Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of John Richardson, a hosiery manufacturer, born 7th February 1855 in Anstey, Leicestershire and baptised on the 27th May 1855 in the Parish Church, Anstey, and his wife Mary Jane Orton Richardson (nee Orton, married on the 2nd October1877 in St. Paul’s Church, Leicester), born 1854 in Anstey. John Theodore was born on the 3rd July 1889 in Ratby, Leicestershire, and was baptised on the 15th September 1889 in the Parish Church, Ratby, his siblings were, Mary Ann Geraldine, a schoolgirl, born 1878 and baptised on the 6th April 1879 in the Parish Church, Groby and Carmin Hercel, a schoolgirl, born 11th November 1880, and baptised on the 4th December 1881 in the Parish Church, Ratby, both his siblings were born in Ratby, in April 1891 the family home was at Station Road, Ratby. In March 1901 John was residing in the family home at Stamford Street, Ratby, together with his father, a hosiery manufacturer, his mother, a dressmaker and his sister Carmin, a draper’s assistant. In April 1911 John was absent from the family home at Stamford Street, Ratby, Leicestershire, residing there was his father, of independent means, his mother and his married sister Carmin, and her husband George Fitchett, a blacksmith, born 1881 in Groby, Leicestershire and their children, George Theodore, born 1907, Carmen Cynthia, born 1909 and Mary Ruby, born 1911, all the children were born in Ratby, John was serving in the Royal Navy as an Acting Electrical Artificer 4th Class on HMS Duke of Edinburgh. John’s mother died on the 6th January 1925, aged 72 and his father died on the 29th January 1927, aged 72.
John had enlisted into the Royal Navy to serve a 12 year engagement on the 14th February 1911and he was allocated the service number M/2837 in Portsmouth, Hampshire. His medical examination recorded that he was 5 foot 9¾ inches in height and had a chest measurement of 37 inches, his hair colour was light brown and he had grey eyes, his complexion was described as fresh, it was noted that he had moles on the back of his neck and on the left side of his nose, he gave his trade or calling as fitter turner. His record of service began when he joined HMS Vernon as an Acting Electrical Artificer 4th Class on the 14/2/11 – 20/2/11. HMS Victory I, 21/2/11 – 22/3/11. HMS Vernon, 23/3/11 – 18/3/12. HMS Duke of Edinburgh, 19/3/12 – 10/4/12, when he was promoted to Acting Electrical Artificer 4th Class. HMS Duke of Edinburgh, 11/4/12 – 27/7/13, when he was promoted to Electrical Artificer 4th Class. HMS Duke of Edinburgh, 28/7/13 – 12/2/14, when he was promoted to Electrical Artificer 3rd Class. HMS Duke of Edinburgh, 13/2/14 – 2/3/14. HMS Vernon, 3/3/14 – 30/7/14. HMS Good Hope, 31/7/14 – 1/11/14, when he was reported lost when his vessel was sunk off the Chilian Coast, the Battle of Coronel.
The background relating to the circumstances in which John lost his life are as follows. HMS Good Hope rendezvoused with the rest of the squadron at Vallenar Roads in the remote Chonos Archipelago of Chile on 27th October to re-coal. They departed two days later, just as HMS Canopus arrived, Cradock ordering the battleship to follow as soon as possible. He sent the light cruiser HMS Glasgow to scout ahead and to enter Coronel, Chile to pick up any messages from the Admiralty and acquire intelligence regarding German activities. The cruiser began to pick up German radio signals from the light cruiser SMS Leipzig on the afternoon of 29th October, and delayed entering Coronel for two days with Cradock’s permission to avoid being trapped by the fast German ships. A German supply ship was already there and radioed Spee that Glasgow had entered the harbour around twilight. The cruiser departed on the morning of 1st November, but Spee had already made plans to catch her when informed of her presence the previous evening. HMS Glasgow departed Coronel at 9.15 am after having picked up the squadron's mail and rendezvoused with the rest of the squadron four hours later. Cradock ordered his ships to form line abreast with a distance of 15 nautical miles (17 miles) between ships to maximize visibility at 1.50 pm, and steered north at a speed of 10 knots (12 mph). At 4.17 pm SMS Leipzig spotted Glasgow, the easternmost British ship, to its west and she spotted SMS Leipzig’s funnel smoke three minutes later. At 5.10 pm Cradock ordered his ships to head for HMS Glasgow, the closest ship to the Germans. Once gathered together, he formed them into line astern, with HMS Good Hope in the lead, steering south easterly at 16 knots (18 mph) at 6.18 pm. As the sixteen 8.3 inch guns aboard the armoured cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau were only matched by the two 9.2 inch guns on his flagship, he needed to close the range to bring his more numerous 6 inch guns to bear. The Force 7 winds and high seas, however, prevented the use of half of those guns as they were too close to the water. He also wanted to use the setting sun to his advantage so that its light would blind the German gunners. Spee was well aware of the British advantages and refused to allow Cradock to close the range. His ships were faster than the British, slowed by the 16 knot maximum speed of the armed merchant cruiser Otranto, and he opened up the range to 18,000 yards until conditions changed to suit him. The sun set at 6.50 pm, which silhouetted the British ships against the light sky while the German ships became indistinguishable from the shoreline behind them. Spee immediately turned to close and signalled his ships to open fire at 7.04 pm when the range closed to 12,300 yards. Spee’s flagship, Scharnhorst, engaged HMS Good Hope while Gneisenau fired at HMS Monmouth. Cradock’s flagship was hit on the Scharnhorst’s third salvo, when shells knocked out her forward 9.2 inch turret and set her forecastle on fire. Cradock, knowing his only chance was to close the range, continued to do so despite the battering that Spee’s ships inflicted. By 7.23 pm the range was almost half of that when the battle began and the British ships bore onwards. Spee tried to open the range, fearing a torpedo attack, but the British were only 5,500 yards away at 7.35 pm. Seven minutes later, HMS Good Hope charged directly at the German ships, although they dodged out of her way. Spee ordered his armoured cruisers to concentrate their fire on the British flagship and drifted to a halt with her topsides all aflame. At 7.50 pm her forward magazine exploded, severing the bow from the rest of the ship, and she later sank in the darkness. Spee estimated that his flagship had made 35 hits on HMS Good Hope, suffering only two hits in return that did no significant damage and failed even to wound one crewman. HMS Good Hope was sunk with all hands, a total of 919 officers and enlisted men. Four of the midshipmen aboard the ship were the first casualties of the newly formed Royal Canadian Navy.
On Friday November 6th 1914 The Leicester Journal published the following article under the heading. “NO QUARTER.” – In a letter sent to Mr. and Mrs. John Richardson, Stamford-street, Ratby, their son John Theodore Richardson, who is on HMS Good Hope, says: - The Germans just can’t pluck up enough courage to come out and fight us, but they’ll have to do so before long, and when they do come out there will be no quarter given them. One of the ships that was with us captured a German ship. She hoisted the white flag, but when we sent a small boat with an officer in her the Germans fired on the boat and sunk it. We paid them back in their own coin, however, for in about 10 minutes we had sent her with all hands to the bottom.
On Saturday November 28th 1914 The Leicester Chronicle and Leicestershire Mercury published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL ROLL OF HONOUR. – BROTHERS WHO DIED FOR KING AND COUNTRY. We have been furnished with the following particulars of casualties to local men: – Two brothers, whose home was at Drayton, Leicestershire, have been killed fighting for their country. One was Arthur Edward Stokes, an Able Seaman (Reservist), who was on the Good Hope, lost on November 1. He was aged 25. His brother, Private Edgar Stokes, also a Reservist, of C Company, 1st Northamptonshire Regiment, was killed in action at Ypres on October 31. He was aged 27, and was formerly in the Birmingham City Police force. Their father, Mr. G. T. Stokes of Drayton, writes notifying those of the sad loss, and adds with reference to the soldiers and sailors generally. “We ought to be proud of our men’s splendid conduct, and of their cheerful and enduring pluck.” We are also informed that Engine Room Artificer G. T. Richardson, whose relatives live at Ratby went down on the Good Hope.
On Thursday 15th July 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – Old Newtonians’ Roll of Honour. Nearly 300 old boys of Alderman Newton’s School are known to be serving with the colours. A complete list has been prepared and printed for private circulation, “With the best wishes and heartiest greetings to the Old Newtonians who are serving their King and Country in defence of honour.” The following Old Newtonians have fallen:-
HUNT, A. D., 12th Lancers, Mons, Aug. 28, 1914.
RICHARDSON, J. T., H.M.S. Good Hope.
FIELDING, Lieut., 1st Sherwood Foresters.
ASHWELL, F., Sergt. K.R.R., Tryon, Sept., 1914.
PRATT, H.
ADAMS, C. H., Leicester Yeomanry, 13th May, 1915.
HOPKINS, J. H., Leicester Yeomanry, 13th May, 1915.
MATTHEWS, F. H., Leicester Yeomanry, 13th May, 1915.
HOLMES, H., Lnc-Cpl., Leicester Yeomanry, 13th May, 1915.
FLETCHER, Wm., Sergt., 2nd Leicester’s, 15th May, 1915.
FREER, J. W., Lieut., Dardanelles.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article, Friday November 6th, 1914.

PAID IN THEIR OWN COIN

RATBY MAN’S STORY OF GERMAN TREACHERY

In a letter to Mr and Mrs John Richardson, Stamford Street, Ratby, their son, J. T. Richardson, electrical artificer on one of His Majesty’s ships, says: “I am all right and in good spirits.” He adds, “The German fleet cannot pluck up enough courage to come out and fight us but they’ll have to do before long, and then we shall have some fun. It properly took the heart of them when we took a hand in the war. They expected to do a lot with their fleet. They shouted in time of peace that they were not afraid of us, but when war came, they were. When the Germans do come out there will be no quarter given them, for we have it in store for them for ignoring all the laws of civilised warfare, by first laying floating mines in the sea. One of the ships that was with us captured a German ship. She hoisted the white flag, but when we sent a small boat with an officer to her she fired on the boat and sunk it. We paid them back in their own coin however, for in about ten minutes we sent her with all hands to the bottom. I reckon you saw the account of it in the papers. Once when we called for coal a crowd of blacks came to join. They said they wanted to fight for their English King. We took in 2,500 tons of coal, and who do you think got it in for us? The black women and girls.”
Research undertaken and submitted by Andy Murby, September 2017.