Prince
of Wales
While researching one of our casualties, surnamed Prince, we came across this appealingly-named
casualty. Listed under "Prince of Wales" on the CWGC
site, he was Private B/321,
serving in the Inland Water Transport service of the Royal
Engineers.
He died on 6 September 1917, and is commemorated on the
Freetown Memorial, in Sierra Leone.
Airman's Lifeboat
On Cromer, Norfolk, seafront is a plaque to
"The Foresters' Centenary", a lifeboat in service between 1936
and 1961. The lifeboat itself is now on display in Sheringham
museum. Known to her crew as "The Pea Pod", the lifeboat was
donated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution by The
Ancient Order of Foresters' Friendly Society, at a cost of
£3,569. She was launched 129 times and saved 82 lives. During
World War II she rescued more airmen than any other lifeboat,
hence her commemoration as "The Airman's Lifeboat".
Headstone
Visiting Brandwood End cemetery,
Birmingham, in search of the grave of our casualty Leonard John
"Billy" Bailey, we noticed this unusual headstone.
Shaped in the form of a tree-trunk,
it commemorates Frank Starkey Barnett. He was born on 26
January 1860 and died on 13 November 1915. Also inscribed
there is the name of his wife, Bertha Barnett (nee Harrison),
born 1 November 1863, and died 28 March 1940.
They married in 1885 in the
Solihull registration district.
Headstone
At St Mary the Virgin church,
Lapworth, Warwickshire, amongst the graves, is this unusual
little memorial. The headstone reads:
"In loving memory of Frank Wise,
aged 13 years, Sidney Warren, aged 11 years, and Ernest Spight,
aged 11 years, who were drowned through the breaking of the ice
on Spring Pits on which they were sliding as they returned from
school and church on Ash Wednesday, February 13, 1907.. Also of
Arthur Wise, aged 10 years, who gave his life in a brave attempt
to save his companions. This stone was erected by the
parishioners of Lapworth as a token of sympathy with their
parents and as a warning to the children of future generations.
Samuel Plimsoll
At St Martin's church, Cheriton,
while looking for war casualties we came across the grave of
Samuel Plimsoll, famed for the maximum loading marks on ships to
ensure safe buoyancy in various conditions.
The
inscriptions at the front of the grave have a representation of
a loading mark, and read, "Samuel Plimsoll "The Sailors Friend",
born at Briston Feb 10th 1824, died at Folkestone June 3rd
1898." Beneath is inscribed "He giveth his beloved sleep".
On the right face is written,
"Harriet Frankish, his wife. March 12 1851 - May 22 1911. "I
will lift up mine eyes until the hills from whence cometh my
help" "
On the left face appear the words,
"Enid Mary, dear wife of S R C Plimsoll, July 2nd 1893 - August
21st 1937. L.M.N.B.M."
The
Only Greek Soldier
From a visit to Botley cemetery,
Oxford, we learnt that there is only one Greek soldier buried in
the UK. His name was T, Lagos, and he died from wounds on 18
October 1944. His grave in the picture is marked by the cross.
In the same cemetery is a CWGC
headstone for Private H Gibbons, who died on 23 February 1919.
Unusually it has an inscription on the back, presumably
commemorating his wife.
