George Hugh Vans Hathorn
George Hugh Vans Hathorn
Lieutenant George Hathorn, Royal Marine Light Infantry died on 1st January 1915 when his Ship, HMS Formidable was torpedoed twice whilst on excercises off the Devon coast. U boat 24 hit first the port side and then hit the stricken ship on the starboard side. The ship took less than two hours to sink. Some men died as boats smashed as they were lowered into the water, others as their boats were swamped and yet more whilst waiting to be rescued. George was one of five hundred and fifty one men who lost their lives that night out of a complement of seven hundred and fifty men. His Commonwealth War Grave Commission certificate states “Had he survived the Admiralty would have expressed their appreciation of the good service rendered by him on the occasion of the sinking of the vessel.” He is remembered with honour on the Chatham Naval Memorial. He is also commemorated on Folkestone War Memorial and Dover College (Dover) War Memorial.
George Hugh Vans Hathorn was born c1888 in India to Emily Rose and Charles Hugh Vans Hathorn. Charles was probably a tea planter/tea estate owner, manager at one time living at Seconce Tea estate, Assam, India. The 1901 census shows George and Emily had sent their three children George, Noel and Charles back to England to live with their paternal grandmother Mary Hathorn and three of their aunts at 58 Bouverie Road West, Folkestone. George was educated at Pretoria House (Coolinge Lane) Folkestone and Dover College. George was then gazetted as a Lieutenant in the Royal Marine Light Infantry on 1st July 1907.
