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M 1

Built By: Vickers (Barrow)
Build Group: M
Fate: Rammed and was sunk on 12th November 1925 by SS Vidar off Start Point. Wreckage was not found until 1990 by Royal Navy and more recently by divers in 1999.

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Started life a K18. Served with the 6th Flotilla until October 1918.

Served in the Mediterranean under Horton until the Armistice.


The wreckage of M1 was not found until 1990 by the Royal Navy and more recently by divers in 1999.


from the Western Morning News

Related Pages

Read

Supergun Submarine located 74 years after tragic loss

The British submarine, M1 which uniquely carried the firepower of a battleship was discovered 35 miles south-east of Plymouth at a depth of 81 metres by diver and submarine expert, Innes McCartney and boat skipper Grahame Knott.

Roll of Honour
69
Adams, Cecil Passey
J 52992
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Leading Seaman
Alexander, Arthur Horace
J 14439
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer
Allen, William Charles
J 51725
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Andrews, Enoch James
J 39562
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Baby, Ernest Arthur
J 71374
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Baker, Edward Charles Goodchild
K 12959
Born: 10th Jan, 1894.
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 31
Stoker Petty Officer
RN DoB 10/01/1893
Ball, Harold
J 39475
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Able Seaman
Ball, John Samuel
K 35977
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Leading Stoker
Bell, William McDonald
M 7020
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Bicker, Roland
224812
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 38
Chief Petty Officer
Buttle, James Fry
J 22045
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Able Seaman
Carrie, Alec Murray
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Lieutenant Commander
Commanding Officer
Casey, Robert Cameron (RAN)
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Lieutenant
Clark, Walter Thomas
J 98756
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Cleaver, Edward George
K 58802
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Stoker 1st Class
Clough, Nelson Orlando
J 39878
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Signalman
Cowling, Albert George
K 18120
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 31
Leading Stoker
Dearing, Leonard Andree Percy
J 78620
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Dennis, William Francis
M 12651
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Electrical Artificer 2nd Class
Dixon, Reginald Charles
231628
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 37
Petty Officer
Duggan, Albert Frederick Harvey
J 62085
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Leading Seaman
Edden, Thomas Henry
M 14517
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
Erskine, William
K 63811
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Leading Stoker
Joined with Service Number SS 120628 before signing for extended engagement and changing to K63811.
Evans, Albert
J 96697
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 21
Able Seaman
Feltham, Frank
K 57863
Born: 27th Jan, 1902.
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 23
Stoker 1st Class
RN DoB 27/07/1901
Foley, John Frederick
J 48199
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Gardner, Charles
233422
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 37
Chief Stoker
Gay, Albert Arthur
J 62961
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Telegraphist
Good, Cyril Sidney
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 44
Warrant Engineer
Gore, Sidney John Ethelbert DSM
M 4730
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 34
Engine Room Artificer 1st Class
In ADM 104 Series M4731
Harding, Gordon George
M 10953
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 35
Engine Room Artificer 2nd Class
Hewson, Philip
M 8641
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 29
Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class
Hobday, Albert Edmund
236378
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 41
Petty Officer
Jewell, Henry George
J 48749
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Able Seaman
Jones, Bertie William
J 20035
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer
Kemble, George
K 10187
Born: 6th Feb, 1891.
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 34
Leading Stoker
RN DoB 06/02/1892
Kent, Arthur William
J 15182
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 29
Leading Seaman
Kidney, James
J53085
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Leading Seaman
Law, John William
J65730
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
Littell, Robert Charles
M 35596
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 31
Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class
Lovering, Ernest Thomas
J 24879
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Able Seaman
Manning, John
J 103109
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 20
Able Seaman
Mansell, Cecil George Cobden
K 60530
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Stoker 1st Class
Martin, Charles James
J 90561
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Millard, Harold
K 62220
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
Morgan, George Petvin
239799
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 34
Petty Officer
Morrisey, James
K 62857
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 20
Stoker 1st Class
Moyse, Victor Charles
J 23751
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Able Seaman
Neighbour, Herbert Edward
J 89919
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 23
Able Seaman
Nichols, David Richard
K 57987
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 25
Stoker 1st Class
Nicholson, William Frederick
J 19870
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 29
Leading Seaman
Pearson, William Adolphus
J 42467
Born: 4th May, 1901.
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Able Seaman
RN DoB 04/05/1899.
Philpott, Thomas Walker
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Lieutenant
Price, William Frederick
J 25784
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Leading Seaman
Sayers, Charles Alfred
J 31401
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Smith, Frederick William
J 9944
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 30
Petty Officer Telegraphist
Spratley, Percival
J 69385
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 24
Telegraphist
Storey, Charles Clarence
K 58715
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 31
Stoker 1st Class
Styles, Reginald Percy
J 28159
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Able Seaman
Tamblin, William John
J 94557
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 37
Leading Seaman
Taylor, Robert
J 41914
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Able Seaman
Thorpe, Charles Arthur Robert
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Lieutenant
Commander of M2
Turner, Walter Isaac
J 36092
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Leading Signalman
Vaughan, William Charles Albert
J 32281
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 26
Leading Seaman
Washington, Sidney William
J 24170
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 27
Leading Seaman
Webster, Albert Ernest
J 92635
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 23
Leading Seaman
Williams, Henry Richard
K 56132
Born: 24th Mar, 1903.
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 22
Stoker 1st Class
RN DoB 24/03/1901
Wright, Charles Edwin
L 12944
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 22
Steward
Wright, Frederick George
J 99863
Died: 12th Nov, 1925.
Aged: 22
Able Seaman

Events

01-07-1916  Laid Down
09-07-1917  Launched
17-04-1918  Completed
12-11-1925  M1 was rammed by the SS Vidal off Start Point and was lost without survivors.
M Specification
Length overall  295 ft 9 inch
Beam  24 ft 8 inch
Depth  18 ft 8 inch
Displacement  1594 tons (surface)
  1946 tons (submerged)
Diving Depth  200 ft
Speed  Surface 16 knots (design) 10 (service)
  Submerged 10 (design) 8 to 9 knots (service)
No. of shafts  2
Propeller  3 blades, 5 ft 10 inch diameter
Armament  (i) 4 x 18 inch bow tubes (8 torpedoes carried)
  1 x 12 inch gun
  1 x 3 inch gun
Endurance  Surface: 2500 miles at 16 knots (design) 2000 miles at full power or 4500 miles max (service) / Submerged: 10 miles at 10 knots (design) 9 miles at 8+ knots (service)
Complement  6 Officers and 62 Ratings
Note  (i) In M3 these were replaced by four 21 inch bow tubes, which were responsible for an overall increase in length of 10 ft

Further Reading

BUY
M-class Submarines
M-class Submarines

Martin H. Brice
Comments

Comment by: John Harlow on November 15th, 2022

From memory, in 1919 after leaving HMSm E45 (a mine-layer) at her moorings at Harwich my grandfather (Charles T [Hookey] Walker) whom we always referred to as Pop transferred to HMSm M1. In both boats, he served as Forendsman which today I think he would have been called a torpedoman. Pop always remembered having very good skin as he often cleaned the outside surface of his torpedos with Sperm Oil (and used shark skin as an abrasive?)

Pop left M1 when she called into Chatham for a major refit in May 1925? In those days I believe it was usual for submariners to spend the last 6 months of their service on surface ships. Pop was assisted into civvie-street and about to leave the RN to work in the GPO when he was on a train and happened to see a newspaper headline announcing the loss of M1 with all hands after an underwater collision with the Swedish ship SS Vidar.

God bless all those 'still on patrol'.

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