Benjamin Edmund Raven

A Fourth Hand with the trawler Fleurette (Lowestoft), Benjamin died on the 13th February 1917, aged 45.

Benjamin was born at Kirkley in 1872, a son of Edmund and Mary Ann Raven. He was baptised at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley, on 25 March 1874. In 1881 his family lived at Pakefield Street. In 1891 his family lived at 11 A Beach Street, Pakefield, and by 1901 at 18 Pakefield Street, and Benjamin was a trawlerman. In 1911 Benjamin was the Third Hand on the trawler Purple Heather of which his brother Arthur was the skipper. Later his brother lived at 5 Rectory Road, Lowestoft. 

During the First World War Benjamin was the Fourth Hand with the trawler Fleurette, LT 312. On 13 February 1917, in rough weather, the Fleurette was stopped by German submarine U-47. The crew were forced to take to their dingy as the submarine intended to sink the trawler. The bad weather prevented the submarine from sinking the Fleurette which eventually came ashore unmanned and none of the five crew were never seen again.