Montague Stanley Ablett

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Silver Queen, Montague died on 15th of February 1918 at the age of 33. 

Montague was born at Wenhaston, Suffolk, on 9 April 1884, a son of Louisa Ablett, nee Levers. In 1890 his mother married Jacob Wallage. In the family lived at 1891 Hollow Lane, Yoxford.  

In 1909 Montague married Florence Miriam Hurren who came from Chediston. By 1912 their home was at 4 Sunshine Terrace, Oulton Broad, and Montague worked as an engineer. Later Florence lived at Walnut Tree Farm, Walpole, Halesworth. 

Montague joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 26 January 1915 and served on the trawler Silver Queen. 

Montague was serving on the Silver Queen and was killed in an event known by some as the ‘Massacre of the Drifters’. Captain Taprell-Dorling, in his book Swept Channels described the event:

"On the night of 14-15 February 1918, an enemy submarine was reported in the minefield [off Dover] by the drifters, and heavy firing began. The "P" boats, monitors and destroyers on patrol concluded that the firing was at the submarine. They were unaware that a flotilla of German destroyers had steamed through the patrol and were attacking the paddle minesweepers, trawlers and drifters who were burning lights to assist in illuminating the minefield.

The trawler James Pond, commanded by Chief Skipper A.E. Berry, D.S.C., R.N.R., was burning her flares near the French coast when he saw three destroyers approaching from the eastward at high speed. Flashing past at very close range, they each fired salvoes. It was impossible to miss. The raiders disappeared into the darkness, to leave the trawler damaged and blazing.

The enemy destroyers had not finished. After passing the James Pond they turned sharply to the north-north-west along the line of drifters, firing salvoes into them as they steamed by. These little ships did not hesitate to return the fire with the tiny guns they possessed; but 3 and 6 pounders were nothing of a match for the 4.1's of the enemy. The Christina Craig, Clover Bank, Cosmos. Jeannie Murray, Silver Queen, Veracity and W Elliott, all between 60 and 96 tons, were sunk one after the other. Still more were damaged."