George Edward Brown

A Deck Hand with H.M. Armed Fishing Smack Ivanhoe, George died on 9th of January 1919 at the age of 18. 

George is believed to have been born at Lowestoft on 12 January 1901, a son of Agnes Emily Brown. In 1901 George, and his mother, lodged at 36 Arnold Street. During 1904 George’s mother married Benjamin Norman. On 11 October 1904 he became a pupil at Cunningham School and his family lived at 9 Wellington Road. He left Cunningham School on 15 June 1910 as his family had moved into Lowestoft. In 1911 his family lived at 32 Haward Street. 

During the First World War George agreed to serve with government vessel under a T.124 agreement, technically this meant he was part of the Mercantile Marine Reserve. In this role he served as a Deck Hand on the Ivanhoe, and armed fishing smack. The following notice, that explains what happened to Benjamin, appeared in the Guardian, 24 January 1919, page 7:

FEARED LOSS OF PADSTOW FISHING SMACK

Great anxiety was felt at Padstow when it became known that the armed motor fishing boat “Ivanhoe” had failed to return from the fishing grounds. The vessel left the port on Wednesday morning, the 8th, and was last seen in the heavy gale on Thursday, 9th, by the skipper of the “Hepetica”. It is feared that she was swamped by the heavy seas and all the hands lost.