David Hamer was born on February 27th 1896 in Gosforth Newcastle on Tyne the first child of Henry Hamer from Buddington, Montgomery, Wales and his wife Hannah. Henry was described in 1901 as a contractor's foreman. There was a further son, Harry.
By 1911, the family had moved to Hampshire Street West Hartlepool where Henry was a foreman in the blastfurnce and young David, at 15, was a labourer in the same place. David's brother Harry was no longer alive but there were four more children born in Gosforth, Byker and the two youngest Heworth. In 1911, the family will not have been in the town long as the youngest child was only 3.
David was a stoker in the RNR and served on HMS Invincible. On the 31st of May 1916, 1026 men were lost when the ship was hit by the German ships Derflingger and Lutzdow and sank within 90 seconds during the Battle of Jutland.
David's body was not recovered and his mother Hannah at 13, Windermere Road was informed of her son's death. He is remembered on the Chatham War Memorial.
