Frederick Romulus Allen

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Eyrie. Frederick died on 2nd of September 1914 at the age of 25. 

Frederick was born at Lowestoft in 1889, a son of William and Margaret Jane Allen. He was baptised at All Saints' Church, Pakefield, on 17 February 1889, and his family lived at Kirkley. In 1891 his family lived at 82 Pakefield Street. Later his family lived at 22 Pakefield Street.

On 12 December 1909 Frederick married Sophia Howlett, at Broome, Norfolk. In 1911 they lived at 26 Pakefield Street, and later Sophia lived at 2 Beach Stone Place, Pakefield. 

Frederick joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 10 August 1914 and served on the Eyrie. He died when H. M. Drifter Eyrie struck a mine in the North Sea. The Irish Times of Thursday 3 September 1914, page 6, has:

BLOWN UP BY MINES

News reached Lowestoft yesterday that the steam drifter Eyrie has been blown up by a sunken mine in the North Sea. Of the crew of eleven six were drowned. The disaster happened early yesterday, the vessel sinking in three minutes. The drowned included Thomas Scarll, William Slater, and Robert Burch, all belonging to Lowestoft. The Eyrie recently saved the crew of a Danish steamer sunk by a mine in the vicinity. 

Frederick's brother Bertie died in 1916 in the loss of the drifter Kent County.