What is the connection between George Tibbins and the former naval shipbuilding and Imperial Japanese Navy home port of Kure City, Japan?　Why is it an intriguing story of the friendship between Japan and Great Britain in the early 1900’s? Recent research has uncovered much of the tragic detail of this almost forgotten page of history. George Tibbins was born at Addlestone Moor, Surrey, England, on 15ttl July 1888, the illegitimate son of 40 year old Jane Elizabeth Tibbins, a widow for some seven years. His father is not known. For all of his formative years 　　         George Tibbins                       George lived at  the Hare Hill, Addlestone, market garden home of Shelemiah Snellgrove, where his mother was employed as a live-in house-keeper and domestic servant. With them at the time of George’s birth was his half-sister Jennie Rose, aged 8. In addition, George had a half-brother, 10 year old John Samuel, living in Birmingham　with his aunt, Sarah Tibbins, sister of James Tibbins, the deceased husband of Jane Elizabeth.

Upon leaving school, George began work as a ‘Plumbers Assistant’. But shortly afterwards he falsified his birth date to 15th Apr11 1888 in order to sign up, on 15th October 1903, at the minimum age of 15½ years,　as a Boy Sailor Second Class in the British Royal Navy. At that time, he was recorded as being 5’1"tall, with brown hair, brown eyes and a dark complexion. His service number was 228493. George’s initial basic training took place, from 15th October 1903 to 31st  December 1903, on the floating training ship HMS Boscawen, a hulk laying at Portland. He was then drafted to HMS Boscawen 1 , (where he was promoted to Boy First Class on 18th May) until 10th June 1904. His final training was completed on HMS Boscawen 2 from where he was ordered, on 13rd May 1905, to report to the First Class Cruiser HMS St George. 

At 7350 tons, the St George was typical of the larger warships to which Boy Sailors' were sent as a practical introduction to life at sea. At the end of his time on this ship his character report was recorded as ‘Very Good’ before he was posted, On 11th September 1905, to HMS Victory. This was the Portsmouth Royal Naval Shore Establishment where discipline was reinforced for sailors returning from sea duty. Shortly afterwards, on 22nd September 1905, he was directed to the Portsmouth Shore Establishment HMS Excellent for ten weeks Gunnery training. Built by convicts in 1891 using landfill, and known as ‘Whale Island’ because of its shape, this shore base was notorious for its severity. All movement was ‘at the double' - even for the permanent staff!  

It was on 2nd January 1906 that George Tibbins joined his first ‘proper’ ship, the 14150 ton First Class Armoured Cruiser HMS King Alfred. Flagship of the Commander-in-Chief of the China Station. Now 5’4" tall, Tibbins, with tattoos of a Peacock on his left arm and a bracelet on his right arm, was promoted to Ordinary Seaman on his falsified eighteenth birthday of 15th April 1906. Then, on 10th February 1907, with his character again recorded as 'Very Good’ and now in the Far East, Tibbins was transferred to HMS Alacrity, a Surprise Class Despatch vessel with accommodation for high-ranking officials. It was from this ship that he was to meet his tragic, and possibly avoidable, death in far-off Japan.

#148  Parkway Vol.29 No.2  April - June 2014

It was as the Alacrity approached Miyajima at 16.00 hours on Saturday 13th April, in a rough sea with squally rain, overcast sky and a temperature of 66F, that the order was given to rig the accommodation ladder. Very shortly      afterwards the cry “Man overboard!" rang out.                       The Alacrity

But it was not unt11 16.15 hours that the young officer of the Watch, 21-year-old Lieutenant Kenneth Sworder, ordered the launch of the sea-boats as the Alacrity continued on to Miyajama. Tragically, despite a thorough search, not helped by the atrocious weather conditions, George Tibbins was not sighted and eventually the sea-boats returned to the now moored up Alacrity. At 18,00 hours the entry ¨Departed this life through drowning, George Tibbins O.S.0.n.C.S.b 228492. Aged 18 years and 11 months" was entered into the Ship’s Log and confirmed and signed by Commander Eustace La Trobe Leatham, the 37 year old Captain of the Alacrity (But note the error in recording Tibbins service number). Later Vice Admiral Moore’s Journal for13th April recorded “Man overboard, body not recovered." A further Ships Log entry, for Sunday 14th April 1907, states “At 10.00 hours, carried out inquiry (headed by Vice Admiral Moore) on death of G. Tibbins O.S on board.” The finding was that “Had greater promptness and readiness been used the man's life might have been saved." Commander Leatham and Lieutenant Sworder were each censured. The Commander’s personal Naval Record was endorsed with the Enquiry finding plus “Cautioned to be more careful in future‘.

Shortly afterwards Inspector Hayashi, the Chief of the Itsukushima (Miyajima) Branch Police Station, visited Commander Leatham to discuss the search for George Tibbins body, post mortem after recovery, temporary local burial and re-imbursement of the costs involved. At 11.00 hours, Prayers were said on the Alacrity and at 13.10 hours anchor was weighed and, receiving fifteen and twenty-one gun salutes on the way, the ship proceeded to Kure where she made fast to a buoy at 15.10 hours in improved weather. Having moored up, Sir Arthur exchanged courtesy visits with Japanese Vice-Admiral Yamanouchi and the Captain of the Italian Cruiser ITS Vesuvio, also present for the launching of the Aki.

#149  Parkway Vol.29 No.3  July - September  2014 

The weather remained fair on Monday 15yh April when the Cruiser IJNS

Akashi, with Prince Higashi Fushimi on board, moored up at Kure at 09.10 hours. The arrival was greeted by all the ships present, dressed overall, firing 21-gun salutes and with all hands massed and cheering. A further salute was made at 10.10 hours when the Prince landed to be escorted to the ceremonial platform from where, at 10.40 hours the ,41(j was successfully launched in the presence of Admirals Saito and Togo. Yet another 21-gun salute was fired at 11.00 hours, after which a buffet luncheon was served to over 1000 guests, with three cheers of “Long Live the Emperor!” at 11.30 hours when Prince Fushimi departed on the Akashi. Later, a Charity Stall in aid of the Kure Mutual Workers Aid Hospital was held by the ladies. Finally, in the evening a performance of plays, in the Suikosha Naval 

   Tombstone of George Tibbins      　Officers Mess by the Heads of the Tokyo Kanze and           at Naval Cemetery in Kure          Kongo Noh Schools, brought the hugely successful                                                              day to a close.

The next day the Alacrity weighed anchor with visits  to Itozaki, Kobe, Yokkaichi and Taketoyo on the way to Yokohama, where she arrived on 27th April for the termination of Vice-Admiral Moore's tour. Despite a massive search, George Tibbins remains were not found until early in the morning of 9th May 1907. Discovered on the beach at ltsukaichi Beach, Saeki, Hiroshima, it had drifted ashore on the tides. The local Mayor arranged for a temporary burial until the Number 3 steamboat from the Kure Naval Port Office arrived to convey the body to Kure, where it was met by Japanese Naval Officers and Ratings from each vessel moored in the Port. That same afternoon, in the presence of many high-ranking officials and others, Ordinary Seaman George Tibbins funeral was held, with dedications of huge wreaths and other offerings, at the Kure Imperial Japanese Navy Cemetery in the suburb of Nagasako. The Geibi Shinbun newspaper dated 12th May reported that it was “A grand and impressive occasion!" 

    The Alacrity briefly revisited Kure on 23rd May of that year to witness the steam trials of IJNS Iwami at 10.30 hours, after which she tied up to a buoy at 11.40 hours. The following morning, at 06.00 hours, a working party left the ship carrying a tombstone, subscribed to by George Tibbins shipmates, which they erected on his grave. The Alacrity then departed from Kure at 10.45 hours after the working party’s return on board.  

Many years later, in 1950, during the Korean War, the British Royal Navy Frigate HMS Alacrity, successor to George Tibbjns earlier ship, visited Kure. Told of the grave, the Captain sent a volunteer working party to clean and renovate the tomb stone and protective cage. In October 1957 the cemetery was completely renovated following concern by the Kure Naval Cemetery Preservation Association.

Much more information has been unearthed than space will allow about the

tragically brief life of Ordinary Seaman George Tibbins RN. However, all the

details are in the possession of the History Section of Kure City Council and

copies have been forwarded to George Tibbjns near relatives, descendants of

his half-brother John Samuel, now living in Canada.

In recent years George Tibbins grave has been maintained, with fresh flowers regularly laid, by the local authorities. And, as part of their local history lessons, the senior children of the nearby Nagasako Primary School conduct visitors around the cemetery, with a brief explanation of the many monuments and graves, including that of George Tibbins. Thus, has his tragic death at such a young age become a symbol of the friendship which existed between the island nations of Great Britain and Japan from the late 19th century until the 1930’s and later resumed following the Second World War.

#150  Parkway Vol.29 No.4  October- December 2014