William John Slater

A Deck Hand with H.M. Drifter Eyrie. William died on 2nd of September 1914 at the age of 18. 

William was born at Blundeston in 1896, a son of Ambrose and Gertrude Slater. He was baptised at Saint Mary's Church, Blundeston, on 1 March 1896. In 1901 his family lived at The Street, Blundeston. By 1911 they were living at 129 Rotterdam Road and William worked as a trawler fisherman.

William joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 10 August 1914. He died when H. M. Drifter Eyrie struck a mine in the North Sea.  

The Irish Times of Thursday 3 September 1914, page 6, has:

BLOWN UP BY MINES

News reached Lowestoft yesterday that the steam drifter Eyrie has been blown up by a sunken mine in the North Sea. Of the crew of eleven six were drowned. The disaster happened early yesterday, the vessel sinking in three minutes. The drowned included Thomas Scarll, William Slater, and Robert Burch, all belonging to Lowestoft. The Eyrie recently saved the crew of a Danish steamer sunk by a mine in the vicinity. 

Later William's mother lived at 59 Maidstone Road, Lowestoft.

Note: all civil and church records and Commonwealth War Graves show William's middle name as John, however, when he joined the Royal Naval Reserve his middle name was recorded as George.