More about Sidney George Gillman

Sidney has no known grave but is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He was serving aboard H.M.S. Invincible at the time of his death. He was the brother of Pte Edward William Devine Gillman, 14865, 7th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry, who was killed in action, 16.09.1916 & Pte Richard Charles Gillman, 28635, 7th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, who died of disease, 13.03.1919.

The Battleship H.M.S. Invincible participated in three major battles: the Battle of Heligoland Bight in August 1914, the Battle of the Falklands in December 1914, sinking the 2 armoured cruisers SMS Gneisenau and SMS Scharnhorst and in the Battle of Jutland in 1916, in which she sank.

She was the flagship of the 3rd Battlecruiser Squadron during the Battle of Jutland. The squadron had been detached from Admiral Beatty’s Battlecruiser Fleet a few days before the battle for gunnery practice with the Grand Fleet and acted as its heavy scouting force during the battle. She was destroyed by a magazine explosion during the battle after ‘Q’ turret was penetrated. 1026 men were killed with only 6 surviving the sinking.

PO/13019 Pte. Sydney George Gillman, Royal Marine Light Infantry, was another Dundee man who lost his life on HMS Invincible. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Sydney George Gillman, of the Royal Marines, whose wife in Dundee has received intimation that he went down with the Invincible. The People’s Journal, Saturday, 10 June 1916, 6.

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Sidney G Gillman married Mrs Emily Gillman in December 1913 and his home address was given as 20 Rankine Street, Dundee. He joined the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1903 but lied about his age. During his time he served in the battleships Boscowen and Venerable and the cruisers Berwick and Weymouth as well as at the Royal Marine Barracks at Deal and Portsmouth. On the outbreak of war he was drafted to the Royal Marine Brigade and landed in Ostende and Antwerp with the Brigade. He remained with the Brigade until October 1915 but it is not clear if he served at Gallipoli. He joined HMS Invincible the same month and was onboard the battlecruiser during the Battle of Jutland when she exploded after German shells ignited one of the magazines and broke the ship in half. Over 1000 men died and there were only six survivors. Sidney Gillman is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie