Arthur George Stannard

An Engineman with H.M. Trawler Columbia., Arthur died on 1st of May 1915 at the age of 23. 

Arthur was born at Pakefield on 10 September 1892, a son of Frederick and Florence Adeline Lilian Stannard. He was baptised at All Saints' Church, Pakefield, on 9 October 1892. Arthur attended Cunningham Infant School from 10 September 1895 and Cunningham Mixed School from 1 June 1899. In 1901 his family lived at 7 Bourne Terrace, Pakefield. By 1914 they were living at 12 Prospect Place, Pakefield. Later Arthur's parents lived at 52 Florence Road, Pakefield.

Arthur joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 18 September 1914. He served on the trawler Columbia. 

On 1 March 1915 the Columbia was sunk by a German torpedo boat near Oostende, Belgium, in an action known as the Battle of Noorhinder Bank. The Columbia was sunk by a German torpedo. There is some conjecture about what happened to the crew: some sources suggest that survivors from the Columbia were picked up by German ships, but lost when these German ships were themselves sunk. One member of the Columbia's crew, Deck Hand Thomas Gale, is known to have survived. 

Co-incidentally the British officer in overall charge of the trawlers at the Battle of Noorhinder Bank, was Lieutenant Sir James Domville.