Albert John Buck

A First Engineer with Steam Trawler Derwent (Boston), Albert died on 26th of January 1920 at the age of 24. 

Albert, who often used his middle name, John, as his first name, was born at Great Ryburgh, Norfolk, on 17 November 1895, a son of John James and Sarah Ann Buck. Note, other sources give his date of birth as 22 December. He was baptised at Great Ryburgh on 2 February 1896. In 1901 his family lived near the school at Great Ryburgh. Albert’s family moved to Lowestoft where he attended Lovewell Road School before, on 24 October 1904, becoming a pupil at Saint John’s School and, at that time, his family lived at 39 Stevens Street. By 1911 the family were living at 5 Avondale Road and Albert was an engineer’s boy working for a boat builder. By 1914 his family were living at 67 Stevens Street.  

Albert joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 27 October 1914, service number 6569A. On 23 November 1914 he joined H.M.S. Otway, a Defensively Armed Merchant Ship. He was admitted to Chatham Hospital on 18 March 1916: the reason is not given on his service record. On 4 September 1915 Albert had applied to transfer to the trawler section as Engineman, but this request was not granted. On 7 August 1916 he joined H.M.S. Actaeon and, on 24 August 1917, H.M.S. Pembroke. Albert joined H.M.S. Orama, an Armed Merchant Cruiser, on 6 September 1917 and would have been on board when the Orama was sunk, torpedoed by submarine U-62, on 19 October 1917. He joined H.M.S. Pembroke I on 11 November 1917. On 2 July 1918 he joined the Burnholme (sic). On 20 January 1919 Albert was demobilized. 

In 1920 Albert worked on the Grimsby registered trawler Derwent, GY 525. The trawler was reported missing on 26 January 1920 and is thought to have struck a mine. The vessel was lost with all ten crew.