Able Seaman Henry Shedrick Joseph Hill

Seaman Henry Shedrick Joseph Hill, 19, son of Henry and Mary Ann Hill, of 94 Cobden Street, Luton, was reported lost in the Battle of Jutland while serving on HMS Turbulent (sunk).

Naval records reveal, however, that he was wounded and taken as a prisoner of war before being repatriated in 1918 and invalided from the service. He married Gertrude Currie in Luton in 1919.

Seaman Hill joined the Navy in November 1914. He had served on various vessels, and six weeks before the Battle of Jutland he had been home on 21 days leave. He was allocated to the Tubulent on his return to his depot.

Prior to enlistment Seaman Hill was employed as a moulder at the Brown and Green foundry in Luton.

On July 8th, 1916, the Beds & Herts Saturday Telegraph reported the news that Seaman Hill was probably a prisoner of war. His parents were informed by the Accountant-General of the Navy that 14 men from the Turbulent were unofficially reported to have been received by the German naval forces and detained as prisoners of war in Germany. But it could be a considerable time before the German Government released names.

Next came an unofficial report received via the British Red Cross that Seaman Hill had been rescued by the enemy and was a prisoner of war at Dulmer, Westphalia, Germany.

Finally, a report received from the Prussian Ministry of War through the American Ambassador in Berlin confirmed that he was a prisoner of war and was suffering internal injuries. Nothing had been heard by the parents directly from their son at that stage.