Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

George James Featherstone was born on the 30th of October 1886, to George James Featherstone and Elizabeth Featherstone (nee Preston). A butcher's assistant before enlisting in the Royal Navy on the 21st of October 1903 shortly before his 17th birthday, at the rank of "Boy 2nd Class". His naval career consisted of the following postings -

·  HMS Northampton -  Boy 2nd Class - 21st October 1903 to 20th December 1903

·  HMS Calliope - Boy 2nd Class - 21st December 1903 to 19th January 1904

·  HMS Calliope - Boy 1st Class - 20th January 1904 to 22nd March 1904

·  HMS Hercules -  Boy 1st Class - 23rd March 1904 to 6th April 1904

·  HMS Research - Boy 1st Class - 7th April 1904 to 29th October 1904

·  HMS Research - Ordinary Seaman - 30th October 1904 to 31st October 1904

·  HMS Firequeen - Ordinary Seaman - 1st November 1904 to 2nd January 1905

·  HMS Canopus - Ordinary Seaman - 3rd January 1905 to 28th February 1905

·  HMS Gladiator - Ordinary Seaman - 1st March 1905 to 14th August 1905

·  HMS Hampshire - Ordinary Seaman - 15th August 1905 to 7th July 1906

·  HMS Hampshire - Able Seaman - 8th July 1906 to 19th August 1907

·  HMS Victory I - Able Seaman - 20th August 1907 to 31st August 1907

·  HMS Vernon - Able Seaman - 1st September 1907 to 31st March 1908

·  HMS Victory I - Able Seaman - 1st April 1908 to 21st December 1908

·  HMS Prince of Wales - Able Seaman - 22nd December 1908 to 14th December 1910

·  HMS Vernon - Able Seaman - 15th December 1910 - 8th October 1911

·  HMS Hecla Able - Seaman - 9th October 1911 to 30th April 1912

·  HMS Topaze II - Able Seaman - 1st May 1912 to 31st July 1912

·  HMS Minerva II - Able Seaman - 1st August 1912 to 3rd November 1912

·  HMS Victory I - Able Seaman - 4th November 1912 to 12th November 1912

·  HMS Princess - Royal Able Seaman - 13th November 1912 to 31st December 1913

·  HMS Princess Royal - Leading Seaman - 1st January 1914 to 31st July 1915

·  HMS Princess Royal - Petty Officer - 1st August 1915 to 15th November 1916  

Whilst being posted to HMS Princess Royal, the Great War commenced, and George was at the at the first Anglo-German naval battle of the war, the Battle of Heligoland on the 28th of August 1914, and two subsequent battles at Dogger Bank on the 24th of January 1915 and Jutland on the 31st of May 1916. 

On the 20th of July 1921, George was transferred to the Royal Australian Navy for a period of two and half years. Serving on the following military establishments and ships -

·  HMAS Cerberus - 20th of July 1921 to 21st of August 1921

·  HMAS Penguin - 22nd of August 1921 to 5th of October 1921

·  HMAS ANZAC - 6th of October 1921 to 13th of June 1924

·  HMAS Mallow - 14th of June 1924 to 24 June 1924

·  HMAS Cerberus - 25th of June 1924 to 18th of November 1924

·  Returned to the Royal Navy on the 19th of November 1924

On his return to the Royal Navy, George had various land and ship postings, commissioning in 1926, until being transferred to the retired list on the 1st of April 1937 at the rank of Lieutenant. With the threat of the Second World War on the horizon, George was recalled by the Royal Navy on the 28th of September 1938, being posted HMS Dragon. During the next 8 years George was posted to various instructional postings before retiring on the 2nd of September 1946 at the rank of Lieutenant Commander after over 40 years of dedicated service to the Royal Navy.

George was married twice, he married his first wife Edith Zaida Bishop on the 26th of December 1909 and had two children, Edith Lily Featherstone (1912-2009) and George James Featherstone (1914-2008). Edith sadly passed away in 1919, at the age of 31 years. He married his second wife Kezia Brooks (1878-1972) in December 1924 on his return from Australia, this union produced no children. George passed away on the 22nd of December 1948, he was survived by both his children and his second wife. 

References –

British National Archives Website

NAA Website

Trove NLA Website

Ancestry Website

S Cox, PM, April 2023