Peter D. Rattray

  General Notes:

The Marriage Certificate states that Peter was a batchelor, aged 28, working as a general labourer when he got married. The family story is that he was killed in 1916 at the battle of Jutland, which proves to be true, he was a Stoker 1st Class (Royal Navy Service No.K28908) aboard HMS Fortune.

http://www.cwgc.org./search/certificate.aspx?casualty=3038131


HMS FORTUNE

Yard No: 488
Shipbuilder: Fairfield Govan
Propulsion: steam, turbines, 25,000 ihp, 32 knots
Built: 1913
Ship Type: Destroyer
Tonnage: 950 tons disp
Length: 266 feet
Breadth: 27 feet
Draught: 9 feet
Owner: Royal Navy
Status: Sunk - 31/05/1916
Remarks: A unit of the 4th Destroyer Flotilla in the Battle of Jutland, under command of Lt Cdr F.G. Terry. About 11.30 pm she came under heavy fire from German battleships. On fire she went down with four officers and 63 men. Only one man was saved (www.clydesite.co.uk).


FORTUNE hit by 5.9in from 1st BS "Westfalen" and other battleships; LOST with 67 killed (www.naval-history.net).


First Official British Statement on the Battle of Jutland, 31 May-2 June 1916

London, June 2, 1916

On the afternoon of Wednesday, the 31st of May, a naval engagement took place off the coast of Jutland.

The British ships on which the brunt of the fighting fell were the battle-cruiser fleet and some cruisers and light cruisers, supported by four fast battleships. Among these the losses were heavy.

The German battle fleet, aided by low visibility, avoided a prolonged action with our main forces. As soon as these appeared on the scene the enemy returned to port, though not before receiving severe damage from our battleships.

The battle-cruisers Queen Mary, Indefatigable, and Invincible, and the cruisers Defence and Black Prince were sunk.

The Warrior was disabled, and after being towed for some time had to be abandoned by her crew.

It is also known that the destroyers Tipperary, Turbulent, Fortune, Sparrowhawk, and Ardent were lost, and six others are not yet accounted for.

No British battleships or light cruisers were sunk.

The enemy's losses were serious. At least one battle cruiser was destroyed and one was severely damaged. One battleship is reported to have been sunk by our destroyers.

During the night attack two light cruisers were disabled and probably sunk.

The exact number of enemy destroyers disposed of during the action cannot be ascertained with any certainty, but must have been large.

Further Statement

Since the foregoing communication was issued a further report has been received from the Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Fleet stating that it has now been ascertained that our total losses in destroyers amount to eight boats in all.

The Commander-in-Chief also reports that it is now possible to form a closer estimate of the losses and the damage sustained by the enemy fleet.

One dreadnought battleship of the Kaiser class was blown up in an attack by British destroyers and another dreadnought battleship of the Kaiser class is believed to have been sunk by gunfire.

Of three German battle-cruisers, two of which are believed were the Derfflinger and the Luetzow, one was blown up, another was heavily engaged by our battle fleet and was seen to be disabled and stopping, and the third was observed to be seriously damaged.

One German light cruiser and six German destroyers were sunk, and at least two more German light cruisers were seen to be disabled. Further repeated hits were observed on three other German battleships that were engaged.

Finally, a German submarine was rammed and sunk.

Source: Source Records of the Great War, Vol. IV, ed. Charles F. Horne, National Alumni 1923


From BBC History - Summary of World War One

The one nearly decisive sea battle took place in the North Sea at Jutland on 31 May 1916. Although German battlecruisers initially caused considerable damage to their British counterparts, the engagement of the British Grand Fleet under Admiral Jellicoe caught the Germans at a disadvantage and inflicted significant damage. Although the British lost more ships and men in the battle, the German fleet was more heavily damaged and spent most of the rest of the war in its home ports. This allowed the British fleet to effectively control the seas, meaning imperial troops and supplies could reach Europe with much greater ease.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Census, 3 Apr 1881, 41 Vine Street, Sunderland, Durham. Listed as Peter D Rattray, age 6, scholar.

• Census, 5 Apr 1891, 8 Vane Terrace, Bishop Wearmouth, Sunderland, Durham. Listed as: Peter D Rattray; Age 16.

• Marriage Reside, 28 Sep 1903, 24 Nesham Square, East End, Sunderland, Durham.

• Census, 2 Apr 1911, 18 Vine Street, Sunderland, Durham. Listed as: Age 35; Occupation - General Labourer.

• Alt. Death, 1 Jun 1916, 8 Nesham Square, East End, Sunderland. Stoker 1st class, HMS Fortune. Died at the battle of Jutland. Commemorated on the Portsmouth Memorial.

Peter married Elizabeth Jane Barron, daughter of Benjamin Barron and Mary A. Miller, on 28 Sep 1903 in The Register Office, Sunderland, Durham.³ (Elizabeth Jane Barron was born on 4 Nov 1876 in 47 Vine Street, Sunderland, Durham.)