James Green

Military Information

  • Date of enlistment: 13 May 1915
  • Place of enlistment: Customs House in Dundee
  • Service no: 743SD
  • Rank: Deck Hand
  • Service Occupation:
  • Awards:
  • Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve
  • Unit/Ship: H.M.P.M.S. Duchess of Hamilton
  • Place of Death: Lost at Sea, Thames Estuary
  • Age at Death: 36
  • Date of Death: 29.11.1915
  • Burial Country:
  • Cemetery: Portsmouth Naval Memorial
  • Grave/Mem Ref no: Panel 10.

Personal Information

  • Date of Birth:
  • Place of Birth:
  • Address: 7 Bruce Street, Dundee
  • Occupation:
  • Mother:

    Alice Green

  • Father:

    Godfrey Green

  • Siblings:
  • Spouse:

    Jessie M. Green, 3 Bruce St, Dundee

  • Children:

    Joseph, born 02.07.1910

More about James Green

James has no known grave but is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He was serving aboard H.M.P.M.S. Duchess of Hamilton which was built by Wm. Denny & Bros., Dumbarton in 1890 and operated at the time of her loss by Royal Navy, was a British auxiliary minesweeper of 553 tons.

On November 29th, 1915, she was sunk by a mine from the German submarine U.C.-3, at Thames mouth. 9 persons were lost.

James Green   7435D   Seaman

Navyman Killed at Sea.

Official intimation was received in Dundee on Monday of the death of a local navy man on mine-sweepers at sea. The deceased was Seaman James Green.  Seaman Green met his death on 24th October, resided at 7 Bruce Street, Dundee.  He leaves a wife and child.

Dundee People’s Journal 11th December 1915

GREEN___Killed at sea, on the 29th November 1915, Seaman James Green, third son of the late Godfrey Green and of Mrs Green, 5 Bruce Street. – Inserted by his sorrowing mother, brothers, and sister.

Dundee People’s Journal 18th December 1915


James Green was the son of Mr Godfrey and Mrs Alice Green of Dundee and was married to Mrs Jessie Green of 7 Bruce Street, Dundee. He volunteered to join the Royal Naval Reserve at the Customs House in Dundee on 13 May 1915 and must have had sea going experience as he was sent straight to HMS Pembroke, the Naval Barracks at Chatham in Kent. His record states that he did not undertake Basic Naval training. He would have been serving in small craft before he was drafted to the Paddle Minesweeper HMS Duchess of Hamilton in October 1915. She was a paddle steamer built in 1890 by W Denny at Dumbarton, owned by the Caledonian Steam Packet Company and requisitioned by the Admiralty in February 1915. On 29 November 1915 the Duchess of Hamilton was sunk by a mine laid possibly by UC-3 near the Galloper Lightship in the Thames Estuary. 9 men were lost. James Green is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Southsea Common.

Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie

Information supplied by Gary Thomson,additional information kindly supplied by Michael Caldwell.

Further information supplied by Iain Stewart and Iain Birnie

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