Ernest Martin Jehan

Ernest Martin Jehan DSC (2 February 1878 – 7 December 1929) was a British officer in the Royal Navy during the First World War. Jehan is best known for the sinking of a German U-boat by him and his crew aboard the smack Inverlyon. He began the war as a warrant officer and was decorated and commissioned after sinking .

Early life and career Born in Forest, Guernsey, on 2 February 1878, Ernest Martin Jehan had worked as a plasterer before joining the Royal Navy on 8 February 1894, when he reached the age of eighteen; he signed up for 12 years service initially. At the age of 18, he was described as being with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a "dark" complexion.

Jehan's first posting on 4 February 1894 was to the stone frigate HMS Impregnable, then based on the former HMS Howe, where he was rated boy seaman. He was then moved to HMS Boscawen (on the former HMS Trafalgar) on 22 February 1895, then HMS Victory I on 10 July 1895 and HMS Australia on 12 September 1895, where on turning eighteen he was rated ordinary seaman. He briefly returned to Victory I from 6 February before being posted to HMS Fox on 14 April 1896. He was rated able seaman on 11 June 1896, when he also began specialist gunnery training. He served as an interpreter during a visit to Portsmouth by the French fleet in August 1905 but failed a preliminary French exam in October that year. His rank was confirmed on 2 April 1906. and promoted to lieutenant.

After Inverlyons cruise

By 1916, Jehan was relieved of the Inverlyon and sent to HMS Sarpedon as the executive officer. Later he commanded HMS PC-55 from 1919 to 1920 and retired on 29 October 1920. Jehan died on 7 December 1929 aged fifty-one.