Daughter Joan aged 20 (my cousin) and her father William Watson aged 57(my uncle) were killed during the blitz on Sunday 10 November 1940, at the Technical College Denzil Road, Willesden North London, where he was Caretaker. Their bodies remained in the buildings cellar for several months before they could be recovered due to flooding of water mains, (it is believed the cellar was being used as aa air raid shelter. They lived at 67 Burnley road Willesden North London, their remains are at the mass grave in Willesden New Cemetery, a memorial with their names on stands in the cemetery. William Watson was Master at Arms in the Royal Navy in WW1. He joined as a boy sailor and trained on HMS Water witch the last of the sailing ships in Nelson's Navy. We have some photos which I will try to upload
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: George W Watson [George Willie Watson] Death Age: 57 Birth Date: abt 1883 Registration Date: Oct 1940 [Nov 1940] [Dec 1940] Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec Registration district: Willesden Inferred County: Middlesex Volume: 3a Page: 846 Name: Joan Watson Death Age: 20 Birth Date: abt 1920 Registration Date: Oct 1940 [Nov 1940] [Dec 1940] Registration Quarter: Oct-Nov-Dec Registration district: Willesden Inferred County: Middlesex Volume: 3a Page: 847 TD
My cousin Joan Watson. Dizzy Thank you so much for the information TD, have managed to upload a pic of Joan, hope to do same for her father, Dizzy
I was intrigued to know why I cant find them in the database - UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 - I would have expected to find them in there. TD
Are you referring to HMS Waterwitch the steam powered Gun Boat? Waterwitch dated from the 1860s and was powered by hydraulic jets and was used for gunnery training as part of the school in the Tamar under HMS Cambridge and HMS Foudroyant which were Nelsonian ships of the line.
Is this him UK, Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 Name: William George Watson Gender: Male Birth Date: 15 Aug 1883 Birth Place: Sidcup, Kent First Service Date: 9 Aug 1900 First Ship Served On: Northampton Last Service Date: 23 Apr 1921 Last Ship Served On: Hercules Service Number: 211339 TD On Ancestry.co.uk - George Willie Watson found in 36 trees
Thank you Robert for info, this is an oil painting of HMS Waterwitch that William Watson had commissioned to be painted whilst he was in the Royal Navy. Given your reference that it was a steam boat at some stage it would seem this three masted sailing ship had a very big conversion at some stage. I seem to recall reading somewhere in the long distant past it had a maritime disaster in Hong Kong harbour, not being a navy buff I can't be absolutely sure. Dizzy
That is a different vessel altogether being a steam yacht (masted but with an auxiliary engine) purchased into Admiralty service and used as a survey ship in the Far East - she was lost when rammed by another British vessel. There have been at least four ships called Waterwitch but only one used for training and all much later than Nelsonian times The one on which your Uncle may have trained went for scrap in 1921
Thank you Robert for the info, all every interesting, we have got some photos of his naval life which, once we sort it all out, do you recommend we put them on this site.please advise. He also served on the HMS Barnham and HMS Agamemnon and HMS Dragon. Dizzy
This might be a file on him, I cant be sure - Name Watson, William George Page Number: 197 | The National Archives this file may be just a copy of the one attached The file below is for the record I posted above and shows all the ships he served on it will allow you the chronology of his service and associated ships TD
Brilliant work TD so grateful, we have quite a few photos of some of the other ships and naval life taken by the Navy so are of reasonable quality, would it be ok to upload sometime? He was in the Gallipoli/ Dardenalls etc. Thank you Dizzy PS. The address where he was born is Myrtle Cottage, 18 Clarence Crescent Sidcup Kent Thank you TD. Dizzy
Thanks to TD for providing William Watson's Service Record I think I can throw some light on this. As is often the case it looks as though family history has become confused. William Watson joined the Navy on 9 Aug 1900 just before his 17th birthday. Rated Boy 2nd Class he went to HMS Northampton, a training ship. HMS Northampton was a Nelson Class armed cruiser built in 1876. (Sorry, nothing to do with Nelson's Navy). On 15 Aug 1901, on reaching his 18th birthday he was rated Ordinary Seaman. He joined HMS Waterwitch (this is the Survey ship in the Far East and is the one in the painting) on 6 Feb 02 as an Ordinary Seaman and was then rated Able Seaman on 18 Feb 03 and left Waterwitch 0n 14 May. Tim Edited to add: HMS Waterwitch (1892) - Wikipedia
Ref photo post #17 Extracted from: Family History - Royal Navy and Naval History.Net Agamemnon, battleship, Lord Nelson-class, 17,680t, 4-12in/10-9.2in/24-12pdr/5-18in tt, 5th BS Channel Fleet 8/14, later to Mediterranean, anchored about 2½m WSW of Cape Yeni Shehr on Asiatic side. Cape Helles batteries opened fire at 1017 at 10,000yds and straddled her after 15min, ordered to weigh but within 10min hit by seven armour piercing shells, most of which broke up, but holed above waterline, hydraulic engine and main derrick damaged; 3 ratings killed, one DOW and four seriously injured. Cleared up wreckage, continued in action and repaired damage off Tenedos next day (Rn/Cn/D/da/dk) By 1500 the outer batteries had been practically silenced by the Anglo-French ships. Minesweeping trawlers escorted by destroyers and covered by battleships Vengeance, Albion and Triumph then started sweeping the entrance. At 1600 the rest of the fleet retired to Tenedos. By 2000 the sweepers had penetrated four miles without finding any mines. Tim
