Now, it is often thought that Pte John Parr of the 4th Btn.
Middlesex Regiment was the first British battle casualty of the
War. Not true. Although he is obviously an early casualty
(killed on the 21st August 1914) he was not the first British
casualty. In the early morning of August 6th 1914, with the war
being only 32 hours old, HMS Amphion hit a German mine in the
North Sea. Casualties on that day included 278171 Leading Stoker
Andrew Collins, SS/4209 Able Seaman Albert Cowley, CH/18478 F
Bates (Royal Marine Light Infantry), and K/16433 Stoker 1st
Class Fred Coker The following account of the sinking of HMS
Amphion is taken from Naval Staffs Monographs. Vol 10. At 2300
on August 4th 1914, England declared war on Germany. In
anticipation of war the Konigin Luise, a former Hamburg –
Holland holiday ferry, had been converted to an auxiliary
minelayer by the Germans. On the night of 4th August she left
her home port of Emden and steamed south through the North Sea
to lay mines off the Thames Estuary. The ship