New headstone for Royal Navy sailor's Birmingham grave

George Niven served the Royal Navy in two world wars

New light has been shone on a sailor's peacetime heroics during a project to restore military graves.

As part of a former serviceman's research, it emerged George Niven's resting place was unmarked.

It now has a headstone and there are also plans to rededicate the grave in the presence of serving sailors and Marines.

But the event will also honour his bravery following an explosion aboard a Royal Navy ship in 1929.

Mr Niven was originally from Edinburgh but settled with his wife Rosie in Birmingham, where he died in 1947, aged 49.

Nearly 20 years earlier, Able Seaman Niven went to the aid of injured comrades on the HMS Devonshire when misfiring guns claimed the lives of 18 men.

Mr Niven's new headstone

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The explosion happened during tests near the Greek island of Skiathos.

Mr Niven was among the first to respond, evacuating the wounded, some of whom were badly-burned by the cordite explosive charges.

When Midshipman Anthony Cobham went below deck to look for more survivors, Mr Niven followed and is reported as saying: "I am not going to let him go down alone."

Both were awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal, which was later replaced by the George Cross.

But until recently, Mr Niven's grave at Yardley Cemetery was unmarked.

The HMS Devonshire was testing guns when the explosion happened

Former Royal Green Jacket Steve Davies visited Mr Niven's resting place as part of a project to clean and restore military graves, and found it had no headstone.

Mr Davies contacted The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association which paid for the headstone, saying: "It is important that former members of the Association and other former VC and GC recipients continue to be honoured and remembered."

There are plans to re-turf and formally rededicate the grave in the presence of serving sailors and Royal Marines once the coronavirus pandemic is over.