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Remembered Today:

Formidable related photos please


potty5

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Dear forum members, many years ago I published a book on the sinking of the old pre-dreadnought battleship HMS Formidable on January 1, 1915, in the English Channel titled BEFORE THE BELLS HAVE FADED. Since then I have been fascinated with the story and have continued to research the story and collect photos and articles relating to the old battleship. I now have many many more photos than were published in the old book and intend to put them in all in a new scrapbook style book to be privately published in aid of the Lyme Regis lifeboat. Basically, if any forum members have relatives associated with HMS Formidable (survived or perished) or the sinking of the Formidable, including the rescue of sailors by the Brixham trawler 'Provident' (William Pillar and crew) or residents of Lyme Regis who helped in the rescue of the survivors (Sgt. Stockley, Mrs Atkins at Pilot Boat Inn etc.) then can you please get in touch with me please so I can include your photos and memories in the new publication. Closing date for photos will be the end of November. Thanks very much, Mark Potts.

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Postcard photograph (and reverse):

 

Thomas William Ball

 

SS.4978, Ordinary Seaman, Royal Navy, died age 18 when HMS Formidable was lost on 1st Jan 1915.

 

Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

 

Born Sheffield, Yorkshire, 23 Apr 1896. Resided Sheffield. Joined RN 1 May 1914.

 

Mark

 

Photo 1.jpg

Photo 2.jpg

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I don't have decent images for you but hopefully I can point you in the right direction.

 

Over the years I've had cause to transcribe many articles from the local newspapers held at the Norfolk County Archive. The physical source is bad - micro films done in 1995 that have been heavily abused over the years and only readable on technology that has to be cannibalised as spare parts and maiintenance just isn't available. The good news is that there has recently been a sign up saying saying that as part of the deal they have done with FindMyPast, many of the titles have been scanned and are now available.

 

Going back a step, where it was very difficult to transcribe the images in situ because of the poor quality, I took pictures to see if I could enhance them using software. Please bear in mind what is attached was intended for my personal use - it's more a question of you seeing whether it's worthwhile trying to track down what are hopefully decent quality images on FindMyPast.

 

1. In the edition of the Norwich Mercury dated Saturday 9th January 1915 there is a picture captioned:-

A “FORMIDABLE” DEATH

 

Seaman E. Capps (18), son of Mr. R. Capps, Spurgeon Score, Lowestoft. Died in the Formidable’s boat which went ashore at Lyme Regis on Friday night last.      

 

Note there is no straight match for this man on SDGW or WW1 Naval Casualties. No obvious register of seamans services.

 

On the 1911 Census of England and Wales there is a 37 year old Robert Capps, a Fish Merchants Clerk, born Lowestoft, who was recorded as the married head of the household at 12 Spurgeon Score, Lowestoft. He and his wife Elise have been married 15 years and have had three children, all then still alive and living with them. The oldest is the 14 year old Edward, a Fish Merchants Errand Boy, born Lowestoft.

 

Among the men lost from the Formidable and shown on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website there is however:-

 

Boy 1st Class JENNER, EDWARD WILLIAM CAPPS

Service Number J/29555

Died 01/01/1915

Aged 17

H.M.S. "Formidable." Royal Navy

Son of Robert Capps Jenner and Elsie Capps Jenner, of 12, Spurgeon Score, Lowestoft. Native of Lowestoft.

Commemorated at CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL

Source: https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/4004355/jenner,-edward-william-capps/

 

The Norwich Mercury was a twice weekly printed paper which had a number of sister titles around the country and northern Suffolk - including the Lowestoft Mercury, which is another possible source for the same image.

 

The same edition has several columns devoted to the loss, but as they appear to be agency articles I've not prioritised them for transcription.

 

2. On the following Wednesday, (13th) and the subsequent Saturday, (16th), this article appeared in the Norwich Mercury.

 

A “FORMIDABLE” SURVIVOR.

 

SPENDING LEAVE AT NORWICH.

 

Seaman John Harlow, who has been spending a few days leave at Norwich, was one of the last to leave the battleship Formidable when she sank. Narrating his experience, he says: “I came off watch at midnight on Old Year’s night, and turned into my hammock. At 2.30 on New Year’s morning I was awakened by the noise of the crew hurrying about. Everybody was making for the upper deck. I did not know what had happened. I thought we had struck a mine. I did not stay to dress, but blew up my swimming collar and tied it round my neck. I then ran to the upper deck. The ship was heavily listing on her starboard side. I saw Captain Loxley standing calmly on the bridge with his terrier beside him. The order had been given to lower the ship’s boats, and I lent a hand. They were partly manned but the sea was so rough that the boats could not stand by near enough for us to get to them. I felt sure the Formidable had been torpedoed. The vessel for a time regained her balance, but continued to gradually sink. The order was then given to throw overboard every piece of wood, etc., that would float. This done, we all stood and waited further orders. There was no sort of panic. Everybody was perfectly calm, though we felt it was practically all up. Those who hadn’t a cigarette had a pull at somebody else’s, and we sang ‘It’s a long, long way to Tipperary’ and ‘Get out or get under.’ At last the captain gave the order, ‘Every man for himself.’ I jumped over the stern into the water. I had nothing on except a blue Guernsey and my swimming collar. One of the ship’s boats picked me up, and then we were hailed by a cruiser.”

 

Checking my transcriptions for any further reference to John Harlow, I came up with a picture and article in the edition of the Eastern Daily Press dated Tuesday, January 4, 1916.

 

The picture is captioned:  A.B. SEAMAN JOHN HARLOW, of Norwich. One of the survivors of H.M.S. Natal.

 

The article reads:-

 

NORWICH SURVIVOR OF H.M.S. NATAL.

 

TWICE ESCAPED DEATH.

 

Among the survivors of H.M.S. Natal is a young Norwich man, A.B.Seaman John Harlow, whose parents live at 34, Leonard Street. His name appears on the list of saved. Harlow has had a second escape from death, for he was on board H.M.S. Formidable, which was torpedoed and sunk on January 1st last year. On that occasion Harlow was amongst the last to leave the Formidable, and when the order “Every man for himself” was given, he jumped over the stern into the water and was rescued by a light cruiser.

 

From his Register of Seamans Services this appears to be J22110 John Harlow, Royal Navy, who was born on the 17th August 1895 at Norwich . He joined as a Boy in January 1913 and left the service in 1925.

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D6874184

 

3. The edition of the Norfolk Chronicle dated Friday, January 8, 1915 includes a photograph with the caption

 

Our picture shows the captain and crew of the “Providence,” whose heroism in Torbay redeemed to some extent the gloom surrounding the loss of the “Formidable.” Capt. W. Pillar is in the centre, with the mate, W. Carter, on the right, and John Clark, the third hand, on the left. The other two are Dan Taylor, the cook, and L. Pillar, the gallant cabin boy. whose heroism won deserved cheers from the inhabitants of Brixham when he landed.

 

Unfortunately the image I was working from was too dark to get a reasonable picture, so all I have is the caption. However I suspect it's an Agency photograph, so hopefully it will be available elsewhere.

 

The note in the County Archive referred to the Norwich Mercury and the Eastern Daily Press as the titles being made available via FindMyPast, along with others that weren't being published during the war time years.

 

If you have any other men from the Formidable with a Norfolk or Suffolk connection, please let me know and I'll see if I can turn anything up.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

DSC_0170.JPG

DSC_0429.JPG

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 28/07/2019 at 00:18, MAW said:

Postcard photograph (and reverse):

 

Thomas William Ball

 

SS.4978, Ordinary Seaman, Royal Navy, died age 18 when HMS Formidable was lost on 1st Jan 1915.

 

Commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.

 

Born Sheffield, Yorkshire, 23 Apr 1896. Resided Sheffield. Joined RN 1 May 1914.

 

Mark

 

Photo 1.jpg

Photo 2.jpg

 

    Interesting aside in the British Newspaper Archive to this lad's story...from Oct 1st 1914.

Screenshot_20190808-204314.jpg

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Hi Mark

 The Sheffield Daily Independent,  1st October 1915. His Dad owned a small chain of boot and shoe shops in the city.

   He died of Bright's disease in 1906 at his home in Wood Road, Hillsborough.

Andy

https://search.findmypast.co.uk/bna/viewarticle?id=bl%2f0001464%2f19141001%2f125&stringtohighlight=t p ball formidable

Edited by sadbrewer
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I’ve attached part of a three-page article from the ‘Great Deeds of the Great War’ from January 1915. It includes a photograph of the ‘Provident’. If you wish I can try to send you the whole article. Please let me know.

 

 

75BDC77F-CC4B-4F54-8FFF-421E2D23710D.jpeg

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Sadbrewer - thank you for the additional information.

 

Ball served briefly on HMS Lord Nelson before transeferring to HMS Formidable in July 1914.

 

Mark

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Some related material in the archive at work but I won't be able to get at it until next week. I think I have a newspaper illustration showing Capt. Loxley and his terrier Bruce - possibly the one that is shown here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55878228/bruce-war_dog

 

sJ

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Hello

I have a photo from a newspaper of Harry Sayer, C H Slater and C E Watkins. If these are any good please PM with your email address and I will send them onto you.

Jacks

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On 09/08/2019 at 16:00, seaJane said:

Some related material in the archive at work but I won't be able to get at it until next week. I think I have a newspaper illustration showing Capt. Loxley and his terrier Bruce - possibly the one that is shown here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/55878228/bruce-war_dog

 

sJ

Here's the aforementioned image, photographed from a cutting in the archives at work (I think we have it among the papers of the surgeon aboard TOPAZE, one of the rescue ships).

 

I also have a PDF of an article published in the Times a day or so later, but cannot attach it here, so drop me a message if you'd like to see it.

 

seaJane

Capt Noel Loxley and Bruce going down with FORMIDABLE re-sized.jpg

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PS - Bruce's grave is in a corner of the Sub-tropical Gardens at Abbotsbury, as his body was washed ashore near there. I've seen it, but didn't then realise the significance, or I would have taken a photograph.

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27 minutes ago, seaJane said:

Here's the aforementioned image, photographed from a cutting in the archives at work (I think we have it among the papers of the surgeon aboard TOPAZE, one of the rescue ships).

 

seaJane

Capt Noel Loxley and Bruce going down with FORMIDABLE re-sized.jpg

 

You’re never alone with a Strand! The article I mentioned upthread also has Captain Loxley having a fag:

 

 

43EDAA6D-AD44-4091-A22C-D364F9538373.jpeg

E33C2315-AE16-4AA2-B7DF-4A2DB71AC7D3.jpeg

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  • 8 months later...

Hi- I've found a copy of a handwritten account of one of the survivors of HMS Formidable.  It's signed J H Laplin??  Hard to read the surname - would he be on your list of known survivors?  

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There doesn't appear to be a man of this name on the list of survivors.  The nearest I can find is John W. Lambert.

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Looks like J. H. Taplin to me, but I can't find anyone of that name in TNA's Discovery catalogue.

 

 

 

Edited by seaJane
typo
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Agree with Jane, thats what I was thinking also. That T could be a L tho.

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Yes, Leading Stoker J. H. Taplin was one of the 48 survivors landed at Lyme Regis. Mark.

 

Full name was Joseph Henry Taplin. Mark.

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Yes, this is the man - posted to the FORMIDABLE on 30 July 1914 - carried on the books of the Chatham barracks after the ship's loss until invalided out on 19 May 1915 - the cause mentioned suggests he was probably a long-term casualty of the sinking - the first entry in the Remarks column suggests that he may have served in the Army at some time before joining the R.N.

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