World War I battle, June 1916

Personal account by Captain Martin-Leake

Read by Richard Tomlinson

Sketches of the battle enclosed with the letter
Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies, Ref: 87524-6

To listen to the audio clip, click play on the bar below the letter.

Letter written aboard H.M.S. Achilles  

Saturday 11th June 1916

My dear Mama.          

Many thanks for your letter and the vegetables. I had gooseberries for lunch.          

I am sending a few rough sketches of the fight. By no means complete but the main events of the Battle are shown. It was during Beatty’s preliminary action with Hipper that Indefatigable and Queen Mary I believe went up. The “Warspite” (Phillpotts from Walkern) got heavily hammered and her steering gear jammed. She turned round completely twice, all her after part, unarmoured was knocked away but her armoured deck unpierced. She is safely in dock. B. Prince reproached a submarine and that is all. Only one B. ship of this fleet got hit. The “Colossus” I think a shell destroyed her after super structure and wounded 3 men.  

You will have seen Jellicoe’s further report on the “Hampshire”. There is nothing to add. All here is as usual.          

Best love to all.            

Your affectionate Son            

M. Leake

 

To read the full collection of Captain Martin-Leake’s letters and telegrams reporting his wounding in 1914, as well as his brother’s death in 1907, click on the link below.

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This page was added on 13/11/2010.

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