P W Pascoe

Philip William Pascoe

Born 5 June 1879 at Plymouth  Died 1 November 1914  Coronel, South Atlantic

Leading Seaman (Boatman CG) 192247 Royal Navy

Philip was the son of John and Harriet Pascoe.  John was fish hawker, originally from Fowey.  Harriet was born in Devonport. The Pascoes also had a daughter, Bertha.

In 1902 Philip married Emily Hetty Pearce in Plymouth.  They had at least one child, Emily, born in Plymouth in 1910.  By 1914 the family were living in Newquay where Philip was a coastguard.  He clearly answered his country's call quickly on the outbreak of war, joining the Royal Navy as a Leading Seaman aboard HMS Monmouth.

HMS Monmouth was the first of the Navy's Monmouth class cruisers, built between 1899 and 1904.  This class of cruiser was a lighter, faster design than the previous Drake class.  This was achieved by making them shorter, thinner skinned and losing two guns.  Monmouth spent time in the Mediterranean and the South China Sea, but was back in home waters at the outbreak of war.  She was sent to join Admiral Cradock's South American squadron.

In October 1914 Cradock's ships were ambushed by Admiral Von Spee's squadron.  The modern German cruisers easily out gunned the British and the Monmouth was lost with all hands.  Philip's body was not recovered and he is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.  You can read more about the Battle of Coronel here.

Emily Pascoe continued living at her home in Ennor's Road, Newquay until her death in 1934.  Her daughter had died the previous year, aged only 23.