Leading Stoker 310799 Richard Jukes
Died on Thursday, 19th September 1918, age 30.
Buried in Grave I. B.9. at Freetown (King Tom) Cemetery, Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Royal Navy, H.M.S. "Africa".
Husband of Mrs Minnie Jukes, of 9 College Road, Deal, Kent.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Unknown, Resident: Unknown.
Date of first service not known.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Navy Papers transcribed.
Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because his name was found on the Navy List.
Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/419684/
Genealogical Data
Birth of Richard Jukes registered September quarter 1888 in Dudley.
1891 Census
3 Arthur Street, Sedgley
James Jukes (25, Iron Worker, born Dawley), his wife Sarah A. (22, born Dudley), and their 2 children: Richard (3, born Tipton), and James (8 months, born Bradley).
1901 Census
33 Sydenham Road, Aston
James Jukes (35, Foundry Furnaceman, born Shrewsbury), his wife Sarah Ann (30, born Dudley) and their 5 children: Richard (13, born Bilston), James (10, born Bilston), Florence Beatrice (8, born Bilston), Joseph Henry (3, born West Bromwich), and Lillian Rose (1, born Birmingham).
Marriage of Richard Hezekiah Jukes and Minnie Ames registered december quarter 1909 at Eastry, Kent.
1911 Census
HMS Diamond, Falmouth harbour, England (3rd Destroyer Flotilla, 3rd & 4th Divisions Home Fleet.)
Richard Jukes, age 21, married, Stoker, born Tipton, Staffs, aboard ship.
Richard's wife, Minnie:
43 Skinner Street, Gillingham.
Minnie Jukes, age 23, married one year, no children, born Forest Hill, London.
Richard and Minnie had 2 children: Minnie Florence born September quarter 1913 at Medway, Kent, and Lily Winifred born December quarter 1916 at Eastry, Kent. After Richard's death, Minnie re-married to Joseph Barnes in December quarter 1919 at Eastry, Kent.
Personal Data
Richard Jukes enlisted in the Royal Marine Light Infantry in 1906, he subsequently requested a transfer to the Royal Navy. This was approved, and he joined the Royal Navy on 18th September 1906 for a period of 12 years. Richard was born on 10th August 1888 in Tipton. At enlistment he was 5 feet 6½ inches tall, had a 36-inch chest, dark brown hair, grey eyes, had a fair complexion and a scar in the centre of his back. He had been employed in an Iron Foundry.
Service Record
18 Jun 1906 to 01 Jan 1907 - HMS Pembroke II
02 Jan 1907 to 26 Jun 1907 - HMS Leander
27 Jun 1907 to 02 Jun 1909 - HMS Blake
03 Jun 1909 to 30 Jul 1909 - HMS Tyne
31 Jul 1909 to 01 Nov 1911 - HMS Pembroke II
19 Jun 1912 to 23 Jun 1912 - HMS Diamond
19 Jun 1912 to 23 Jun 1912 - HMS Pembroke II
24 Jun 1912 to 09 Feb 1914 - HMS Indomitable
10 Feb 1912 to 14 Apr 1914 - HMS Pembroke II
15 Apr 1914 to 19 Sep 1918 - HMS Africa
Richard was initially a Stoker Class II, he was promoted to Stoker Class I on 21 August 1907, then to Acting Leading Stoker on 5th November 1914, and finally to Leading Stoker on 6th May 1915.
Richard was based in Chatham, Kent. HMS Pembroke II was the shore-based training depot in Chatham, and the times that Richard was attached to Pembroke II were either training or the period between ships. Richard was Court Martialled on 2nd November 1911 on the charge of 'Theft'; he was found guilty and sentenced to 9 months Hard Labour.
After Richard's death, his Separation Allowance continued to be paid to his widow until 26th March 1919. This was then replaced by a Widow's Pension of £1/6/8d (1 pound, 6 shillings and 8 pence) per week for Minnie and her 2 children. A Grant of £7/0/0d had already been paid to Minnie on 8th November 1918, at this time, Minnie's address was 9 College Road, Deal, Kent. On her re-marriage in 1919, Minnie would have lost her Widow's Pension but the Pension in respect of her children would continue until their 16th birthdays. On re-marriage she would have received a Re-Marriage Gratuity which would have been approxiamtely the value of 2 years Pension payments.
Action resulting in his death
In March 1917, H.M.S. Africa was attached to the 9th Cruiser Squadron for service in the Atlantic Patrol and for convoy escort duties. She was based mainly at Sierra Leone and escorted convoys between Sierra Leone and Cape Town, South Africa.
Freetown, Sierra Leone was major coaling centre for ships of the Royal Navy. In August 1918, H.M.S. Mantua had docked at the port to refuel, at which time it was carrying approximately 200 people infected with influenza, who passed the virulent infection on to workers at the port. When H.M.S. Africa arrived at Freetown, the virus was then passed from the port workers to the crew with devastating results. At the time of Richard Jukes' death, almost 600 of the 779 ships compliment of H.M.S. Africa had been struck down by influenza. One officer and 49 Other Ranks died during this influenza outbreak and are buried in King Tom Cemetery, Freetown.
Newspaper Cuttings
None.