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Research by Den Budden 2007

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Private WILLIAM ALLEN, R.M.L.I. PO/4347, Private, Royal Marine Light Infantry. Age 44 Died 26.2.1919

Private WILLIAM ALLEN, of the Royal Marine Light Infantry, passed away in the Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, Gosport on 26th February 1919 as a result of contracting the ‘Spanish Flu’ epidemic which raged throughout war torn Europe. Somewhere in the region of a million people died after becoming infected. Private WILLIAM ALLEN, R.M.L.I., was buried on the 5th of March 1919, and was laid to rest, Plot 39 Space 58, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.

JOHANN ALSGUTH Pioneer Corps, German Army Age 20        Died 27.9.1941

Very little is known about JOHANN ALSGUTH, the date of his death, Saturday 27th September 1941, was determined after the war ended from German Official records. He was originally buried as unknown, when records were available; it was found that he was 20 years of age. Alguths body was found floating in the sea on the 28th, how he came to be there has not been established. As he was not a member of the Luftwaffe, he could not have been in an aircraft, which had been shot down!

It is possible that he may have been serving on an E-Boat, which were continually attacking shipping off the Isle of Wight. JOHANN ALSGUTH, was buried on the 1st of October 1941, with full military honours. He lies in the War Graves Section, (see plan at back of book), Row 7 Grave 4, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.

Petty Officer FREDERICK WILLIAM ANDREWS, R.N. PO/ 201942, Petty Officer Master at Arms, Royal Navy, HMS Glatton. Age 35     Died 3.10.1918

Officer’s Cook Class 1 ARTHUR KENNETH MARTIN, R.N. L/2135, Officers Cook 1st Class, Royal Navy, HMS Glatton. Age 26        Died 21.9.1918

Leading Stoker ROBERT GEORGE WHITE, R.N. 293758,       Leading Stoker Royal Navy, HMS Glatton Age 35 Died 17.9.1918

The town and port of Dover was very nearly destroyed by an instrument of war, not a long- range shell, or a bomb, but a warship. On the 16th of September 1918, the Monitor ship HMS Glatton, 5700 tons, was anchored in harbour and fully loaded with ammunition and explosives ready for France. A fire somehow started in the galley area. There was a great worry that the cargo would go up. Immediately the seafront and houses were cleared, and a barrier put up in the Market Square, to stop onlookers away from the harbour.

The ship if she had exploded, would have levelled much of the town and causing catastrophic consequences. The local fire fighters joined naval fire parties in trying to contain the blaze. In fact all attempts to subdue the fire came to nought. Some members of the crew were still trapped onboard, and it was with great reluctance that Admiral Keyes took the decision to order a destroyer to torpedo HMS Glatton, thus sinking the vessel and allowing the sea to flood the hull, to put out the fire.

Being a monitor type ship, she was almost flat bottomed, but three torpedoes struck her, and she immediately began to capsize. Many men still on board had very little time to escape, and so perished. She was not raised until 1925. Towed into the harbour camber, still upside down, plates from the hull were removed to allow the remains of the crew to be recovered. And the explosives removed. A memorial service was conducted on the upturned hull to remember the loss of so many of her crew. Three of Glatton’s crew listed above are interred at Ann’s Hill Cemetery.

Frederick William Andrews, died from injuries received in the explosion on Thursday 3rd October, in the Royal Marine’s Infirmary, Deal, Kent. Was buried on Tuesday 8th October. Plot 29 Space 26.

Arthur Kenneth Martin died of injuries in the Military Hospital at Heston Heights, Dover, on Saturday 21st September. He was buried four days later in Plot 80 Space 68.

Robert George White died in the fire on board HMS Glatton on the 17th September; he was buried on the 23rd Plot 38 Space 2.

A CWG headstone commemorates all three.

Lieutenant WILLIAM HERBERT ARTHUR, R.F.C. 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps, late of the 5th Brigade C.F.A. Age 28          Died 13.12.1917

Lieutenant WILLIAM HERBERT ARTHUR, Royal Flying Corps, and late of the 5th Brigade C.F.A. 28 years of age was flying in an aeroplane from RAF Gosport on the morning of Thursday 13th of December 1917, he had been in the air for some time when observers on the ground heard the machine's engine stutter, it circled back towards the airfield which some observers thought was an attempt to land.

At this point the nose of the aircraft dipped, seemed to recover, then nose-dived and spiralled into the ground from a height of some 200 feet, crashing a short distance from the aerodrome in the grounds of Fort Brockhurst. Little of the details are known as reporting restrictions curtailed information, at the inquest it was stated that when Lt. Arthur was taken from his machine he was dead, succumbing to a fracture of the skull, a verdict of accidental death was recorded.

Lt. William Herbert Arthur, R.F.C., was buried on the 18th of December 1917, and is laid to rest, Plot 50 Space 69, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.

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