Anthony Eden's brother - a boy on Indefatigable

[Liz in Eastbourne]

Remembering not only the men, but the boys who lost their lives in the Battle of Jutland, I think Anthony Eden's account of how he learned of his younger brother's death is one of the saddest I’ve read. Eden was just 19 in June 1916 and was a subaltern with the 21st Bn KRRC in the support line at Ploegsteert Wood when Charlie, Earl Feversham, a friend of his family as well as CO, summoned him to break the news.

‘A quiet lull in the wood, a brilliant summer’s day and Charlie standing there disturbed and unhappy. There had been a big naval engagement with the German fleet in the North Sea, he said. While he did not know the outcome in any detail, it was already certain that our battle cruiser squadron had lost heavily. Among others, Nicholas’s ship, the Indefatigable, had gone down. I asked about survivors and was told there could be very, very few, if any. It appeared that the Indefatigable had been blown up and had sunk immediately.

In my wretchedness I could hardly believe it. Nicholas and I had so often talked of possible naval action. Though I knew little enough about it, I had an inbred faith in the absolute superiority of the Royal Navy. I had had no definite opinion as to whether the German navy would come out. I was sceptical about it, but I was deeply convinced that if it did, the Royal Navy would be more than a match for it.

I suppose it was my unquestioning confidence which had stopped me from ever weighing up the possible cost in casualties of a naval battle. Of course I knew that Nicholas ran some risks, but I had never doubted for a moment that he would come through all right, whatever happened to the rest of us.

…Nicholas and I were not three years apart. For as long as I could remember we had shared everything, nannies, governesses, tutors, ponies. Despite the occasional squalls, we preferred each other’s company to any other in the world. Nicholas was cheerful by nature and fun to be with…At the Battle of Jutland he was just sixteen. It was considered in those days a suitable age for a midshipman, not only to go into battle, but to be in command of able seamen. In charge of his gun-turret at the Battle of Jutland, Nicholas had no chance to prove his worth.’

Anthony Eden, Another World, 1976, Allen Lane, pp 82-83

[Fattyowls]

Liz, what a wonderfully poignant passage, thank you.

Pete.

[seaJane]

Ohh ... that's very moving.