George Henry Durban
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George H.Durban Clem Scott Collection 006-001-011 Courtesy of the Admiralty House Communications Museum |
Place of Birth: Sandwich, Kent, England
Date of Baptism: 15 December 1882
Date of Death: 25 January 1947
Burial Place: Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham, Medway Unitary Authority, Kent, England
ID: 196351
Enlistment Date: 14 October 1897
Retirement Date: 2 March 1926
Served at HM Wireless Station: August 1921- October 1923
Position: Telegraphist
Rank: Chief Commander Telegraphist
Appearance (as described in Service Record).
Height: 5’ 6 ½”
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Hazel
Complexion: Fair
Tattoo: Basket of flowers on the left arm
Early Life
George Henry Durban was born on 6 April 1882 in the village of Sandwich, County Kent, England. He was the only child of George Durban and Eliza Sladden. As a child, George Henry attended school and worked as a golf caddy.
George Henry grew up the son of a labourer. His parents married on 6 April 1879 in their hometown of Sandwich, Kent, England at St. Mary’s Church.
Naval Career
George Henry Durban started his naval service in 1897, at 15 years old. As a sailor, he worked his way through the ranks and was appointed Chief Telegraphist in 1914. He worked in this position from 1914 to 1926.
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Photo of the H.M.S Impregnable, formerly the H.M.S Howe, Plymouth, England Image courtesy of the United States Library of Congress,LC-DIG-ppmsc-08787 |
Throughout his time in the navy, George Henry served on various vessels. He started his career on the H.M.S. Impregnable in 1897 and ended it on the H.M.S. Iron Duke in 1925.
Association to the H.M Wireless Station
Following the First World War (1914 to 1918), the H.M. Wireless Station continued to be used as a communications center for the Dominion of Newfoundland. George Henry Worked as Commander of the H.M. Wireless Station from 1921 to 1923.
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George Durban and Herber Parsons stuck in the snow at the H.M Wireless Station (1921-1923) Clem Scott Collection 006-001-006 Image Courtesy of Admiralty House Communications Museum |
In 1926 the H.M. Wireless Station was put up for auction. George Henry and his wife's family purchased the land where the H.M wireless station stood. George Henry purchased one-quarter of the land with his father-in-law, Herber Parsons, and his two brothers-in-law, Henry Parsons and Charles Benjamin Scott. Although he owned part of this land, he would not stay in Mount Pearl for long. Due to a work-related accident, which left George Henry with vision problems, he and his wife Margaret (Parsons) Durban moved back to Sandwich, England. The incident is noted below in the section called Sickness.
Personal Life
In 1901, while aboard the ship H.M.S. Argonaut George Henry received news of his father’s death. George Durban died at the age of 54 in his hometown of Sandwich. His mother Eliza (Sladden) Durban passed away in 1914 at the age of 64.
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The “1911 Census of England and Wales” showing the marriage of Ellen Mary Pain and George Henry Durban. Image courtesy of Anscestry.ca |
George Henry married twice in his life. He wed his first wife, Ellen Mary in 1906. The marriage ended after 14 years in 1920 when Ellen Mary petitioned George Henry for divorce in 1920. They had no children together.
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The Evening Advocate”,25-05-1922 Image courtesy of the Memorial University Digital Archive Initiative. |
From 1921 to 1923 George Henry served as commanding officer of the H.M. Wireless station. During this period he met Margaret Chacey Parsons, the second daughter of Herber Parsons. The couple married on 25 May 1922 at Gower Street Methodist Church. The ceremony was officiated by Rev. T.B. Darby. The Fisherman’s Evening Advocate described the event as a simple gathering where the couple were received with gifts in gold from friends.
Sickness
Before George Henry purchased his quarter of H.M. Wireless Station and adjoining property, he continued to work as the Chief telegraphist for various ships. George Henry ended his term as Commander of the H.M. Wireless Station in October of 1923. On December 27th of the same year, Durban embarked on the H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth as Chief Telegraphist.
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H.M.S Queen Elizabeth Image courtesy of Historic-UK.ca |
In 1924, while still aboard the vessel, tragedy struck. While inspecting a telegraph battery it erupted, splashing sulphuric acid in his eyes. The initial incident report described that George Henry regained sight in one eye. George Henry’s doctors found that the battery acid had not caused permanent damage to his eyes; however, he continued to struggle with eye pain caused by myopic astigmatism and chronic conjunctivitis for the rest of his life. George Henry worked on one last ship, H.M.S. Iron Duke in 1925. After his last posting, George Henry retired on March 2nd, 1926, ending his 30-year naval career.
Death
On December 1st 1947, Durban died of several ailments: Myocardial Failure, Chronic Bronchitis and Emphysema (COPD) commonly known as Congestive Heart Failure and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. George Henry was buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham, Kent, England. He left behind his second wife Margaret (Parsons) Durban of St. John’s, Newfoundland. His wife Margaret died in 1977 at the age of 78 and was buried in St. John’s at the Anglican Cemetery on Forest Road. They left behind no children.
Family Tree
Parents:
1. George Durban (b.~1848, d.~ 1901)
a. Worked as a Laborer.
b. Parents:
i. George Durban (b. ~ 1823,)
ii. Isabella Durban (b. ~ 1834- d. ~1903)
c. Siblings
i. Charles W Durban(b.~1855- d.~1934)
ii. Edward Durban(b. ~ 1863- d.~ 1923)
iii. Frederick Durban(b. ~ 1865, d.~ 1933)
iv. Isabella Durban (b. ~ 1869)
2. Eliza Sladden (b. ~ 1849, d. ~ 1914)
a. Parents
i. William Sladden (b. ~ 1810- d.~ 1891)
ii. Esther Sladden (b.~ 1810- d.~1893)
b. Siblings
i. Richard Sladden (b.~ 1838 - d.~ 1897)
ii. James Sladden (b.~ 1838 - d.~ 1924)
iii. Alice Sladden (b.~ 1840 - d.~1910)
iv. Sarah Ann Sladden (b.~1842 - d.~1901)
v. Edward Sladden (b.~ 1845- d.~1932)
vi. George Sladden (b. ~1847 - d.~ 1913)
iv. Frederick Sladden(b.~1851 - d.~ 1933)
Spouses
1. Ellen Mary (Pain) Durban (b~ 1883 - d.~1947)
2. Margaret Chancy (Parsons) Durban (b. 1899, d. 1977)
a. Born on Bellevue Farm, Mount Pearl.
b. Buried in the Anglican Cemetery on Forest Road
References:
1. "England Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975", [database online}, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006.
2. "England and Wales Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915",[database online}, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006.
3. "England Select Death's and Burials, 1538-1991", [database online}, Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006.
4. George Henry Durban, "Service Record, 193351", The National Archives of UK; Kew Surrey, England. Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services Class: ADM 188; Piece:339. Digital Copy available on Ancestry.com
5. "England and Wales Civil Registration of Death Index.", [database on-line], Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006.
6. "1911 England and Wales Census", Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006.
7. "The Fisherman's Advocate", Memorial University of Newfoundland's Digital Archive Initiative. 1923-10-11.
8. "Medical Record", George Henry Durban. Provincial Archive of Newfoundland and Labrador, Newfoundland Canada.
9. "1871 England Census", Class: RG10, Piece: 996, Folio: 20, Page13, GSU Roll: 87250, The National Archives of UK, Kew, London, England.
10. "1914-1915 Star", Veterans Affairs Canada, January 21,2020, http.//www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/rememberance/medalsdecorations/details/7
11. "British War Medal", Veterans Affairs Canada, January 21,2020, http.//www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/rememberance/medalsdecorations/details/8
12. "Victory Medal", Veterans Affairs Canada, January 21,2020, http.//www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/rememberance/medalsdecorations/details/10
13. "Divorce Court File 9159, Appellant: Ellen Mary Durban. Respondent George Henry Durban." Kent, England 1920. J77/1585/9159. The National Archives, Kew, London, England.
14. "1861 England Census" Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006
15. "1871 England Census" Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com, Operations Inc, 2006
16. The "Impregnable" training ship, Plymouth, England. Plymouth England, ca. 1890. [Between and Ca. 1900] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/i tem/2002708048/.
17. Simner, Mark. "H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth, Super Dreadnought." Historic UK. Last Modified 2017. Accessed June 24,2021. http//www.historicuk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/HMS-Queen-Elizabeth.
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