REGARDING your article commemorating the centenary of the loss of HMS Monmouth and the Good Hope on November 1, 1914 Edward   Pickering was not the only local man on board.

Robert Norman who was brought up in Tidenham, but born in Chepstow, also died on that day.

They were not the first local men to die as George Hughes (who enlisted as William John Hughes) and also from Chepstow, died on August 6 1914 in the North Sea on board HMS Amphion and Private Robert Arnold of the Royal Marine Light Infantry died on September 22 in the North Sea on board HMS Aboukir.

Two Chepstow men serving with the South Wales Borderers died on October 31, 1914 and are remembered on the Menin Gate.

If anyone has photographs or information about any of the men on the local memorials we would be vey interested to hear from you. Contact [email protected]">[email protected]

– Liz McBride, Chepstow.