George Edward Thompson

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Golden Gain, George died on 15th of February 1918 at the age of 23. 

George was born at Pakefield on 23 January 1895, a son of William and Emma Thompson. He was baptised at All Saints’ Church, Pakefield, on 10 March 1895. In 1901 his family lived at 8 Prospect Place, Pakefield. From 3 June 1901 George was a pupil at Cunningham School. By 1911 his family were living at 1 Beach Street, Pakefield. 

In 1917 George married Bertha Mary Simmonds, at Dover. Bertha lived at 31 Carlton Road, Lowestoft, and then at 132 Clarendon Street, Dover. In late 1918 she married Edwin Chapman, at Dover, and then lived at 4 Wycombe Terrace, Saint Georges Road, Lowestoft.  

George joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 26 January 1915. Initially he served on the trawler Silver Queen before joining the Golden Gain. 

George was serving on the Golden Gain and was killed in an event known by some as the ‘Massacre of the Drifters’. Captain Taprell-Dorling, in his book Swept Channels described the event:

"On the night of 14-15 February 1918, an enemy submarine was reported in the minefield [off Dover] by the drifters, and heavy firing began. The "P" boats, monitors and destroyers on patrol concluded that the firing was at the submarine. They were unaware that a flotilla of German destroyers had steamed through the patrol and were attacking the paddle minesweepers, trawlers and drifters who were burning lights to assist in illuminating the minefield.

The trawler James Pond, commanded by Chief Skipper A.E. Berry, D.S.C., R.N.R., was burning her flares near the French coast when he saw three destroyers approaching from the eastward at high speed. Flashing past at very close range, they each fired salvoes. It was impossible to miss. The raiders disappeared into the darkness, to leave the trawler damaged and blazing.

The enemy destroyers had not finished. After passing the James Pond they turned sharply to the north-north-west along the line of drifters, firing salvoes into them as they steamed by. These little ships did not hesitate to return the fire with the tiny guns they possessed; but 3 and 6 pounders were nothing of a match for the 4.1's of the enemy. The Christina Craig, Clover Bank, Cosmos. Jeannie Murray, Silver Queen, Veracity and W Elliott, all between 60 and 96 tons, were sunk one after the other. Still more were damaged."

Nine British drifters were sunk and others, including the Golden Gain, badly damaged. George was the only member of his crew killed during this action.