Friends of Hastings Cemetery


Beaney, W. F & Family page 3

HMS Falcon on which Charles Arthur was killed, was a Fairfield three funnel, 30 knot destroyer ordered by the Royal Navy under the 1898 – 1899 Naval Estimates.  She spent her life in Home waters, was part of the Dover Patrol during World War I and was lost in a collision on 1 April 1918.


From the Dover Express, October 30th 1914 - ……… one shell exploded on the destroyer “Falcon” killed one officer and eight men, and wounded one officer and fifteen men (28th October 1914).

HMS Hogue on which Albert Edward was serving, was a Cressy-class armoured cruiser in the Royal Navy. Hogue was sunk by the German U-boat U-9 on 22 September 1914.


At 07:00, about 30 minutes after the action commenced, Hogue was struck by two torpedoes from U-9 as she [HMS Hogue] attempted to rescue survivors from her sister hip, Aboukir.  She sank within 15 minutes.


Albert also joined the Royal Navy before the war.  In 1901 he was serving on HMS Excellent in Portsmouth.  However he had left by 1911 as he living with his widowed mother, his sister Eliza and a Frederick Ernest Beaney, aged 16, to whom his mother was guardian.


Albert, who was a postman and Eliza, a dressmaker, were supporting their mother.  He married Mary Jane Poole in 1912 and at his death was living at 154, Old Lane, Hollington, St. Leonards-on-Sea.


He was an able seaman on HMS Hogue. She was torpedoed twice by submarine U-9 whilst on support patrol in the North Straights on 22nd September 1914 when attempting to rescue men from the earlier torpedoing of HMS Abouker.  Hogue sunk in 15 minutes.

Hastings Postal District World War One War Memorial

St Leonard’s Church war Memorial on which both brothers are recorded