Plaque drowned soldiers 1917 Blyth South Beach

On blue plaque:

     Dedicated to the

     memory of 9 soldiers of the

     Royal / Warwickshire Regiment

     who drowned near here

     24 August 1917.

—————————————————————-

On Roll of Honour

                        Remembered

                       24 August 1917

                           (photo)

          Lieutenant Edmund Kenneth Wallace Brown

                         Aged 23

                 Buried at Horton Churchyard <p>

     Private 202131                   Private 26392

       George Edward Beavon             William Harry Henderson

       Aged 19                          Aged 18

     Private 202585                   Private 36217

       Jesse Blun                       Edward Gordon Noy

       Aged 17                          Aged 18     

     Private 243009                   Private 202962

       Thomas Fortey                    Fred Shale

       Aged 18                          Aged 19

     Private 26694                    Lance Serjeant 292172(679)

       Harry Blanchard Southern         John Riley

       Aged 18                          Aged 26

     On a hot August day in 1917 over 500 soldiers of the Royal Warwickshire

     Regiment were on a route march from Horton Camp.  They stopped to rest on

     Blyth beach and were given permission to cool off in the water.  Many had

     never seen the sea and some could not swim.  Tragically no-one understood

     the strong undercurrents of an ebb tide and very quickly some of the men got

     into difficulties.  Other went to their aid and also floundered.  Lieutenant

     Brown organized human chains to attempt a rescue and seven soldiers were

     saved while eight were swept out to sea.  Sadly, Lt. Brown lost his footing and

     despite efforts to hold onto him, he, too, was drowned.

NamesB42.54