WW1 100 years on - William Henry Foot

Name	William Henry Foot
Address	6 Coastguard Station Osmington Mills
Date of Birth Place	18 March 1869 Shaldon Devon
Date of Death Place	01/11/1914 The coast of Chile
Family Info	Husband of the late Susan Foot of H.M. Coastguard Station, Osmington Mills, Dorset Children: William Henry V Foot b. 1897 Cyril Egbert Foot b. 1899 - 1979 Victor Robert Foot b. 1900-1978 Stanley Frederick Foot b. 1903-1990 Leslie George Foot b.1907-1988 Dorothea Edna Foot b. 1910-2002
Military Information: Killed November 1914 Royal Navy HMS Monmouth Able Seaman (Petty Officer, Coast Guard) Service Number 128846 William was killed in action at Battle of Coronel off the coast of Chile on 1 November 1914 aged 44 years William gained both Long Service and Good Conduct Medals from the Navy. He is commemorated at PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Further Information: His wife Susan Foot died in childbirth in 1912 in Osmington and is buried in the churchyard with her baby. With the death of William his six living children were left orphaned under the care of relatives The Battle of Coronel: November 1, 1914 the Germans opened fire at 7 pm. The British squadron commanded by Sir Christopher Cradock’s flagship, the Good Hope, was hit before the crew could return fire; it sank within half an hour. HMS Monmouth followed two hours later, after attempting to withdraw and being sunk by the light cruiser Nuremberg. No fewer than 1,600 British sailors, including Cradock himself, perished along with the two ships; it was the Royal Navy’s worst defeat in more than a century.

William & Susan’s eldest son William Henry Victor Foot also left Osmington to enrol in the services during the First World war.

He signed up for service with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary force on 24 July 1915

Organized in July 1915 under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. E. Hodgins. Originally designated 80th Division Pioneer Battalion but designation changed on 18 August 1915. Authorization published in General Order 151 of 22 December 1915. Mobilized at Winnipeg. Left Montreal 20 November 1915 aboard METAGAMA. Arrived in England 30 November 1915. Strength: 20 officers, 1046 other ranks. Arrived in France 9 March 1916. 1st Canadian Division. 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade. Became 9th Battalion Canadian Railway Troops in May 1917.

William junior survived the war and married Mary Jane Chesworth in 1919 in Winnipeg, Canada. She was also British having recently emigrated with her family from Derbyshire. He died in Saskatchewan, Canada on 25 June 1975.