George Mace (1892-19xx)
Post date: Jan 14, 2016 3:9:35 PM
George was the son of David and Mary Mace, born on 13th October 1892, he was one of 5 siblings and the younger brother of Frederick. The family lived at Latters Buildings, Old Road, and the father worked at one of the breweries. All 3 brothers went to Wateringbury School, all 3 enlisted during WW1, and all survived the war. George followed his elder brother Frederick into the navy, enlisting in 1911 for 12 years. He was 5 feet 4 1/2 inches tall, with a 36 inch chest, brown hair and eyes and a fresh complexion. He had a scar on his forehead. At the time of his enlistment at Chatham, he gives his occupation as a gardener, a very common occupation in the village at the time. His service number was K10873 and he was initially a stoker 2nd class becoming a stoker 1st class a year after joining.
At the time of the 1911 census he was lodging with his uncle, James Hodges a horse keeper at a brewery, at 101 New Road , Chatham. James and his wife, Ana and son, Herbert were all born in Wateringbury. George is described as a stoker HM Navy.
On the outbreak of WW1 George was serving on H.M.S. Lancaster, a 10,000 ton armoured cruiser completed in 1904, with 14 six inch guns and a crew of 678. The ship's day by day log for the period September 1913 to June 1919 (George served on the ship from 15 September 1913 to 29 July 1915) is available at http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-05-HMS_Lancaster.htm
George joined the ship at Devonport from where it sailed to Bermuda on 30th September arriving on 11th October. From Bermuda they went to St. Thomas, St. Kitts, Antigua , Martinique, Barbados, Jamaica, Belize (where they spent Christmas 1913 and stayed until 2 February 1914), Haiti, Jamaica (until April 1914), Puerto Mexico, Vera Cruz, Bermuda (where they were on declaration of war in August 1914). They started the war patrolling off Newfoundland and then off New York where on 18th September the log records:
10.00am Boarded Royal Dutch West Indian Mail Company SS “Commewijne” (Paramaribo) from Surinam, Carthagena and Port-au-Prince to New York. 27 German reservists found on board made Prisoners of war. Papers examined and found satisfactory, Master had no complaints. For details see boarding book.
10.30am: Took on board as prisoners 27 German reservists from SS “Commewijne”.
10.45am: SS “Commewijne” allowed to proceed.
A few other boats were stopped and boarded. On 14th October they stopped at Halifax for a time before returning to the New York patrol. They returned to Bermuda on 7th November 1914 and then Kingston, Jamaica on the 15th November. On 1st December they left to patrol off Colon, Panama where they were for Christmas 1914, returning to Kingston by 31st December 1914, leaving 4th January for Bermuda. They left Bermuda on 16th January arriving in Devonport on 30th January 1915. On 12th February they went to Queenstown (Cobh, Ireland), leaving 12th March to go to Scapa Flow from where and Cromarty Firth based and patrolling until July 12th when to Chatham Dockyards where George leaves the ship on 29th.
The rest of George's war service record is difficult to decipher but he served until July 1921.