William Frederick Shaw

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Receptive. William died on 3rd of July 1941 at the age of 36.

William was born at Lowestoft on 30 May 1905, a son of George Thomas Shaw and Rosanna Shaw. In 1911 his family lived at 6 Factory Court, Factory Street, Lowestoft. By 1921 they were living at 9 Gun Lane, and William worked as a labourer at the Jewson's Saw Mill on Belvedere Road, Lowestoft. 

In 1935 William married Ellen Victoria Haylock at Lowestoft. In 1939 they lived at 3 Factory Court, Factory Street, Lowestoft, and William worked as a fisherman-stoker.

During World War Two William served on the requisitioned drifter Receptive. On 3 July 1941 the drifter was in the Thames Estuary, about two miles north of Sheppey. The drifter detonated a mine, possibly an acoustic mine, and was blown up. Nine men, including William, lost their lives.

SEE: RECEPTIVE (wildfire3.com) 

NOTE: Commonwealth War Graves records give his age as 45. This is not correct. All civil records, including birth indexes, the 1911 and 1921 Censuses and the 1939 Register, show that he was born in 1905.