TOPIC:

William Henry Notton

Able Seaman, H.M.S. Powerful – Anglo Boer War
Private, 16th (Service) Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment – WWI

- Queens South Africa Medal (0) to W.H. NOTTON, A.B. H.M.S. POWERFUL
- British War Medal to 21263 PTE. W.H. NOTTON. R. WAR. R.
- Victory Medal to 21263 PTE. W.H. NOTTON R. WAR. R.
- Imperial Service Medal (George VI) to WILLIAM HENRY NOTTON.

William Notton was born on 27 November 1877 in Bristol, Gloucestershire and was baptised in St. Matthew in the Ives in that city on 29 October 1878. He was the son of William Henry Notton, a Dock Labourer, and his wife Alice. At the time of his baptism the family were living at 11 Elbroad Street.

According to the 1881 England census, the Notton family had moved to 15 Barton Vale in Bristol. At the age of 3 he was the oldest of two children – sister Sarah being a baby of 1. His parents were young – father William was 24 and mother Alice 22.

Ten years later, at the time of the 1891 England census, the family had moved to 1 Waters Place in Bristol. There had been a number of new additions with Martha (9), Alfred (7), Emma (5) and Joseph (1) having joined the ranks. Alice’s mother Caroline Burston, a widow, had also moved in and, to add to the already cramped living quarters, Henry Chaplin, a 15 year old nephew and Henry Cooper, a 25 year old Boarder were also in residence. At 13, William had already finished with his rudimentary education and had been sent to work as a Bootmaker.



Perhaps it was the pressure of living cheek to jowl with so many in one house, whatever the reason, on 21 January 1895, just ten months short of his 18th birthday, Notton’s services were engaged by the Royal Navy for 12 years at Portsmouth. Described as a Currier by way of former occupation, he was 5 feet 4 ½ inches in height, had dark brown hair, hazel brown eyes and a pale complexion which darkened with constant exposure to the sun. He had the word “Love” tattooed on his right forearm and dots on his left forearm by way of distinguishing characteristics.

Assigned no. 182722 he was aboard the Northampton as a Boy 2nd Class from 21 January 1895. He continued in that roll, being promoted to Boy 1st Class on 12 May, until 25th July 1895. From there he was posted to Victory I from 26 July until 12 September 1895. He next boarded Inflexible from 13 September until 15 October when he was posted to Volage. It was aboard Volage that he attained the age of 18 and was able to be “officially” recognised as a sailor, becoming an Ordinary Seaman on that day. He served aboard Volage until 26 May 1896 before transferring to the Australia where he served until 11 September of that year.



A stint on Resolution followed until 7 June 1897 after which he was aboard the Powerful. Promotion to Able Seaman came on 20 October 1898 and it was whilst aboard the Powerful that he earned the Queens South Africa Medal as part of the Royal Navy’s contribution to the Anglo Boer War.

Much has been written about the role the crew of H.M.S. Powerful played in the conflict at the southern tip of Africa. Most famous and most recognised was the contribution made by the contingent of her sailors who assisted in both the relief and defence of Ladysmith in Natal – the town besieged by the Boers with effect from 2 November 1899, a status quo that was to remain until relieved by Buller’s army on 1 March 1900.

A 1st Class twin screw cruiser, Powerful was the sister ship of HMS Terrible. Her displacement was 14,200 tons with a speed of 22 Knots. Her engines generated 25,000 HP and she had a compliment of 894. Her armaments were two 9.2 inch guns, twelve 6-inch guns, sixteen 12 pdr QF, twelve 3 pounder QF, and four 18 -inch Torpedo Tubes (submerged). Commanded by Captain the Honourable Hedworth Lambton CB, she served between October 1899 and March 1900.

Within 48 hours of the outbreak of the Anglo Boer War on 11 October 1899 she and the Terrible had arrived in Cape Town. They had been rerouted to South Africa and arrived at a critical time – just as the Boers crossed the Natal and Cape borders heading for Kimberley, Mafeking And Ladysmith via Newcastle and Dundee.

Notton was not one of those selected to be part of the shore party that went to Ladysmith’s aid by so skilfully handling the specially adapted naval guns which played such a pivotal part in the war. He remained on the ship with the majority of her crew, returning to Portsmouth on 11 April 1900. On 8 June 1900 his time aboard Powerful up, he was posted to Duke of Wellington until 22 September 1900.



From 23 September until 15 December he was aboard the Excellent, followed by a spot of leave at home in Bristol, where he wed 24 year old Elizabeth Harvey (he was 23) at the Parish church of St. Simon on Christmas Day 1900. They must have been next door neighbours as his address was 157 Pennywell Road whilst her address was 159 Pennywell Road.

It was whilst he was aboard the Camperdown (between 7 January 1901 and 5 May 1903) that his Queens medal was sent to him on 17 December 1901. After further postings to the Euryalus, Victory I and Gladiator, all in the new role of Sail Maker, Notton’s naval career came to an end with his discharge on 26 November 1907 – on the expiration of his 12 year contract.

Wasting no time, Notton entered the employ of the Post Office in 1908 as an Assistant Postman in Bristol. Happy in his role as a landlubber, he was still a Postman when the 1911 census came round. Now living at 18 Bouverie Street in Bristol, he was at home with his wife and 7 year old daughter, Lillian. As he pounded the pavements of Bristol delivering the mail he would have had no idea that, in a few short years, he would be in uniform again.

The Great War erupted onto the world stage on 4 August 1914 and, although he was not one of the first to enlist, he eventually did so, with the 16th Battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Assigned no. 21263 and the rank of Private, he was sent to the Western Front. The 16th (Service) Battalion (3rd Birmingham) was formed at Birmingham in September 1914 by the Lord Mayor and a local committee. On 26 June 1915 it came under the command of 95th Brigade, 32nd Division, landing at Boulogne 21 November 1915. On 26 December 1915 it was transferred to the 15th Brigade, 5th Division.

By the time Notton had joined, in March 1916, 5th Division had taken over a section of frontline between St. Laurent Blangy and the southern edge of Vimy Ridge, near Arras. They moved south in July to reinforce the Somme and were in action at High Wood, the battle of Guillemont, the battle of Flers-Courcelette, the battle of Morval and the battle of Le Transloy. In October they moved to Festubertand remaining there until March 1917 when they moved in preparation for the battle of Arras.

On 7 September 1917 the 5th Division moved out of the line for a period of rest before being sent to Flanders where they were in action during the third battle of Ypres. 5th Division, which included Notton, was sent to Italy and took up positions in the line along the River Piave in late January 1918. They were recalled to France to assist with the German advance in late March 1918 and were in action during the battle of the Lyse. On the 14th of August 1918 the 5th Division was withdrawn for two weeks rest. They then moved to the Somme where they were more or less in continuous action over the old battlegrounds until late October 1918 where they saw action in the battle of the Hindenburg Line and the final advance in Picardy. On the 4th of October 1918 they transferred to the 13th Brigade still with the 5th Division. At the Armistice on 11 November 1918 they were in the area of Le Quesnoy and moved to Belgium to the area around the Namur and Wavre in December when demobilisation began.

With the Armistice on 11 November 1918 came the end of the war and the survivors returned to their homes and occupations. Notton resumed his Postman duties. At the time of the 1921 England census the Notton family were living at 73 Goodhind Street in Bristol. Notton was still a Postman with the G.P.O, his wife contented herself with domestic duties whilst his daughter Lillian May, now 17 years old, was employed in the Box Department of Mardon, Son & Hall in Temple Street – a division of Imperial Tobacco since 1902, they appear to have made cards almost exclusively for the cigarette token market, which flourished during the 1930s.

William Notton next appeared in a newspaper report in the Western Daily Press of 15 June 1938. The occasion was the awarding of the Imperial Service Medal to him on his retirement. According to the 1939 Register, Notton and his wife were still living at 73 Goodhind Street. He passed away in Weston Super Mare in October 1941 at the age of 64.

Below are three more images depicting Powerful's return to Portsmouth.
Also, the cover of a scarce book describing Powerful's service during the Anglo-Boer War.









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I hadn't heard about that book before Neville. Is there any information on who wrote The Story of H.M.S. Powerful? Or is it anonymous?

Gary

Hello Gary,

Unfortunately, the book doesn't give the name of the author. From the contents I suspect it was based on the diary of a Royal Marine Light Infantry man. For instance, one of the plates is a reproduction of the Plymouth Division R.M.L.I. New Year's Greetings card, which was sent to comrades on the Modder River.


The Story of H.M.S. “Powerful”. From the Diary of a “Powerful” Man (Horace Marshall and Son, London 1900, p. 92)

A TRIBUTE FROM THE PORTSMOUTH DIVISION.

The Sergeants’ Mess of the Plymouth Division of the Royal Marine Light Infantry did not want their comrades to come home before signalling their appreciation of their valour. The story of Graspan thrilled them, and they sent to their brother Marines of the “Powerful”, “Doris”, and “Monarch” the following New Year greeting in colours upon a beautifully printed card. This memento reached the Marines at the Modder River, and is much valued by them all. It is reproduced on the next page as an appropriate conclusion of our story of H.M.S. “Powerful”.





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I was interested to read that HMS Powerful and HMS Terrible were armed with 16 12-pdr 3" guns each, but were not armed with 4.7" guns (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Terrible_(1895) ) or is Wikipedia mistaken? If Wikipedia is correct, then I suppose the 4.7" guns could have come from other ships in Simonstown, or from stores (see samilitaryhistory.org/vol043dh.html )
I would be interested to learn the origin of the 4.7" guns.

Rob,

As I understand it, the guns were loaded at Simonstown, but I do not know where from.
The answer might lie in the pages of a scarce little publication titled "Mountings of the Naval Guns and their subsequent use with the Ladysmith Relief Column, being a lecture by Captain Percy Scott and Captain A.H. Limpus (of H.M.S. 'Terrible') delivered in Hongkong, June 13th, 1900".
Unfortunately I no longer have a copy.

The photograph below shows the construction of one of the Scott improvised carriages on board ship.



Neville

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