G T C Collins

Gerald Thurstan Cole Collins

Born 1890 in St Columb  Died 31 May 1916 off Jutland

Lieutenant Royal Navy

Gerald was the son of a prominent Newquay solicitor, Thurstan Collins and his wife Ellen Fenwick.  Thurstan and Ellen had married in 1888 and settled in Newquay.  They had another son, Percival, and two daughters, Violet and Evelyn. 

Gerald was sent away to school in Wraxall, Somerset by 1901.  Also at the school was Horace Hawkey, the son of Thurstan Collins' fellow solicitor.  After a career in the Army Horace returned to Cornwall and became a member of the County Council. Gerald chose a career in the Navy and at the end of 1910 Gerald's name appears in the London Gazette, being confirmed as a sub-lieutenant.  

By 1916 Gerald was a Lieutenant aboard HMS Tipperary.  On 31st May the Tipperary was leading the 1st Division of the 4th Flotilla into action against the German Grand Fleet.  According to the only surviving officer,   Gerald, the Flotilla Lieutenant, was on the lower bridge.  Enemy ships were sighted at around 11.30pm, although initially there was some doubt about their identity; even after the first shot, it was felt that it was "friendly fire".  Any remaining doubts vanished by 11.50pm when the Tipperary was hit by a salvo and returned fire.  The exchange was over in a matter of a few minutes, the enemy slipping away, leaving Tipperary badly damaged forward.  Anyone amidships was killed or wounded.  The decision was taken to abandon ship and although the boats were destroyed the wounded were put into Carley floats or pieces of wood.  The battle for the Tipperary was clearly over; an German ship came close by and enquired which ship she was but did not open fire and may have picked up some survivors.  The remaining officers (of which Gerald does not appear to have been one) disposed of the signal books and confidential papers, fired the remaining torpedoes (to prevent explosion) and left the ship.  Tipperary sank at around 2.00 am.  185 of the crew were lost, leaving 12 survivors.

Gerald is commemorated on the town memorial and on a brass plaque in St Michael's church - his brother Percival's name is there too.

Thurstan Collins moved to Newton Ferrers were he held several manors.  His daughter Violet married a Naval Commander and had two sons, both of whom served in World War Two.  The youngest, Henry Howard, a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, was lost at sea in 1942 at the age of 20.

A L Quintrell

Alfred Leslie Quintrell

Born 5 July 1893 in Kensington, London   Died 31 May 1916 at Jutland

Wireman 2nd Class M/13988 Royal Navy

Alfred was the eldest son of Alfred Skinner Quintrell and Annie Beswetherick.  Both Alfred and Annie were born near Newquay; the Quintrells were farm labourers living between St Mawgan and St Columb Major, whilst the Beswethericks were blacksmiths in St Mawgan.  For some reason Alfred and Annie were married in Dartford, Kent and they spent the early years of their marriage in London, Alfred working as a wheelwright.  The couple had another son, Frederick Skinner Quintrell, born on Christmas Day, 1895 and a daughter, Edith Dorothy born on 4 March 1901.

I do not know when the Quintrells moved back to Cornwall.  However, at some point they moved into Newquay and took up residence in St Cuthbert's Road.  Alfred joined the Navy and was aboard HMS Black Prince when she set sail on 31 May 1916 to meet the German Grand Fleet off the coast of Denmark.

Black Prince was part of the 1st Cruiser Squadron.  At 5.45pm the squadron was ordered to take up approach stations.  Somehow the ship became detached from the rest of the squadron when the Grand Fleet were deploying.  As night fell Black Prince continued to try to find the rest of her fleet.  Perhaps mistaking them for the British Fleet, she approached a flotilla of ships.  It was a deadly mistake - she headed straight for a squadron of German ships.  From distance of only 500 yards the engagement was swift.  Nassau, Thuringen, Ostfriesland and Friederick Der Grosse all fired on the Black Prince which was unable to mount a challenge.  She was quickly overtaken by fire and sank with an huge explosion in less than five minutes according to German eyewitnesses.  857 men were lost.

HMS Black Prince 

Alfred's grave is in Newquay, along with his parents.  His "Dead Man's Penny" is set into the gravestone.  His brother Frederick died in 1980, whilst Edith married and lived until 1976.   I left some flowers at Alfred's grave today to mark the 95th anniversary of his death.