A WORLD WAR ONE hero who was twice a chaplain at Wycliffe College in Stonehouse has been remembered in a book written by his granddaughter.

The Rev Herbert Butler Cowl served during the Great War, suffering a serious injury to his voice box and loosing part of his jaw.

He travelled home as a patient on a hospital ship called Anglia, which hit a mine, and many people including his nurse and orderly were killed.

Despite injury, he tried his utmost to save as many people as he could before the ship sank half an hour later.

Herbert went down with the Anglia but managed to swim to a raft before being picked up by a patrol and taken back to England.

He received the Military Cross for exemplary gallantry but being very reluctant to discuss his time at war much of this heroism remained a mystery.

However, in 2012 Herbert’s granddaughter, Sarah Reay, discovered the letters he wrote home during the war, uncovering a forgotten story.

Four years later she finished writing his tale.

The book has now been published, The Half-Shilling Curate, A personal account of war & faith 1914-1918.

Sarah said: “When I was younger I didn’t really know much about my grandfather.

“When four years ago, I discovered letters home to his parents in 1915 which gave such an incredible insight into his story, I was intrigued.

“I discovered that after his injury he was unable to speak at all so in order to communicate he had to write down what happened to him and send private letters to his parents.

“The letters are incredibly frail but that almost makes them more special.

“There is also a love story running through my book.

“When my grandfather was wounded he didn’t know if he would survive or not and his brother in law wrote a telegram to a woman in British Colombia saying come quickly.

“She came over to Britain and nursed him back to health.

“Her name was Mary Louise Townsley known to many as May and she became his wife and my grandmother.”

Following the war Herbert was posted at Stonehouse and became the chaplain at Wycliffe College.

It seems he left a great impression on Wycliffe as he comforted the school boys and teachers who survived the war.

The following piece was taken from the school magazine in 1919: “Although the Rev Herbert Cowl, has only been known to Wycliffe boys for three months, he has already found a path into many hearts.

"The first thing that impressed us was his brevity.

"His first two sermons averaged 18 minutes each, and his first address at prayers lasted four minutes.

"This amazing and ever-to-be-welcomed record has been fairly maintained.

"The next thing that impressed us was his ‘chumminess,’ with small boys as well as big, and his general interest in everything that interests us.

"Next came an impression of his ability, not only as a preacher and speaker but as a thinker.

"What he says is always worth saying, and he says it well.”

Having made such a positive impression on the school, Herbert was posted to Westbury-on-Trym in Bristol in 1922.

Following the devastation of WW2, the head at Wycliffe College persuaded him to return as chaplain for a second time in 1947.

In 1952 Herbert moved away from Stonehouse but being so fondly remembered he kept close ties with the school until he died in 1971.

“As one of the youngest Army Chaplains to go to France and Flanders and as one of the youngest Army Chaplains to be awarded the Military Cross medal for exemplary gallantry, I am a very proud granddaughter,” said Sarah.

“Stroud, Stonehouse and Wycliffe were very important places in his life and I would love the people to know about him.”

Sarah released her book in the autumn last year and it has received much praise from fellow historians and authors.

The Half-Shilling Curate: A Personal Account of War & Faith 1914-1918 is available on Amazon for £19.99