Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- Rann brothers -

Mrs. Rann, of Chillerton, has been informed that her husband, Farrier-Corpl. Frank Rann, A.S.C., was admitted to hospital on June 4th, suffering from trench fever. He was the local blacksmith at Gatcombe before joining up in April 1915, and has been on the Western front for two years.

The sinking of the battleship Royal Oak by a German submarine was announced by the Admiralty on Saturday, and on Tuesday it was revealed in the House of Commons that she was sunk while at anchor at Scapa Flow. The Royal Oak, which was commissioned at Portsmouth in June, and was a Great War ship which fought at Jutland, had a complement of about 1200, of whom only 414 were saved. Among those who were missing and have since been reported as presumed drowned, were, as far as we have been able to ascertain, 15 gallant Island men, and eight others were among those saved.
On behalf of their fellow Islanders, we tender to the bereaved relatives profound sympathy in having to bear this, the heaviest blow which has yet fallen in Island homes as the result of the war. The following are brief particulars and photos of Island men who have made the great sacrifice, and of those who survived the disaster:

Chief Petty Officer Frank Rann, of 8 Coastguard Cottages, Langstone Harbour, Portsmouth, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Rann, of Whippingham Post office. Rann, who was 34, leaves a wife, formerly Miss Jessie Allum, of Whippingham, and two children. He is the eldest of 12 children, and joined the Navy in 1922. Of Mr. and Mrs. Rann's nine sons, five are serving in the Services, and another will be joining up shortly. On Monday Rann's parents received a letter from him saying what a peaceful war this was.

Corp. Alfred Rann, of Lemon Cottages, Binstead, while serving in North Africa with the Royal Engineers. Corpl. Rann, who was 34, was a son of Mr. and Mrs. F. Rann, of the Whippingham Post-office, who lost another son in the sinking of the Royal Oak. They have five other sons in the Services, four in the Royal Navy and one in Tunisia. Corpl. Rann was in the evacuation from Dunkirk, and had been in North Africa about six months. Prior to joining up he was employed by the Ryde Town Council. He leaves a wife, formerly Miss M. Dyer, and a son.