december july british executed germans attempting ram boat ship captured netherlands court sentenced death civilian non international outrage followed execution near belgium body honours united_kingdom early life born december southampton son charles attended late 1870s family lived mary southampton later moved essex attended wife seven children girls boy children olive victoria charles younger charles later followed father merchant navy training leaving school entered marine serving county joined great eastern railway father officer rose ranks serving ships command appointed master boat attack march command great central railway ship attacked german boat ship chased nautical miles assisting vessel knots normally pushed knots arrived burnt funnels great eastern railway presented gold watch feat watch inscribed presented captain chairman directors mark appreciation courage march 2nd later month charge unsuccessfully attacked boat march captain ordered stop ship near seeing boat surfaced torpedo ship ordered steam ahead proceeded try ram forced crash dive action compliance orders issued winston_churchill captains merchant ships orders included treating crews boats prisoners war consideration policy submarine warfare white flags ignored churchill order stated survivors boats shot convenient taking prisoner captain surrender ship prosecuted british germans aware orders found copy capturing ben october second action awarded gold watch admiralty watch inscribed presented admiralty master brussels recognition example set vessel attacked german submarine march 28th presented certificate admiralty praised house_of_commons capture june brussels left bound lights shown beach fired passenger reported remained deck signalled shore german destroyers surrounded brussels passengers told prepare orders given official papers destroyed successfully brussels taken germans radio destroyed escorted crew sent civilian camp near berlin july reported dutch newspaper charged sinking german submarine germans knew sunk time trial active service constantinople flotilla basis charge inscriptions watches tried court martial july held town hall found guilty sentenced death sentence confirmed kaiser executed firing squad buried small cemetery outside germans burying belgian grave later visited diplomat sir british ambassador netherlands wife execution notice published dutch french german announcing death signed admiral translation execution notice reads follows notice english captain merchant ship southampton belong armed forces enemy attempted march 28th destroy german submarine running condemned death judgment day executed ruthless deed signed von admiral commandant july 27th german post war confirmation april named chairman sentence execution shooting captain given sentence court martial proceedings july contains violation international law commission apologizes hurry judgement enforced commission ruling unanimous members legal review panel opinion sentence severe infringement international law reaction july british prime minister issued statement house_of_commons deeply regret appears true captain murdered germans majesty government heard crime laws nations war coming cruelty population occupied districts france stress military defeat renewed policy terrorism impossible course atrocities proceed majesty government desire repeat resolve crimes shall help time arrives determined bring justice criminals maybe position occupy cases authors system crimes committed guilty question immediate action taken engaging earnest attention government hope soon announce house_of_commons lord chairman denounced execution sheer brutal murder mayor opened fund erect permanent memorial similar fund opened netherlands united_states new_york_times denounced execution deliberate murder called german netherlands described execution arbitrary holland called murder inspired hatred revenge switzerland said monstrous maintain armed forces right murder civilians civilians guilty crime defending dutch branch presented great eastern railway memorial tablet erected liverpool street station memorial unveiled july exactly year execution scrap value brussels donated cost great eastern railway awarded widow pension government granted extra pension paid entitled immediately usual offered educate seven children king expressed execution letter letter wrote action captain defending ship attack enemy submarine noble instance resource self reliance characteristic profession incident inspired australian film murder captain funeral body returned united_kingdom burial coffin landed dover transported london july funeral held paul cathedral hundreds merchant seamen merchant seamen fishermen attended representing government members admiralty cabinet band great eastern railway augmented played dead march eternal father strong save sung blessing given route coffin liverpool street station lined people buried upper coffin carried station church gun carriage widow presented insignia posthumously awarded posthumously awarded belgian maritime war cross street named captain place forced border germans wing known named honour public house nearby named captain honour canada feet high named honour captain feet high named honour ship commemoration exhibition held hall 100th anniversary execution exhibition runs july
Charles Fryatt