RELATIVES of the 32 victims of a submarine disaster have been joined by Royal Navy top brass at a poignant ceremony to mark the centenary of the incident.
The steam-propelled submarine K13 sank during early sea trials in Gareloch, Argyll and Bute, on January 29, 1917, during sea trials.
On board were 53 Royal Navy submariners, 14 employees of Govan shipbuilder Fairfields, five Admiralty officials, a pilot, and the captain and engineer from sister submarine K14.
Although there are memorial events each year, yesterday’s anniversary saw a special wreath-laying ceremony in the loch close to where the K13 went down.
The ceremony at Faslane Cemetery overlooking the sea loch was attended by veterans, serving submariners at Faslane, representatives from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and local Sea Cadets. Also attending were some of the relatives of the 32 men who perished in the disaster and who are buried at the cemetery.
On Saturday, a ceremony was held at Elder Park in Govan, Glasgow, opposite the former Fairfields yard (now BAE Systems).
Shirley Thomas and her family who travelled from Sheffield for yesterday’s event at the cemetery.
Her great-grandfather, submariner Fred Porter, 37, died on after sea water entered the vessel’s engineer room during the sea trials.
“We’ve always wanted to come up and pay our respects and the 100th anniversary seemed like the ideal time,” said Mrs Thomas. “Fred was in the navy on ships, then he went on the submarines – my grandmother told me he did this because it was better pay. We’re all really proud of him.”
Rear Admiral John Weale, head of the UK Submarine Service, said: “The men who perished in K13 were, in many respects, pioneers who pushed the boundaries to gain an operational advantage over potential adversaries.”
“Today’s submariners recognise that the submarines they operate are not only safer, but also more effective, because we have learned from the experience of our predecessors.
“In this respect, the special bravery, ethos and comradeship of submariners and the Submarine Service endures.”
The crew of K13 were trapped beneath the icy waters of the Gareloch for some 57 hours before help arrived.
The captain of the vessel, Lieutenant Commander Godfrey Herbert, and K14’s captain, Commander Francis Goodhart, made a desperate attempt to escape from the stricken submarine to get help.
The pair used the space between the inner and outer hatches as an airlock, but only Lt Cmdr Herbert made it to the surface alive as Cmdr Goodhart died after striking his head during the escape.
An airline was eventually attached to the vessel, allowing the submarine to bring her bow to the surface and where a hole to be was cut, allowing the survivors to be rescued. However, by that time, 32 submariners had died.
The submarine was later raised from the Gareloch and returned to service as HMS K22.
Colin Kerr, director of external relations for the War Graves Commission, said: “Every death of a forces personnel is a huge loss, but for these 32 men to die during sea trials of the then new K13 submarine is tragic. We must never forget them and I am honoured to be commemorating them on the centenary of their death
“We must never forget them and I am honoured to have commemorated them on the centenary.”
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