The Somme Remembered – 22nd July 1916

Richard Elkhanah Hownam Healey was the son of Randolph Eddowes Healey and Alice Minnie nee Meek, who married in the Prestwich Registration District in the late summer of 1880.

In 1891 the family were living at St. Thomas’ Rectory, Cheetham, Manchester and Richard was one of three children.

Ten years later, in 1901, he is a scholar, living at Brooklands, London Road, Uppingham, with Samuel Haslam, the head of the house, and numerous boys and staff.

In the census of 1911, Richard is a boarder in the home of Jessie J A Millar aged 57, who is an artist and writer working for fashion magazine as a journalist.  Richard, has finished his education and is a daily newspaper reporter (journalist) – home being  11 Kensington Hall Gardens, London, W, which is infact a six roomed house.

He was educated at King Henry VIII School; Uppingham School, where is is during the 1901 census, and Selwyn College, Oxford.

Richard was in The Gazette of 27th of October 1914, when he became a 2nd Lieutenant, he was later promoted to a full Lieutenant.

Thiepval Memorial

100 years ago today Richard Elkhanah Hownam Healey was killed in action and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

As he was an officer Richard’s Service Record is available from the National Archives but has not yet been digitised.  If you are related or interested you will need to pay a visit to the Archives at Kew or employ a researcher.

Richard’s Medal Card tells that he was in the

Richard’s medal card

Royal West Kent Regiment and entered France in April of 1915.  His father, Rev. Randolph E Healey applied for his medals on 9th of August 1921, with an address included of Hownam Lodge, Odiham, Hampshire

The Memorial Plaque or ‘Death Penny’ belonging to Richard, was in November 2014 in a saleroom ready to be sold to the highest bidder and estimated to reach £40 – 60. I wonder who owns the plaque now that Richard gave his life for?

Richard is remembered on the war memorial in Odiham along with others from the surrounding area – I wrote about Richard a while ago.  He is also remembered on the King Henry VIII School Memorial and the Coventry Roll of Honour. I also believe he has his name recorded on the Uppingham School Memorial along with many others who attended that school.

The Somme Remembered – 21st July 1916

William Alfred Chesworth, born in 1893 in Prescot, Lancashire, was the son of Alfred Chesworth and his wife Jane nee Poole.

In the 1901 census he was living at 11 Carlton Street, Prescot, with his parents and two siblings. Alfred at the time was noted as being an Assurance Agent.  Ten years later in 1911, William, aged 17, was one of five children.  William worked in a wire mill, while his father is now listed as being a File Cutter.  Home was Ellaby Road, Rainhill, Lancashire.

War was declared on 4th of August 1914 following other countries declarations starting on 28th of July when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. William enlisted in St Helen’s, Lancashire, when he joined the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, becoming Private 18423.  He entered France in July 1915. Some 12 months later he was killed in action.

Thiepval Memorial

The Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, pier/face 4A 4D, bears the name of William Alfred Chesworth.

The Medal Card for William tells when he entered France, along with his medal entitlement, along with a note – ‘….requests auth to dispose of medals of Decd man 4.11.20’.

The Soldier’s Effects record for William was a little harder to find, only a little, as he had been transcribed as Chestworth – I am not one to be outdone by a transcriber!  This record differs to others, as William’s death is marked as ‘on or since 31.7.16 presumed’. Like other soldiers his payment from the War Office was sent to his father, Alfred, in installments.

St Ann’s War Memorial, Rainhill

Not only is William remembered in The Somme region of France, he is also remembered in Rainhill where he called home.

The Somme Remembered – 20th July 1916

Bertrand Gorges Reginald Gordon was the son of James Rollings Gordon and his wife Isabel Emily Pauline Lawford. He was baptised at Hove in Sussex on the 8th of December 1880. Bertrand’s parents had married in Winterbourne Stoke, Wiltshire – James Rollings Gordon being born in St James, Cornwall, Jamaica (via Familysearch) in 1831, the son of James Gordon.  Isabel being the daughter of Charles Lawford.

Bertrand was a career soldier, having served originally in the King’s African Rifles in the Transvaal, followed by the Warwickshire Regiment where served as a Lieutenant. Later being in the 2nd Batt. Gordon Highlanders and becoming a Lieut. Colonel. He is mentioned in Hart’s Army List of 1908.  Bertrand followed in his father’s footsteps as James Rollings Gordon, as in the 1901 census he was living at  19 Victoria Road, Lambeth and gave his occupation as that of ‘Late Lt. Col. in Infantry’.

Distinguished Service Order via Wikepedia

1916 Birthday Honours list includes Bertrand as he was awarded the D.S.O. (Distinguished Service Order) over 3,800 others including 708 M.M. (Military Medal) (including the Prince of Wales), 1,217 Military Medals and 500 nurses who were awarded various Red Cross Society awards.

Bertrand had been part of the B.E.F. in 1914, seeing more than his fair share of war during his time in France. But, it was The Battle of the Somme, that would see him injured on the 1st day, but 19 days later he was killed, aged 35, during fighting at High Wood near  the village of Bazentin-le-Grand – many believe his death was due to shellfire.

The Aberdeen Journal wrote ‘ Major Pailthorpe, who was the doctor attached to the 2nd Gordon Highlanders, wrote at the time: “At about 11pm I found Colonel Gordon.

“For the first time in my experience he seemed shaken – small wonder when the Bosche had been directing fire all day at his cross roads and he had had many direct hits all around him.

“About ten minutes after our return we were about to move out when crash upon crash sounded in the valley below and a battalion runner breathless gave me a slip of paper – it was from the Drum Major [Kenny], ‘The Colonel and Anderson both buried and killed – heavy barrage here – hopeless to attempt anything – am leaving’.

“It’s hard to estimate what a loss Colonel Gordon was, he had fashioned the Battalion since Loos and was entirely devoted to it. The Drum Major took a horse in the afternoon and, without disclosing his intentions, rode back and managed to bring back the bodies of Colonel Gordon and Captain Anderson. 

“They were buried in the field that evening.”

Drum Major Kenny, who retrieved the bodies, had earlier been awarded the Victoria Cross, in October 1914, for rescuing wounded men under heavy fire on five occasions, and twice saving machine guns by carrying them out of action.

The other commanding officer killed at the Somme was Major R D Oxley. He was in temporary command when he was killed on September 6 at the end of the third successful, but ultimately futile, attack on Ginchy.

Of the other 2nd Battalion COs killed in action during the war were Lieutenant Colonel Henry P Uniacke, who was shot by a sniper in March 1915, Lieutenant Colonel J R E Stansfeld of Montrose, who was mortally wounded during the Battle of Loos in September 1915, and Lieutenant Colonel Hugh A Ross was killed in October 1918, two weeks before the Armistice.’

The Medal Cards for Bertrand are very interesting, I say ‘cards’ as he has four Medal Cards and one in particular has a great deal of information upon its two sides, including his medal awards, many with clasps, his name, regiment, two addresses – one being his regiment and the other being possibly a solicitor, Messrs Holt & Co., 3 Whitehall Place, SW1.  There is also mention that one of the clasps for his medals was sent by post and marked as ‘undelivered’.

Any monies due according to the Soldier’s Effects records for 1917, were to be sent to R C L Gordon.  This amount would be included in the sum recorded in the Probate entry for Bertrand which reads: Gordon Bertrand Gorges Reginald of Conanbury House Bognor Sussex lieutenant-colonel Gordon Highalnders died 20 July 1916 France Administration (with will) London 30 july to Alexander James Marriott Gordon major Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.  Effects £226 9s 8d.  Former Grant November 1916.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission entry for Bertrand tells that he rests in Dernancourt Communal Cemetery, some three kilometers south of Albert along with over 120 other casualties of The Somme Battles, including some French burials.  The Field Ambulance used the cemetery up to August of 1916. The CWGC entry for Bertrand, has no family information, only the basic details are recorded.

Bertrand is remembered locally on St Wilfred’s War Memorial, Bognor Regis.

The Somme Remembered – 19th July 1916

The Speight Family – A Tragic Tale of Three Barnsley Journalists

Thomas Speight, born in Westmoreland about 1853, was a newspaper reporter who moved to Barnsley to work for Barnsley Chronicle from January 1879. Thomas remained at the Chronicle for some years but was also appointed the local reporter of Sheffield Daily Telegraph plus other daily and weekly journals. He represented Barnsley then Sheffield on the Institute of Journalists and he was a member of the choir and a church warden at St George’s Church, Barnsley. Thomas continued to work while suffering from ill health, which led to his premature death of consumption in 1902, aged 49. Thomas was buried with his first wife in Barnsley Cemetery; his funeral had been held at St George’s Church and “a large number of beautiful floral tributes were sent, amongst these being wreaths from the staffs of the “Barnsley Chronicle” and “Barnsley Independent””. Thomas’ Obituary was in Sheffield Daily Telegraph.

Thomas had a son, also called Thomas, by his first wife Kezia, who died shortly after they moved to Barnsley. He married again in 1884 to Alice Casson, with whom he had three children: Alice May, Dorothy then James Christopher. Both sons attended the Holgate Grammar School and became journalists.

Thomas Speight junior, born in Kendal in 1879, worked for Barnsley Independent and Sheffield Daily Telegraph before emigrating to Australia for the benefit of his health about 1900, continuing to work as a reporter in Melbourne. He married there and had a son but died in 1916 about 9 months after a throat operation, aged only 37. His death was reported in Sheffield Daily Telegraph.

James Christopher Speight was born on 1 March 1893 in Barnsley and baptised at St George’s Church. He was only 8 years old when his father died at home in Kensington Road, Barnsley. By 1911, James, Newspaper Reporter, was living with his mother and sister Dorothy, Teacher, in a large house in Park Grove, Barnsley; his sister Alice was married with two young children. After attending the Holgate, James worked for Barnsley Chronicle & Barnsley Independent and, as district correspondent, for Leeds Mercury and Yorkshire Telegraph & Star.

James Speight

James enlisted at the end of November 1914 in the 16^th Battalion of the Cheshire Regiment (Bantams) after being rejected three times because of his height. He was promoted to Sergeant and in January 1916 went out to France, where he was killed on 19 July 1916, aged 23, along with many others, while asleep in headquarters at Trones Wood on the Somme, during a heavy bombardment. According to Major Worthington’s letter to his family, James was unconscious when found but died soon afterwards and was buried in Haricourt. However, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission have James “killed in action” rather than died of wounds with his name listed on the Thiepval Memorial, Somme, which probably meant that subsequent action on the battlefield resulted in his grave or grave marker being destroyed. James’ mother of Dodworth Road, Barnsley, learnt of her son’s death a month later, confirming her fears after receiving no letters from him for some time.

James Speight

Signaller Fred Brown, 16^th Cheshires, wrote to Barnsley Chronicle from France: “I would like to express my deepest sympathy with the parents and relatives of one of our own townsmen, a promising journalist – Sergeant Speight. I was only about 15 yards away from him when he received the fatal blow. I am a Barnsley man, my home being at 16 Allison Terrace, Grace Street. All the Barnsley boys here are in the best of health. I wish the Barnsley Pals, the Territorials & the Royal Engineers good luck. I receive the Chronicle every week”.

The Holgate Alumnus magazine stated: “His affability, unfailing courtesy and uprightness of character won him a large number of friends who held him in high esteem”. Barnsley Independent, for whom James had worked for six years, regretted “the loss of one of our own circle, a member of the literary staff of this journal, a young, faithful and promising journalist, and one popular with all”…. “he had

James Speight

made great progress in the profession, being marked as a journalist of rich promise…. Of cheerful disposition, big hearted and a most loveable lad, Sergeant Speight’s death is keenly felt in many quarters and particularly by the staff and employees of this journal, to whom he had very closely endeared himself”. Barnsley Chronicle added: “His ability, his kindly nature and his cheerful disposition made him a great favourite amongst the Pressmen of Barnsley, who deeply deplore his untimely end…. In the many circles of life in Barnsley and district with which Sergeant Speight became associated in a professional capacity he was held in high esteem, and the news of his death has been received with sincere regret.

NB James Christopher Speight is one of the 76 Old Boys on the Barnsley Holgate Grammar School War Memorial and his story is included in my book Great Sacrifice: The Old Boys of Barnsley Holgate Grammar School (published by Helion and Company).  Also                                                          available on Amazon 

 By Jane Ainsworth

The Somme Remembered – 18th July 1916

Ian Lacy McGregor, born in August 1891, was the son of James McGregor and his wife Eunice Dacre Lacy.

Balmenach Distillery via Whisky distilleries

In 1901, the family were living at Strathmore, Seabank Road, Nairn.  James worked as a manager and MD of Balmenach Distillery. Ian at the time was a scholar.  It seems that the McGregor family had been connected to the Balmenach Distillery for some years as originally a James McGregor had been one of the first distillers to apply for a licence to distill legally – James having originally been a moonshine distiller in the Tomintoul area for a while.

Cameron Highlanders

Ian enlisted into the Cameron Highlanders, being given the service number 14564.  He was given a commission which was recorded in the Gazette (London) issue of 22nd September 1914 and by September of the following year (1915) he is in France as part of the 5th battalion which had been formed at Inverness in August of 1914, as part of Kitchener’s new army, moved to Aldershot before landing at Boulogne on 10th of May 1915 – some six months before Ian stood on French soil.  The Battalion saw action in The Battle of Loos, The Battles of the Somme and after Ian’s death – the Arras Offensive, Ypres battles and Cambrai to name a few.

Thiepval Memorial

Ian Lacy McGregor was killed in action 100 years ago and is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing with over 72,000 other casualties of war whose final resting place is not known.

Ian’s medal card tells, as I have said earlier, that he originally enlisted as a private and goes on to inform about his medal entitlement, his commission date and date of death and cause. Also mentioned is his father’s address – Balmenach, Cromdale, Scotland.

During the time I have been looking for Ian, I have found that in many records he is listed in the transcript index as J L McGregor – it appears that some transcribers are a little confused by the elaborate writing of years ago, and some I just wonder if they were looking at a different document as the writing is very clear.  Anyway, the Register of Soldiers’ Effects for Ian, when looking at his name in the document I wonder what the indexers were doing as the original bares no resemblance to the J L MacGregor indexed! But he was owed sums of money from the War Office which was transferred by transfer 2250 C,P. Base.

The service records for Ian are available from the National Archives, but sadly are not available to download.

The Somme Remembered – 17th July 1916

Ernest Emanuel Polack source unknown

Londsdale Cemetery, Authuille, is the final resting place of Lieutenant Ernest Emanuel Polack, who was aged 23 when he was killed.

Who was Ernest?

Ernest was born on the 25th of February 1893, in Clifton, the youngest son of  Joseph Polack and his wife Sophia nee Isaac.  Joseph was the headmaster of Jewish Boarding House at Clifton College. .

1901 saw the family  living at 1 Percival Road, where Joseph was listed as Headmaster and Jewish Minister with his wife and two sons – Albert I and Ernest E, both 8 years old.  Also listed at that address was George W Palmer a Schoolmaster and numerous students.

Ten years later life is carrying on for the family.  Joseph is still Headmaster, but now his eldest son Benjamin James, aged 20 is home, as are Albert Isaac and Ernest Emanuel both aged 18 – could they be twins? Also in the house are Reginald Charles Fawdry, Joseph’s assistant, John William Searle, butler plus other servants, followed on by numerous students.  The 1911 also tells that Joseph and Sophia had been married 24 years with Sophia giving birth to four children With only three children living to be included in the census – little did she know what would happen in five years time.

Ernest was educated at Clifton followed by St John’s College, Cambridge, where he earned a scholarship in Semitic languages. He was a frequent speaker at the Union and was elected a member of the committee.  Both at Clifton and Cambridge he was a member of the OTC (officer training corps).

His military life continued when he was commissioned in August of 1914 in the 4th Battalion of the Gloucester Regiment.  By April the following year he was with his regiment on the Western Front, stationed at Ploegsteert Wood.

Just before the Battle of the Somme began, Ernest wrote a letter to his parents which tells that he feels that when the Advance will begin on the 1st of July, he realises he may not survive the days ahead and carries morphia in case of injury as the prospect of pain is somewhat abhorrent to him, but the thought of death does not worry him. He goes on to tell that he is held in reserve at Hebuterne (known to the soldiers as About Turn) and it all goes well he and his men would not be needed until the next night and will then be resisting an attack somewhere near Beaumont-Hamel.  Further reading gives details of who was to receive his Shakespeare books, who was to receive his Dickens and that his aunts and uncles should also receive some of his effects, with one request going to Great Ormond Street Hospital where one of his friends died……‘To you – Mother and Father – I owe all.   The thought of you two – and of my brothers – will inspire me to the end.   I often wish Albert was with me and I miss him dreadfully.   Good-bye!   “If we shall meet again, why then we’ll smile.   If not – why then this parting was well made” (Julius Caesar).   Your loving son, Ernest.   (I will ask Mr Ramsay (our Chaplain) to send you this if I fall.)‘  The letter and one other wrote by Ernest have been published in a book by Laurence Weaver – ‘War Letters of Fallen Englishmen’

The battalion were not called forward as expected, they were infact sent for training.  On the morning of the 16th of July the order was given to move forward into Ovillers and took the German lines.  Over the next two days the fighting continued and advanced to just north of the village.  It was during this fighting that Ernest and fellow officer Lt. A D Anderson were killed.

Lt Ernest Emanuel Polack was recovered from the battlefield – according to sources was either during the spring of the following year after the German withdrawal or after the Armistice when those who had died for their country were brought in from the surrounding battlefields.

The medal card for Ernest tells, his date from which he was eligible for various medals, his date of death with the word ‘died’ before the date. His regiment, ranks and his father’s address. While, monies due from the War Office to Ernest were sent to Cox and Co. via transfer 509.  Cox and Co., seem to have been mentioned in a great number of entries in the Register of Soldiers’ Effects which are available from Ancestry pay per view.

Ernest is remembered in The Cross of Sacrifice – Officers who died in the Service of British, Indian and East African Regiments and Corps 1914 – 1919 compiled by S D and D B Jarvis.

2nd Lieutenant Benjamin Polak of the 9th Worcestershire Regiment, Ernest’s elder brother, was killed in action in Mesopotamia on the 9th of April 1916 aged 26.

Albert, the surviving child of Joseph and Sophia Polack followed his father into education.

The Somme Remembered – 16th July 1916

George Robert Trace, son of James and Maria Trace of Cornwall.

South African Badge via Wikipedia

George served in the 3rd Reg. South African Infantry, as Private 2655. George, aged 27, was killed in action 100 years ago and is remembered along with many on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.

The Soldier’s Effects entries for George tells that his his sole executor was a man named William Bawden.

George’s mother is mentioned on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website in the following ‘Son of Mrs Maria Trace, of 

Thiepval Memorial

Pellor Road, Breage, Helston, Cornwall’.

The Somme Remembered – 15th July 1916

Charles Baldwin Cooper was born around 1875 in north Leeds.  He was the son of Charles and Harriet Cooper who in 1881 were living at 42 Nippet Terr (sic), Leeds.

Charles died of wounds on this day 100 years ago.

Charles served in the South African Infantry as Corporal 1341.  The South African Infantry Corps was the largest combat corps within the South African Army, originating as the Infantry Branch of the Union Defence Forces in 1913.  In 1915 the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force was established, being made up of 12 battalions and the Cape Corps, comprising of Coloured Volunteers – these units were disbanded in 1919.

He had previously served in the Jameson Raid, South African Campaign and in German South West Africa.

He married Janet and her address according to the CWGC was Newlands, Cape Province.

The Register of Soldiers’ Effects has two entries – cross reference to each other, that tell the

Thiepval Memorial

monies owed to Charles were paid to the High Commission Union of South Africa fr dispersal in South Africa.  There are other entries for South African soldiers on the same page and all have the same entry – ‘for dispersal in South Africa’.

Charles is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial with over 72000 other casualties whose final resting place is known only unto their god.

The Somme Remembered – 14th July 1916

Cecil Cuthbert Thompson is the second man with a Wakefield connection to be mentioned in this series of 31 Days 31 Casualties – The Somme Remembered.

Cecil was born in 1890, the son of Samuel and Fanny Thompson , who in 1901 lived at Paragon Terrace, Monk Bretton.  Cecil, at this time, was the eldest of three children. Samuel worked as an Agent for the Prudential Assurance Company.

Ten years later in 1911, Samuel was an Assistant Superintendent with an Assurance Company.  Cecil, the eldest of three children, was a scholastic student, like his sister Constance Priscilla, who was two years his junior – home for the family was 156 Hough Lane, Wombwell, Yorkshire.

Cecil attended Barnsley Grammar School, then University College Reading.  Following University he was appointed a master at Handsworth Grammar School, Birmingham and in late 1914 was admitted as a member of the Royal Geographical Society.

Cecil Cuthbert Thompson via Reading Connections

While at university Cecil became a sergeant in the Reading University OTC, later being gazetted as a second lieutenant, by the December 1914 he became a lieutenant in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.

Cecil’s regiment had been involved in the Battle of Ypres. At the battle of Festubert in 1915 he was wounded, resulting in his return to England, during which time he married Mary Ward during late summer in the Oxford area.

The 2nd battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, which Cecil was part of, had been initially held in reserve for events which would take place on the 1st of July, but after approximately 90 minutes, when the leading waves of the 96th brigade had been mowed down by machine-gun fire, the 2nd btn moved forward and also suffered badly.  The 2nd spent a few days out of the line to rest, write letters and prepare themselves for what was to come.

Ovillers CWGC cemetery via CWGC

On the 9th of July the 2nd went forward and during the next four days were involved in attacks to the west of the village of Warloy, with the hope of gaining ground and holding against the enemy.

On the 14th of July the 2nd Inniskilling Fusiliers retired to Bouzincourt after 267 men and officers had received injuries.  Cecil was one of those officers and he now rests in Ovillers Military Cemetery near Albert along with over 3000 other casualties of war.

Probate for Cecil was on 10 November 1916, where Mary was left £316 9s 3d.

By now Mary was living at 18 Monmouth Road, Bayswater, London

Cecil’s younger brother Arthur Henry Thompson, who served as Private 12/1363 in the York and Lancaster Regiment. He was reported missing on the 1st of July 1916 aged 22, and subsequently

Thiepval Memorial via CWGC

presumed dead. He is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing along with many others whose final resting place is known only unto their God.

Arthur, born in Wakefield, worked as a bank clerk and gave his address as West View, Outwood, Wakefield. He enlisted on the 8th of March 1915 in Sheffield, later serving in the Mediterranean, disembarking in Alexandria in January 1916 followed by France in March of 1916.  As Arthur’s service records have survived, one sheet gives his parents and siblings name along with the family’s address, which is now given as Oaklea, Westville Road, Barnsley. This page being declared to be true by the local vicar.  The following page of Arthur’s service record has the Outwood address crossed through to be replaced by the Oaklea address.

 In September 1917 Arthur’s effects were sent to his father at the Outwood address. In total he served 1 years 116 days.

Can you imagine how the family must have felt, losing a son and brother-in-law on the 1st of July and 14 days later losing a son and a husband.  Not only would they have had to cope with the death of two young men in as many weeks, they would have to contend with War Office paperwork that would continue for years.

 Jane Ainsworth has recently published a book ‘The Great Sacrifice – The Old Boys of Barnsley Holgate Grammar School in the First World War‘ published by Helion & Co.  The book is also available from Amazon

The Somme Remembered – 13th July 1916

Frederick Fish had been born to Arthur and Elizabeth Fish on 4th April 1890, Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire.  He had been baptised on 25th May in the same year. Frederick was 10 years old in 1901 when the census enumerator recorded that the family lived on Princes Street, Ware.  Arthur told he was employed as a malt maker, his eldest son, William also worked in the malt kilns – there were nine children who had their names recorded with their parents on that day  in 1901.

Ten years later, Frederick, the third child to Arthur and Elizabeth, is the eldest child living with his parents and five siblings.  Elizabeth, had given birth to 12 children in her 27 year marriage to Arthur and had to suffer the death of two. Frederick, like his father and brother, William, also worked in the malt kilns. Home for the family of eight was a six roomed house – 4 Elm Grove, Bishop Stortford.

Royal West Kent headstone logo

Frederick enlisted in Hertford, joining the Royal West Kent’s, and rose to become a Corporal with the serial number GS/2404.  His medal card tells that he entered France on the 26th July 1915.

He must have been home on leave during the early summer of 1916 as he married Ellen Edwards in the June ¼ of 1916 before being sent to the Somme region of France.

Serre Road Cemetery No. 2 via CWGC

Again, back to Frederick’s medal card, as well as notification of three medals, it is written that on the 13 July 1916 ‘Death assumed’. He rests in Serre Road Cemeterty No 2, plot XXIX J3 along with many of his comrades.

So soon after taking her wedding vows and seeing Frederick go back to his regiment, the new Mrs Ellen Fish, was in receipt of monies due from the War Office to her husband, which was paid in two installments.

Frederick’s younger brother, Leonard born on 24th November 1893, also served during the war, he served as a K/17956, Stoker 1st Class in the Royal Navy.  He was 5′ 8¾” tall with brown hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion. After joining the Navy in 1913, Leonard served on The Pembroke II; King Edward vII; Vivid II; Royal Oak and back to the Pembroke.  HMS Pembroke Drill Hall on the night of 3rd September 1917.

Bombing of 3 September 1917 via Wikipedia

Throughout its life, the Drill Hall has been used as a temporary overflow dormitory when the barrack accommodation blocks were full. In September 1917 the problem of housing the men had been further exacerbated by two unanticipated events: Firstly, the men who had been earmarked to join the battleship HMS Vanguard (1909) had been forced to remain at the barracks, after she had been sunk at Scapa Flow in July 1917. Secondly, an outbreak of ‘spotted fever’ (epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis) in the barracks meant that the sleeping accommodation had to be increased in an effort to avoid further infection. It was the necessity of using the Drill Hall, at this time that precipitated the saddest episode in the history of this building. On Monday 3 September 1917, the Drill Hall was therefore being used as an overflow dormitory for around 900 naval ratings (either sleeping or resting upon their hammocks) when, at about 11.00pm, it suffered two hits from bombs dropped by German Gotha aeroplanes. One of the first of the First World War ‘moonlight raids’, it resulted in the loss of some 130 lives.

At 9.30 pm, 5 Gotha G.V Bombers left Gontrode in Belgium. Since the greatest loss of the bombers was during the daylight raids, a decision made to carry out a night-time attack. One of the bombers encountered engine problems and had to return to their air-base but the remaining four carried on and passed over Eastchurch (on the Isle of Sheppey) at around 11pm where they followed the River Medway towards Chatham. As this was the first night-time raid, the Medway Towns were unprepared and the whole of Chatham was illuminated with none of the anti-aircraft guns prepared for attacks.

A practice alert had been carried out earlier in the day within the town, and when the planes were finally spotted and an alert sounded, many people ignored the warning believing it to be another practice drill. 46 bombs were dropped over Gillingham and Chatham causing much damage. The drill hall suffered a direct hit. The bomb shattered the glass roof, sending dangerous shards of glass flying through the drill hall before exploding when they hit the floor. The clock upon the drill hall tower stopped at 11.12, giving the exact time the bomb exploded. The men asleep or resting inside had little chance of survival, those that were not injured from the explosion were cut to pieces by the falling pieces of glass from the roof.

Ordinary seaman Frederick W. Turpin arrived at the drill hall to offer assistance, he later recorded the scene in his notebook: “It was a gruesome task. Everywhere we found bodies in a terribly mutilated condition. Some with arms and legs missing and some headless. The gathering up of dismembered limbs turned one sick. It was a terrible affair and the old sailors, who had been in several battles, said they would rather be in ten Jutlands or Heliogolands than go through another raid such as this.”

The rescuers spent 17 hours searching through the rubble for their fellow seamen, many using their bare hands to dig through the rubble. Officers and men carried the dead bodies of comrades into buildings which had been transformed into a mortuary and the seriously wounded cases into motor ambulances which sped to the local hospital.

Mr E. Cronk, who also attended to offer assistance, stated later: “The raider dropped two bombs; one in the middle of the drill shed and one near the wall of the parade round just where the sailors were sleeping. I shall never forget that night – the lights fading and the clock stopping -we of the rescue party picking out bodies, and parts of bodies, from among glass and debris and placing them in bags, fetching out bodies in hammocks and laying them on a tarpaulin on the parade ground (you could not identify them). I carried one sailor to the sick bay who was riddled with shrapnel and had no clothes left on him. In the morning, to show that the officials could tell who was who, they had a general Pipe asking all the sailors of different messes if they could identify any of the lost; it was impossible in most cases. It was one of the most terrible nights I have ever known, the crying and the moaning of dying men who had ten minutes before been fast asleep”

Mr Gideon Gardiner described the scene of the temporary morgue within the gymnasium: “Some had never woken up; apparently the shock appeared to have stopped their hearts. They were stretched out, white, gaunt, drawn faces, with eyes nearly bolting out of their heads. Others were greatly cut up, mangled, bleeding and some were blown limb from limb”

The sailors who survived with injuries were treated on site by medics and the sick bay staff, however many of the injuries were too serious and later died at the hospital. It is estimated 90 men died whilst in their hammocks and another 40 or so seriously injured, they were not expected to live. The official total of dead after the raid was 98 however with the seriously ill in hospital, the total number rose to around 136 dead.

Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham via CWGC

The funeral took place on Thursday 6 September with the procession consisting of 18 lorries draped with the Union Jack and each carrying 6 coffins. These 98 men were buried at Woodlands Cemetery in Gillingham with another 25 men being interred elsewhere and later burials taking place once the ratings had been identified. All the men were buried with full military honours and were followed by a procession of marching soldiers and sailors with thousands of people lining the streets.

Leonard, was one of those 98 men buried with full military honours in Woodlands Cemetery, Gillingham.

Frederick & Leonard Fish