Londonderry link with Victoria Cross hero

Perusing the Commonwealth War Graves website, I discovered that the same Midshipman Watson had died on December 10, 1941 – less than two weeks before the Sentinel report – and his name is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. He is not listed as having been stationed on the Prince of Wales, however, but on H.M.S. Repulse.

Both the Prince of Wales and Repulse were sunk on the same day, December 10, 1941, and in the same attack, which may help explain the discrepancy. The action took place east of Malaya, near Kuantan, Pahang where the two ships were attacked by land-based bombers and torpedo bombers of the Imperial Japanese Navy.

Educated at Aldwick, near Tunbridge Wells, and Pangbourne, Midshipman Watson passed into the Royal Navy in June 1939, and – according to the Sentinel report – was at the sinking of the Bismarck, being then on the staff of the Commander-in-Chief, Home Fleet, in H.M.S. George V.

Looking for some corroboration, I discovered in Wikipedia, online, that King George V had begun convoy escort duties in February 1941. The ship was made the flagship of the Home Fleet under the command of Admiral Sir John Tovey after the destruction of HMS Hood, and was involved in the chase and the sinking of Hood's opponent, the German battleship Bismarck. On May 27, 1941, she fired 339 x 14 inch and 660 x 5.25 inch shells at Bismarck. King George's shellfire helped damage the Bismarck's superstructure and disable its main armament. At 10:39 that morning, Bismarck sank.

The Sentinel also claimed that Midshipman Watson was in H.M.S. Prince of Wales when, following the historic meeting between President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill aboard the battleship, the Atlantic Charter was signed.

This had occurred in August 1941, when the Prince of Wales carried Churchill across the Atlantic to Ship Harbour next to the Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland, where he secretly met with Roosevelt for several days in a secure anchorage, beginning on August 10, 1941. This meeting resulted in the Atlantic Charter two days later.

Midshipman Watson's connection with the Maiden City was through his mother. She was the daughter of Mr and Mrs William Colhoun, Alt-na-Righ, Northland Road, Londonderry. Her husband, Captain G. T. Colclough Watson, served throughout the Great War with the Cheshire Regiment, and also served in World War 2. He was the son of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Colclough Watson, V.C., R.E., and Mrs Watson, R.R.C.

Thomas Colclough Watson was born on April 11, 1867 and departed from this life on June 15, 1917. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

He was 30 years old, and a lieutenant in the Corps of Royal Engineers, British Army, and served with Bengal Engineers of the British Indian Army during the First Mohmand Campaign, India when, on the night of September 16/17, 1897, in the Mamund Valley, North-West India, Lieutenant Watson and James Morris Colquhoun Colvin collected a party of volunteers (including James Smith) and led them into the dark and burning village of Bilot, to try to dislodge the enemy who were inflicting losses on British troops. After being wounded and driven back by very heavy fire at close quarters, Lieutenant Watson made a second attempt to clear the village and only gave up after a second repulse and being again severely wounded.

In February 1915 he was appointed Commanding Royal Engineer of 12th Indian Division in Mesopotamia, but while there he contracted an illness which led to his early retirement as Lieutenant Colonel T. C. Watson V.C. from the Army in 1917.