THE ROYAL NAVAL OFFICER'S TELESCOPE OF LIEUT. H.S.P. SHAW, R.N. (K.I.A 1918)

Henry Staveley Pilkington Shaw was bron in Paddington in 1897 and entered the Royal Navy in 1910, aged 13 years. In Aug 1914, Shaw joined the crew of H.M.S. Minerva and was aboard during the Gallopoli landings on 25 Apr 1915.

Posted to H.M.S. Opal, Shaw was engaged in convoy defence duties, including during the attack of U-67 in July 1917 when two torpedoes narrowly missed her. On 12 Jan 1918, Opal joined her sister ship, Narborough and H.M.S. Boadicea on a night patrol to hunt German mine-layers in the North Sea. By 1730 hrs, the weather had deteriorated to such a degree that Opal and Narborough were ordered back to Scapa Flow. At 2127 hrs she put out a garbled message stating "have run aground", but it was two days before she and Narborough were found, wrecked and empty on South Ronaldsay. There was only one survivor from the two crews. Shaw is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.