On this day in 1918, Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Ernest William Dennington was lost at sea

Of all the names on the Stoke Climsland War Memorial, that of Ernest William Dennington was probably the most difficult to assign. The monument itself incorrectly identifies E.W. Dennington as P.C. Dennington (and seems to have been added, out of alphabetical sequence, after the majority of the other names) whilst the Roll of Honour in the church lists E.W. Dennington as one  of  those  who  fought  and  returned  safely from the conflict. Notwithstanding these anomalies, the biography below has been validated by a number of sources.



The War Memorial plaque showing the incorrect name for E.W.Dennington.

Ernest William Dennington was born in Devonport on 25th April 1889, one of the sons of Herbert and Harriet Dennington, a schoolmaster in the Navy. On his 18th birthday in 1907, he joined the Royal Navy in Devonport for a period of 12 years. It is by strange and tragic coincidence that he died on the exact  same  day  in 1918 – 25th April. He entered the service as a Boy Artificer (engineering apprentice) and worked his way up the ranks, by service and training, to reach Engine Room Artificer Second Class. As such, he helped to maintain and operate the mechanical plant of the ships he served on.

Ernest Dennington's naval service record.

His final posting was to HMS Cormorant, a 'receiving ship' or shore establishment at Gibraltar. Such an establishment had a variety of functions. For many men it was a Naval barracks, for those who worked ashore or for those 'between ships' for whatever reason. In addition there might be men who were on vessels which were too small to do their own administration, so the men were carried on the books of the shore base. Ernest Dennington fell into this latter category, as his last posting was to a small boat, Motor Torpedo Boat Number 90. He was based in Gibraltar for a couple of years, long enough for his to enrol in the Freemason's Lodge there in 1917 and pay a 7s 6d membership fee.

Few details are known of the fate of HMTB 90 but it is listed as ‘capsized off Gibraltar in bad weather ’ on 25th April 1918, with the loss of all hands. No bodies were recovered for subsequent burial. His effects were left to his father, Herbert.

As well as being remembered in Stoke Climsland, Ernest William Dennington is commemorated on the Royal Naval Memorial on Plymouth Hoe.

Confirmation of Ernest William as the correct focus of our researches came from his nephew, John Goodall, from Whitstable in Kent. John was able to tell us that Ernest’s parents, Herbert and Harriet, were living in Kelly Bray at the time of his death and they were regular worshippers at Stoke Climsland church. John also gave us the accompanying photograph of his uncle.