HMS Thetis (HMS Thunderbolt)

Plaque 1-H.M.S. THETIS (H.M.S. THUNDERBOLT); Left Hand Side-This plaque is erected in memory of the men who tragically lost their/lives in the submarine H.M.S. Thetis (Thunderbolt), a Group/ T Class Submarine. Built at Cammell Laird's which sank whilst /on sea trials in Liverpool Bay on the 1st June 1939//The first dive was attempted at around 14:00 and the inner door of the/No. 5 tube was opened resulting in an inrush of water causing/ the bow to sink to the seabed, 150 ft (46m) below.//The stern briefly remained on the surface but only four of the crew/escaped. After a 20 hour delay, the remainder were overcome by/carbon dioxide before the evacuation could be started.//In addition to the normal crew of 53, there were 26 Cammell Laird/employees, 15 Naval Officers and Admiralty Overseeing Officers,/4 Vickers Armstrong employees, 3 personnel from Brown Brothers and/Co., including a Pilot and 2 caterers fro City Caterers (Liverpool) Ltd.; Right Hand Side- The surviving crew only abandoned Thetis when they were/discovered by the destroyer Brazen which had indicated it's presence in/the darkness by dropping small explosive charges into the water.//On the 3rd of September 1939, the day that Great Britain declared war/on Germany and her allies, the submarine was towed to and grounded/at Traeth Bychan beach. Here, the majority of the bodies were recovered from inside the sub and buried at Maeshyfryd Cemetery,/where a memorial service is held every year.//One further fatality occurred during salvage operations, when/Diver Petty Officer Henry Otho Perdue died from the bends/on 23 August 1939.//Thetis was later salvaged, repaired and re-commissioned as/HMS Thunderbolt serving in the Atlantic and Mediterranean Theatres/until she was lost with all hands on 14 March 1943.; Plaque 2-IN MEMORIAM: H.M.S./M. THETIS/Officers and Men of H.M.S./M. 'Thetis'/[names in 3 columns]/_____/ [Column 1]-Officers of Submarine building at Cammell Laird/[4 names]/Other Naval Officers/ [4 names]/ Admiralty and Overseeing Officers/[7 names]; [Column 2]- Employees of Cammell Laird and Co. Ltd/[Column 2a]- Managers and Foremen/[7 names]/ Electricians/[6 names]; [Column 2b]- Engine Fitters/[8 names]/Ship Fitters/[3 names]/Caulker/[name]; [centred below columns 2a and 2b]- The Survivors/[4 names]; [Column 3]-Employees of Vickers Armstrong Ltd/[4 names]/Employee of Brown Bros and Co. Ltd/[name]/ Mersey Pilot/[name]/Employees of City Caterers (Liverpool) Ltd/[2 names]

The Officers and Men of the Submarine- Column 1- Lieutenant Commander G.H. Bolus R.N./ Lieutenant H. Chapman R.N./ Lieutenant W.A. W. Poland R.N./ Commissioned Engineer R.N. Mr R D Glenn/ Chief Petty Officer G P Cornish/ Petty Officer E Mitchell/ Petty Officer T T Goad/ Petty Officer C B Smithers/ Petty Officer Telegraphist J A Hope/ Petty Officer Cook J C Hughes/ Electrical Artificer A W Byrne/ Chief Engine Room Artificer W C Ormes/ Chief Engine Room Artificer P F Jackson; Column 2- Engine Room Artificer J C Creasey/ Engine Room Artificer H W E French/ Engine Room Artificer H G Howgills/ Chief Stoker H J Dillon-Shallard/ Stoker Petty Officer J W Wells/ Leading Seaman W L Hombrook/ Leading Seaman W A Luck/ Leading Seaman J A Read/ Leading Seaman A H Smith/ Leading Seaman S W G Stevens/ Leading Signalman P B Batten/ Leading Telegraphist W E Allan/ Leading Telegraphist G A Harwood; Column 3- Leading Steward F N Stock/ Able Seaman J Costley/ Able Seaman S Crombleholme/ Able Seaman E A Kendrick/ Able Seaman N Longstaff/ Able Seaman J A Morgans/ Able Seaman F Rogers/ Leading Seaman J H Turner/ Able Seaman T Wilson/ Telegraphist C T W Graham/ Telegraphist T W Mortimer/ Leading Stoker R S Brooke/ Leading Stoker D Cunningham; Officers of Submarine Building at Cammell Laird- Lieutenant Commander R.N. Garnett R.N./ Lieutenant-Commander T.C.C. Lloyd R.N./ Lieutenant P.B.J. Ryan R.N./ Lieutenant (B) A.G.J. Jamison R.N.; Other Naval Officers- Commander R.G.B. Hayter R.N. Commander L.G. Pennington R.N. Engineer Captain S. Jackson R.N. Lieutenant (B) C.M.H. Henderson R.N.; Admiralty and Overseeing Officers- Mr W.H. Aslett/ Mr P. Bailey/ Mr B. Gisborne/ Mr A.A. R. Hill/ Mr C.W. Horne/ Mr H. Horsman/ Mr L.W. Hunn; Employees of Cammell Laird- Managers and Foremen- Mr J.I. Armstrong/ Mr R.W, Crout/ Mr R. Kipling/ Mr W. Owen/ Mr A.B. Robinson/ Mr R Rogerson/ Mr A S Watkinson; Electricians- Mr S Broad/ Mr A G Chinn/ Mr C J S Hamilton/ Mr E H Lewis/ Mr W H Smith/ Mr A G Somers; Engine Fitters- Mr F R Bresner/ Mr W Brown/ Mr H Eccleston/ Mr J Griffiths/ Mr R Horner/ Mr J A Page/ Mr P L Quinn/ Mr C Smith; Ship Fitters- Mr A Craven/ Mr G L Scarth/ Mr W Watterson; Caulker- Mr W B Beatty; Employees of Vickers Armstrong Ltd-Mr T Ankers, Mr H T Cragg, Mr D V Tyler, Mr J Young; Employee of Brown Bros & Co Ltd-Mr D N Duncan; Mersey Pilot- Mr N D Willcox; Employees of City Caterers- Mr W G Bath/Mr G H Dobells