Benjamin William Chatteris

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Gleaner of the Sea, Benjamin died on 26th of October 1916 at the age of 27.

Benjamin was born at Lowestoft on 25 November 1889, a son of Alfred Charles and Elizabeth Chatteris. In 1891 his family lived at 85 Saint Margaret’s Road. By 1901 his mother had died and his family lived at Bishop’s Buildings, Mariners Street.

On 27 December 1914 Benjamin married Rosa Juler. Benjamin was a fisherman and they both gave their address as 29 Tennyson Avenue. They lived at 85 Kimberley Road, and later Rosa lived at 37 Payne Street.

Benjamin was enrolled in the Royal Naval Reserve on 11th January 1915 and he served on board the Drifter 'Gleaner of the Sea'. In 1915 the 'Gleaner of the Sea' was part of the Dover Patrol and the crew had the task of tending the anti-submarine nets. On 24th April 1916 a German submarine, the U-13, became tangled in the drifter's anchor chain. The Skipper, Robert Hurren, attacked the submarine with a 'lance bomb' which exploded and damaged the submarine which was subsequently sunk. 

On the night of 26-27 October 1916 the Gleaner of the Sea, along with several other Lowestoft trawlers in the Dover Patrol, was attacked by German destroyers and sank with the loss of all hands. 

For details of the attack on the Dover Barrage see: The German attack on the 'Dover Barrage' 26th/27th October 1916 (sussexhistoryforum.co.uk)

Benjamin's brother Alfred served with the Royal Engineers and died in 1917.