which gave assistance to the
people of Messina and Reggio Calabria, Italy following the earthquake which
destroyed the cities on 28 December.

Thomas was awarded the Commemorative Messina Earthquake Medal, instituted
by the King of Italy.
[3,463 medals were awarded to Royal Navy personnel and 559 to Merchant Navy personnel] 		  
Messina, following the
earthquake & tsunami

In 1911, Thomas signed on for another 5 years. In June 1914 he was made acting Leading Stoker and, in May 1915, leading
Stoker.

On 2nd May 1916, Thomas married Mary Ann Arnold. A month later, he was killed on 31st May 1916 during the Battle of
Jutland.

Thomas was on board H.M.S. Invincible, the flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron. The squadron acted as the heavy scouting
force for Admiral Beatty's Battlecruiser Fleet during the battle. She was destroyed by a magazine explosion after the armour of one
of her gun turrets was penetrated.

At 18.30, two German ships fired three salvoes each at Invincible and sank her in 90 seconds. At least one 305mm (12-inch) shell from the third salvo struck
her midships 'Q' turret. The shell penetrated the front of 'Q' turret, blew off the roof and detonated the midships magazines, which blew the ship in half. The
explosion possibly ignited 'A' and 'X' magazines. Of her complement, 1026 officers and men were killed, including Rear-Admiral Hood.
There were only six survivors.



Thomas Henry Carpenter is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial; his name appears on Panel 16. He is also
commemorated on the memorial tablet within Knaphill Holy Trinity Church.