Current Information:

Age-19

1, Ellesmere Road, Silvertown

East London Cemetery, Plaistow

HMS Pembroke was the naval barracks in Chatham and on the night of 3rd September, 1917 it was the target of German Gotha bombers. Within the barracks was a glass-roofed drill shed and sleeping in it were 900 men waiting to be assigned to ships. At 11pm two bombs hit the drill shed and one of them crashed through the glass roof and exploded when it hit the floor. 90 men were killed straight away either from the blast or from the shards of glass that flew everywhere. Many more were injured and the final death toll amounted to 136. One of those who lost their lives was Percy Nicholls who died from his injuries on 8th September.