Memorial service for Great Eastern Railway's Captain Fryatt 100 years on

The railway industry held a memorial service for the Great EasternRailway’s Captain Fryatt at London Liverpool Street station this week, marking100 years since his death during the First World War.

Representatives of Abellio Greater Anglia, Network Rail, Essex RailUsers Federation, the Merchant Navy Association, the Royal British Legion and CaptainFryatt’s family, as well as the Mayor of Harwich (where the Fryatt familylived), laid wreaths at the station’s war memorial – which features an embossedportrait of Captain Fryatt – during the service which was conducted by a navalchaplain at 1300 on Monday 18th July.

Charles Algernon Fryatt, born in 1872, was aMaster mariner, Captain of the Great Eastern Railway Company's steamer SSBrussels, who, in defiance of the Germans continued to work theRotterdam-British East Coast route after war was declared. On two occasions inMarch 1915, The SS Brussels was attacked by U-Boats and the second attempt tosink the vessel saw Captain Fryatt steer his ship towards the U-Boat, forcingit to dive. On 23rd June 1916 a German patrol stopped The SS Brussels andCaptain Fryatt was taken to Bruges where he was tried on 27th July forattempting to sink the U-Boat. Although strongly denied by Captain Fryatt (andthe British Government who said that 'he was simply trying to avoid an attackand was only interested in saving the lives of his passengers and crew ') hewas found guilty and executed on 27th July 1916.

The murder of Captain Fryatt wascondemned by the British Prime Minister H.H.Asquith and across the world. After the war his body was one of the only three (along with the UnknownSoldier and Nurse Edith Cavell) brought back to the UK - to a service at StPaul’s Cathedral. He was then taken along a route lined with crowds toLiverpool Street Station where the Great Eastern Massed Bands were playing and aspecial train was waiting to bring the hero to his home town of Dovercourt. Atmany stations down the line crowds gathered to pay their last respects.

The Mayor of Harwich opened amemorial fund leading to the installation of the memorial to Captain Fryatt atLiverpool Street station in 1917.

Mark Leslie of the Essex Rail UsersFederation, who organised the service, commented: “I was very pleasedthat the rail industry along with the Merchant Navy Association, his home townof Harwich, the Royal British Legion and the Essex rail user groups took timeto remember the centenary of the shocking execution during World War 1 of thiscourageous employee of Great Eastern Railways.”