Current Information:

Age-38

42A. Ashenden Road, Clapton Park

War had only been declared two days earlier when, on 6th August, 1914, HMS Amphion, a light cruiser, hit a mine and sank taking 151 of her crew down with her. She was the leader of the 3rd Destroyer Flotilla based at Harwich on the east coast and early on the 5th August set sail with her accompanying destroyers to patrol part of the North Sea. At sea they received reports from a fishing vessel that an unidentified vessel had been seen throwing things over the side and later that morning sighted this vessel which turned out to be the Konigin Luise, a Germen ferry that had been converted into a mine layer. The objects that had been thrown over the side were of course mines. The British destroyers engaged the German vessel and HMS Lance is credited with firing the first shots of the entire war. The Konigin Luise was sunk  and 46 of her 100 crew were rescued from the waters of the North Sea.

The patrol continued and next day another German ship was sighted. The destroyers launched an attack on her but Captain Fox aboard HMS Amphion recognised the vessel as the St Petersburg which they had been ordered not to attack because it was carrying the German Ambassador home after the outbreak of war. HMS Amphion steamed between the British destroyers and the St Petersburg to prevent the attack being pushed home.

That evening the British flotilla started on their return to Harwich. Their course took them close to where the Koningin Luise had laid her mines and at 6.45am on the 6th August, HMS Amphion struck one of these mines and broke her back. Many of the ship’s company were at breakfast and it was in the forward mess deck, whilst having their meal, that many of them were killed. Ironically, most of the German survivors from the Koningin Luis, the very men who had laid the mine, were killed too. Despite the damage done to her and although Captain Fox had ordered the engines to be stopped, HMS Amphion continued moving through the water. Just after 7.00am and with the last of the survivors having been taken off the vessel, she hit another mine which caused the magazine to explode and the ship to sink. Frank Fisher was one of the 132 members of the crew who lost their lives.