William Roth

An Able Seaman with S/V B.H.C. 9, William died on 6th of March 1941 at the age of 44.

William was born at Kessingland on 11 August 1896, a son of William and Laura Roth. He was baptised at Saint Edmund's Church, Kessingland, on 18 October 1896. In 1901 his family lived at Clifton Villa, Kessingland, and the 1911 Census shows them living at Clifton House, Kessingland. They were still living at Clifton House in 1921 and William worked as a fisherman. 

William joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 12 July 1915, number DA 7778. he served as a Deck Hand on requisitioned trawlers including the Pausible (? sic) and the Kipper. He was discharged on 17 June 1919.   

William married Millie Madeline Knights in 1929. By 1939 they were living at 1 Geneva Cottages, Kessingland Beach, Suffolk, and William worked as a fisherman.

On 22 February 1941 a German parachute mine was dropped and fell into the inner harbour at Falmouth. Efforts were made to detonate the mine, but these did not work. A team of divers, from H.M.S. Vernon, attempted to defuse the mine, but this was extremely difficult and on 6 March 1941 it exploded killing three of the Royal Navy men and three sailors who were supporting the diving team. Alfred was one of the sailors on the diving barge. He was killed by the explosion. Three other men were injured, but survived.

Another Lowestoft man, Alfred Marjoram, died as a result of the same incident. 

See: Service Most Silent - remembering those who died in Falmouth 6th March 1941 | WW2Talk