"His Cheery Little Face"

James Faed was born in London in May 1899, the eldest son of an artist also James and his wife Eleanor Annie.

He loved the sea.

Aged only 12, he entered the Royal Naval College and then went on to Dartmouth College 2 years later.

When War came, at the age of 15, he was made Midshipman on HMS Goliath.

Goliath was assigned to a position just off Y Beach on the morning of the Gallipoli landings, 25th April 1915, to provide gunfire support for the boys wading ashore.

But James died just a few days short of his 16th birthday when Goliath, on station just off the Gallipoli peninsula in support of the troops ashore, was torpedoed on the moonless night of 12th-13th May.

2 torpedoes hit Goliath simultaneously, causing a massive explosion; she began immediately to capsize and was lying on her side when a third torpedo struck her.

Jim's friend, who survived the sinking, later wrote to his Mum, playing down the drama:

“I am sure it will be some comfort to you to hear how much we all loved your son in the Goliath and how much we miss him.

I… had only been in the ship about 2 months, but during that time, I saw a good deal of him and got to love him very much.

He was the life and soul of the guardroom and always most cheerful and optimistic.

He really was a charming boy and loved by all who knew him.

On the night we were sunk, he was sleeping outside my cabin and I saw him when I turned out.

He had got his safety waistcoat on and was going quietly up the ladder on to quarter-deck.

He seemed as cheerful as usual and perfectly cool.

When I got on deck a few seconds later, he was just going over the port side with 2 other[s].

That was the last I saw of him and I shall never forget his cheery little face absolutely full of confidence and calm assurance as it could be.

He was picked up unconscious by one of the Euryalus’ boats and died on board and was buried at sea early the same morning.

Poor boy! I hoped and prayed he might have been saved and we were all miserable when we heard he had gone too.

He was… the best and finest of us all, and everybody respected him for it.

It is always the good who die young, dear lady.”