Hine, JM

Engineer Lieutenant John McLennan Hine

Born on April 14th 1872 in Maryport, Cumbria, John was the younger of two sons of ship owner and broker Alfred Hine and his wife, Isabella; she died shortly afterwards and he would get three half-siblings from his father’s subsequent marriage. He came to the College in September 1899, and although only at Dulwich for just over a year, he left a significant mark as an athlete. He was in the 1st XV of 1890, having been in the cricket 3rd XI earlier that summer, and at Sports Day that year had won the quarter-mile, half-mile, the hurdles and the long jump, thereby easily earning the Challenge Shield as the day’s outstanding individual performer. After leaving he spent time as an apprentice at a firm of marine engineers in Sunderland, before later joining his father’s firm back in Maryport. In 1910 he left and became inspecting engineer for an insurance company based in Nottingham.
In March 1915 John enlisted his services for the war effort and was at first gazetted Captain in the Sherwood Foresters. He felt however that his background in the shipping industry meant that he was better suited to the Navy and successfully requested a transfer that November. He was given the rank of Engineer Lieutenant and assigned to work aboard H.M.S. Invincible. He was still serving aboard her when, on May 31st 1916, she was blown up and sunk during the Battle of Jutland, with the loss of all but six of the over one thousand men aboard. One of three OAs to lose his life at Jutland, he was survived by his widow, Lydia.