BLAKE, Charley Ellman

Portsmouth Naval Memorial, UKCredit: CWGC

Engine Room Artificer 3rd Class
HM Submarine E3
Royal Navy

Charley was born on the 25th of June 1886 in Newport to Thomas Ellman & Alice (nee BUTLER) BLAKE. In 1891 the family were living at 84 St. Mary’s Street in Cowes & in 1901 at the Wheatsheaf Inn also in Cowes. By 1911 Charley had joined the Navy & was serving in Portsmouth. In 1912 at St. Jude’s Church in Southsea, Hampshire he married Edith GAWN.

Charley sailed with HM Submarine E3 from Harwich on 16th of October 1914 on a patrol of the mouth of the River Ems. They were surfaced with 6 men in the conning tower. Sighted at 1025 by U27, torpedoed once from 300 yards, blown in two & then sank off Borkum Reef. 4 men were seen in the water by a German Cruiser, but they were not rescued

Charley, aged 28, was never recovered from the sea & so he is commemorated by the Commission on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial with over 10,000 of his First World War shipmates.

Charley is also remembered on the County & Ryde War Memorials.

CWGC Casualty Record

Cemetary

Sons & Daughters Commemorated Far From Home

Those from the Newport & Carisbrooke area who are buried or commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission outside of the area, both in the UK and in other countries.

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The image is of the Tyne Cot Military Cemetery & Memorial in Belgium.