Samuel Young Westwood wrote the following letter some years after the war but obviously certain events he witnessed remained with him. There might be some factual errors or things not remembered correctly but his Naval Records show that he was indeed on the ships mentioned at the time and was obviously

                 "In The Thick of it"

Some links to the places or things mentioned in his letter Wikipedia - HMS Venerable_(1899) Info
 

                 Read Sam's Letter 
                  I decided to publish it because I think it deserves it!

After the Navy
Sam's naval records show he signed on in the Navy in 1910 initially for 5 years and that he then extended this by another 7 years. Obviously WW1 broke out in the middle of this and in 1914 the Battleship he was serving on was called into action.

After the Navy he returned to Sheffield where he later married, brought up his family and spent the rest of his life in a small village called Oughtibridge.
He was my Grandfather.

Nigel Stride

The Westwoods                                                                                                 Our Family Tree

                              
                           Samuel Westwood at the wedding of Gilbert Frost to his daughter Sandra Westwood in1957
                            Also Pictured are his wife Blanch and eldest daughter Mavis Stride (Westwood) and myself.