Frank Higginbottom - The Story of a Grave

Memorial to Frank Higginbottom

Frank Higginbottom,

who went down with 

H. M. S. Good Hope,

Nov 1st 1914

The Story Of The Broken Cross

While photographing and recording the memorials in Arksey's Old Cemetery I became intrigued by a broken cross memorial lying in the grass. Reading the inscription I wondered what the story was of this young man who had gone down with his vessel in WW1.

I decided to see what I could find out about Frank Higginbottom and the ship Good Hope. 

This is what was found.

Contents

• Frank Higginbottom
• Off to War
• The Battle of Coronel
• A Watery Grave

Frank Higginbottom

Frank Higginbottom was born on the 12th of June 1887 in Brampton, near Chesterfield in Derbyshire; his Naval record states his birth year as 1886, but other records back up the 1887 date, this was probably something he told the Navy to appear older than he actually was. 

His father was William Higginbottom, of various occupations including, painter, general carter and coal miner, born locally in 1860. His mother was Sarah (nee Nicholls), whom he married in 1884.

Frank was the second child of a family of six children, which included Eleanor, George, Bertie, Florence and Elizabeth. One further child had died.

The 1911 census for 15 Meakin Street, Chesterfield shows 24 year old Frank, just prior to his marriage, living in the family home and working as a coal miner.

Frank Higginbottom 1911 census

Frank married Mary Arnold (also born 1887) on the 12th of April 1911, in Chesterfield.

Sometime after their marriage Frank and Mary moved to Doncaster, where they set up home in a small terraced house at number 5 Marton Road, Toll Bar, Bentley. Presumably, Frank had pursued mining work in the area, and had found a position at Bentley Colliery. 

Their son Bertie was born early in 1912, but sadly died in the autumn of 1913.

 

5 Marton Road, today

Off to War

Frank was in the Royal Fleet Reserve, a Royal Naval attachment established in 1903 to provide a reserve of trained men in times of emergency. Just when, how or why Frank joined the RFR is not known.

RFR booklet

With the outbreak of World War 1 on the 28th of July 1914, Frank was soon mobilized in his role as a Royal Fleet Reservist.

Able Seaman Higginbottom left Portsmouth on the 2nd of August 1914 on board HMS Good Hope.

Good Hope was a large, Drake Class, armoured cruiser with a crew of 900 (90% of whom were reservists), under the command of Captain Philip Franklin.

HMS Good Hope

Some sailors on board HMS Good Hope

On arrival at Halifax, Nova Scotia, Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock raised his flag on the ship, as it was faster than his current flagship. Good Hope spent the next few weeks protecting British merchant shipping as far south as the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, and later, the Falkland Islands.

Rear Admiral Sir Christopher Craddock

In October the British learned that the German East Asiatic Squadron, under Admiral Maximilian Von Spee, was heading for South American waters. Craddock was ordered to concentrate a strong squadron off the Chilean coast, to search for them. Among the British ships to join the search were, HMS Good Hope and HMS Monmouth, providing the main force, with light cruiser HMS Glasgow, merchant cruiser HMS Otranto, and other light cruisers in support. 

Admiral Maximilian Von Spee

All the British vessels were under-armed and crewed by inexperienced reservists, which proved to be no match for Von Spee's formidable force. His five modern vessels of SMS Scharnhorst and Gneisnau (the main force), and SMS Leipzig, Dresden and Nurnberg, had an overwhelming range and firepower.

SMS Scharnhorst

The Battle of Coronel

On the 1st of November, the German force was sited off the coast of Chile, north of Coronel, while the British were situated further south. Admiral Craddock tried to force action while the sun was blinding the Germans, but Von Spee held off until the setting sun silhouetted the British ships, before opening fire.

Strong winds and heavy seas meant that the British lower case-mate guns could not be fired. Both Good Hope and Monmouth were overwhelmed. Good Hope received serious hits to the forepart, upper bridge and fore-top. She was repeatedly hit amidships, which set her on fire. The turret was hit twice, and a large explosion between the mainmast and after funnel caused flames to reach 200ft. She was left dead in the water, along with the capsized Monmouth. Having lost contact with the two large British ships, Von Spee's light cruisers returned to finish them off with torpedoes, but Good Hope had already slipped beneath the waves unseen.

Painting of HMS Good Hope on fire

All 926 lives were lost on the Good Hope, while a further 734 lives were lost on the Monmouth. HMS Glasgow was damaged, but along with Otranto, they managed to escape. In contrast, Scharnhorst was only hit by two shells, neither of which exploded.

A Watery Grave

Frank Higginbottom's body was not recovered, and nothing more could be traced of his widow Mary. All that remains is the little broken cross in the cemetery at Arksey. 

However, that is not quite the end of the story. It seems there were more inscriptions on the broken cross than I thought. A booklet of monumental inscriptions, for Arksey Old Cemetery, compiled by the Doncaster and District Family History Society gave the full inscription, which is as follows:

In Loving Memory of

Frank Higginbottom, who went down with H.M.S Good Hope, Nov 1st 1914, aged 28 years.

Also Bert Higginbottom, who was killed in action in the Dardanelles May 13th 1915, aged 24 years.

Also Bertie, son of Frank Higginbottom, died Nov 16th 1913, aged 1 year and 10 months.

Bert was Frank's younger brother, and it seems he too sadly met his fate during that terrible war.

One broken cross, but with such a story to tell. Now it is told.

__________

Many thanks to Rob Walker for assisting with this article.

Dedicated to the memory of Frank Higginbotton S.S. 754. (R.F.R.PO.B.3228) (Po), and all the other lives lost with HMS Good Hope, 1st November 1914.


Alison Vainlo 

First written 2013, updated 2015, further updated 2020