Whitley Seaside Chronicle and Visitors' Gazette on Saturday, 22/01/1915.

'ONE OF WHITLEY'S BOYS

The following interesting letter from William Forster, an old Whitley Park School boy, will doubtless appeal to many of our readers, as well as to those who knew young Forster whilst under Mr. McQuillen, and later as an assistant with Mr. Sparkes, the site of whose drapery establishment is now the premises of Lloyds' Banking Co. It is about three years' ago since Forster joined the Navy, and it is to be hoped - as he writes in his letter - that he and all his comrades had the Merry Xmas they were looking forward to.

H.M.S Carnarvon
11th December, 1914
Once more I am writing, and this time it is further off than ever, in the vicinity of the Horn and jolly cold. I suppose you will know by now that we have been in action, the largest stand up fight on sea since Nelson. Six of our ships against five of their's. We started in real good form, having been coaling all day and night before 1,700 tons of coal. Finished getting it in by 4 a.m., had three hours' sleep and started striking down the coal lift on the upper deck. Got up anchor at 10 o'clock, told that the Germans were in sight, left harbour 10.30 spotted ships on the horizon and gave chase.

We had with us two battle cruisers and four cruisers. They had five ships of their China squadron. Our big ships steamed at 27.8 knots, the enemy 21.3 our ship 23.7. 11.30 enemy separated big ships from small, our two big ships and ourselves chased their two big ships; our other three cruisers took one each of their three. Action ended in a glorious victory for us, only one of their ships escaping - the Dresden.

The Carnarvon finished off their two big ships one at 4.20 p.m., the other at 6 p.m. But the worst part was after the action, to see all the men in the water drowning. We did our best to save them, but a heavy sea was running and a lot got drowned through the cold. I went away in one of the boats, and was nearly frozen to death, although I was not actually in the water, but wet through with the water breaking over the boat. About 200 were saved, 15 officers. We lost one boat through trying to save life but had no casualty. The British had only one ship damaged, and about 8 men killed.

But I never want to see such a sight again, it was awful, men floating about, minus an arm or a head; it was enough to turn anyone up, and if I had not had plenty to do I should have been as sick as could be. But we are all safe, that is the main point, and there is nothing else here to touch us except the Dresden, and our ships can outsteam and outrange her, so we are going to have a merry Xmas after all, and I hope you will have the same.
WILLIAM FORSTER.'

He is remembered on our List of Ships’ crews