Name
Justus Alexander Hill
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/11/1914
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Cooks Mate
M/3422
Royal Navy
H.M.S "Monmouth"
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Panel 4
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin War Memorial,
Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin,
St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin,
Hitchin British Boys' School Memorial, Hitchin
Pre War
He was the son of Emma and Samuel Hill of 20, Benslow Lane, Hitchin. He attended Hitchin British Boys' School.
Wartime Service
By August 1914 he was already Service Number M.3422(D) and a member of the crew of H.M.S. ‘Monmouth’ which was of 9800 tons with 14 x 6" guns of an old pattern, she was completed in 1903.
On the 1st November 1914 H.M.S. ‘Monmouth’ was part of a Squadron under Sir Christopher Cradock, which included the cruiser H.M.S. ‘Good Hope’ (flagship), the light cruiser H.M.S. ‘Glasgow’ and the auxiliary cruiser ‘Otranto’ off the coast of Chile near Coronel. Opposed to them was the German Admiral Von Spee with the cruisers ‘Gneisnau’ and ‘Scharnhorst’ plus 3 light cruisers. The attack began at 6.18pm on the 1st November 1914 and in ten minutes the ‘Monmouth’ was ablaze as the warship was unable to get close enough to the enemy to do any damage. The two lighter warships were ordered to withdraw. At 7.50pm the ‘Good Hope’ blew up killing Cradock and at 9.30pm the ‘Monmouth’ was sunk still refusing to surrender.
No attempt was made by the Germans to pick up survivors, even though no other British warships were in the vicinity. The crushing defeat was avenged some months later by the British Navy in the Battle of the Falklands when Admiral Von Spee and his German fleet were sunk.
He has no known grave, but is remembered on the Naval Memorial to the Missing at Plymouth.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
