WW1 Dedication Service - Sunday 10 September 2017

 

Photos from the WW1 dedication service held on Sunday 10 September at St Osmund's church, Osmington. The standards are originals so some are 100 years old.

The Rev Brian Ellis asked those gathered at St Osmund's Church, we all say 'We will remember them' but how many of us spend time thinking about those who served in wars other than on armistice day?

In Osmington our small community has actively kept the memories alive of those who fought in the war and much is still planned.

An act of remembrance with repesentatives from the regiments attending was organised by Marjorie Bandy and Rev Ellis  to commemorate the restoration of a tapestry listing the names of all those who fought in WW1.

It is a great way for them to be remembered and a useful source of information for visitors and locals.

Osmington History has been tracing the life stories of the soldiers and sailors who fought in conflicts and we will continue to find out as much as we can. We are very interested to hear from anyone who might be related, or have photos or family stories of these men.

One story we are able to share is that of:

Able Seaman Petty Officer, Coast Guard

William Henry Foot
128846, H.M.S. "Monmouth.", Royal Navy

who died on 01 November 1914 Age 44

HMS Monmouth

He is named on the naval memorial at Plymouth

William lived at the Coastguard cottage in Osmington mills prior to the start of the war. He grew up in Shaldon in Devon and served there as a Coastguard officer and also in Cork. He moved to Osmington mills around 1912.

William married Susan in 1896 they both grew up in Shaldon Devon and the majority of their children were born there.

William and Susan's children were:

William Henry Foot b.1896
Cyril Egbert Foot b.1899 d. 1979
Victor Robert Foot b.1900 d.1978
Stanley Frederick Foot b. 1903 d. 1990
Leslie George Foot b. 1907 d. 1988
Dorothea Edna Foot b. 1910 d.2002

Sadly in December 1912 Susan died in childbirth with their youngest child. They are both buried in St Osmund's churchyard near to the path on the left just as you walk up the path.

Willaim Foot Snr received a Long Service medal and a Good Conduct medal from the Royal Navy for his work as a coast guard.

On 1 November 1914 he was killed in action at the Battle of Coronel leaving his six remaining children orphaned. His body was never recovered.

William and Susan's eldest son also called William Henry b.1896  served in the Royal Navy from 1915 until 1928. He later moved to Canada.

The Battle of Coronel - 1 November 1914

This Battle took place in the southern Pacific Ocean, over 12,000 km (7,500 miles) from northern Europe, off the coast of Chile.

The British Navy was led  by Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock and the Germans by Vice Admiral Reichsgraf Maximilian von Spee.

Cradock

Von Spee

Coronel is a notable battle of the first world war as the British Royal Navy confronted a German squadron outside the port of Coronel, close to Chile's second city of Concepcion.

The Germans under the Command of Von Spee won a resounding victory, sinking two of the four British ships with the loss of over 1,600 lives. Not a single German sailor died.

It was the first defeat of the British Navy.