Name
Vernon George Midlane, Newport
Biography
AB 181332 V G Midlane, HMS Queen Mary, Royal Navy
CWGC record ...
Further information
Vernon George Midlane was born on the 8th June 1879 at 47 Trafalgar Road, Newport, the son of Harry and Amy Midlane.
By 1891 the family are recorded on the Census at 2 Kelly Cottages, 61
Trafalgar Road, and in 1901 at 4 Linden Terrace, Clarence Road, Newport. He had at least 5 siblings; 4 brothers and a sister.
It is not known where Vernon went to school; he enlisted as a Boy 2nd class in the Royal Navy on the 29th November 1895 at
the age of 16, on a 12 year engagement. He gave his date of birth as 29th November 1877, thus adding 2 years to his real age, and gave his occupation as a painter. At the time he was 5ft 6 in tall, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. By 1907 he had put on 2 inches, and acquired a tattoo of his initials "VM" on his
left wrist.
Vernon served in a number of Naval vessels and shore establishments, rising through the ratings to become an Able Seaman in 1912. His career was not without misdemeanours - he spent a total of
12 days in Cells for unspecified offences, but he was also awarded 3 Good Conduct payments.
He married in 1909, while serving at the shore establishment HMS Excellent at Whale Island in Portsmouth.
At the outbreak of the Great War, Vernon was serving on HMS Queen Mary, a battlecruiser. On the 31st May 1916, the ship was sunk during the Battle of Jutland with the loss of all but 9 of her complement of
1266 officers and ratings. See Wikipedia HMS Queen Mary entry for details of the ship.
He is commemorated on :-
Panel 13 at the Portsmouth Naval Memorial in Southsea;
Panel 8 at the County War Memorial at Carisbooke Castle;
The Newport War Memorial in St Thomas Square;
At St John's Church, Newport;
At St Paul's Church, Barton, Newport;
and on his parents' headstone in Mount Joy Cemetery, Carisbrooke.
V G Midlane's name at Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Information provided by : Graham Cullin, who is a grandson of Vernon Midlane.
