Come on a little adventure with me, connecting Chatham Naval Memorial, a Dutch island and a village in Suffolk.
A few years ago, I visited the beautiful Dutch island of Terschelling. Surrounded by the Wadden Sea and edged with mud flats and vast beaches, it’s a place that has been shaped by the sea and a rich maritime history. I spent a rainy afternoon exploring that history in the island Wreck Museum.
The Wreck Museum is actually housed in a cottage built partly from shipwreck salvage and is keeper of a range of wreck and maritime themed artefacts dating form the 1600’s through to the present day.
It’s a fascinating if slightly bonkers museum, one I’d definitely recommend if you ever find yourself on the island. There’s a lot of stuff in there, but one exhibit in particular caught my eye and stuck in my mind: the casualty details of a 17-year-old British boy, originally from Suffolk, lost when his ship HMS Black Prince went down in the Battle of Jutland.
I don’t think I’d even heard of the glorious lands of Chatham back then. Fast forward to the present day and military life has washed us up in Kent, just a short drive away from Chatham Naval Memorial. Time for a little history side quest; I set off to find my sailor.
The Chatham Naval Memorial
Located on the highest point of the Great Lines Heritage Park above Chatham in Kent, the Chatham Naval Memorial is one of a trio commemorating those lost during the First and Second World Wars. The other two memorials stand in Portsmouth and Plymouth.
Built from Portland stone, the enclosed memorial centres around a striking obelisk guarded by reclining stone lions. Bronze plaques bear the names of 8,571 sailors lost in WW1 and 10,098 in WW2. The memorial honours not only those lost at sea, but also ranks and ratings who died ashore but have no known grave.
At the entrance, two stone figures flank the gates, representing sailors on watch. They are two of four stone seamen found within the memorial walls and the craftsmanship in each figure is remarkable.
The heavy folds of a duffel coat, a hand gripping binoculars- every detail is there, carefully carved. The buttons on a cuff, the bow on a hat, all been crafted with precision.
Leonard Young, Boy 1st Class
And what of Leonard Young, the young sailor whose details motivated me to set off on this little adventure in the first place?
Let’s start with his back story, or at least what I know of it after doing a bit of digging. In his casualty details, Leonard Young is described as the ‘ward of ‘ Martin and Elizabeth Harper of Rose Cottage in Theberton, Suffolk. I guessed this meant Leonard wasn’t their child by birth and I was right, although I haven’t been able to discover how he came to join their household.
Leonard was born in Horsley, Derby on 29 March 1899. I don’t know the circumstances of his birth and reason he couldn’t remain with his birth parents, but I did discover he was baptised in Theberton in July 1899 meaning he came to the Harper’s in his early days.
Cenus records list Leonard as living at Rose Cottage with Martin Harper, a farm labourer, his wife Elizabeth and two men related to her; one being her brother, the other possibly her brother or father.
Leonard joined the Royal Navy in 1915. His sign on papers detail him as being 5 feet three-and-three-quarter inches tall, grey eyes, fair hair and complexion. In his short career, he served on three ships, his final voyage being on HMS Black Prince, lost in the Battle of Jutland in 1916.
Leonard Young, Boy Sailor 1st Class. Born in Derby, raised in Suffolk. Found in Terschelling, remembered in Chatham.
Lest we forget.
Great Lines Heritage Park, Chatham.
Find the Chatham Naval Memorial at Great Lines Heritage Park in Chatham, Kent. The memorial is gated, public access is allowed 08.30 -17.00.
Once part of an extensive fortification system, Great Lines is now a vast green space perfect for walking, cycling and exploring the military history of the local area. If you are interested in that, you’ll fill your boots here. Nearby attractions include:
The Historic Dockyard Chatham: 400 years of maritime history, the story of the Chatham Dockyards and the people who lived and worked around them. Also, this is a Call the Midwife filming location where you can take a CTM themed tour with a costumed midwife guide!
Fort Amherst: Britain’s biggest and (probably) best Napoleonic fort, complete with a maze of underground tours. The grounds are dog friendly, free to visit and there is a lovely little cafe.
If you enjoyed this post you might also enjoy:
Exploring The U-995 Submarine & Laboe Naval Memorial Near Kiel
A Visitors Guide to the Wreck Museum, Terschelling
Walking the Runnymede Memorial Trail, Surrey
Helen x
Really interesting read, love how you connected Terschelling, Suffolk, and Chatham through one story. It’s amazing how these small “history side quests” bring real people like Leonard Young back into focus.