Ernest Alfred Royal

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Devon County, Ernest died on 19th of August 1917 at the age of 28. 

Ernest was born at Lowestoft on 16 March 1889, a son George Henry and Eliza Royal. In 1891 his family lived at 42 The Hemplands and by 1901 they were living at 227 Raglan Street. Ernest attended Clapham Road School and, from 2 February 1896, was a pupil at Saint Margaret’s School. In 1911 Ernest lived with his sister, Harriet Francis, at 3 Orchard Terrace, and Ernest was a greengrocer’s assistant. By 1915 he was living at 1 Horn Hill Cottages, Lowestoft, with his sister Ethel Abbott.

Ernest joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 26 January 1915, and he served on the drifter Devon County. 

On 19 August 1917 Ernest was on leave at Dover. A tramcar taking sightseers to the village of River crashed at Crabbe Hill. There were about 70 people on the tramcar, including Ernest and his fiancée, Miss Hunt of Snargate Street, Dover. Eleven people, including Ernest, were killed and 59, including Miss Hunt, badly injured. An inquiry concluded that the tramcar driver was to blame for the accident has he had not cut off the power when approaching a stop and had not utilised the braking equipment properly, but noted, also, that the tramcar was on a difficult route. 

Ernest’s body was returned to Lowestoft where he was buried on 25 August 1917.