10th January 2021
I have previously mentioned on this website about the older brother of my Grandad Gordon Churchward who died at sea on the Indefatigable at the battle of Jutland. I was told about this when I was a child by my father and I have often thought about him, especially whenever I went past the war memorial in Newton Abbot.
A few days ago I received a facebook message from Stephanie Medwell who wondered if I was related to the Christopher Churchward who was lost at sea at the battle of Jutland. She told me that she was the granddaughter of Olive Reynolds who had been engaged to be married to Christopher. When I told her that I was related and knew about him she sent me some further interesting information, photos of him and postcards that he had written that I had not seen before. She told me that the last time her grandmother had seen Christopher was after a meal at his mother's house in Exeter, at the railway station. She said that her grandmother never forgot about him and that their wedding banns had been made on the Indefatigable. I have now written a song about this.
Banns of marriage witnessed
Dated in May
On three Sundays
Before he sailed away
But for Christopher there would be no wedding day
At the station in Exeter
He said farewell
It was the last time she saw him
Such a sad tale to tell
Shells from the Von Der Tann
Screaming across the sea
Death and destruction
Created so terribly
And for Olive Reynolds bad news she would receive
At the station in Exeter
He said farewell
It was the last time she saw him
Such a sad tale to tell
She never forgot him
And her memories live on
Told to Stephanie
Now written in this song
The photographs and postcards treasured for so long