Name
Frederick Searle
9 January 1883
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/03/1917
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Stoker 1st Class
SS/103252
Royal Navy
(RFR/CH/B/7769) H.M.S. Spey
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
GILLINGHAM (WOODLANDS) CEMETERY, KENT
Naval. 23. 1193.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Bishop's Stortford Town Memorial
Pre War
Frederick Searle was born on 9 January 1883 in Hockerill, Bishop's Stortford to George and Sarah Searle and baptised on 28 March 1883 at Hockerill, Herts.
On the 1891 Census he was living with his widowed mother and 6 siblings at South Mill, Bishop's Stortford. His mother was working as a laundress. By 1901 they had moved to Trinity Street, Bishop's Stortford and Fred was working as a Stonemason.
He married Alice Maud Batt on 29 May 1909 at St Paul's Chatham, Kent. On the 1911 Census he was a serving in the Royal Navy as a Stocker 1st Class on board HMS Clyclops (a repair ship) in Chatham Dockyard. His wife and young daughter Evelyn Alice were living at 24 Cobden Road, Chatham. She later lived at 21 Sandford Street, New Cross, London SE. They had a son Frederick, born after his death in 1917.
Frederick Searle joined the Royal Navy from 2 July 1906 for 5 years plus 7 in reserve. He served on various ships including Acheron, Pembroke II, Sappho, Cyclops and Sutley during his 5 years but was then recalled in August 1914.
Wartime Service
He was one of 20 who were killed when the HMS Spey (an iron steam gunboat) was run down by a sludge vessel in Chatham harbour and sunk.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
