Page 20 - WW1 - 1918

Remembering Redditch Residents & WW1 Redditch Local History Society

UK, Commonwealth War Graves

Ableseaman Raymond Victor John Jelfs, J/14804, HMS Cullist, Royal Navy, killed in action
th
with submarine in Irish Sea, 11 February 1918, aged 22, body not recovered for burial. Son
of Henry and Ada Jeffs of Feckenham Road, Astwood Bank, native of Bretforton,
Worcestershire. Remembered on Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire.
Remembered on Astwood Bank war memorial.
(Born in 1896 in Oxfordshire. On the 1911 census Raymond aged 15, Gardener, lived with his parents Henry
and Ada Jeffs and siblings at The Row, Bretforton, Honeybourne.)
HMS Cullist was a steamship merchant vessel which had been equipped as a submarine decoy vessel or Q-ship
th
as they were commonly called. On the 11 February 1918 the ship was the victim of a surprise torpedo attack
and she sank within minutes. Of the 70 crew onboard, 45 were killed in action. The attacking U-boat sufaced
and took a number of the survivors in the water as prisoners of war.

th
The Bromsgrove, Droitwich and Redditch Messenger – Saturday 16 February
1918

Worcestershire Regiment Casualties
Wounded
Harris P. (27902) from Redditch

Other Local Casualties
Previously Reported Missing, now Reported Prisoner of War in German Hands
Cooper W. - Farrier-Sergt. (29856) – R.F.A. from Redditch

Page: 20 © RLHS 2014