Able Seaman William John Richardson
| Date of Birth | 17 March 1877 |
|---|---|
| Age at Death | 37 |
| Date of Death | 22 September 1914 |
| Service Number | 173718 |
| Military Service | Royal Navy |
| Merton Address | 27 Marian Road |
| Local Memorial |
Additional Information
William’s parents Edward and Emma welcomed him into the world on 17 March 1877. He was born in Clapham but grew up in Balham where his parents lived.
He signed up for the Navy when he was just 16 and joined his first ship “The Defiance” on 18 May 1893. He was described as 4ft 11ins tall at that time but later grew to reach 5ft 5ins. He has brown hair and eyes and by the time he signed up for a further 5 years in 1906 he had both arms tattooed.
William married Annie and they went on to have four children. At the time of his death in 1914 the eldest, according to the local paper, was 9 and the youngest just 11 months. They lived at 27 Marian Road, Mitcham.
William joined the “Aboukir” on 2 August 1914 and the ship was sunk by a German submarine in the North Sea on 22 September 1914. William’s body was “not recovered for burial” and he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.