Albert Allen

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Violet May. Albert died on 15th of February 1918 at the age of 33. 

Albert was born at Lowestoft on 8 October 1885, a son of William and Eleanor Elizabeth Allen. He was baptised at Saint Margaret's Church on 7 March 1886. Note that navy records give his date of birth as 6 October 1886. In 1891 his family lived at 23 Reeve Street and by 1901 at 7 Whapload Road. 

On 16 May 1910 Albert married Lilian May Carsey at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. He was working as a fisherman and living at Love Road, and Lilian lived at 34 Haward Street. In 1911 they lived at 15 Union Road, with Lilian's family, and Albert worked as a trawlerman. By 1915 they were living at 54 Cambridge Road and later Lilian remarried and lived at 71 Beresford Road.

Albert joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 3 September 1915 and served on the trawler Osprey until 25 April 1917, when he joined the trawler Pam. On 15 August 1917 he joined the drifter Violet May. 

On 15 February 1918 British drifters of the Dover Patrol attempted to force a German submarine to surface. The drifters were attacked by a force of German destroyers. Nine British drifters were sunk and others, including the Violet May, badly damaged. Albert and seven other crew of the Violet May were killed during this action, and two survived.

His son Ernest died in 1940 while serving with the Royal Army Service Corps.