More about William Henry Skinner

William H Skinner was born in Plymouth and was the husband of Mrs Elizabeth G Skinner of 19 Glebe Street, Dundee. He was a Blacksmith’s Mate when he joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Second Class on 4 August 1909, exactly five years before the outbreak of the First World War. He trained at HMS Vivid, the Naval Barracks at Devonport and was drafted to the Torpedo Gunboat, HMS Gossamer, which was in the process of being converted to a Minesweeper. The following year he was transferred to HMS Hebe, another Torpedo Gunboat converted to a Minesweeper and was onboard when she ran aground in the River Tay in November 1910. In September 1912 he seems to have volunteered for the Submarine Service and served in submarines until his death.

He was serving aboard H.M. Submarine E-22 which was a seaplane carrying sub, with two Sopwith Schneider seaplanes on her after casing. The seaplanes were intended for bombing Zeppelin bases and shooting down Zeppelins approaching the English coast. The seaplanes could only be launched in calm conditions and the submarine could not dive without jettisoning them. E-22 never used her Sopwiths operationally and was herself torpedoed and sunk in the North Sea by UB-18 in 1916.

On the morning of 25th April 1916 H.M. E-22 was on surface passage in the North Sea. At just after 1150 a torpedo fired from the German submarine UB-18 struck the vessel sending her immediately to the bottom. Of the crew of 33 only two survived having been picked up by UB-18 and taken as Prisoners of War.

William Henry Skinner   K/3851   Royal Navy

SKINNER.—At 19 Glebe Street, on 7th inst., the wife the late William Henry Skinner, leading stoker o£ H.M. submarine E22.—a daughter.

Dundee Peoples Journal 10th June 1916