Navy
Spencer Veness
Regiment: Royal Fleet Reserve
Father: Mr Thomas Veness
Brother: Charles Veness
Address: 62 Vicarage Road, Hastings
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Jack Diton
Rank: Cook’s Mate
Ship: HMS Dominion
Father: Mr Henry Diton
Brother: Harry Diton & Wallace Diton
Address: 13 Woods Passage, All Saints Street, Hastings
Published: October 1914 & April 1917
Other Info: Eldest grandson of Councilor Dighton (sic). *The spelling of the surname ‘Diton’ corresponds with Navy records.
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Army
Joseph (Joe) Herbert Gale
Rank: Corporal
Regiment: Canadian Naval Reserve / 39th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force.
Parents: Mr & Mrs Joseph Gale
Wife: Mrs Ada Mary Ann Gale
Brothers: A Gale , Frank Gale & G Jones
Brothers-in-Law: Frederick John Henry Sargent & William Hewitt
Nephew: Fred Sargent
Parent’s Address: 94 Manor Road, Hastings
Home Address: Albert Street, Cobourg, Ontario
Other Info: Of the old Hastings Navals. Machine Gun Instructor. Killed in action. According to CWGC, Joe died on 11th June 1916 aged 31. He is remembered at Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, on panel 24 – 26 – 28 – 30.
You can view Joe’s CEF enlistment papers for free here.
An article in the Hastings & St Leonards Observer dated 1st July 1916 reads:
“Hastings Corporal Killed. We regret to hear that Corporal J. H. Gale, of a Canadian Machine Gun Section has been killed in action.
He was the son of Mr and Mrs Gale of 94 Manor Road, Hastings. He has been Canada for some years, but returned to England. <text unclear> he made a second trip to Canada, and soon after the outbreak of war joined the Colours, going to the Front in January.
His wife is a native of Hastings, and at the present time is residing with the late Corporal’s parents. She is left with three children. Two sons-in-law of Mr & Mrs Gale are on active service, and two sons are undergoing training and another will join up shortly. One grandson is training in Canada.
Mrs Gale received a sympathetic letter from a lieutenant, who says the late Mr Gale was ‘a fine man and a fine soldier. One cannot say any more for a man these days. I am sorry, but it is the fortune of war, and our womenfolk have a hard part to bear in this War. Their task is harder than ours, and it is the way that they keep cheerful under the strain that keeps us going”.
Published: October 1914, March 1916 & October 1916
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Navy
Charles James Turner
Rank: Able Seaman
Ship: HMS Neptune
Parents: Mr & Mrs W Turner
Address: Pine Hill Cottage, St Helens, Hastings
Published: October 1914
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Navy
William Down
Rank: Signalman
Ship: HMS Crescent
Grandfather: Mr E Down
Address: South Terrace, Halton, Hastings
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Ernest Coalbran
Ship: HMS Achilles
Mother: Mrs Coalbran
Brother: Alfred Coalbran
Address: 18 Broadway, Ore
Published: October 1914 & July 1916
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Navy
Percy George King
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves
Mother: Mrs G King
Brothers: W R King & Henry King
Address: 77 Southwater Road, St Leonards
Other Info: According to CWGC, Percy died on 15th March 1917 when his ship SS Bray Head was attacked by German submarine U-44 and sunk with the loss of 21 lives. Percy is remembered at Portsmouth Naval Memorial, panel 28.
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Frank Usher
Rank: Able Seaman
Regiment: Howe Battalion, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves
Parents: Mr Charles John & Mrs Constance Caroline Usher
Sister: Mrs Alice M Blissett (later Helsdown)
Brother: Harry Usher
Brothers-in-Law: Thomas Blissett & William Blissett
Address: 11 Woods Passage, Hastings
Other Info: Was at the defence of Antwerp. Died of wounds at Malta. According to CWGC, Frank died of wounds aged 19 on 17th July 1915. He is remembered at Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, grave reference: M.10.
Published: October 1914, August 1915, August 1917 & November 1917
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Navy
A J Yeats
Rank: Musician
Ship: HMS Agamemnon
Parents: Mr & Mrs Yeats
Brother: Frank H Yeats
Sister: Miss Yeats
Address: 48 Vicarage Road, Hastings
Other Info: In the Royal Naval Band
Published: October 1914
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Navy
Victor Albert Groombridge
Rank: 1st Class Petty Officer
Ship: HMS Hampshire
Parents: Mr Joseph & Mrs Mary Groombridge
Sister: Mrs G A Dunk
Brother-in-Law: George Alfred Dunk
Address: Old Town, Hastings
Other Info: Recently promoted (as of October 1914). Victor was one of 650 lost when HMS Hampshire was sunk by a mine on 5th June 1916. Field Marshall Lord Kitchener and his staff were also on board and lost. Victor is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, on panel 11.
Published: October 1914, July 1916 & May 1917
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