William Oldman

A Seaman with H.M.S. Hogue, William died on 22nd of September 1914 at the age of 37. 

William was born at Somerleyton on 7 February 1877, a son of William James and Harriet Oldman. He was baptised at Saint Mary's Church, Somerleyton, on 11 March 1877. In 1881 his family lived at 22 Brickfields, Somerleyton. By 1901 they were living at 4 Wesleyan Chapel Lane, Lowestoft, and William was working as a cook on a smack. 

On 1906 William married Maud Florence Burden at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft. William was a fisherman living at 3 Wesleyan Chapel Road, and Maud lived at 13 Haward Street. By 1911 they were living at 13 Erskine Place. Later Maud lived at 18 Wellington Cottages, Clapham Road, Lowestoft.

In 1910 William worked on the trawlers Nelson, LT 459, and Albion, LT 708; in 1911 on the trawlers Retriever, LT 1076, and Early Blossom, LT 16; in 1912 on the trawlers Forward, LT 722, and Rep O'Day (sic), LT 187; in 1913 he worked on the Boy Jack, LT 945, the Sweet Name, LT 73, and the Boy Walker. He 1914 he worked on trawler LT 187. 

William joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 1 October 1904 (but seems to have had prior service).

William was called out for service at the start of the First World War and on 3 August 1914 joined H.M.S. Hogue. 

On 28 August 1914 H.M.S. Hogue was part of the British naval force at the Battle of Heligoland Bight, but took no active part in the battle. On 22 September H.M.S. Hogue, sailing with sister ships Aboukir and Cressy, were in the Broad Fourteens area of the North Sea when each ship was sunk by torpedoes from German submarine U-9. A total of 377 men, including William, were killed in the loss of the Hogue.