Rank: Private PLY/16964 Regiment: Royal Marines Light Infantray Died: 31/05/1916 Age: 47 Parish: Budleigh Salterton Local Memorials: Budleigh Salterton War Memorial Other Memorial: Plymouth Naval Memorial [Google] PDF Download: MUTTERS William Henry
Born 1st March 1869 in Dawlish, Devon, to James Mutters and Mary Ann (Voysey), William enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry firstly on 1st April 1889 and served 12 years on varying ships and was discharged in 1901 at Port Stanley. He re-enlisted 31st August 1914 and served on HMS Queen Mary from September 1914 and was lost at sea at the Battle of Jutland on 31 May 1916 while on board the HMS Queen Mary. The battle cruiser had been commissioned in 1913 and took part in the Battle of Heligoland Blight as part of the Royal Navy’s Grand Fleet in 1914. At Jutland, the largest naval engagement of WW1, she was twice hit by the German battle cruiser Derfflinger. Her ammunition magazines exploded, causing her to sink. From her crew of 1,466 men, only 20 were known to have survived. The wreck of the Queen Mary was discovered in 1991, at the bottom of the North Sea and, as the grave of 1,266 men, is designated as a protected place under the Protection of Military Remains Act of 1986. Newspaper accounts say Private Mutters was working in Budleigh Salterton for when he enlisted and later reports on the Battle of Jutland say he worked for Mr J. C. Palmer and lived with a family Smith in Knowle. His parents, who are also known to have lived in The Strand in Teignmouth, had died before him and a niece, Olive Mutters, was advised of his death, although his body was not found. He is remembered on the Budleigh Salterton War Memorial and also on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Picture of HMS Queen Mary © IWM (Q 21661)
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William Henry Mutters was born 1 March 1969 and brought up in Dawlish and is remembered on Dawlish Memorial. William enlisted with Royal Marines in London on 1 April 1889. He served on various ships for his 12 year contract, he rejoined on 31 August 1914 and served on HMS Queen Mary until his death at Jutland on 32 May 1916. His family all Iived in Dawlish and Teignmouth.