THE Chronicle has solved a mystery surrounding the date Dartmouth First World War hero Theodore Veale was born – but in doing has uncovered another puzzle.
The ‘official bible’ of honours is The VC and DSO, published in three volumes by The Standard Art Book Co Ltd, gives his date of birth as November 11, 1893.
On page 224, it states he was born in Clarence Street, Dartmouth, eldest son of Henry Veale, builder, and Ada Veale, professional pianist, of 12 Mansard Terrace, Dartmouth.
The book says: ‘He was educated at Dartmouth Council schools and joined the army on September 4, 1914, as a private in the 8th Devonshire Regiment, (Buller’s Own).
The plaque, put up in his honour in 2002 after research and fundraising by Dartmouth publisher Richard Webb and Kingswear author Don Collinson, concurs with The VC and DSO, as does the interpretation board put up alongside by South Hams Council.
However, the Victoria Cross website gives Pte Veale’s date of birth as November 11, 1892.
To add to the confusion, when then Corporal Veale married 19-year-old Amy Rose Pinsent at St Saviour’s Church in Dartmouth on April 13, 1920, his age is written as 26. Had he been born in November 1892, he would have been 27.
The Chronicle, determined to establish perhaps once and for all when Theodore was born, contacted the General Register Office, which maintains the national archive of all births, marriages and deaths, dating back to 1837.
Having received a copy of Theodore’s birth certificate, we can now say for certain he was born on November 11, 1892. The birth was registered at the area Register Office in Totnes on December 22, 1892. Records we have so far been unable to obtain copies of suggest he was baptised in St Saviour’s Church, Dartmouth, in 1893.
None of this, of course, reduces in any way the heroicism Pte Veale showed when rescuing Lt Eric Savill who had been wounded and was crying out for help from no man’s land, between the British and German trenches, on July 20, 1916.
A newspaper report at the time showed how much his gallantry meant to people in his home town.
It said: ‘There was a considerable amount of excitement and quiet rejoicing in Dartmouth on Saturday when news leaked through from unofficial quarters that [by then promoted] Cpl Theodore William Henry Veale, Devon Regt, had been awarded the Victoria Cross.
‘Little knots of people gathered in the streets, clubs, hotels and cafes and eagerly discussed the good news, and lively satisfaction was expressed at the signal honour which young Veale has brought to his native town.
‘He is well known in Dartmouth, for he is one of the best all-round athletes in the town. As a footballer, he was a member of the Dartmouth United Football Association, and also the Dartmouth Athletic Reserves.
‘At swimming, jumping and running, he was continually to the fore.’
The report added: ‘The new VC is the eldest son of Mr Henry Veale, a well-known Dartmouth builder, residing at 12 Lansard Terrace, in the Victoria Road, and the family has been in the town for many years.’
It continued: ‘The gallant young corporal also holds the distinction of having been the very first in Dartmouth to respond to the call to arms. This was at the first of a series of meetings held in the town immediately after the outbreak of war. The meeting was presided over by Mr Alderman Peek, who was at that time Mayor of Dartmouth, and so impressed was the young Veale by the speech that he led the way in responding to the invitation to enlist.’
His brother, Laurence Veale, born in 1894, served with the Devons, Cyclist Battalion. He is also believed to have survived the war.
Publisher Richard Webb said: ‘Congratulations on your interesting article about the confusion with the actual date of birth of Corporal TWH Veale VC, and the fact that the birth certificate you have obtained states 11th November 1892.
‘The source material in Don Collinson’s book, The Chronicles of Dartmouth 1854-1954, which I published, was all based on Don’s research from original archive copies of the Dartmouth Chronicle, so maybe an earlier article referred to 11th November 1893.
‘This date was also the one used for the memorial plaque and all the wording was checked and approved by Corporal Veale’s daughter, Mrs Theodora Grindell, before it was made and, since then, nobody has ever raised any query about the date in the past 14 years that it has stood in Royal Avenue Gardens.
‘Interestingly the current official Ancestry.co.uk website database of VC medal holders lists Veale’s birth date as being 11th November 1890.
‘In the end it is this Dartmothian’s extraordinary bravery exactly a century ago that counts when we remember him – whatever his true date of birth.
‘However, I’m pleased that the facts have now been finally established by the Chronicle.’