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Geoffrey Saxton White
Monument

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Geoffrey Saxton White Famous memorial Veteran

Birth
Beckenham, London Borough of Bromley, Greater London, England
Death
28 Jan 1918 (aged 31)
At Sea
Monument
Portsmouth, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England Add to Map
Plot
Lost at Sea; name is listed at Number 28
Memorial ID
View Source
World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Kent, England, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. On January 28, 1918, off the coast of Dardanelles, Turkey, Lieutenant Commander White was in command of the British submarine HMS E14 when he attacked a Turkish merchant ship. The raid went wrong when one of the torpedoes exploded prematurely, damaging E14 and it was forced to surface where it was bombarded by Turkish coastal artillery. Lieutenant Commander White knew his submarine could not reach the open sea and directed her towards a nearby beach in an effort to save the crew. Only seven of E14's 32 crew managed to escape alive and one of the survivors recalled that Lieutenant Commander White's last words were, 'We are in the hands of God', moments before he was killed by shore gunfire and the submarine went under. For prestigious gallantry, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on May 23, 1919.
World War I Victoria Cross Recipient. Born in Kent, England, he served as a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy. On January 28, 1918, off the coast of Dardanelles, Turkey, Lieutenant Commander White was in command of the British submarine HMS E14 when he attacked a Turkish merchant ship. The raid went wrong when one of the torpedoes exploded prematurely, damaging E14 and it was forced to surface where it was bombarded by Turkish coastal artillery. Lieutenant Commander White knew his submarine could not reach the open sea and directed her towards a nearby beach in an effort to save the crew. Only seven of E14's 32 crew managed to escape alive and one of the survivors recalled that Lieutenant Commander White's last words were, 'We are in the hands of God', moments before he was killed by shore gunfire and the submarine went under. For prestigious gallantry, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on May 23, 1919.

Bio by: John "J-Cat" Griffith


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  • Maintained by: Find a Grave
  • Added: Mar 28, 2005
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10696612/geoffrey_saxton-white: accessed ), memorial page for Geoffrey Saxton White (2 Jul 1886–28 Jan 1918), Find a Grave Memorial ID 10696612, citing Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Portsmouth, Portsmouth Unitary Authority, Hampshire, England; Maintained by Find a Grave.