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G7

Built By: Armstrong Whitworth (Tyne)
Build Group: G
Fate: In 1918 HMS G7 (Lt Charles A C Russell RN) operated out of Blyth patrolling the North Sea. Contact was lost on the 23rd October and she was declared lost on 1st November, the last British submarine lost in WW1
G7
G7

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Wreck of HM Submarine G7 discovered

My thanks to Simon Kay for this report

In early September a group of divers met up in Eyemouth, a fishing village north of Berwick on Tweed, for a week diving off the dive boat Jacob George. Our plan was to explore some of the areas deeper wrecks. The first day warm up was a recently discovered wreck that we had dived in the past few weeks then on Tuesday we decided try a new mark in the Farnes Deep that hydrographic office survey suggested might be a submarine or possibly a large pipe and a lot of fishing net!

Given the distances involved it was a 9:30 start to catch the afternoon slack. Fortunately the weather was good giving a reasonably comfortable ride. Passing the Farne Islands we were entertained by a large group of seals and a few minke whales chasing a shoal of fish. On site the target soon showed up on the echo sounder standing a few meters off the seabed at 90m, the wonders of GPS. Iain the skipper dropped the shotline and seven divers climbed into what seemed like a ton of gear before staggering to the gate and dropping over the side relieved to be suddenly weightless. As we descended it got steadily darker though the water was clear enough for torches to penetrate a good distance. At the bottom of the shot as our eyes adjusted to the gloom the white outline of a conning tower encrusted in marine life came into view - definitely not a pipe then.

Closer examination showed the tower was the water tight casting with all the surrounding free flood fairings ripped away by time and trawl nets. Exposed bronze on the edges of the tower still gleamed, small oval windows and protruding navigation lights are set around the tower.

There are what appear to be periscope trunks fore and aft of the tower and the hatch is wide open. Swimming aft from the tower I passed a tangle of fishing nets and bits of bridge equipment before crossing exposed ribs where the outer casing has rotted away revealing the pressure hull below. Hydraulic actuators connected to ballast tank vents have been exposed and look as good as new. Abruptly the boat comes to an end with a ragged break in the hull, the stump of a torpedo tube complete with part of a torpedo sticks out of the wreckage, what may be a voice pipe hanging above it. At seabed level on the port side the front half of the hydroplane guard is still attached to the hull, the plane and remainder of the guard are missing along with everything aft of this point. The echo sounder had shown a small object some 50m beyond the wreck but at 90m swimming off into the gloom to look didn’t seem like a good idea.

Moving forward again past the conning tower I came across what appeared to be a low deck house. Looking inside revealed a small gun folded away on a disappearing mount. All the divers had the same thought - ‘that should make identification easy’.

Continuing forward the bow is vertical any signs of tube doors hidden by marine growth. The fore planes are fixed and well below the water line and protected by heavy guards. The planes are trimmed level. At this point with decompression time rapidly increasing it was time to go so I headed back towards the conning tower and a reassuring line of flashing strobes on the shot line. Decompression was, as ever, hours of hanging around counting plankton and dodging jelly fish with brief distraction of a sun fish (moa moa) passing by.

Once back on board discussion turned to the submarines identity. Not the Orzel a Polish boat lost in 1940, too small and the wrong shape. Not a German mine layer lost in the general area, no mines. General conclusion was First World War - probably British. Trawling the internet and personal records suggest she is HM Submarine G7. The size and layout match, particularly the heavy guards around the fixed planes, single stern tube and the disappearing deck gun. Details have been passed to the submarine museum in Gosport and hopefully they will be able to confirm the identification.

Roll of Honour

31
Died: 01-11-1918
Aldridge, Henry William  DSM 222882
Stoker Petty Officer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 31
Allerton, Frank Hylton  
Lieutenant Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 27
Biggs, William  DSM 238350
Able Seaman Born: 20-04-1889 Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 29
RN DoB 20/04/1890
Boys, Walter Henry  M 17965
Engine Room Artificer 4th Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 23
Broadway, Albert William  DSM J 2128
Petty Officer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 26
CWGC has service number as J2129
Cane, Harold Sydney  K 14073
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 26
Clements, Charles Sproule  272451
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 27
Crocker, Albert  J 1048
Petty Officer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 27
Cromarty, George Neil Stewart  DSM EA 1559
Engine Room Artificer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 28
Dolby, Samuel  MID M 1329
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 30
Duffy, John  K 17745
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Fraser, Frederick William  DSM K 11724
Stoker 1st Class Born: 16-01-1894 Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 24
RN DoB 16/01/1893
Frost, James Wilfred  MID 311407
Leading Stoker Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 33
Glassett, Harold  K 23086
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 22
Hawthorn, John Kilpatrick  Clyde Z/89
Ordinary Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Horton, Edwin  232707
Able Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 29
Jenkins, Bertram John  DSM J 9147
Leading Signalman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 24
Johnson, William  191880
Petty Officer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 37
Lewis, Douglas Thorne  J 68036
Boy Telegraphist Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 17
Martin, Albert Henry  K20672
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 23
Masterson, William Edward  237416
Able Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 27
Middleton, Arthur John  K 10484
Leading Stoker Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Potter, Thomas John  K 22204
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 23
Prinsep, Caradoc Stuart McLeod 
Lieutenant Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Rich, Herbert Spencer  J 6623
Able Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Russell, Charles Arthur Campbell 
Lieutenant Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 26
Commanding Officer
Stewart, David  J 1901
Petty Officer Telegraphist Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 26
Thomas, David James  197451
Able Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 36
Thorpe, Frank Ernest  J 5204
Petty Officer Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 26
Walsh, Patrick  K 13723
Stoker 1st Class Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 25
Watts, Joseph Owen  J 14540
Able Seaman Died: 01-11-1918 Aged: 23

Events

04-03-1916 Launched
21-08-1916 Completed
15-04-1917 G7 was patrolling between Lerwick and Bergen when she sighted the German submarine U-30. G7 fired a torpedo at U-30 and after an exchange of gunfire, the German submarine dived away. Although U-30 escaped unscathed, G7 had interrupted U30's attempts to sink two Norwegian merchant ships.
01-11-1918 Sunk by enemy action in the North Sea. Contact was lost on the 23rd October and she was declared lost on 1st November, the last British submarine lost in WW1
Comments

Comment by: Karen Hartley on March 14, 2022

The resting place of Thomas John Potter, aged 23. Stoker 1st Class. Father of Cyril Potter and husband of Lillian May Potter (Longson).

Comment by: Mark Lyons on August 31, 2021

My grandmother's brother lost his life in the sinking. John Duffy age 24. Good that you found his resting place. Thank you.

Comment by: Charlotte Bleh on December 16, 2017

I am the granddaughter of David James Thomas torpedoman lost on the G7. Thank you for finding my grandfathers resting place. My grandmother loved him all her life. They were married in Dundee 1916 my mother born 1917. He was my first hero. God bless you.

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