Members interested in Hartlepool Bombardment

[Hett65]

While at Linthorpe cemetery, Middlesbrough today looking for two headstones of casualties, I came across this headstone relating to men killed during the bombardment of Hartlepool on the 16th December 1914.

The men named on the headstone are;-

George Charles Martin-Flynn (Armourer) and Ralph Weston Hook (LS 224557) of HMS Patrol. (Can find Hook on CWGC but not Martin-Flynn)

Thought this may be of interest to members of the forum who collect medals to the navy or are interested in the bombardment of the eastern coast of England.

John

[Clio]

Could you give us some of the background ? ie what happened on board HMS

Patrol - was she hit by a shell ?

[kevin]

Here's Flynn; http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_detail...casualty=408637

Clio here's some info re the Patrol; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Patrol_(1904)

What i find interesting, is at the base of the headstone, you can see the grave plot ref numbers, most grave stones have these on, and in this case you can see the C C 8606 & 7, so they is two graves [seperate plots ] and the one headstone, not sure how the plots are laid out in Linthorpe [do not have a cemetry map], so is the Headstone sitting over the one Grave or straddling both?

Kevin

[Hett65]

Clio

I think Kevin has given you a site to check on the incident the ship was involved in and answers your query.

Kevin

In relation to the above gravestone, there is no border to show seperate graves, it is all grassed over. I had a map from Middlesbrough Bereavement Services showing the plots of two Middlesbrough soldiers I am researching, and who do not have CWGC headstones, and I still could not find the plots. I thought they may have had private headstones from the family but the plots seem to roll into each other with the grass covering many headstones which have been laid down, possibly due to the old 'health and safety' issue.

John

[Clio]

Yes, I read it, thanks

[chrisharley9]

Here is Martin Flynn

Name: FLYNN

Initials: G M

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Armourer

Regiment/Service: Royal Navy

Unit Text: H.M.S. "Patrol."

Date of Death: 16/12/1914

Service No: CH/345449

Additional information: (Served as MARTIN).

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: C. C. 8606.

Cemetery: MIDDLESBROUGH (LINTHORPE) CEMETERY