Sidney William RUDDERHAM

25 September 1914

ON H.M.S. CRESSY

Mr. S.W. Rudderham, who until a short time ago was a telegraph clerk at the Skipton Post Office, was on the ‘Cressy,’ one of the ships that was sunk in the North Sea on Tuesday by the Germans. He was engaged as a wireless operator. It is not known if he was saved or not.

02 October 1914

A SKIPTON WIRELESS OPERATOR ON THE ‘CRESSY’

Mr. S.W. Rudderham Missing

Amongst those reported ‘missing’ in connection with the sinking of H.M.S. Aboukir, Hogue and Cressy by the Germans last week, is Mr. S.W. Rudderham, who until a short time ago was a telegraph clerk in the Post Office at Skipton. Mr. Rudderham’s parents live at Halstead. Of course, it is not certain that Mr. Rudderham has been lost. It is possible that he may be a prisoner of war. The ‘Halstead and Colne Valley Gazette’ says on one occasion several months ago he had a thrilling experience and also a very narrow escape from drowning, but he came up smiling, which it is hoped he will do on the present occasion. He and some brother officers were indulging in an evening bathe, a usual practice, when they were overtaken by the tide. Fortunately the party ware picked up by a tug boat and carried safely back to their ship. It was just before last Christmas that he took up wireless telegraphy whilst employed at the Post Office. He went into training in one of Marconi’s offices in the Strand and obtaining necessary certificates came out as a first class operator. In May of this year he obtained a position on the Oceanic as Junior Operator, and went on that ship to New York twice. He was then promoted to senior operator on H.M.S. West Point, a cargo ship, on which he sailed to Philadelphia. It was on this trip that he had his narrow escape on the Delaware River. He returned to England at Surrey Docks on August 4th. When he reached that port he was informed that Messrs. Marconi had issued a notice to the effect that any of their employees had the option of joining the Royal Navy Reserve and still receiving the pay as a company’s servant. He lost no time in doing this and was requested by telegram to report himself at Chatham Docks, which he did the same night at nine o’clock. He was made a warrant officer on the Cressy, and since that time has been on the North Sea. He has had some thrilling experiences, his boat being chartered for the conveyance of German prisoners.

Mr. James Pye, of 14, Brougham Street, Skipton, has received a letter from Mr. Rudderham, which was written on the Cressy on September 18th. He states that the Cressy had a displacement of 12,000 tons, its length was 470 feet, the engines were 22, 000 horse power, and the ship had a speed of 21 knots. It carried a crew of about 1,000 and had nine 2-inch guns, twelve 6-inch, twelve 12 pounders, and two torpedo tubes. It had a six-inch belt of armour all round the four funnels, it was driven by two screws and burned nineteen to twenty tons of coal an hour, when it was going at full speed. The ship cost £800,000. Mr. Rudderham brings his letter to a close by saying “I am living in hopes of having a holiday after the war is over, and I intend coming to Skipton. I by no means forget my friends there. We keep patrolling the North Sea, but there are no Germans to be seen. We captured 150 Germans off the Maintz some time ago.”

09 October 1914

REPORTED MISSING

Mr. S. W. Rudderham, who was until recently a telegraph clerk in the Skipton Post Office, and who was a wireless operator on the H.M.S. ‘Cressy’ which was sunk by the Germans, is now officially reported missing.

Mrs. Edward Harrison, who resides at 11, Chancery Lane, Skipton, received a short formal notice from the War Office on Wednesday morning stating that her husband, Private Harrison, of the 2nd Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, had been missing since the 24th of August. Private Harrison has been in the Army about twelve years, serving seven years in India and being in the reserve for close upon five years. He was called up at the beginning of the war, and was amongst the first to leave England for the Front. He left Skipton nine weeks ago, and the last letter received from him by his wife was on the 24th of August. Mrs. Harrison is living in hopes that her husband has not been killed, but is a prisoner.

24 December 1915

CRAVEN’S ROLL OF HONOUR – SKIPTON

Warrant Officer Sydney Wm. Rudderham, formerly sorting clerk and telegraphist at Skipton Post Office, and subsequently wireless operator on H.M.S. ‘Cressy’, which was sank early in the war in the North Sea. Single man.