Stanley Charles Logan :- Grave number 21203, Section LVII.

Stanley Logan was the Chief Engineer of the Union Castle liner “ Capetown Castle “, which, at 0441 hrs, on the 17^th October 1960 was approaching  Las Palmas, on passage from Durban to Southampton. At 0448 hrs stop engines was rung and at 0449 hrs half astern, seconds later an explosion occurred and a sheet of flame swept through the engine room. Chief Engineer Logan was on the starboard engine controls and although badly burned remained in the engine room, his actions preventing an even bigger explosion, despite his injuries he made valiant attempts to save his colleagues. Chief Engineer Logan was transferred to Las Palmas hospital, after initial treatment by the ships doctor, Dr R Newsom. He died from his injuries later that day. He had served throughout World War Two. His funeral took place on the 28^th October at the Margate Congregational Church, in Union Crescent .  

Chief Engineer Loan was awarded the Albert Medal. This medal was established in 1866, to reward acts of extreme heroism and was named in honour of Prince Albert . It was originally awarded for acts at sea, but in 1877 its scope was extended to include acts on land.

Stephen “ Stivvie “ Clayson :- Grave number 3837, Section V.

Stephen “ Stivvie “ Clayson was coxswain of Margate Lifeboat, 1905 - 1925, and a crew member from 1883. He was born in St Margarets at Cliffe on the 22^nd November 1852, the son of a farmer, but the land was not for him, at the age of thirteen he walked across Kent, to Sheerness, to try to join a ship, he was laughed at by seamen there, but not deterred he walked to Dover, where he found a berth on a collier. He became a local boatman after his ship was wrecked on the Margate Sands in 1878, and he was rescued by a Margate lugger. He was second coxswain to Albert Emptage, coxswain 1893 - 1905, who stood 6 feet 8 inches tall, Stivvie was 5 feet 2 inches. He was awarded the RNLI Silver Medal for the saving of the four crew from the ketch “ Malvoisin “, on the 15^th January 1905, which was in difficulties near the Kentish Knock, in a SE gale force 9, she became a total loss. He also received a Silver Medal from the Swedish government for the saving of the crew of the Swedish schooner “ Valkyr “, on the 28^th April 1919, the remains of this vessel can still be seen, at low water, to the West of Minnis Bay, Birchington. “ Stivvie “ was coxswain when Margate received its first motor lifeboat “ The Lord Southborough Civil Service No1 “, in 1925. He passed away aged 84, on the 2^nd July 1937 at Margate General Hospital .

John James Fox :- Grave number 5424, Section XIV.

John Fox was born on the 13^th April 1838, and he was the third of Margate ’s RNLI coxswains, during his time as coxswain ( 1881 - 1893 ), Margate Lifeboat launched on 44 occasions. He was at sea in the lifeboat “ Quiver No1 “ on the 5^th January 1881, when the Ramsgate lifeboat “ Bradford “ saved eleven of the crew of the “ Indian Chief"  which was ashore on the Longsands, the “ Quiver No1 “ was responding to flares sent up by the Tongue Lightvessel, having sighted a vessel on the Shingles, nothing was found, but for the saving of the eleven from the “ Indian Chief “, the Ramsgate Lifeboat crew and the crew of the tug “ Vulcan “ were awarded one gold and eighteen silver RNLI medals, eighteen of  the “ Indian Chiefs “ crew were lost. The Margate crew were afloat in the same atrocious conditions as the Ramsgate crew, Easterly gales with very heavy seas running, but for them there was no recognition. John Fox passed away on the 30^th September 1899, aged 61.

Three Sappers :- Grave number 7155, Section XIV. 

On the 30^th September 1917, a Gotha raid occurred over Margate and during the course of that a bomb was dropped on Cliff Terrace, three Sappers from the Royal Engineers Inland Waterways & Docks Section, stationed at the Mystery Port, Richborough, were killed. They had been on a few days leave and had missed their train back to Richborough, they were making their way to Dalby Square to report to the local military HQ. Their bodies were so badly mutilated that they were buried in a communal grave. The three were :-

Sapper J McGratty, service number 320861.

Sapper F Williams, service number 320860.

Sapper Thomas Armstrong, service number 320850.

In this raid, as well as the three Sappers, seven others were killed both local residents and other soldiers.

Joseph Fruin :- Grave number 170, Section B.

When Margate Jetty was built, 1853 - 1856, it did not have the hexagonal extension which many Margate folk will remember, this was added in 1875 -1876. Whilst employed in this construction work, as a diver when required, and a labourer at other times, Joseph Fruin was drowned. This came about when a 15 foot iron column, weighing 15cwt, was lowered into a boat for the purpose of taking it to the works, it had been lowered from the jetty by crane. The column was placed fore and aft in the centre of the boat, and lashed to a ring bolt in the stern of the boat. Joseph Fruin moved from lashing the column, to a position where he could row the boat, as he did so the column rolled trapping him against the side and capsizing the boat. The column broke free and went to the bottom, taking Joseph Fruin with it, another diver, 77 year old George Gardiner, on hearing of the accident went to the Jetty and found the body of Joseph trapped beneath the column, in 10 feet of water. The accident occurred on the 6^th May 1876, and Joseph was 40 years old.    Back to Maritime 1 - Previous