Alonzo Gouldby Strowger

A Skipper with H.M. Drifter Clover Bank, Alonzo died on 24th of April 1916 at the age of 52. 

Alonzo was born at Kessingland on 19 April 1864, a son of George and Sarah Strowger. He was baptised at Saint Edmund’s Church, Kessingland, on 15 May 1864. In 1871 his family lived ‘near the sea’ Kessingland. In 1881 their address was The Beach, Kessingland.

In 1892 Alonzo was the Skipper of the trawler Twilight, LT 178, and in 1900 he was the owner of the trawler Renown. 

On 19 July 1896 Alonzo married Priscilla Jane Haylett at Saint Edmund’s Church, Caister-on-Sea. Alonzo was a fisherman, living at Kessingland, and Priscilla lived at Caister. In 1901 they lived at The Beach, Kessingland, and Alonzo was a fish merchant. By 1904 they were living at Caister-on-Sea.

In 1906 Alonzo was the Master of the trawler Boadicea. On 10 June 1910 he was awarded his certificate of competency as a skipper. 

In 1911 the family home was at Clay Road, Caister, and later at Lamorna, Beach Road, Caister. In 1911 Alonzo was the Skipper of the trawler Paradox, YH 710, at Haking, Pembrokeshire.   

Alonzo joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 11 January 1915 and was the Skipper of the drifter Clover Bank. A marginal note on his service record card states ‘Skipper Strowger was in action with an enemy submarine July 1915.’

On 24 April 1916 a large flotilla of hips from the Dover Patrol sailed toward the Belgian coast to lay a minefield, and set a net barrage, between Nieuport and the River Scheldt, in order to restrict the movement of German submarines based in that area. They laid a 15 mile section of double mines and 13 miles of mined nets. It seems that a line of nets should have been laid seaward of a line of mines, but were, instead, laid shoreward. The Clover Bank, after shooting her nets, sailed the wrong way and struck one of the British mines. The trawler was lost with all 18 men on board, including Alonzo. On that occasion the Clover Bank was carrying six additional crew.   

A report of Alonzo’s death appeared in the Evening Star (Ipswich), 15 May 1916, page 1:

A KESSINGLAND HERO

Among the naval losses recorded during the past week occurs the name of Mr. Alonzo Strowger, a native of Kessingland, and formerly of Caister-on-Sea, who had done splendid work since the outbreak of war on one of the fishing boats used for naval purposes, of which he had been skipper. His vessel is supposed to have struck a mine down south. He was one of the best-known East Coast skippers, a fins fisherman, a skilful lifeboatman, and a member of the crew of the famous Caister lifeboat. The deceased was the skipper who was honoured by a visit from His Majesty the King in a southern port after a notable exploit in the channel with which the fate of an enemy submarine is concerned. Mr. Strowger deserves to rank high among the splendid race of fishermen to whom the country and the Navy owe such a great deal.   

After Alonzo’s death Priscilla lived at Holmsdale, Caister-on-Sea. 

There is a plaque in Saint Edmund’s Church, Caister, to Alonzo’s memory, and the large candlesticks at that church are also dedicated to his memory.