The Church of the Good Shepherd
The Hook, Upton upon Severn

Ordnance Survey reference: SO 821405

War Memorial

Contents
Originally part of the parish of Upton, this church, a couple of miles to the west of Upton, was consecrated as a chapel of ease for 80 local families on the 20th September 1870. The church was officially constituted as a district church in 1985.

A brass plaque in the church: 

 To the glory of God and
 In everlasting memory of
 the men of the Hook who
made the supreme sacrifice
 for God King and Country
in the Great War 1914-1918

Gnr H.B.Alcott M.M.  R.F.A
   Fell April 18th 1981 aged 25
Trpr. Charles Baker 5th Dragoon Gds
   Fell, April 10th 1917 aged 34
Pte. William G. Hawker, 1st. Bn Worc. Regt.
   Fell, Jan 2nd 1917 aged 34
Sergt R. Hill 11th Bn Royal Sussex Regt.
   Fell Sept. 3rd 1916 aged 25
Pte William C. Hill 1st Bn Worc. Regt
   Fell July 9th 1916 aged 23
Gnr Frederick William Hood, R.F.A.
   Fell Aug. 1st. 1917 aged 40
Pte John H. James 3rd Bn Worc. Regt
   Fell June 7th 1917 aged 32
PteErnest Edward Jarvis, 2nd Bn. Worc. Regt
   Fell, Mons 1914 aged 37
L Cpl Vincent M. Jarvis 4th Bn Worc. Regt.
   Fell June 4th 1915 aged 22
Pte J.E. Jones  Princess Patricia's C.L.I.
   Died Nov 21st 1918 aged 29
Pte John P. Oliver Gloucester Regt.
   Fell Nov 17th 1918 aged 21
Pte W.G. Wheildon 8th Bn East Surrey Regt
   Fell Nov. 8th 1916 aged 19
A bronze plaque:
In
Grateful memory
of the men of the
Hook District who
gave their lives in
the Second World
War 1939-1945
Monty Gurney
Robert Owen
Charles E Pearce
Clement Poole
Joseph W Wheildon
Their name liveth
for evermore

A stained glass window. At the top, around a representation of a medal, are the words:

So he passed
Over and all the
trumpets sounded for
him on the far side

And around the main part of the window:

he maketh the
Storm a calm
So that the waves
thereof are still

they are glad
because they be quiet
So he bringeth them to
their desired haven
The he arose and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea
"Peace, be still"; and the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

In loving memory of Lieutenant Commander Charles Rowan Grice-Hutchinson D.S.C. and Bar, Royal Navy
Mortally wounded in action on Yangtse River April 21st 1949
while navigating officer of HMS London. Died at Hong Kong May 6th 1949
"So he passed over and all the trumpets sounded for him on the other side"




In the churchyard

Two CWGC headstones:

5178976 CORPORAL
S.H. BRIMMELL
ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS
26TH JANUARY 1945 AGE 37
WHAT YOU MISSED
ON LIFE'S HIGHWAY
MAY YOU FIND
IN GOD'S HAVEN OF REST 		7618945 PRIVATE
R.D. OWEN
ROYAL ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS
30TH NOVEMBER 1940 AGE 21
THEIR NAME LIVETH
FOR EVERMORE

Carved into the wooden roof beams of the churchyard gate (George was the grandfather of Charles Rowan):

+ TO THE GLORY OF GOD +
AND IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN
GEORGE WILLIAM GRICE-HUTCHINSON OF THE BOYNE
BORN 27 APRIL 1848 DIED 18 MAY 1906


Notes
Mike Overton has written to me, and greatly clarified the circumstances of Charles Grice-Hutchinson's death: as I had surmised, this was a result of the Yangtse Incident in which he was injured in the back of the head, dying in the Royal Navy hospital.
H.M.S. Amethyst was heading up the Yangtse on 19th April 1949 to relieve H.M.S. Consort at Nanking, and, if necessary, evacuate British & Commonwealth citizens if the fighting in the civil war should endanger them. Heavy fire was opened on HMS Amethyst at 1000 on 20th April 1949 in the vicinity of Rose Island in the Yangtze River and she ran aground. HMS London received the Amethyst's report and steamed to Kiang Yen anchoring at 1900 that evening. HMS Consort left Nanking upon receiving the Amethyst's signal and was severely damaged in attempting to get her off of the sandbank. Consort, together with HMS Black Swan, anchored alongside HMS London at Kiang Yin that evening.
It was decided that HM Ships London and Black Swan would attempt to rescue the Amethyst whilst the severely damaged Consort would proceed to Shanghai with her dead and injured. London came under heavy fire at 1026 and again at 1104. At 1106 a shell burst on the bridge wounded Captain Cazalet and the Officer of the Watch, mortally wounded Lieutenant Commander Charles Rowan Grice-Hutchinson and killed one of the Chinese pilots. It was decided to withdraw at this point and five more actions took place on the return passage.
HMS Amethyst eventually escaped from the Yangtze River unaided on the 31st. July 1949.
HMS London's casualties were 15 killed, 14 seriously wounded and about 45 lightly wounded, HMS Amethyst lost 21 men and HMS Consort 10.

The text at the top of the the window "So he passed over and all the..." is a quotation from Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

Last modified 12 March 2000