Current Information:

Ilford Cemetery, London

The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle fought between the Royal Navy and the German High Seas Fleet on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland in Denmark. It was the largest naval battle of the the war. The German plan was to use their fast scouting group of battlecruisers to draw Vice-Admiral Beatty’s battlecruiser  squadron onto the main German fleet and there, destroy them. The two opposing forces met on the afternoon of 31st May 1916. A running battle ensued, during which the Royal Navy lost two battlecruisers, until the main German fleet was seen.  At this point Beatty’s battlecruiser squadron turned back and brought the pursuing German ships towards the main British fleet of Admiral Jellicoe. That night these two main fleets of 250 ships engaged each other twice before the Germans, recognising that they were outnumbered, broke off the engagement and returned to port. Both sides claimed victory. The British lost more ships (14) and three time as many sailors (6,000), but the Germans never brought out their main fleet again, preferring to concentrate on submarine warfare. Over 500 of those who were killed were men from London.

HMS Chester was a Town class cruiser and during the Battle of Jutland she was part of the 3rd Light Cruiser Squadron, operating in support of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron which acted as a scouting force for the Grand Fleet during the battle. Early in the battle at about 16:05, Jellicoe had ordered the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron to forge ahead to support Beatty’s force. An hour and a half later, HMS Chester, guarding the western flank of the 3rd Battle Cruiser Squadron, came face to face with four German ships. In the unequal fight that ensued, HMS Chester was pounded by the enemy guns and within five minutes she had three of her guns disabled with the majority of the guns' crews were lying dead or wounded, and with only her after gun in action. She managed to turn away north-eastward pursued by the German ships, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Pillau and Elbing. This pursuit came to an abrupt end when HMS Invincible appeared on the scene and disabled SMS Wiesbaden whilst the other German ships beat a hasty retreat. 29 members of the crew of HMS Chester were killed in this engagement, including John Kirkpatrick, who died of wounds on 1st June.