William Walter Colby
A Deck Hand with H.M. Trawler Bracklyn, William died on 11th of May 1917 at the age of 32.
William was born at Lowestoft on 4 June 1884 a son of Arthur and Alice Colby. In 1891 his family lived at 28 Jacob’s Street. In 1901 William was the cook on the trawler United, LT 192, at Lowestoft, and his family lived at 58 Stanford Street. By 1911 they were living at 98 Haward Street. By 1916 William was living at 10 Raglan Street.
On 24 December 1916 William married Dorothy May Hook at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. William was a deck hand and gave his address as 177 Saint Margaret’s Road and Dorothy lived at 147 Saint Margaret’s Road. In 1917 Dorothy lived at 1 Alma Road. In 1919 she married Samuel Martin and they lived at 8 Coastguard Cottages, Battery Green, Lowestoft.
William joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 20 April 1915. He served on the trawler Bracklyn.
On 10 March 1916 the Bracklyn, along with four other ships, ran aground at Corton, in bad weather and had to be towed off the beach.
On 11 May 1917 the Bracklyn was sunk by a mine off Great Yarmouth. All ten of the crew were killed.
William's daughter, Dorothy, married Patrick Furrell, who served in the Royal Navy and died in 1943.
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William Colby
Coastguard Cottages 8
Battery Green Road
Lowestoft
United Kingdom
52.4761695, 1.7548373
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William Colby died 11/5/1917…
William Colby died 11/5/1917 leaving my (to be) Gran Dorothy a widow with a daughter, also Dorothy. Younger Dorothy lost her husband on the Dasher leaving her as a widow with a daughter. Two young girls a generation apart with no father. Gran Dorothy later married Samuel Martin - a WW1 RN veteran later a Coastguard, hence the Coastguard Cottages address. My Mum arrived a few years later ! I spent many holidays staying at Coastguard Cottages in the 1950s.
My grandfather, Percival…
My grandfather, Percival Munnings Stace, was also on the Bracklyn. My mum was his daughter and she was just 2yo when he lost his life. She went to school with Jack Colby who owned the caravan site at Pakefield. We often met him on holidays from Bristol to Lowestoft.It was only many many years later that I found all this out.
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