Major T.P. Gray is buried in the graveyard of Dalston Church in North Cumbria. His grave is marked by a single, slightly damaged white stone with his name, rank and regimental insignia carved into it.

Major T.P Gray is remembered in Dalston Church, Cumbria

Surrounded by dark coloured headstones the bright white Commonwealth War Grave memorial stands as a beacon in the graveyard, just like the Major possibly did for the men under his command.

Little is known about Major Thomas Patrick Gray and why he is buried in the church in north Cumbria. Except that he died on the 12 September 1946 and that he was a major in the Royal Artillery.

He is buried in ward 5, sec. C, grave number 60.

His service number, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, was 94441.

It is thought that he may have been the Judge Advocate General for a time. However, at this stage this is not proven.

More information

Do you know any more about Major Gray ?  Let us know via the comments area below or via the contact us page.

Members of the public who are related to Commonwealth war casualties buried in Glasnevin Cemetery in Dublin are being urged to help in a project to mark their graves.

Glasnevin is Ireland’s largest cemetery and resting place for some of the country’s most important figures, including Eamon de Valera, Michael Collins and Daniel O’Connell.

It is also where the graves of 208 men and women who died whilst serving with British forces in the two world wars are to be found.

As part of an ongoing project to locate and mark these graves, people who are related to these men and women are being urged to contact The Glasnevin Trust and help finish this important piece of work.

A special Remembrance Day service will be held at the cemetery at 15:00 GMT on 11 November 2011.

A full list of the 208 casualties can be found here: www.glasnevintrust.ie

In the sleepy agricultural village of Ireby in Cumbria, is the Parish church dedicated to St James.

A monument to the fallen in World War I and II reads:

In memory of the men

Ireby, Cumbria - War Memorial

of this parish who
gave their lives
in the war

1914- 1918

William Carlisle
John Graham
George Lawman
William Lawman
Ben Pattinson
j Dixon Pearson
Joseph Smithson

and in the war

1939 – 1945

Harry Stephens
Joseph Strong
Frank Vipond
Tom Watson

St Jame's church, Ireby

This new church replaced the earlier 12th century building about 1 mile further away and itself is built on the remnants of an old medieval church, especially noticeable in the build of the north wall.  However, most of the structure dates back to it’s early 18th century construction.

The font, which is thought to date from the 18th century sits on an earlier medieval base brought from the original church.

Internal memorials are dedicated to Thomas Thomlinson 1803 and in the chancel, to the Gillbanks family of Whitfield house, who’s vault is in the church.

In the small cemetery, most gravestones are dated around the 18th and 19th centuries.  Any older burials will be sited at the old church but most of these gravestones have now gone.

CA7 1HA
OS Grid Reference: NY2401137930
OS Grid Coordinates: 324011, 537930
Latitude/Longitude: 54.7306, -3.1815

To date, we have been unable to find any transcription records for St. Jame’s church burials in Ireby or for the older Norman church, but if anybody knows different, please do contact us via the comments section at the end of this article.

Haltwhistle War Memorial is a simple tall monument situated in a peaceful and well kept garden setting just off the main road through Haltwhistle.

Carved with a simple intertwined vine design, interspersed with serpents, squirrels, owls and rodents, the memorial is topped with a Celtic style cross.

An inscription carved in the base of the cross reads:

Remembering the fallen

In proud and grateful memory
of those from this district who
gave their lives in the Great War
1914 – 1918
and in the World War
1939 – 1945

Four plaques flank the right and left sides of the cross depicting the names, by region, of those who fell in the first and second world wars.

Haltwhistle 1914 – 1918
Pte. R. Ansom
Pte. O. Armstrong
Pte. T. Armstrong
Pte. T. W. Armstrong
Pte. H. Bell
Pte. J. K. Bell
R. H. Bell
Pte. W. Bell
Pte. C. J. L. Birkett
C.S.M. J. Bowerbank
L/Cpl. J. Bushby
Pte. J. Carrick
Pte. J. Carruthers
Cpl. J. H. Clark
Pte. R. Dent
Sergt. T. Dixon
Cpl. T. B. Dodd
L/Cpl. A. Errington
Pte. T. Fawcett
Sergt. F. A. Foster
Sergt. J. Gibson
Pte. J. Gould
Pte. J. Graham
Pte. T. Graham
Pte. W. Graham
Pte. A. Hetherington
Pte. W. Hetherington
Sergt. J. G. Hewitt
Pte. E. Hood
Lieut. J. Hope Wallace
Pte. C. Hunter
Pte. G. Hunter
Pte. H. A. Hunter
Pte. E. H. Jackson
Pte. G. A. Johnson
Sergt. E. Keen
Pte. T. W. Keen
Pte. E. H. Leake
Pte. J. L. Lee
Nurse J. S. Lee
Sergt. G. H. Liddell
L/Cpl. G. W. Liddell
Pte. J. Lytollis
Pte. C. Middison
Cpl. S. Maguire
Pte. T. Maitland
L/Cpl. T. Morton
Pte. W. E. Mundle
Pte. J. Navin
Pte. T. Nelson
Pte. J. Nixon
Pte. E. Nolan
2nd Lieut. J. Parker
Pte. E. F. Pattinson
Cpl. J. Percival
Pte. W. Reay
Pte. F. B. Ridley
Pte. J. H. Ridley
Pte. A. Robson
Pte. J. T. Robson
Cpl. W. Sanderson
Pte. T. L. Scott
Pte. G. A. Shield
Nurse O. Smith
Capt. Raymond Smith
Pte. J. C. Sowerby
Pte. R. E. Spark
Cpl. W. H. Spark
Pte. J. Steele
Pte. G. Symes
Sergt. W. Tweddell
Cpl. R. Venables
Pte. T. W. Wallace
Pte. W. Waugh
Pte. W. Whan
Lieut. H. L. Willey
Pte. R. Wilson
Pte. R. W. Wilson
Pte. E. Wright
L/Cpl. T. Yates
Cpl. J. Yeoman

Bardon Mill  1914 – 1918
Pte. W. Armstrong
Pte. W. Atkinson
Pte. J. Bell
Pte. R. Benson
Pte. M. Blair
Pte. J. Bolman
Lieut. C. L. C. Bowes Lyon (Cousin of HRH the Queen Mother)
Pte. F. Bowman
Cpl. P. Cook
Pte. A. Furlong
Pte. R. Graham
Pte. S. Johnston
Pte. A. Little
Pte. G. E. Little
Pte. H. Little
Pte. G. Mole
Pte. J. A. Nicholson
Pte. T. H. Nicholson
L/cpl. W. Pearson
Pte. T. F. Tweeddale
Pte. G. W. C. Usher

Lambley  1914 – 1918
Pte. P. Bell
Pte. E. B. Carrick
Pte. W. Glenwright
L7Cpl. W. Marshall
Gnr. J. Park
Pte. W. Riddell

Slaggyford  1914 – 1918
Pte. J. H. Horn
Cpl. W. J. B. Ingledow
Sgt. J. W. Pearson
Gnr. J. E. Ridley

Greenhead  1914 – 1918
Pte. R. Armstrong
Pte. A. Bell
L/Cpl. J. Bushby
Pte. W. Carrick
Pte. J. Graham
Pte. J. A. Hunter
L/Cpl. J. G. Hunter
Pte. J. G. Irving
Cpt. Cleve Montagu Joicey
Pte. E. F. McClafferty
Pte. T. R. Mounsey
Sergt. J. W. Pearson
Pte. G. Robson
Pte. T. Robson
Pte. T. Routledge
Pte. T. Smith
Pte. W. Snowdon
Pte. J. W. Teasdale
Pte. G. H. Whitehead
Pte. F. E. Wilson

Witfield  1914 – 1918
2nd Lieut. J. Archbold
Cpl. R. Armstrong
L/Cpl. T. Armstrong
Cpl. T. J. Baxter
Capt. M. H. Bettison
Pte. A. Clarricoats
Rfn. E. Forrest
L/Cpl. G. Gibson
Trop. J. S. Jackson
Pte. R. Lee
Pte. G. Mole
Pte. J. Witfield

Haltwhistle 1939 – 1945
P/O E. S. Atkinson
Sgt. J. D. Bell
L/Str. R. Black
Cpl. D. B. Bowman
Cpl. E. A. Breakwell
Gdn. E. Davidson
Sub-Lt. (A) F. W. E. Dixon
Bdr. J. R. Dodd
Cpl. J. W. Davey
L/Bdr. E. D. Fidler
Gnr. W. M. Fleming
Cpl. W. D. Fletcher
Gnr. E. B. Fullen
Lt. Col. J. H. Gardner
Pte. W. Gibson
Gnr. G. R. Graham
Sgt. H. R. Harbin
Tpr. C. Hetherington
Sgt. E. Hudspith
Fus. D. G. Johnson
Spr. A. W. Johnston
L/Cpl. A. E. Laidlow
Tpr. J. R. B. Murray
L/Cpl. W. B. Noble
F/O K. Norman
S/Sgt. G. A. Owen
Std. R. Pearson
L/Cpl. R. A. Reay
Cpl. G. T. Reed
F/O J. E. Robson
Pte. T. W. Schollick
Sgt. G. A. Shield
C/Ofr. W. R. Storey
F/O J. A. R. Thompson
Pte. W. N. Thompson
Spr. G. B. Waugh
Pte. J. Wilkinson
W/O W. A. Woodman
Pte. J. Yeomans
Cpl. J. G. Adamson

Bardon Mill  1939 – 1945
Pte. T. L. Armstrong
Gnr. A. A. Dinning
Dvr. T. Hodgson
Sgt. H. M. Pattinson
Sgt. J. C. Skelton
L.A.C. J. R. Surtees
Cpl. J. Ward

Greenhead  1939 – 1945
Sgt. R. Armstrong
P/O J. H. Henderson
Pte. M. Herdman
Sgt. R. A. Heslop
Pte. J. F. Mounsey
Sgt. W. Raine
Pte. W. L. Robson
Sgt. G. H. Sim
Sgt. L. A. Sim

Knarsdale  1939 – 1945
Pte. R. Ridley
Pte. J. J. Turnbull

The Old Boys Associations of the former Arborfield, Carlisle, Chepstow and Harrogate schools have joined together to plan, design and build a new memorial to all Army Apprentices who were trained as soldier-tradesmen and who served worldwide in peace and war.

It will be dedicated in special ceremony to be held at the National Memorial Arboretum on 7 September 2011.

The memorial, which incorporates the motto ‘Remember with Pride’, is engraved with the Army Apprentice school badge and HM The Queen’s crown.

Square bashing – an introduction to the Army

Before the Second World War apprentices had been trained in many locations throughout England.

New national memorial to The Army Apprentice

The aim of the Army apprentices Schools was to train the future technician Warrant Officers and Officers of the Army.

To become an Army Apprentice one had to pass the aptitude and intelligence tests in the Army Recruiting Office.

There were four other Apprentice Schools, Aldershot, which taught Chefs, Arborfield, near Reading which taught vehicle mechanics, armourers, gun fitters, radar technicians, electronic technicians, aircraft technicians, Chepstow, which taught plant fitters, survey technicians, marine engineers and other Royal Engineers trades and Harrogate which taught radio technicians, and communications specialists.

Carlisle Apprentice school

Situated close to the M6 and to the east of the city was Hadrian’s Camp, the home to the Carlisle Apprentice School.

Parts of the camp, such as the drill sheds and internal roads are still visible, although nature has reclaimed much of it.

The accommodation for up to 1,000 Army Apprentices was in wooden huts known as Spiders. These Spiders were grouped in 6s’ around a central ablutions, or wash block.

Each hut housed 16-18 boys so each spider complex would hold around 100 boys.

Hadrian’s Camp itself was originally built long before the Second World War. It opened as an Army Apprentices School in 1960 with the first Apprentices transferring from the older Apprentice Schools in Arborfield (near Reading) and Chepstow.

Originally the camp took boys aged 15 or 16 mostly from the Midlands, North of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and they spent 3 years there learning to be fully qualified soldiers and tradesmen.

The trades taught included vehicle mechanics, armourers, gun fitters and instrument technicians.

Upon completion of the three year training, the apprentices were posted to regular army units as fully qualified REME craftsmen with some vehicle mechanics going to the Royal engineers.

Training

The first 6 weeks training consisted mainly of drill, square bashing and associated military training culminating in a Passing Out Parade, where proud parents came to watch their sons turned into smart young soldiers.

The rest of the first year of training comprised of education, particularly English, maths, physics, technical drawing and basic bench fitting.

Bench fitting was carried out in well equipped workshops and consisted of learning to use hand tools, files, saws, micrometers, vernier gauges, etc. as well as power tools such as lathes, pillar drills, milling machines, all the skills that a tool-maker would use in industry.

Army Apprentice memorial artists impression

At the end of the first year there were both educational exams for the Army Certificate of Education and GCE O levels as well as a practical test of bench fitting skills.

Once these hurdles were successfully overcome, apprentices could then begin 2 years of concentrated study of their particular trades.

Throughout the three years there was also regular PE, sports and military training.

In addition, Hadrian’s Camp had an Anglican church, Roman Catholic church, and an Other Denominations church (mainly Church of Scotland) and all apprentices had to attend church every Sunday.

The camp had its own cinema, NAAFI canteen, NAAFI beer bar for those aged 18 or over, and NAAFI shop.

National memorial

David Cooper, a former apprentice in Carlisle says that the Army Apprentices Memorial was the brainchild of one or two ex-apprentices from Arborfield & Chepstow, who then thought that it should embrace all ex-Army Apprentices.

A steering committee with representatives from all four Apprentice Schools (Arborfield, Carlisle, Chepstow and Harrogate) was then formed.

Funds were raised by approaching the Army Corps with whom apprentices served (RE, REME, ROAC, RSigs, etc) for donations as well as the town councils where the schools were located, but most of the funds came from individual donations from ex-apprentices, their widows or families.

540 ex-apprentices have subscribed to have their names engraved around the perimeter of the Memorial.

To date nearly £70,000 has been raised, which will pay for the construction of the monument, the Dedication ceremony and a legacy fund to maintain the monument in perpetuity.

The dedication ceremony on 7 September will be attended by many ex-apprentices and their families, civic dignitaries from the towns associated with the Apprentice Schools and senior officers from the various Corps that took the apprentices as soldier tradesmen.

The Memorial is being dedicated by Major General “Gerry” Berragan, himself an ex-Arborfield Apprentice.

About the memorial

The symbols of the cross and the crown incorporated into the memorial stand respectively for Character and Loyalty.

Four granite benches surround the memorial, each inscribed with the name of one of the four main Army Apprentice schools.

The Army Apprentice Scheme ran from 1923 to 2004 and trained more than 70,000 soldier tradesmen for the technical corps of the British Army, 50,000 of who passed through the four main schools.

Young men, who started as early as 14 years old, have gone on to serve in every conflict since the First World War, including Afghanistan.

Major Gordon Bonner (Retd), Honorary Secretary of the Memorial Steering Committee, said: “This memorial is a fitting tribute to those friends and colleagues with whom we served and to those who gave their lives in the service of this country.”

Thank you

A big thank you to David Cooper for his help in recounting life behind the fence at the Carlisle Apprentice School

More information

The Army Apprentice Memorial website

National Memorial Arboretum

Gallery

Thanks to Royal British Legion for the images

A hand-painted Roll of Honour from the Great War was discovered in an attic in Levens village, Cumbria in 2010.

Can you help solve the mystery?

The painting is on art board, and has ‘Jackson Art Studio, Lancaster’ painted on the picture at the bottom right hand corner. It may be that Jackson was the painter, or possibly just the framer. No provenance has been found.

There are no PCC minutes pre 1920 and the only reference found to the Roll is a minute from 1922 which stated that the ‘Framed Roll’ was being moved from the porch into the church.

The finder believes that his father rescued it from the church rubbish bin around 1965. It then had no frame and had some water damage but otherwise was in good order.

The bottom panel of the painting depicts Railway Wood at Ypres.

Research of the Roll to date, gives no reason why there was a panel specifically for that engagement, as there appears to be no local connection to it.

Most of those named in the Roll were members of the Border Regiment, and they appeared to play no significant part in that portion of the front. Neither of the Border Regiment or Kings Lancaster Regiment museums have seen a Roll quite like this, nor can they explain the choice of subjects for the panels.

It is possible that the Roll has been prepared from stock photographs.

The Imperial War Museum have written

‘This is a very interesting and as far as we are aware unusual roll of honour. It is not a design that I have seen before and on searching our database I found nothing similar. I would expect that this was specially commissioned. The Menin Gate, which is depicted top centre, was unveiled by Lord Plumer on 24 July 1927. The gate is accurately depicted and so I would say that the illustration has been made from an image of the finished gate and not from any pre-unveiling sketches.’

Researchers are still looking for documentation about it being installed in the church. Usually the diocese grant a faculty for such items, but they had no record either. It has been suggested that this was because it was not technically fixed to the fabric of the church, it hung, as most framed pictures do, by string from a hook.

The memorial reads:

Railway Wood ypres

To the glorious memory of the men of Levens who gave their lives in the great war 1914.1918
Fred Butterfield
William Brennand
Arthur Cheeseman
Walter T. Coward
Elliott Egglestone
William A. Fell
Robert Garnett
Malcolm Harrison
Leo. N Knowles
Arthur Louth
Geore. W. Mason
Robert Mallinson
Harold Routledge
Thomas Richardson
George W. Robinson
Joseph Scott
Joseph Willshaw

They died that we might live
So they passed over and all the trumpets sounded for them on the other side

If anybody has any information that may help the researchers, either about the roll itself or the men listed, then please contact us via the comments section at the end of this article.

The Canadian Air Forces Memorial was unveiled at the National Memorial Arboretum by the His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester on 8th July 2011

Canadian Air Force Memorial - Artist's impression

The RAF’s Battle of Britain Memorial Flight provided a Tucano training aircraft fly-past in diamond formation and salute to The Duke of Gloucester to open the celebration.  Music for the event was performed by the Band of the RAF College and the RAF’s volunteer choral society ‘The Spitfires’.

A parade of 48 servicemen escorted the Queens Colour for the Royal Auxiliary Air Force.

Fund raising

RAF Stations Leeming and Linton-on-Ouse, once home to Canadian Airmen during the Second World War, have set up a fundraising project to create a lasting national memorial to all Canadian Airmen and Women who fought with the allies during the Second World War, but also to remember and honour every Canadian Airman.

The memorial

Red and white granite to identify the Canadian flag form the monolith, with information panels on all four sides in English and french.

The poem ‘High Flight’ by John Gillespie Magee Jnr and a brief history of Canadian Air Force history is also inscribed into the plaque.

A red stone maple leaf tops the monolith and is also featured below to mark the centre piece of a large granite Canadian Air Force roundel.

On the outer ring of the roundel are carved the names of each of the 13 Canadian Provinces and Territories.  This was donated by LaFarge Canada.  The general manager of LaFarge, Mr Jamie Kleven made the trip to the UK especially for the ceremony to see the finished monument.

The memorial is located at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire, the UK’s year-round centre of Remembrance.

Michael Oliver, Chairman of Oliver Valves – a Knutsford-based manufacturer that builds valves used by the world’s biggest energy firms, generously agreed to personally underwrite the project.

Flight Lieutenant Alfie Hall of RAF Leeming, a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire which opened during the Second World War, said: “The Royal Canadian Air Force contributed more than 130,000 aircrew to the war effort – the fourth largest allied air force and more than 10,000 lost their lives.”

The Arboretum already contains memorials to the Royal Australian Air Force and the Norwegian Navy, but a monument to the Canadian airmen is conspicuous by its absence.

“Fundraising for projects like these can be a long-drawn-out process, but the generous offer we have received from Michael Oliver will allow us to quickly rectify the absence of a fitting memorial.”

Michael Oliver said: “It is very important that we remember the people who fought alongside Great Britain during the Second World War and a memorial to the Canadian Royal Air Force at the Arboretum is long overdue.”

Donations have come in large and small from both sides of the Atlantic, with one Canadian Province providing a substantial donation. Members of 426 ‘Thunderbird’ Squadron Canadian Air Force visited RAF Linton-on-Ouse this week, and will be visiting sites of historical interest around North Yorkshire.

The 426 Sqn Association has rallied to support the project and have also made a very significant donation to the fund. Flight Lieutenant Hall said: “The generosity of people supporting this project has been amazing; not only veterans and associations, but groups and members of the public who have no connection with the RAF or RCAF from the UK and Canada.

The donations from the Province of Saskatchewan and the 426 Squadron association have benefitted our project greatly, but we just need a little more to meet our target.”

National Memorial Arboretum

The National Memorial Arboretum is the UK’s year-round centre of Remembrance; a spiritually uplifting place which honours the fallen, recognises service and sacrifice, and fosters pride in our country. The Arboretum is part of The Royal British Legion family of charities.

Sited in the heart of the Nation, with 50,000 maturing trees and 160 memorials, it is a beautiful and lasting tribute to those who serve their country, die in conflict or have a special reason for being remembered.

Visitors from all walks of life number around 300,000 per year, including Service personnel, veterans, students of all ages, groups and individuals. Over 200 special events are held annually. The Act of Remembrance, including a Silence, is observed daily in the Millennium Chapel.

The Arboretum is home to the striking Armed Forces Memorial which commemorates those who have been killed on duty or as a result of terrorism from the end of the Second World War to the current conflict in Afghanistan.

An £8 million redevelopment campaign has been launched to create a world-class Remembrance Centre worthy of those who give so much to our Country.

Further information

The National Memorial Arboretum

A project is under way to try and obtain war grave pictures of the grave or memorial of all the Border Regiment Lonsdale Batallion war dead.

Coxyde Militay Cemetery, Belguim

The creator of the Lonsdale Roll of Honour website intends to obtain as many pictures as he can of the men of the Lonsdales.

The idea is to get a picture of the grave or commemoration on a memorial, which will be available free to those who request it.

A searchable database by surname or cemetery, remembers the war dead of the 11th Battalion of the Border Regiment ( The Lonsdales ), with photographs of the cemetery and in some cases the soldier in question.

The link on the soldiers name will take you to his war grave picture, the cemetery links to a view of this and any other photo’s are labelled accordingly.

Your help required Like many ambitious and dedicated projects of this nature, the creator of the Lonsdale Roll of Honour website would like to make a request to all readers of the site to help in the Lonsdale War Grave Project.

The Lonsdales are buried in France, Belgium, Germany and the UK and help is required to collect images of cemeteries and memorials. A list of burials by cemetery, with directions and cemetery plans showing the approximate location of graves is available.

If you are going to the Western Front and can take a couple of snaps, or live near one of the UK Cemeteries, please help this project. All that is required, is a couple of pictures and a cemetery view.

You may even a relative listed of whom you have a picture, these would also be very welcome. Anybody willing to assist with this incredibly valuable project, contact Spike Kev Johnstone

About the Lonsdale Battalion

The Lonsdale Battalion was part of the Border regiment, formed on 17th September 1914 at Penrith, Carlisle, Kendal and Workington by the Earl of Lonsdale and an Executive Committee.
They were attached to the 97th Brigade of the 32nd Division.

Theatre of War Honours; France & Flanders 1915, 1916, 1917, 1918.
Battle Honours; 1916: Somme, Albert, Ancre.
1917: Ancre, Messines.
1918: Somme, Arras.

The battalion was transferred to the 66th Division of the Border Regiment on the 13th May 1918 and was absorbed into the 1/5th Battalion.  They were eventually disbanded on the 31st July 1918.

More information

Lonsdale Battalion Roll of Honour website

Lonsdale Battalion Cemetery List

Growing Remembrance - The Story of the National Memorial Arboretum

The story of the inspiration for, establishment and evolution of the National Memorial Arboretum is a fascinating one.

Sited at Alrewas, Staffordshire, the Arboretum has become the Nation’s all year round focus for remembering and paying tribute to all who have served their country in both peace and war not only in the armed forces and merchant navy but in the emergency services as well.

Planting began in 1997 and was supported by hundreds of organisations both serving and retired.

Among the early memorials was a life-size wooded polar bear, for 49th Division, a grove of Irish trees for the Royal Irish Regiment, an Avenue of Chestnuts for the Police and a Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness to mark the coming of the Millennium.

Britain’s war-widows had a rose-garden planted for them while the Far East Prisoners of War managed to fund a small museum to stand alongside a length of railway track brought back from the notorious Burma Railway.

In October 2007 HM the Queen confirmed the importance of the site when she opened the Armed Forces Memorial to commemorate all service personnel lost on active service since the end of the Second World War; this is especially poignant given the on-going conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The importance of the National Memorial Arboretum is well demonstrated by the growing number of stands and the steady increase in visitor numbers.

More information >>
Growing Remembrance – The Story of the National Memorial Arboretum

Remembered with a simple brass plaque in Silloth is a young man called Cecil Taylor Martin. He was killed, aged just 17 years old, in the First World War on board HMS Monmouth. The son of a local doctor, he is forever remembered in Christ Church, Silloth. Cecil Taylor Martin held the position of Assistant Clerk when he was killed in action on the 1st November 1914, off the coast of Chilli.

Cecil Taylor Martin - Assistant Clerk HMS Monmouth

Cecil Taylor Martin –  remembered

Screwed to the brick wall behind the font in Christ Church, Silloth is the memorial to Cecil Taylor Martin. Measuring around 80cm x 30cm the brass plaque is inscribed;

In loving memory of Cecil Taylor Martin Assistant Clerk HMS Monmouth aged 17 years elder and dearly beloved son of George and Margaret Emily Martin killed in the action off the coast of Chili 1st November 1914 Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God

Cecil was the eldest son of Dr George Martin of Silloth.

HMS Monmouth

Cecil Taylor Martin died when HMS Monmouth, an armoured cruiser, was involved in the Battle of Coronel.   This battle claimed over 1600 souls,  of which over 600 are attributed to HMS Monmouth.

The British ships,  Good Hope, Monmouth, Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, were outgunned and lacked battle experience when they came up against the mighty battle group of the German Graf Spee, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, Leipzig and the Dresden.

The battle commenced around 7pm on the 1st November 1914, with a 8inch German opening salvo from around 12,000yrds.

The British had little or no response from that distance and, to make matters worse, were silhouetted by the setting sun. Making them an easy target for accurate, repeated German gunfire

Commentators have described the battle as the first British defeat for over a century that resulted with the loss of two armoured cruisers and all crew.

The only known memorials to what took place off Coronel, Chile can be found in Stanley Cathedral on the Falkland Islands or in Coronel itself.

An online website is dedicated to the memory of all those involved in the Battle of Coronel.

Further information

Maritime Memorials  - Cecil Taylor Martin

Christopher Long – More information on the battle and the original signals to the Admiralty

Battle of Coronel – Wikipedia

Battle of Coronel  - a Pictorial Look