Battle of Jutland: The brave Black Country cousins killed in brutal clash
It was a battle which epitomised the First World War, with so many killed in such a short space of time.
Around 8,500 men lost their lives in just 72 hours at the Battle of Jutland as the fleets of the British and Germans met in a mammoth clash in the North Sea.
Now, in the week that marks the 100th anniversary of the bloody conflict the stories of two of those men have been told.
Cousins Frank Malton and William Jinks were only around 25 when they went out to battle aboard the Queen Mary.
But it was a voyage from which they would never return as the ship, like so many others, was sunk during the battle which started on May 31, 1916.
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Frank and William hailed from Wednesbury and West Bromwich respectively and great-great nephew Chris Whitehouse is now trying to find out more about them.
The pair, who were both stokers, are believed to have enlisted in the navy around 1912. By the time of the outbreak of war, William had moved down to Portsmouth where he married Violet Rose.
Frank had served on at least three ships prior to Jutland and had survived the Battle of Heligoland Bight in 1914.
A photograph, which he is believed to appear on, was sent home during his service which shows the men aboard the doomed Queen Mary.
Mr Whitehouse, from Cannock, is keen to trace any more pictures or information that might be available.
He grew up on stories from his grandmother about Frank, who was her brother.
A picture of him adorned her wall when he was a child but he said she always struggled to get over his loss.
Mr Whitehouse said: "She had a big picture up on her wall for ages but she took it down. She never got over losing him.
"He was into carving wood and he brought a box home for his mother. That was one of the last things he did, she never saw him again.
The 53-year-old, from Cannock, is trying to trace pictures of his war hero relatives, which he believes might be out there.
"I have been in touch with a few historians," he said.
"One said that most people who were involved in Jutland had naval photos taken.
"It has been 100 years and I think it is a battle that has been forgot about."
Mr Whitehouse said it was tragic that his great-great uncles, like so many other men, were killed before they really started living.
He said: "I often think about what it would have been like on that ship, what would have been going through their minds, but it would have been an instant death.
"The ship blew up because of the explosives that were on it rather than enemy shelling," Mr Whitehouse added.
