Person

Victor Harry Mason was born in Stockton-on-Tees on 11 March 1893. His mother was Annie Louisa Mason (1870) born in Stockton to a father, Wren Mason, who was at various times a driller and publican. There is no record of Annie having married and Victor was her only child.

In 1901 Victor and his mother were living with his grandmother at 24 Lawson Street, Stockton-on-Tees. As a boy, he was a member of the 1st Stockton Company of the Boys’ Brigade. By the time of the 1911 census his family were living at 33 Wilson Street, Thornaby-on-Tees. Victor’s occupation is recorded as apprentice plater at the 1911 census. He married Olive Maud Rhodes, a foreman plater’s daughter, in Middlesbrough in 1911. They had one daughter, Beatrice Anne Mason, born in 1916.

Prior to the first world war Victor was in the Royal Naval Reserve (RNR) with service number S5702. He joined the Royal Navy on 15 January 1916 to serve for the duration of hostilities. Reflecting his civilian occupation as a boilermaker he was rated as acting engine room artificer fourth class with the service number M18430. He spent his first four months in the Navy at HMS Victory, the shore based training establishment in Portsmouth, Hampshire. From here, on 10 May 1916, he was posted to HMS Colleen the Royal Navy depot at Queenstown, Ireland.

Victor served on HMS Genista, an Arabis-class minesweeping sloop. On 23 October 1916 it was carrying out minesweeping duties when it was torpedoed and sunk by submarine U57 off the west coast or Ireland. She sank very rapidly, taking with her all of her officers and 73 ratings including Victor. His body was not recovered for burial and he is honoured on the Portsmouth naval memorial as well as two memorials in his home town of Stockton-on-Tees.


Victor Harry Mason was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal for his service in World War One.

Civil Parish: Stockton on Tees

Birth date: 11-Mar-1893

Death date: 23-Oct-1916

Armed force/civilian: Navy

Residence: 24 Lawson Street, Stockton-on-Tees (1901 census)
33 Wilson Street, Thornaby-on-Tees (1911 census)

Organisation membership: 1st Stockton Company, Boys’ Brigade

Employment: Apprentice Plater (1911 census)
Boilermaker (1916 service record)

Family: Parents: Annie Louisa Mason (1870)
Spouse: Olive Maud Mason nee Rhodes (1894-1957)
Children: Beatrice Ann Mason (1916)

Military service:

M18430
Acting Engine Room Artificer 4th class
HMS Genista
S5702
Royal Naval Reserve

Medal(s): Victory Medal
British War Medal

Memorial(s): Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Book of Remembrance 1914-18, St Thomas’ Church, High Street, Stockton-on-Tees
Plaque Boys’ Brigade 1914-18, St George Presbyterian Church, Stockton-on-Tees

Gender: Male

Contributed by David D, Stanley, Co Durham