DOZENS of people were at St Clement’s Church, Hedley Road, West Thurrock on Sunday to mark one of the worst tragedies in the area’s history.
A hundred years before – on 30 September, 1915 – 16 teenagers died when the sail boat they were on was struck by a steam tug.
The children – and an officer they were with – were part of the complement of the training ship Cornwall, moored off Purfleet.
They were buried in a mass grave – with their officer alongside – in the church yard of St Clement’s Church.
On Sunday, Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Sue Gray, said: “There is nothing worse than a parent losing a child and even in the midst of the carnage that was the First World War, the disaster we are marking here today touched people’s hearts.
“When you compare this tragedy with those on the Western Front it pales in comparison as far as sheer numbers are concerned, but the boys who died here were just that … boys.”
She added: “I’m a mum and a grandmother and I cannot conceive of anything worse than a group of young teenaged boys drowning in the Thames because somebody made a mistake.
“I am told around 4,000 people crammed into this little churchyard to pay their respects, and that alone proves that this incident was something that tugged on heartstrings.
“The fact that we are here now and that a plaque is going to be permanently set up here shows that – even a hundred years on – the people of Thurrock understand and remember their history.”
Speaking afterward, she added: “It was a very sad occasion, knowing these youngsters died in a terrible accident.
“Thanks must go to the Friends of St Clement’s and Procter & Gamble who look after the church. The church is open every Sunday throughout the summer, all thanks to these dedicated men and women who tirelessly look after the upkeep of the grounds and church itself.
“The plaque is there for all to see when they visit.”
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