1898 May 14. Born Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
1901 census at Haverfordwest
1911 census at Blenheim House Haverfordwest
1915 Aug 8. 'Harold Rhys Jenkins, Midshipman, H.M.S. India, now an interned Prisoner in Norway' . HMS India, an armed merchant cruiser, was sunk by a U-boat off the coast of Norway, on August 8th 1915. About half the crew were saved, but interned in Norway for the duration. The sinking had taken place outside Norwegian territorial waters, but the survivors were landed in Norway, and remained there till the end of the war. .
India was the first of five sister ships built for P&O. India was the largest ship built for P&O at the time. Built by Caird & Company of Greenock, she was launched on 15 April 1896 and entered service later that year, operating on P&O's route between Britain, India and Australia. She initially remained in service with P&O after the outbreak of the First World War, and carried Admiral Doveton Sturdee from Gibraltar back to England after the Battle of the Falkland Islands. She was hired by the Admiralty on 13 March 1915 and was used as an armed merchant cruiser, serving in the 10th Cruiser Squadron. On 8 August that year she stopped off Helligvær, near Bodø, Norway, to investigate a suspected blockade runner, and was torpedoed by SM U-22. India's sinking caused the deaths of 160 men. At 5:40 pm, torpedo tracks were sighted and the alarm was sounded. The ship was hit , broke in two and sank quickly. Some of the survivors were taken to Narvik by SS Gotaland and HMT Saxon; others went ashore at Helligvaer in the ship's boats.
The men landed by SS Gotaland were allowed to return to the UK but the rest were interned. HMT Saxon was allowed to leave the neutral port of Narvik within 24 hours. Commander Kennedy of HMS India was offered the chance to sail with her but chose to stay with his men. The dead were buried in Narvik cemetery.
This is an account of a survivor of the sinking – http://afterwork101.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/my-grandfathers-bath/.
TNA shows Jenkins got 1 weeks leave of absence on compassionate grounds to return to UK and go back to Norway.
An Ancestry post says that he married a doctor while in Norway. She was reputed to be EDVARD GRIEG's niece,TERRI or THERESA.(given his age, b1898, this is not likely)
1919 May 14. RNR. To be tempy. Sub-Lieut.— Harold R. Jenkins.
1920 Oct 13 Joined ADRIC with service no 719. Posted to G Coy
1921 Mar 9. Promoted Section Leader.
1921 Apr 9. Posted to Q Coy
1921 Apr 16. Posted back to G Coy
1921 Jul 13 to 28 on Leave
1921 Aug 10 to 24 Aug on Leave
1921 Nov 20 to 6 Dec on Leave
1922 Jan 19. Discharged on demobilisation of ADRIC
1942 Nov 7. Jenkins was second officer on the Roxby which was sunk by a U-Boat. The 4,252 ton Roxby was carrying coal and was bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. At 15.40 hours on 7 Nov, 1942, the Roxby (Master George Robison), a straggler from convoy ON-142, was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-613, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Helmut Köppe, southwest of Cape Clear, Ireland in the northern Atlantic Ocean. About 670 miles north of the Azores and sank at 16.05 hours. 28 crew members and five gunners were lost. The master, ten crew members and two gunners were picked up by the Irish merchant Irish Beech and landed at St. John’s, Newfoundland.
1943 Jul . Harold Rhys Jenkins RANK Second Officer AWARD Commendation SHIP Roxby. TNA
1945 Served as Merchant seaman Service Record and Service Record
1945 Aug 1. Arrived New York from UK. 2nd Mate on "Fort Maimi" from Newport, Wales.
1948 May 27. Recorded as "died at sea" in GRO on SS Stanlodge. The Stanlodge was having trouble, I cannot find Jenkin's death in the press, but this was a few months earlier
