COMMEMORATED IN PERPETUITY BY THE

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Albert joined the Royal Navy on 27th Aug 1896 serving first on HMS St Vincent. He worked his way through the ranks and was promoted to Petty Officer on 25th January 1912. He went on to serve on Submarine support vessels in 1915. Whilst serving with Submarine Depot Ship HMS Maidstone, from December 1916, PO Midwinter found himself on board Submarine E36 on January 19th 1917.

Submarine E36 was built at Clydebank in 1916, with a crew of 30. Whilst on manoeuvres in the North Sea she was sunk in a collision with HM submarine E43 off the coast of Harwich on 19th January 1917. There were no survivors.

The submerged wreck of Submarine E-36 has been recorded by the Hydrographic Service UK.

Details (and the following account) can be found online at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?3776

E-36 and E-43 left Harwich at 07:30 for two patrol areas off Terschelling. A strong north easterly was blowing. At 11:26 just before they left the coast, E-43 signalled to E-36 to proceed independently. At 13:30 E-36 was on the port beam but was out of sight by 15:00. The sea was running fairly high and at 18:50 E-43, having lost her bridge screen, eased to 5 knots and turned 16 points to fit a new one.

This delay must have enabled E36 to overtake her, for at 19:50 off the Haaks LV, E-43 had just altered course to true north when she suddenly sighted a submarine 3 points on the port bow, apparently steering east and only 50 yards off. The helm was put hard to starboard and engines full astern but E-43 struck E-36 aft from the stern, rode right over her and saw her vanish on the starboard quarter in the darkness. E-43 went astern but nothing could be seen in the darkness and heavy sea. Nothing more was heard of E-36.

After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided. Three identical memorials were commissioned - Chatham, Portsmouth and Plymouth. Chatham Naval Memorial commemorates 8,517 sailors of the First World War and 10,098 of the Second World War.

According to the 1871 Census the Midwinter family had lived in Steventon since 1800. Albert was born in May 1881 and lived with his parents at 5 Priory Cottages, Mill Street. He was the 5th child of 11 born to Thomas and Sarah Midwinter; 4 brothers, 6 sisters. Albert’s father, Thomas died in 1900. By 1911, Albert and all his siblings, except for his youngest brother James, had left home. Albert became a Leading Seaman in the Royal Navy and was based at Glengarriff Harbour, County Cork, Ireland. Albert’s mother, Sarah continued to live at the Priory Cottages. In 1921 she was joined by her Son Richard and latterly his wife Daisy, who had returned to help support Sarah, until her death in 1933. Thomas, Sarah, Richard and Daisy share a family grave at St Michael’s churchyard.