18 Facts About Thomas Crisp

Thomas Crisp VC, DSC, RNR was an English sailor and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross.

Thomas Crisp's exploit was read aloud by David Lloyd George in the Houses of Parliament and made headline news for nearly a week.

Thomas Crisp was born into a family of shipwrights and fishermen in Lowestoft, one of ten children to William and Mary Anne Crisp.

Thomas Crisp was a natural to the work, being a remarkably good sailor, but tired of it quickly and joined the Atlantic steamship SS Mobile, becoming her quartermaster and making several trans-Atlantic voyages.

In 1907 the family moved to Lowestoft while Thomas Crisp continued his work at sea, proving one of the most popular fishing captains in Lowestoft and joined on his ketch by his son in 1913.

When this threat failed to materialise, Thomas Crisp returned to fishing, considered too old for military service and in an occupation vital to Britain's food supplies.

In early 1915, Tom Thomas Crisp Jr left the vessel to join the Royal Navy.

Thomas Crisp was forced to turn down this offer due to his wife's sudden and terminal illness.

The boats continued to operate together and Thomas Crisp's crew was augmented with two regular seamen and a Royal Marine rifleman, providing Nelson with a crew of ten, including Thomas Crisp and his son.

At 2.30 pm, Thomas Crisp spotted a German U-boat on the surface 6,000 yards away.

Thomas Crisp died in his son's arms a few minutes later.

Thomas Crisp's vessel was badly damaged and began to sink.

Thomas Crisp is memorialised on his wife's gravestone in Lowestoft Cemetery.

In spite of the terrible nature of his wound Skipper Thomas Crisp retained consciousness, and his first thought was to send off a message that he was being attacked and giving his position.

Thomas Crisp continued to command his ship until the ammunition was almost exhausted and the smack was sinking.

Thomas Crisp refused to be moved into the small boat when the rest of the crew were obliged to abandon the vessel as she sank, his last request being that he might be thrown overboard.

The original is held securely by the local council after Thomas Crisp's family felt his interests would not be served if the medal were held privately.

Thomas Crisp's name is inscribed on the Chatham Naval Memorial for those lost at sea during the First World War, as well as two church memorials in Lowestoft to the town's war dead, St John's and St Margaret's.