Charles Henry (Harry) Haslam

Rank:Stoker 1Number:SS/111150
Name of Rgt or Ship:H.M.S. Monmouth
Died:01/11/1914Age:23
How Died:Died at Sea
Country of burial:Lost at Sea
Cemetery or Memorial:Plymouth Naval Memorial
Town Memorial:Altrincham
Extra Information:
Native of Altrincham.   Attended St. George's School.   Employed in
Altrincham.    Joined the Territorials, then in 1911 he joined the RN.

Suffered from double pneumonia and after recovering he became a 1st class
stoker on the Monmouth on the 02/08/1914.

H.M.S. "Monmouth"  was a cruiser built in 1901 and together with H.M. Ships
"Good Hope", "Glasgow" and "Ortanto" were off Coronel on the Chilean coast
searching for the German East Asia Squadron which was attempting to return
to Germany via Cape Horn.    On the evening of the 1st November 1914 the
two Squadrons met.   Initially the British had the advantage as the Germans
were silhouetted against the setting sun, but the Germans used their
superior speed to avoid action until after the sun had set which
illuminated in the afterglow.    The British were also hampered by the bad
weather which meant that their lower casement guns could not be worked.  
Another factor in favour of the Germans was that they had well trained
regular crews whereas the British ships had only recently commisioned with
crews made up of reservists.   Firing began at 19.00hrs and by 19.52hrs
"Good Hope" had been battered to a wreck by the German ships "Scharnhorst"
& "Gneisenau" there was a final large explosion and then she sank.  900
crew died there were no survivors.

"Monmouth" had received a similar battering from the German ships and after
the sinking of the flagship had broken away to the North. She was found by
"Nurnberg" at 21.00hrs listing steeply to port with steam escaping
amidships.  Her port guns could not be worked so by staying on her port
side the "Nurnberg" could fire at her at will with no risk of return fire
and after a few rounds the "Monmouth" sank with the loss of her 900 crew.  
There were actually 4 survivors who had been put onto Albrohos Rocks to
establish a lookout /signal station.    This was known as the Battle of
Coronel.

Death reported in the 20/11/1914 edition of the Altrincham Guardian.

Listed as C.S. Haslam on St. Margaret's Memorial.

Listed in the Guardian Year Book - Roll of Honour for 1916.
Memorials found on:
St. George's (Altrincham)
St. Margaret's (Dunham Massey)
Altrincham & District Roll of Honour
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