From the Devon and Exeter Gazette
27 July 1929:
NAVAL GUN DISASTER
A TURRET ON HMS DEVONSHIRE BLOWN AWAY
TWELVE MARINES DEAD
"By a gun explosion on HMS Devonshire in the Eastern Mediterranean yesterday, an officer and 11 men of the Royal Marines were killed.
The dead, all belonging to the Royal Marines are:
Killed: Captain John A. Bath, Corporal Edward Bacon, Sergeant Walter E. Snell, Corporal James Levene, Corporal Augustus A Macdonald and Corporal William G. Hope.
Died of injuries: Marine Samuel Goldsmith, Marine Samuel John T. Ord, Marine James W. Blackman, Marine Joseph S. Brindle. Marine Edward C. Harris and Marine Lionel Taylor.
In addition, three men were severely injured and ten less severely injured.
Nearly all the victims belonged to the Portsmouth Depot of the Royal Marines.
Reuter's correspondent has learned unofficially that the accident on HMS Devonshire, in which 17 men were injured, was due to the blowing-out of one of the new six-inch guns during exercises. It is stated that the whole gun turret was blown away by the explosion.
HMS Devonshire is a cruiser of the 1925 programme, built at Devonport and launched in October 1927. Strict secrecy as to certain of her features was maintained at the time of her launch." |