Current Information:

Age-19

40, Greyswood Street, Streatham

Born-Brixton

Originally a transatlantic Royal Mail Ship, HMT Aragon was requisitioned during the First World War and used as a troop ship. As such, she took part in the Gallipoli landings in 1915. At the end of December, 1917, she was taking troops to Egypt to participate in the Palestine campaign when disaster struck. Arriving at the port of Alexandria on 30th December, 1917, she was kept waiting outside the harbour whilst her destroyer escort HMS Attack went ahead to check for mines. This allowed the German submarine UC-349 to get close enough to her, undetected and launch a torpedo. HMT Aragon quickly sank and over 600 of the 2,700 people aboard lost their lives. HMS Attack plucked many survivors from the water but then she too was torpedoed and went down. Among the troops aboard who did not survive this ordeal was Herbert Newman of 3rd Norfolk.