Memorials & Monuments
on the Isle of Wight
- Biography -
- Francis John Hess -

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, July 2, 1915 Page 5

Interesting Letter from a Ventnor Man at the Front

Writing home to his father, Sergt. Percy Channing, who is in the Royal Garrison Artillery with the Indian Expeditionary Force in the Persian Gulf, pays a great tribute to the work of the Territorials. He says: - "I am proud to say our No. 1 gun was the first to fire in the action. Sergt. Arthur Honeybourne's (another Ventnor man and an old schoolfellow of the writer's) was second. It was a fine sight. All our guns were laid on the enemy's position, and the first gun was the signal for the others to open fire. The gunboats and all were in it. Our infantry went up in boats. We only had 12 casualties. Cannot say how many of the enemy went west, but hundreds were captured and a terrible lot killed. Even when we brought the prisoners in they still had their hands over their ears, so awful had been the bombardment. Just tell some of those fools at home who want an extra penny an hour, it is ammunition that wins a fight. If we had not had the ammunition in this fight, our infantry must have been wiped out. We are driving the Turks up the river. We hear they have already retired 60 miles in two days. We also sank a gunboat of their's above here, and nine guns have been captured. I was with A. Honeybourne and Francis Hess last night. The Terriers made a name for themselves in this fight. Their shooting was a credit to any regular battery. Everybody is talking about it, and you can tell them at Ventnor that the work of the battery has made a great impression here. The heat here is terrible - 114 degrees in the shade. Just fancy fighting in this temperature!" Honeybourne, Hess, E. Wright and W.R. Langdon were among those who volunteered from the 4th Hants (Ventnor) Battery for active service in the Persian Gulf.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, October 22, 1915 Page 3

Letter from Ventnor Soldiers on Active Service.

... FROM GUNNER FRANCIS HESS, 1/5TH HANTS, R.F.A.

Will you make an appeal on behalf of the Ventnor men serving with this battery for comforts in the way of shirts, socks, handkerchiefs, smokes, &c. I am sure such an appeal from you through the medium of the Mercury would not pass unheeded. Presents have been received from Freshwater and Yarmouth for the local men and we would think Ventnor people so disposed would do the same for us. We shall be glad to forward anything of the nature suggested.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday October 6, 1916 Page 1

News was received on Saturday by his family in Ventnor, that Gunner Francis Hess died of disease as long ago as June 24th. He had been on active service with the 4th Hants Howitzers in the Persian Gulf for several months. Gunner Hess was a native of Ventnor and a member of the firm Hess and Sons. He was formerly in the Town Band, and had many friends among the inhabitants. His death adds another to the misfortunes his family has had to bear as the result of the war.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday October 6, 1916 Page 5

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hess and family desire to thank all friends for messages of condolence in the death of Gunner F.J. Hess, 1/5th Hants Howitzer Battery, R.F.A.

ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY PRESS
Saturday, October 7, 1916 Page 5
THE ISLAND AND THE WAR
NOTICE OF CASUALTIES
DIED
Gunner Francis Hess, 4th Hants (Howitzer) Battery RFA (Ventnor)
VENTNOR
News has only just been received of the death of Gunner Francis Hess, 4th Hants (Howitzer) Battery R.F.A., eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hess, of Ventnor, and a member of the firm of Hess Brothers, tailors, &c. Gunner Hess was on active service in the Persian Gulf and died as long ago as June 24. He was formerly a member of the Ventnor Town Band and was well known and respected locally.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, October 13, 1916 Page 3

Ventnor District Council
CONDOLENCE
The Chairman proposed that votes of condolence be passed with Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Hess, in the death of their son, Gunner F.J. Hess, and with Mrs. Warren, in the death of her son, Private R.O. Warren. The last named, he said, was reported missing by the War Office on Jan. 16th, 1915, and Mrs. Warren received intimation on September 27th last that as they had not heard anything further about him they concluded he died on the date on which he was reported missing. The votes were carried in the usual way.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, January 19, 1917 Page 5

Corpl. F. Drake, "A" Battery R.F.A., of Ventnor, writes stating he has been discharged from hospital at Mhow, India. ... "I was sorry to learn from your paper that Francis Hess is dead also Lieut. Tozer. I had served with both of them and I was always thinking how nice it would be to join them when we relieved Kut, for we should have supplemented them had it been accomplished. We were like demented fellows when it was announced."

(not all the letter has been transcribed)

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, February 2, 1917 Page 5

A letter sent from Ventnor on August 25th, 1916, to Gunner F. J. Hess, of Ventnor, who died while on active service in the Persian Gulf, was returned to the sender yesterday. The letter was addressed to Constantinople. The English stamp has been removed from the letter.

ISLE OF WIGHT MERCURY

Friday, July 26, 1918 Page 1

Sergt. Francis Drake, R.F.A., is home on a month's leave after three years' continuous service in Mesopotamia and India. While in the neighbourhood he visited the burying place of Lieut. W. Tozer and Gunner Francis Hess, both of whom died in the Kut campaign. Another Ventnorian, Mr. A.S. Moorman, is home after service in East Africa.