Rear Admiral, the Honourable Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood, KCB, DSO, MVO.

Rear Admiral, the Honourable Horace Lambert Alexander Hood (1870 to 1916) was a young and highly respected admiral in British fleet before and during the Great War. He was the great, great grandson of Admiral Samuel Hood, the 1st Viscount Hood and came from a family who had been known and respected in British Military circles for almost two centuries.

Horace Hood joined the Royal Navy in 1883 serving on the Temeraire and the Hyacninth. In his younger days he had swept off all the great naval prizes - Beaufort Testimonial, Goodenough Medal, Ryder Memorial Prize - and at his examination for the rank of Lieutenant gained five firsts, being easily at the top of his year and achieving a record unsurpassed by the time of his death. In recognition he was awarded with a special promotion.

Whilst still a midshipman, he served on the Calliope during the famous Samoan Hurricane of March 1889 and was promoted to Captain in January 1903. He served in Gunboats on the Nile in 1898 and was present at the battles of Atbara and Khartoum, where he won a medal and was mentioned in dispatches. He won promotion to commander, and was awarded the fourth class of Mejidie. When captain of H.M.S. Hyacinth he landed in command of a naval brigade for the capture of the Mullah's stronghold of Illig on the 21st April 1904, for which he was mentioned in despatches and awarded the D.S.O. as well as the general East African medal (Somaliland, 1902-1904). His M.V.O. came in 1906 and in 1910 he was in command of the Royal Naval College at Osborne.

By May 1913 Horace was a Rear Admiral with an extremely high reputation amongst his peers. He had been the naval secretary to the First Lord, and shortly after the beginning of the war was given command of the Dover Patrol (the miscellaneous collection of vessels of all ages and sizes which greatly helped to stop the German rush to Calais by breaking up the enemy's right flank among the Belgian sand dunes in the opening phases of the conflict and later protected the Belgian army's front with long-range guns).

The Germans were extremely aware of Admiral Hood, as he was always harassing and worrying them from the Yser front to Zeebrugge.

By 1916 he was in command of the Third Battlecruiser Squadron of Sir Jellicoe's Grand Fleet.

Sir Horace Hood was killed in action on the 31st May 1916, aged 45, at the Battle of Jutland as he commanded his Squadron from his flagship, the HMS Invincible. His Battleship was hit in the Q Turret by a shell fired from the Lutzow that blew the turret from the ship. Either a second shell or a chain reaction caused a flash which reached the magazine and a massive explosion broke the mighty ship in two.

A mere six men from the 1,021 crew survived. Horace Hood was the son of Francis Wheler Hood, 4th Viscount Hood and Viscountess Hood, the daughter of Arthur Ward Esq.

He was heir-presumptive to his brother, and left a wife - the Honourable Ellen, Lady Hood of East Sheen Lodge, Sheen in Surrey - and son who was born in 1910. Sir Horace was the second Admiral the navy had lost, the first being Rear-Admiral Sir C. Craddock who perished on board H.M.S. Good Hope, off Coronel in November 1914.

Private 37333 William A Allsopp

9th Battalion, the Prince of Wales' Own West Yorkshire Regiment

William was born in Acomb in Northumberland and enlisted from York. He was killed in action on the 21st August 1917, aged 35. Private Allsopp has no known grave but is remembered on Panels 42 to 47 and 162 of the Tyne Cot Memorial. He was the son of William and Margaret Allsopp from Barton Seagrave.

Private W Green

Private Green is shown on the Roll of Honour as having served in the Middlesex Regiment and being killed on the 20th November 1916 but I have been unable to trace who this person is.

Private G/13598 Hedley Andrew Herbert

1st Battalion, the Queens (Royal West Surrey) Regiment

Hedley was born in Ravenstone, Bucks, a resident of Barton Seagrave and enlisted from Kettering. He was killed in action 3rd November 1916 in France, aged 22, and is buried in grave XXXIII. E. 5. at the Serre Road Cemetery No. 2. Hedley was the husband of Jessie M. Herbert, of Barton Seagrave.

Gunner E Labrum

The Roll of Honour shows Gunner Labrim as serving in the Royal Garrison Artillery and dying on the 22nd May 1916. I have been unable to identify who he is.

Private 14406 Albert Pearmain

1st Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment

Albert was born in St. James, Northampton and enlisted in Northampton. The Roll of Honour shows his death on 27th February 1916, yet SDGW and the CWGC record he died of wounds 27th July 1916, aged 25. Albert was the husband of Florence Minna Pearmain of 131 Avondale Road in Kettering and is buried in grave A. 35. 8. at the St. Sever Cemetery in Rouen.

Private 13793 William Wallace Robinson

6th Battalion, the Northamptonshire Regiment

William was born in Barton Seagrave and enlisted from Kettering. He was killed in action 21st April 1916 in France, aged 23, and is buried in grave S.18 at the Carnoy Military Cemetery. He was the son of Job and Eliza Robinson of 4 Barton Seagrave.

Private FC Sharpe

Australian Infantry.

Died 27th May 1915

Private G/11751 Edwin Thomas Stopps

9th Battalion, the Royal Sussex Regiment

Edwin was born in Moreton Pinkeney, Northamptonshire and enlisted from Burton Latimer. He died of wounds 1st June 1918, aged 20 and is buried in grave II. E.40 at the Pernes British cemetery. Edwin was the son of William Thomas and Mary Stopps of Barton Seagrave.