William Walter George

Boy 1st Class J/29100, H.M.S. Clan McNaughton, Royal Navy. Died 3rd February 1915. Aged 16. Son of William A. and Florence Pollard. No known grave. Commemorated on CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL, Kent. Panel 10. See also Lowestoft St Margaret's and Lowestoft St John's

Note: HMS CLAN McNAUGHTON, was an armed merchant cruiser, lost 3rd February 1915, in the Atlantic. She was a pre-war merchant ship, which was requisitioned in November 1914 when she returned to her home port of Tilbury. She was then hastily converted into something she was never intended to be - a warship, which would have included mounting guns up on deck - well above her normal centre of gravity. A ad-hoc crew were then cobbled together for her: Career RN officers, although her engineer officers had all been Merchant Navy, some career RN Ratings, but many of the rest of her crew were reservists including some men from Newfoundland, one or two RN pensioners, plus no less than 50 boys straight out of the training shore base at Shotley, H.M.S. Ganges. All in all, an odd-ball crew who would have been completely unfamiliar with the ship and how she sailed.

She sailed for patrol duties in the North Atlantic a few days before Christmas 1914, but had to put into Liverpool on the way, for some problem to be sorted. She returned to Liverpool certainly once, perhaps twice before her loss in February 1915. She was in radio contact at about 6 a.m. on the morning of 3rd February 1915 and reported terrible weather conditions. Nothing further was ever heard of her. Some floating wreckage was found about fortnight later in the approximate area of her last known position but it could not be identified as having come from her. The truth is that no one knows for certain what did happen to her.

Extract from a newspaper cutting (thanks to Audrey McFarthing) - lost at sea when the troopship 'The Royal Edward' was sunk - torpedoed - on 13th August 1915:

Prvt. H.C.Poppy was the younger son of Mr. and Mrs. H.H. Poppy, of 127, High Street, Lowestoft. Previous to the war he was an assistant at Messrs. J Deverauux and Sons, Kirkley Stores, but towards the end of 1914 he felt his country's call and began to take an interest in the St John's Ambulance Brigade and attended classes at the Lowestoft YMCA. In February, 1915, having obtained his 'First-Aid' certificate, he joined the East Anglian Casualty Clearing Station. Previous to going abroad Prvt Poppy obtained his nursing certificate and also had much valuable hospital training at the 1st Eastern General Hospital. In social life he was a member of the Lowestoft Y.M.C.A. and was a member of the Swimming Club.

Arthur Victor

Private 12491, 7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action 4th October 1915. Aged 18. Born and enlisted Lowestoft. Son of George and Emily Porter, of 81, Wollaston Rd., Lowestoft. No known grave. Commemorated on LOOS MEMORIAL, Pas de Calais, France. Panel 37 and 38. See also Lowestoft St Margaret's and Lowestoft St John's