Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Durrance a bricklayer’s labourer, born 1862 in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Durrance born 1860 in Somerby, Leicestershire. Richard was employed as a drayman and salesman and was born in 26th November 1894 in Melton Mowbray, his siblings were, Lilly, a spinning mill machinist, born 1891, Grace, a schoolgirl, born 1898, Samuel Freeman, a schoolboy, born 26th January 1900, John Henry H., a schoolboy, born 1902, William Ernest, a schoolboy, born 1904 and Charlotte, a schoolgirl, born 1908, all his siblings were born in Melton Mowbray, in April 1911 the family home was at 26, Bentley Street, Melton Mowbray, Leics.
Richard enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 5 + 7 year engagement on the 21st April 1914 and was allocated the service number SS/4836 in Portsmouth, Hants. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 1½ inches in height and had a chest measurement of 33¾ inches, his hair colour was dark brown and his eyes were brown, his complexion was described as fresh, it was noted that he had a scar in the centre of his forehead and a scar over his eye and tattoos on his left forearm, he gave his trade or calling as farm labourer. His record of service began when he joined HMS Victory I as an Ordinary Seaman on the 21/4/14 – 11/7/14. HMS Bulwark, 12/7/14 – 26/11/14, when he was lost when HMS Bulwark was sunk.
The circumstances in which Richard lost his life are as follows. HMS Bulwark, a battleship of 15,000 tons, was moored to No.17 buoy in Kethole Reach on the River Medway, almost opposite the town of Sheerness, Isle of Sheppey, Kent. It was one of the ships forming the 5th Battle Squadron. She had been moored there for some days, and many of her crew had been given leave the previous day. They had returned to the Bulwark at 7 o'clock that morning and the full complement was onboard. The usual ship's routine was taking place. Officers and men were having breakfast in the mess below deck, others were going about their normal duties. A band was practising while some men were engaged in drill. Then disaster struck. A roaring and rumbling sound was heard and a huge sheet of flame and debris shot upwards. The ship lifted out of the water and fell back. There was a thick cloud of grey smoke and further explosions. When the smoke eventually cleared, the Bulwark had sunk without trace, with the loss of 736 men. Two of the 14 survivors died later in hospital. The explosion was likely to have been caused by the overheating of cordite charges that had been placed adjacent to a boiler room bulkhead. The scene was described by an eye witness, who was onboard a ship nearby, to a local newspaper: “I was at breakfast when I heard an explosion, and I went on deck. My first impression was that the report was produced by the firing of a salute by one of the ships, but the noise was quite exceptional. When I got on deck I soon saw that something awful had happened. The water and sky were obscured by dense volumes of smoke. We were at once ordered to the scene of the disaster to render what assistance we could. At first we could see nothing, but when the smoke cleared a bit we were horrified to find the battleship Bulwark had gone. She seemed to have entirely vanished from sight, but a little later we detected a portion of the huge vessel showing about 4ft above water. We kept a vigilant look-out for the unfortunate crew, but only saw two men.” The explosion was heard in Whitstable, 20 miles away, and in Southend where the pier was shaken by the explosion but not damaged. Ships anchored off Southend holding German civilian prisoners also reported hearing the explosion. Residents in Westcliffe-on-Sea claimed they saw “a dense volume of greenish smoke which lasted for about ten minutes”. The nearby areas of Sheerness and Rainham took the brunt of the blast with reports of damage to property being made. Rumour began to run wild amongst the residents. Some claimed it was the expected and feared Zeppelin raids commencing, others said that a periscope had been sighted and the Bulwark had been sunk by a submarine. Others thought that espionage had taken place and were on the look-out for suspicious people in town. All these rumours were later discounted. Boats of all kinds were launched from the nearby ships and shore to pick up survivors and the dead. Work was hampered by the amount of debris which included hammocks, furniture, boxes and hundreds of mutilated bodies. Fragments of personal items showered down in the streets of Sheerness. Initially 14 men survived the disaster, but some died later from their injuries. One of the survivors, an able seaman, had a miraculous escape. He said he was on the deck of the Bulwark when the explosion occurred. He was blown into the air, fell clear of the debris and managed to swim to wreckage and keep himself afloat until he was rescued. His injuries were slight. None of the Bulwark's officers survived, although 11 of them were recovered for eventual burial.
On Friday December 4th 1914 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – THE BULWARK DISASTER. – MELTON SEAMAN KILLED. – We are sorry to have to record a local casualty in connection with the mysterious loss of H.M.S. Bulwark, at Sheerness. Ordinary Seaman Richard Durrance being on the ill fated ship at the time of the explosion. He was a son of Mr. and Mrs. George Durrance of 26, Bentley Street, Melton Mowbray, and only joined the navy about twelve months ago. The news was conveyed to Mrs. Durrance in the following letter received on Wednesday: “Admiralty, 1st December 1914. Madam, - I regret to have to inform you that H.M.S. Bulwark was sunk on the 26th ultime and that the name of Richard Durrance, rating ordinary seaman, official number S.S. 4836, who is believed to have been on board, does not appear in the list of survivors received in this department. In these circumstances it is feared that in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, he must be regarded has having lost his life. Any application which the next of kin or legal representative may have to make in consequence of the foregoing information should be made by letter addressed to the Accountant General of the Navy, Admiralty, London. S.W. – I am, your obedient servant, ANGUS EYLES, Accountant General of the Navy. The following was also enclosed: “Admiralty, Whitehall, The King commands me to assure you of the true sympathy of his Majesty and the Queen in your sorrow – Winston S. Churchill.” Mr. and Mrs Durrance have two other sons in the Royal Navy, one being on the Lord Nelson and the other on the Falmouth. The three brothers had not seen each other for a long time until they all met at Sheerness the week before last. The deceased was 20 years old on the day he met his sad end and General sympathy will go out to Mr. and Mrs. Durrance in their bereavement.
On Friday November 26th 1915 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” – IN MEMORIAM. DURRANCE. – In loving memory of our dear son, Richard Durrance, who lost his life with H.M.S. Bulwark, Nov. 26th 1914. No one knows how much we miss him. None but aching hearts can tell: The circle of our home is broken. But God does all things well. From his sorrowing Mother, Father, Sisters and Brothers.
On Friday December 1st 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” – IN MEMORIAM. – DURRANCE. – In loving memory of Richard Durrance, lost with H.M.S. Bulwark, Nov. 26th, 1914.
Too dearly loved to be forgotten.
Mother, Father, Sisters, and Brothers at Sea.
On Friday November 29th 1918 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.” – IN MEMORIAM. DURRANCE. – In loving memory of Richard Durrance, who lost his life whilst serving on H.M.S. Bulwark, November 26th, 1914.
Though death divides fond memory clings.
From Mother, Father, Sisters and Brothers.