Alfred George Ward

An Able Seaman with S.S. Powhatan (Sunderland), Alfred died on 6th of April 1917 at the age of 28.

Alfred was born at Aldeby, Norfolk, on 29 March 1889, a son of William and Alice Ward. He was baptised at Aldeby on 20 July 1890. In 1891 his family lived at The Street, Aldeby. By 1901 they were living at Wheatacre, Norfolk. Alfred’s mother died in 1902. In 1911 Alfred was a net rope man on the steam drifter Dollar Princess, LT 764, at Lowestoft. Later his father lived at Kimberley Road, Lowestoft.

In 1917 Alfred was an Able Seaman on the S.S. Powhatan. On 6 April the Powhatan was taking a cargo of oil from Sabine, in Texas, U.S.A., to Kirkwall, Scotland. Around 25 miles north-west of North Rona, in the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and sank. Thirty six people, including Alfred, were killed. 

Alfred's half-brother, Herbert Jacob, died in the loss of the trawler W.A. Massey.