A TOWN hospital will officially be named after Captain Fryatt more than ten years after it was built.

Despite locally being referred to as the Fryatt hospital, Harwich Hospital in Main Road, Dovercourt, was never actually named after the local hero.

Resident Lesley Chambers is now changing that.

She said: “I was non-executive director of the Primary Care Trust when the new hospital was being put up.

“I wanted it to be the Fryatt Memorial Hospital, but was told it couldn’t be then.”

Now, 100 years after his body was repatriated, the hospital will officially bear his name.

Lesley added: “It’s all come together now. “It’s on the wall of the hospital, but it was never officially named.”

Lesley, whose grandfather was a crew member on the SS Brussels and was taken prisoner of war with Captain Fryatt, has organised an official event at 2pm on Monday, July 8 at the hospital.

There will be speeches by various dignitaries, including Lesley and Captain Fryatt’s great, great, great grandson Jayden Thomas.

Captain Charles Fryatt was captured in June 1916 on the way to Harwich and taken to Belgium, which was under German control at the time.

The civilian captain from Harwich, who sailed ships to Rotterdam throughout the war, was found guilty of attempting to ram a German U-boat and executed in Bruges on July 27, 1916.

His body was repatriated the next year, where he was given a state funeral at St Paul’s Cathedral in London before a procession was held in Harwich and he was buried at All Saints Church, in Main Road, Dovercourt.

A civic service to mark the event will be held at All Saints Church, in Main Road, Dovercourt, at 7pm on Monday.

Afterwards wreaths will be laid at Captain Fryatt’s memorial in the churchyard and then a hall at the church is being renamed.

The Rev Canon Margaret Shaw said: “At All Saints Church there is a small hall at the back known as the family room.

“We are renaming it as the Fryatt room to raise his profile and to honour him.

“Everyone is welcome on the night.”

Cllr Garry Calver, who oversaw the recent project to refurbish the Fryatt grave, said: “The civic service will be very similar to the service that took place to mark the centenary of Captain Fryatt’s execution and we are delighted that many of the family will be in attendance.

“It is important that we do not forget that his brutal execution was a family tragedy.”