Current Information:

Age-22

36, Canning Road, Highbury

HMS Negro was a class M destroyer that on 21st December, 1916, was part of a flotilla escorting the Grand Fleet in a sweep of the North Sea. The leading ship of this flotilla, HMS Hoste, developed a steering engine problem and was ordered back to Scapa Flow with HMS Negro as an escort. While off the Shetland Islands the weather, already bad, worsened and this caused HMS Hoste to veer to starboard. Only 400 yards behind HMS Negro could not avoid her and the two ships collided. This knocked two depth charges off of the deck of HMS Hoste, both of which exploded. The bottom was knocked out of HMS Negro and she sank quickly. Later HMS Hoste broke in two and also sank. 50 members of the crew of HMS Negro lost their lives, including Albert Battle.