Category Archives: Fishermen

Our heroic fishermen

Fishermen

Thanet Advertiser September 4th 1915

A fine and justly deserved tribute to the heroism of our fishermen is paid by Lord Selborne in a White Paper recently issued on behalf of the Fisheries Board.
“There is one thing” he says”on which the nation may congratulate itself, one proud record we can hand down to our descendants, and that is the behaviour of all those connected with our fisheries in this great crisis of our race. In the whole epic of heroism which will grow up around this war, there will be nothing finer than the way in which our fishermen have behaved – whether carrying out their natural and lawful vocation or when serving in the Royal Navy and carrying out operations such as that of mine-sweeping, which promise no glory, but the maximum of danger.”

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Ramsgate Sailors and Fishermen

Civilians, Fishermen, Navy

When the Admiralty ordered in December 1914 that there was to be no fishing between Cromer and Portland Bill many of Thanet’s fishermen relocated to Lowestoft, Hull and Brixham in Devon. Even here they were not safe, as in February 1915 the Ramsgate smack Rhodora, which was one of those working out of Brixham, was lost off the French coast along with the Erena, whose skipper was Mr Andrews from Belmont Street, Ramsgate. Many Ramsgate men were already experienced sailors, not forgetting the smack boys who stayed in the Smack Boys Home on the sea front when they were in port. It is not surprising, therefore, that many of the men joined the Royal Navy or the Mercantile Marine. Continue reading Ramsgate Sailors and Fishermen →

Plucky Ramsgate lads

Army, Fishermen, Personal stories, War memorials

Richard AbbottRichard Abbott

There were four brothers in the Abbott family who lived in St Luke’s Avenue.  William, Richard and Alfred were in the army and another brother was in the Navy.The following article appeared in the local paper at the end of September 1916.

Mr and Mrs W Abbott of 21 St Luke’s Avenue , Ramsgate are anxious regarding the safety of their boy, Pte Richard Abbott, of a service Battalion of the Buffs, who has been reported wounded and missing since August 18th. Coincident with the news of his disappearance is revealed a family war service record of an unusually interesting character. The missing soldier enlisted on November 5th, 1914, when he was only 17 years of age. Another son, Shoeing Smith A Abbott, of the RFA enlisted at the same age, but not to be outdone another son driver W Abbott, joined the forces at the age of 15. He is now sixteen years old, but has seen close upon 12 months service at the Front with his battery. At the beginning of August of this year, a surprise meeting at the Front took place between this plucky young Ramsgatonian and the brother who is now missing.The latter brother was unaware that his brother had enlisted, and was astounded at seeing him, under such conditions. Realising that he must have enlisted by giving his age as at least 19, he made efforts to ensure that he would be sent home, and the result is that the lad is now detained for home service.

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