Current Information:

HMS Natal was an armoured cruiser, built  in 1905. In 1915 she was part of the 2nd Cruiser Squadron based at Scapa Flow and engaged in routine patrols of the North Sea. In December, 1915, the squadron moved down to Cromarty Firth and on 30th December, a party was held aboard HMS Natal to which some women and children had been invited. Just before 3.30pm and without any warning a series of explosions tore through the ship and within 5 minutes she had capsized with the loss of 421 people, including some civilians. At first it was thought that she had been torpedoed but later examination revealed that the explosions had started in the magazines and had probably been the result of some faulty cordite. Hector Urry was one of the 70 Londoners killed aboard HMS Natal.