STRETTON, Condrad De Courcy
| Service Number: | 2955 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 8 May 1913, Had previous experience in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy |
| Last Rank: | Able Seaman |
| Last Unit: | HMAS Australia (I) WW1 |
| Born: | Gosport, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom, 15 May 1889 |
| Home Town: | Renmark, Renmark Paringa, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Seaman |
| Died: | Congestion of the lungs, South Queensferry Hospital, Scotland, 12 March 1915, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland Grave 573. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Crib Point RAN WW1 Roll of Honour (Panel 2) |
World War 1 Service
| 8 May 1913: | Enlisted Royal Australian Navy, Ordinary Seaman, 2955, HMAS Cerberus (Shore), Had previous experience in the Royal Navy and Merchant Navy | |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Jun 1913: | Promoted Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, HMAS Cerberus (Shore) | |
| 19 Jul 1914: | Transferred Royal Australian Navy, Able Seaman, HMAS Australia (I) WW1, via short postings on H.M.A.S. Encounter then to H.M.A.S. Australia then to H.M.A.S. Cerberus & then back to H.M.A.S. Australia | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement 2955 |
Help us honour Condrad De Courcy Stretton's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He died of illness aboard ship and is buried at Queensferry alongside his father.[allegedly]
Aged 24/25.
H.M.A.S. "Australia." Royal Australian Navy. HMAS Australia was flagship of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron patrolling the North Sea.
He was a son of Captain (Quartermaster) William S. de Courcy Stretton of the Royal Field Artillery and Mrs. Beata Stretton, of Little Close, Salcombe, Devon, brother of Alexander and John and William. William and Beata Stretton lost all four of their sons in the Great War. Elgar set to music some words written by William which became a popular patriotic song during the war - Follow the Colours was first performed in 1914. The family were remembered in Salcombe by the naming of De Courcy Road.
Captain Alexander Lynham de Courcy Stretton of the 1st Battalion, the Lancashire regiment, att. to the 1st Battalion, the Nigeria Regiment. Son of Captain William de Courcy Stretton (Ret) of Little Close, Salcombe and his wife Beata Stretton (née Stead); husband of Mary Stretton.Born in Southampton in the September Quarter of 1886. Died 16 October 1917 aged 31. Awarded the Military Cross.
2nd Lieutenant John de Courcy Stretton M.C of the 3rd Battalion and the 1st Battalion, the Royal Warkwickshire Regiment. Son of Captain (Quartermaster) William de Courcy Stretton of the Royal Field Artillery; brother of Alexander and Conrad and William . Died 11 May 1918 aged 27.
Captain William Stapleton de Courcy Stretton of the 3rd Battalion and the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Son of Captain (Quartermaster) William de Courcy Stretton of the Royal Field Artillery; brother of Alexander, Conrad and John . Born in Gosport, Hants in 1889. Died 4 September 1916 aged 27.
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK
Died on this date - 12th March........Conrad de Courcy Stretton was born at Gosport, Hampshire, England on 15 May 1889.
Conrad de Courcy Stretton was aged 17 when he was indentured in the Merchant Navy in the port of London for a term of 4 years, until 1911 with George Duncan & Co.
Conrad de Courcy Stretton was listed as a probationary Midshipman of the Royal Naval Reserve Admiralty Navy List for the following dates: July, 1909; January, 1910; March-April, 1911; August, 1912.
Conrad de Courcy Stretton joined the Royal Australian Navy in Melbourne on 8th May, 1913 for a period of 7 years.
Conrad de Courcy Stretton joined H.M.A.S. Cerberus on 8th May, 1913 & his rating was Ordinary Seaman. Ordinary Seaman Conrad de Courcy Stretton was promoted to Acting Able Seaman on 17th June, 1913. He was transferred to H.M.A.S. Encounter then to H.M.A.S. Australia then to H.M.A.S. Cerberus & back to H.M.A.S. Australia on 19th July, 1914.
In late December, 1914 Australia received orders to sail to England via the Pacific and reached Devonport on 28th January, 1915. En route she captured and sank von Spee's supply ship Eleonore Woermann off South America. From Devonport Australia proceeded to Rosyth in Scotland, where in February, 1915 she became flagship of the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron. The squadron, as initially formed, comprised Australia and her two sister ships, HMS New Zealand and HMS Indefatigable.
Able Seaman Conrad De Courcy Stretton died on 12th March, 1915 at South Queensferry Hospital, Scotland from Congestion of the lungs. He was buried in Queensferry Cemetery, Edinburgh, Scotland where 11 other WW1 Australian Naval men are buried.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/-queensferry.html
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