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Cmdr(E). Charles Main
Royal Navy HMS Shakespeare
from:Bedhamton, Hants
(d.31st May 1918)
My wife's Great Uncle, Charles Main, had joined the Royal Navy in 1898 and ascended the ranks of engineering officers. He served in many ships, most notably at the Battle of Jutland as Engineer Lieutenant in the destroyer HMS Marne, sadly at the same time that his elder brother, Engineer Commander Reuben Main was killed in action when HMS Invincible was destroyed.
In 1917 he joined HMS Shakespeare while she was building at Thornycroft's in Southampton, nice and convenient for home with wife and two daughters, presumably to familiarise and supervise, these being a radically new design. He was appointed Engineer Commander at the same time. On 31st May 1918, two years to the day after Jutland, Shakespeare struck a mine off the Essex coast whilst patrolling as leader of the 10th Flotilla of the Harwich Force. Unusually, he was the only death, the only reported casualty. Shakespeare was towed back to Harwich by the light cruiser Centaur. Charles is buried in Bedhampton Churchyard.
Almost all written sources and websites give the date of this incident as June, more specifically 1st of June. Against this I must set his service record and his gravestone, both of which say May 31st, plus the logbook of HMS Shakespeare which ends on that date and does not resume until October 1918, but strangely does not refer to any casualties. Furthermore, the first entry in HMS Centaur's log for 1st of June is Shakespeare under tow, of which there are pictures, with her down by the stern. If anyone can resolve this conundrum, I would love to hear from them.
