A Mother’s Story

The mother of one of the sailors who took part in the Raid had not heard from her son for some weeks and wrote to the Admiralty as follows;

Dear Sir - Can you tell Mrs Cassell the whereabouts of her son Arthur Henry Cassell - No J 34572 who was in the Vindictive the 19^th of April last. I have not heard of him, and knowing that the above ship has been in action, and not having had any news, will you please kindly let me know as soon as you can, the suspense is too great and oblige with an early answer,

Yours truly

Bessie Cassell, 106 Jessie Road, Southsea, 10^th May 1918

Reply from Adjutant General to the Navy:

Madam - With reference to your letters of 1^st and 10^th instant, I deeply regret to have to inform you that a report has now been received at the Admiralty that Arthur Henry Cassell AB Official No J 34572 who took part in the operations on the Belgian Coast on the 23^rd April ultimo, cannot be accounted for as having returned to his ship and must for the present be regarded as ‘missing’. I have to add that a further communication will be made to you immediately any further information respecting your son becomes available. - I am Madam your obedient servant

This was just a holding reply, since as a result of numerous letters of this sort the Admiralty was conducting extensive investigations amongst the sailors who took part in the Raid, to try and discover what had happened to the sailors who were still missing. These written reports came into the Admiralty for months after the Raid, the delay being caused by wounded sailors who were unable to make their reports until they had left hospital or in some cases sailors who had gone absent with out leave immediately after the Raid.

One such report dated 15^th July from Douglas Joseph Grey of HMS Renown seemed to confirm previous verbal reports that Arthur Cassell had been killed just minutes after landing on the Mole:

‘I saw Cassell dead on the Mole, his head was off, but I am certain of his identity, his tunic being very faded. He was a personal friend of mine.’

In the meantime Bessie Cassell had received no news and continued to write to the Admiralty every week for news of her son;

Dear Sir - I am writing to ask if you have heard any news of my son Arthur H Cassell AB No J 34572 late of the Vindictive as it is a very long time now, no doubt you must know that the suspense is more than I can bear, so if you any news of him, no doubt you will kindly oblige his mother, Bessie Cassell 8^th August 1918

The Admiralty replied on the 13^th September, but were still reluctant to give final confirmation of his death;

Madam - In reply to your letter of 8^th instant respecting Arthur Henry Cassell AB, I have to inform you that as a result of enquiries made by this Department, a statement has been obtained from another member of the expedition who knew your son, to the effect that he was shot in the head immediately after he had disembarked on the Mole at Zeebrugge on the 23 April 1918 and it is feared that little doubt can be entertained that this report is correct. But in view of the fact that it is not yet known for certain that the lists of prisoners of War captured on that occasion are complete, no definite decision as to your son’s fate can yet be arrived at. It is regretted therefore that for the present he must still be regarded as missing.

But with the ending of the War the Admiralty had all the information they had sought regarding prisoners of War and on the 18^th November they were able to write once again to Arthur Cassell’s mother;

With reference to the letter from this department of 13^th September last, respecting Arthur Henry Cassell I deeply regret to have to inform you that his name has not appeared on the lists of prisoners of War captured by the enemy which are now believed to be complete. Having regard to the statement of one of his comrades communicated to you in the letter referred to, and in view of the length of time which has elapsed since the operation, it is feared that there can no longer be any hope of his safety and it is my painful duty to inform you that in these circumstances the Admiralty has been regretfully constrained to presume that your son was killed in action on 23^rd April 1918. - I am Madam your obedient servant - Adjutant General of Navy

Mrs Cassell had been made to wait for seven months for this news.