Churchward, Christopher Marks

10th January 2021
I have previously mentioned on this website about the older brother of my Grandad Gordon Churchward who died at sea on the Indefatigable at the battle of Jutland. I was told about this when I was a child by my father and I have often thought about him, especially whenever I went past the war memorial in Newton Abbot.

A few days ago I received a facebook message from Stephanie Medwell who wondered if I was related to the Christopher Churchward who was lost at sea at the battle of Jutland. She told me that she was the granddaughter of Olive Reynolds who had been engaged to be married to Christopher. When I told her that I was related and knew about him she sent me some further interesting information, photos of him and postcards that he had written that I had not seen before. She told me that the last time her grandmother had seen Christopher was after a meal at his mother's house in Exeter, at the railway station. She said that her grandmother never forgot about him and that their wedding banns had been made on the Indefatigable. I have now written a song about this.

Banns of marriage witnessed Dated in May On three Sundays Before he sailed away But for Christopher there would be no wedding day

At the station in Exeter He said farewell It was the last time she saw him Such a sad tale to tell

Shells from the Von Der Tann Screaming across the sea Death and destruction Created so terribly And for Olive Reynolds bad news she would receive

At the station in Exeter He said farewell It was the last time she saw him Such a sad tale to tell

She never forgot him And her memories live on Told to Stephanie Now written in this song

https://soundcloud.com/the-legendary-ten-seconds/for-christopher-olive


 * 1) HMS Indefatigable Crew List (Photographs)
 * 2) HMS Indefatigable Crew List (updated in Real-time)