Information supplied by Sylvia Wood, John Hand's Great Neice.

 

"John Alfred Stanton Hand was born on September 20th 1889, and married my Great Aunt, Lilian Baylie, on March 18th 1916.

Jack had joined the Royal Marine Artillery on September 14th 1908, stating his occupation as a school teacher.

He was 5' 7" tall, brown eyed with dark brown hair. He served on various ships including HMS Crescent and HMS Agamemnon, and was promoted to Gunner 1st Class in June 1910.

He joined the Vanguard in July 1916.  Jack died when HMS Vanguard blew up whilst at anchor in Scapa Flow on July 9th 1917, killing all but two of the 845 men on board. The official inquiry found that unstable cordite caused the explosion, not enemy action as was first thought.

My lovely Aunt Lil never moved from their house in Clifton Street, and never remarried. When she died in 1967 , at her request her ashes were scattered above the wreck of the Vanguard".