John Samuel Neeve

An Engineman with H.M. Drifter Launch Out, John died on 26th of October 1916 at the age of 27. 

John was born at Lowestoft on 26 March 1889, a son of John and Alice Neeve. He was baptised at Christchurch, Lowestoft, on 24 April 1889, and his family lived at Coleman Square, Whapload Road, and this was still their address in 1901, but John lived with his grandparents, John and Martha Neeve, also at Coleman Square. In 1911 John was still living with his grandparents, now at Swatman’s Cottage, Whapload Road, and he worked as a herring fisherman. By 1911 his parents were living at 38 Whapload Road.

On 30 December 1912 John married Ethel May Suckling at Saint Margaret’s Church, Lowestoft. John was a fisherman and they were both resident at 5 Sussex Road. By 1915 they were living at 33 Cambridge Road. Later Ethel lived at 29 Nelson Road, Gorleston.

John joined the Royal Naval Reserve on 1 September 1915 and served with the trawler Launch Out.  

In 1916 the Launch Out was part of a fleet of trawlers that maintained the anti-submarine barrage across the Dover Strait. On the night of 26-27 October 1916 German destroyers attacked the barrage with the intent of causing maximum damage to the trawlers. 

The Launch Out was in the vicinity of the 9 A Buoy, at the southern end of the Sandettie Bank, when attacked. The trawler was sunk. Eight of the nine crew, including John, were killed and the other man, Skipper Horace Kemp, later died of his wounds.   

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

John’s brother George served with the King’s Royal Rifle Corps and died in 1919.