War Memorial at Lyme Regis
Remembrance 2014 Lyme Regis
Vernon Rattenbury has submitted the following:
I am in the Lyme Regis Royal British Legion and have researched all those on our local memorial. Although not on our memorial we have, I believe, one of your fallen from WW1 buried in our cemetery along with five of his shipmates from HMS Formidable torpedoed off the town in 1915.
His details are: William Fawkes, Stoker 1st Class, Royal Navy, Service No. 303073, born 31 Jul 1883 - Durham, County Durham, died 1 Jan 1915, HMS Formidable, Son of William P. and Ann E. Fawkes, of 161, St. Vincent St., Westoe, South Shields. He is buried in Lyme Regis Cemetery, grave D.14/17.
I see you have a record of him on your Holy Trinity, South Shields memorial but not his story so here it is:
William Fawkes had joined the Royal Navy at Chatham in 1903 and served on HMS Formidable. On the night of 31 Dec 1914, after gunnery exercises off Portland the fleet remained at sea, even though the threat from submarines in the area would have been expected. But with the wind and sea state increasing it was thought to make attacks difficult. The next day 1 Jan 1915, the squadron was steaming at 10 knots, just 20 miles south east of Start Point and 30 miles south of Lyme Regis (15.30N-03.04W). HMS Formidable was steaming at the rear of the squadron. At 02.20 she was struck by a torpedo from the U Boat U-24, [under the command of Kptlt. Rudolf Schneider] on the starboard side in No. 1 Boiler Room, which gave her a list of 20 degrees. She was struck again by another torpedo 45 minutes later. Huge waves thirty feet high lashed the stricken ship, with strong winds, rain and hail, sinking it in less than two hours.
One pinnace with 70 men on board was picked up by the trawler Provident, 15 miles off Berry Head. The second pinnace took off another 71 men. This boat was soon half-filled with water as the men desperately bailed - with boots, caps, even a blanket, anything that came to hand. One seaman sat over a hole in the boat from the time they started away to the time of rescue.
Dawn broke out of sight of land; a liner was seen, then eleven other craft, but the pounding seas and huge waves hid the pinnace. Night came, still with relentless gales.
Blackout restrictions were in force, but the seamen saw light from the shore. There was a sudden bright light that shone out three miles off, which may have been from the Assembly Rooms cinema in Lyme Regis. The machine had broken down and the operator examining it shone the lamp through the window for a second or two.
Their boat came ashore in Lyme Regis at 23.00 on New Year's Day. Of the 71 men in the pinnace, 48 were brought ashore alive, six were found to be dead on arrival, 14 died during the 22 hours the men had fought for survival and were buried at sea, and three died after landing.
The Pilot Boat Inn became rescue headquarters. Many of the townsfolk brought food and blankets. Others took men into their homes to rest and recuperate, while those needing medical aid were sent to hospital. The dead were placed in the Drill Hall, now the Marine Theatre.
In total the loss of life of HMS Formidable was 35 Officers and 512 men. Three of the dead were repatriated to their home towns but six of those who died including William Fawkes were buried on the 6th Jan 1915 in Lyme Regis Cemetery. They are not forgotten and are honoured at a grave side ceremony every Remembrance time as much sons of Lyme as those who were killed that came from the town itself.
On the 6th January 2015 we are holding a 100th commemoration of the six sailors buried together from the sinking so if you know of any relatives of William Fawkes who may wish to attend please let me know and I can supply details of the event. I know this is a long shot as families move or die out but thought we would give it a try.
Additional research: On 26th October, 1914 this U-boat was the first to attack an unarmed merchant ship without warning.
The trawler Provident picked up 72 survivors from HMS Formidable.
William Fawkes is remembered at South Shields on S86.039 and on our List of Ships’ crews
