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Post date: Apr 27, 2015 11:0:45 PM
Richard Heath was born on 19 December 1875, the third child of Richard and Charlotte Heath of Broomscroft Cottage, Canon Lane, Wateringbury. It was a large family as he also had three younger siblings, but by 1901 his parents had moved from Canon Lane to Old Road and by this time only one daughter was still at home. Richard attended Wateringbury School and became a keen member of the Boys Brigade in Wateringbury, becoming a Sergeant in the Wateringbury Company and in June 1892 winning prizes for attendance, Bible class and Essay when the troop was inspected in the grounds of Wateringbury Place, then owned by Col Davies, in front of many local gentry, clergy and notables. He had left school by this time, probably at the age of 14, and at the the 1891 census is described as an Agricultural Labourer, although when he enlisted in 1894 his trade is described as that of a plumber and painter-his father was a house painter.
Richard, aged 18, enlisted in the Royal Marines at Chatham on 17 January 1894, initially signing on for a standard 12 years, and he was re-engaged on 17 January 1906, probably for a further 9 years. He received his long service and good conduct medal in April 1909 and in normal circumstances would have been entitled to retire on a pension after 21 years. He was just short of 5 foot 7 inches tall with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a scar on his forehead. Richard's younger brother William also joined the navy (as an officer's steward based at Portsmouth), so they were one of a number of Wateringbury families (Curds and Maces) in which two brothers served in the navy. But Richard was the only Royal Marine from Wateringbury. His service number was Ch/7675- the Ch prefix meaning Chatham Division Royal Marine Light Infantry. He spent most of his time based at Chatham Depot and his service record shows a consistent pattern of assessments as Very Good" for both Character and Ability up to 1910 when the Ability assessment then becomes consistently "Satisfactory". Possibly this merely reflects the introduction of a new series of rankings for ability: "Exemplary", "Superior", "Satisfactory" (normal rating expected) & "Moderate" (below standard)-Exemplary and Superior were rarely used.
Richard, aged 18, enlisted in the Royal Marines at Chatham on 17 January 1894, initially signing on for a standard 12 years, and he was re-engaged on 17 January 1906, probably for a further 9 years. He received his long service and good conduct medal in April 1909 and in normal circumstances would have been entitled to retire on a pension after 21 years. He was just short of 5 foot 7 inches tall with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a scar on his forehead. Richard's younger brother William also joined the navy (as an officer's steward based at Portsmouth), so they were one of a number of Wateringbury families (Curds and Maces) in which two brothers served in the navy. But Richard was the only Royal Marine from Wateringbury. His service number was Ch/7675- the Ch prefix meaning Chatham Division Royal Marine Light Infantry. He spent most of his time based at Chatham Depot and his service record shows a consistent pattern of assessments as Very Good" for both Character and Ability up to 1910 when the Ability assessment then becomes consistently "Satisfactory". Possibly this merely reflects the introduction of a new series of rankings for ability: "Exemplary", "Superior", "Satisfactory" (normal rating expected) & "Moderate" (below standard)-Exemplary and Superior were rarely used.
The war brought excitement: he was at Dunkirk, close to the border with Belgium, from 20th September to 2nd October 1914 before going on 3rd October on requisitioned London buses to Antwerp, to take part in its defence as part of a unit composed by Churchill, the First Sea Lord, called the Royal Naval Division (RND) which included many new untrained new recruits, including Rupert Brooke, the poet and Asquith's son, Arthur, alongside the seasoned Royal Marines. A "Wateringbury" man called Ernest Jennings joined the Hood Battalion of the RND on 17th September but is unlikely to have got to Antwerp although he was subsequently wounded at Gallipoli. Richard is shown as being at Antwerp until 9th October, the day before it fell to the Germans. His service record indicates a wound incurred. Whether he met Rupert Brooke, Asquith's son or Churchill at Antwerp is not recorded and he seems to have got out without suffering the fate of many- internment in Holland. Churchill arrived in Antwerp on 3rd October and stayed until the 6th, touring the defences in a commandeered open Rolls Royce as German 1 ton shells tore into the Antwerp forts.
On 23rd December 1912, just after his 37th birthday, he had married and shortly had a child, so his war gratuity of £5 was probably very welcome. By 1915 he had served 21 years and was 39 years of age, so the excitement of war may not have been uppermost at this time of his life. He was sent in February 1915 to Egypt as part of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and was killed in action at Gallipoli. War also finally brought promotion to Lance Corporal, apparently on the day before he was killed in action on 30th April, 1915, just 5 days after the landings in Gallipoli started. The Chatham Battalion was particularly involved at Anzac Cove rather than "Y" Beach and incurred significant losses.
Richard is commemorated on the Helles Memorial. He was Wateringbury's oldest WWI casualty.
Apparently a photo of Richard, his wife and child exists in the Deal Civic War Memorial book- his wife and child were living in Deal, another Royal Marine base. I have not been able to trace this book and any help would be appreciated.
This note in respect of Richard Heath's own life is based on his service record (National Archives ADM 159/48/7675); census records; Wateringbury Parish magazine , June 1892. For background I consulted Robert Massie's "Castles of Steel" and Wikipedia.
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