Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Memorial Plaque and Messina Earthquake Medal to Leading Stoker F. C. Rowe, Royal Navy, who was killed in action when H.M.S. Good Hope was sunk at the Battle of Coronel, 1 November 1914

Memorial Plaque (Frank Charles Rowe) in card envelope, with Buckingham Palace enclosure; Italy, Kingdom, Messina Earthquake Medal 1908, silver, unnamed as issued, edge bruise to last, generally very fine (2) £140-£180

Frank Charles Rowe was born in Kensington, London, on 1 January 1888 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 10 August 1903. Advanced Stoker First Class on 5 September 1907, he served in H.M.S. Euryalus from 10 September 1907 to 3 May 1909, and took part in the rescue operations following the Messina Earthquake on 28 December 1908. Advanced Leading Stoker on 1 June 1914, he served in H.M.S. Good Hope from 1 August 1914, and was killed in action on 1 November 1914 when H.M.S. Good Hope was sunk during the Battle of Coronel.

Early in August 1914 a force, consisting of the old armoured cruisers Good Hope and Monmouth, the light cruiser Glasgow and the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, all under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir Christopher Cradock, R.N., was sent to protect the southern trade routes and to intercept German cruisers operating on the high seas. In October 1914 the squadron was reinforced by the addition of the old battleship Canopus but reports of the ship’s lack of speed led the admiral to leave her behind as he searched for the German East Asiatic Squadron. The German squadron, commanded by Admiral Graf von Spee consisted of the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the light cruisers Leipzig, Nurnberg and Dresden. Both admirals became aware of the proximity of the other on 31 October. At 6.40 p.m. on 1 November the squadrons made contact off Coronel, Chile and at 7.04 p.m. the battle opened at a range of 11,500 yards. As the German ships had a greater number of heavier guns, Cradock’s tactics were to close the range to allow his ships’ more numerous smaller calibre guns to come into play; this however was partly negated by the rough seas and high speeds which prevented many of the British armoured cruisers’ casement guns being brought into action. The British armoured cruisers were repeatedly hit as the range was reduced. As the range reduced to 5,500 yards, the Good Hope was on fire in several places and in a bad way. Endeavouring to reduce the range even further, so as to be able to fire torpedoes in a last ditch attempt to do damage to his adversary, the ship was repeatedly hit by heavy calibre shells and at 7.53 Good Hope blew up, taking the Admiral and all hands with her. At about 9.30 the Monmouth too was hunted down and sunk; the Glasgow and Otranto were able to make their escape under the cover of darkness.

Rowe is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.