Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of George Alfred Tanner, a Church of England clergyman, born 1851 in Birkenhead, Cheshire and his wife Josephine Elizabeth Tanner, born 1861 in Switzerland. Charles Philip Tanner was born on the 8th November 1893 in Cold Overton, Leicestershire, his siblings were, Katharine Johanna, born 1885 in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, Margaret Josephine, born 1890, Hester Georgina, born 1891 and George Walter, born 1893, the latter three siblings were all born in Cold Overton, Millicent Gertrude, born 1900, in Knossington, Leicestershire, in March 1901 the family home was at The Rectory, Knossington. In April 1911 Charles was a student and was residing in the family home at The Rectory, Knossington, together with his mother and siblings, Katherine, Hester, George, a mill apprentice and Millicent a schoolgirl. Charles’ father died, age 63 in the 4th quarter of 1914 in the Oakham, Rutland district. Charles had been educated at Oakham Public School, Rutland, the Royal Technical College, Glasgow and Glasgow University. He then served a 4½ year apprenticeship with Messrs. D. Rowan & Co., Glasgow, sitting for his final B.Sc. in Mechanical; Engineering at Glasgow University He was a 1st Whitworth Exhibitioner in 1915. A Lloyds Register Scholar in 1914. A Strang Bursar in 1914. A George Young Bursar in 1915. And a Muir Bursar in 1915.
Charles enlisted into the Royal Navy and joined HMS Victory with the rank of Engineer Sub Lieutenant for temporary service on the 1st April 1916. His record of service began when he joined HMS Victory, to attend a turbine course, 11/4/16 – 18/4/16. HMS Victory, to attend an oil fuel course, 19/4/16 – 27/4/16. HMS Victory, to attend a combined engineering course, 28/4/16 – 7/5/16. HMS Indefatigable, 8/5/16 – 31/5/16 when he was killed in action in the North Sea.
The background relating to the circumstances in which Charles lost his life are as follows; On the 31st May 1916, the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron consisted of HMS New Zealand (flagship of Rear-Admiral William Pakenham) and HMS Indefatigable. The squadron was assigned to Admiral Beatty’s Battle Cruiser Fleet which had put to sea to intercept a sortie by the High Seas Fleet into the North Sea. The British were able to decode the German radio messages and left their bases before the Germans put to sea. Admiral Franz von Hipper’s battle Cruisers spotted the Battle Cruiser Fleet to their west at 3.20 p.m., but Beatty’s ships did not spot the Germans to their east until 3.30pm. Two minutes later, he ordered a course change to east south-east to position himself astride the German’s line of retreat and called his ships’ crews to action stations. He also ordered the 2nd Battle Cruiser Squadron, which had been leading, to fall in astern of the 1st Battle Cruiser Squadron. Hipper ordered his ships to turn to starboard, away from the British, to assume a south-easterly course, and to reduce speed to 18 knots (21 mph) to allow three light cruisers of the 2nd Scouting Group to catch up. With this turn Hipper was falling back on the High Seas Fleet, then about 60 miles behind him. Around this time Beatty altered course to the east as it was quickly apparent that he was still too far north to cut off Hipper. This began what was to be called the “Run to the South” as Beatty changed course to steer east south-east at 3.45pm, paralleling Hipper’s course, now that the range closed to under 18,000 yards. The Germans opened fire first at 3.48pm, followed by the British. The British ships were still in the process of making their turn as only the two leading ships, HMS Lion and HMS Princess Royal, had steadied on their course when the Germans opened fire. The British formation was echeloned to the right with HMS Indefatigable in the rear and furthest to the west, and HMS New Zealand ahead of her and slightly further east. The German fire was accurate from the beginning, but the British overestimated the range as the German ships blended into the haze. HMS Indefatigable aimed at Von der Tann and HMS New Zealand targeted Moltke while remaining unengaged herself. By 3.54pm, the range was down to 12,900 yards and Beatty ordered a course change two points to starboard to open up the range at 3.57pm. Around 4.00pm, HMS Indefatigable was hit around the rear turret by two or three shells from Von der Tann. She fell out of formation to starboard and started sinking towards the stern and listing to port. Her magazines exploded at 4.03pm after more hits, one on the forecastle and another on the forward turret. Smoke and flames gushed from the forward part of the ship and large pieces were thrown 200 feet into the air. The most likely cause of her loss was a deflagration or low-order explosion in ‘X’ magazine that blew out her bottom and severed the steering control shafts, followed by the explosion of her forward magazines from the second volley. Von der Tann fired only fifty-two 28 cm (11 in) shells at HMS Indefatigable before she exploded. Of her crew of 1,019, only two survived. While still in the water, two survivors found HMS Indefatigable’s captain, Charles Fitzgerald Sowerby, who was badly wounded and died before they could be rescued. The two survivors, Able Seaman Elliott and Leading Signalman Falmer, were rescued by the German torpedo boat S16.
On Friday June 16th 1916 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “DISTRICT WAR ITEMS.” – KNOSSINGTON HEROES. Second Lieutenant G. W. Tanner, who has been awarded the Military Cross, is the eldest son of the late Rev. G. A. Tanner, Rector of Knossington, Leicestershire. He was dangerously wounded on September 25th. But after six months in hospital is now back in the trenches with the Leicesters. On the same day the news of the award was received, the sad tidings reached his mother that her younger son, Eng.–Sub.-Lieutenant C. P. Tanner, R.N., H.M.S. Indefatigable, had been killed in action, in the recent naval engagement off Jutland. He was educated at Oakham School, from there he went to Messrs. Rowen’s engineering works, Glasgow, and studied at the University, where he took his B.Sc. degree in March. Besides many other scholarships he was a Lloyds and Whitworth exhibitor. He received a commission in the Royal Navy in April, and joined H.M.S. Indefatigable on May 8th. His bright and lovable disposition endeared him to all, and much sorrow is felt that such a brilliant and promising career should be cut short at the early age of 22. A memorial service was held in St. Peter’s, Knossington, on June 8th.