Albert Edward Yates (1912-1939) [Stoker, Royal Navy] ✓
- This topic has 1 reply, 1 voice, and was last updated 1 week, 1 day ago by
.
-
Posts
-
- born 19 October 1912
- son of Mr & Mrs Arthur Yates, 35 Clough Road, Golcar
- died 1 June 1939, sinking of submarine HMS Thetis during sea trials
Links:
Huddersfield Examiner 10 June 1939:
GOLCAR MAN IN THETIS
Baby Son Taken To Memorial Service At Sea
STOKER ALBERT EDWARD YATES, of 35, Clough Road, Golcar, was in the ill-fated submarine Thetis, which, after diving during tests last week, failed to rise, with the result that ninety-nine men, including representatives of the builders of the vessel, perished beneath the waters some fourteen miles north-east of the Great Orme’s Head in Liverpool Bay.
The widow, with her month-old son, and other relatives attended the memorial service which was held on H.M.S. Minesweeper Hebe on Wednesday, over the spot where the Thetis lay. From the ship, a floating church for the time being, some 150 wreaths were dropped over the side. Stoker Arnold, who escaped from the submarine by means of the Davis apparatus, and who was a great friend of Stoker Yates, carried the baby aboard, and both he and Mrs. Arnold did their best to comfort the grief-stricken widow.
Stoker Yates, who was twenty-six years of age, was the eldest of the eleven children of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Yates, and for the past five months he and his family had made their home with his parents at the address given above. He had been home at week-ends lately, and after leave for Whitsuntide rejoined his ship on Tuesday of last week, only two days before the disaster.
As a boy Stoker Yates attended Clough Head Council School, Golcar, and West-wood Church. He was employed for some years by the Slaithwaite Spinning Company, Limited, and joined the Navy about eight years ago. He had served in H.M.S. Westcott and Brazen, and for three years was in the Herald, a surveying ship in China. He joined the Thetis early this year.
Three years ago he was married to a Plymouth girl, the wedding taking place at Plymouth, and there are two boys. One of them will be two years old next month, and the other was four weeks old on the day Mrs. Yates received news of the disaster to the Thetis.
Stoker Yates’s father, Mr. Arthur Yates, is well-known in Marsden, where he formerly lived. He is employed by Messrs. Elon Crowther and Sons, Ltd., Uppermill, Slaithwaite. Formerly he acted as a newsagent at Westwood, Golcar, and his son. Albert, used to sell evening papers, among them “The Examiner.”
ROYAL MESSAGES OF SYMPATHY
A letter presuming the death of Stoker Yates was received by the young widow, Mrs. Doris May Yates, from the Admiralty on Thursday. The letter is dated June 6 and reads:
“I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to inform you with deep regret that they are compelled to presume that your husband, Albert E. Yates, stoker, first class, lost his life in H.M. Submarine Thetis in Liverpool Bay on June 3. Their Majesties the King and Queen and Her Majesty Queen Mary have asked that their profound sympathy should be conveyed to the families of all those who are missing as a result of this sad accident, and I am to enclose a copy of these messages and of the replies which have been sent.
“In conveying Their Majesties’ message of condolence My Lords desire me to assure you also of their own deep sympathy with you in the sad loss that you have sustained.”
As indicated, copies of the Royal messages are attached to the foregoing letter from the Admiralty.
KINDNESS APPRECIATED
The widow and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Yates have received numerous letters of sympathy with them in their trouble, and Mr. Yates told an “Examiner” reporter that the family greatly appreciated all the kindness that had been shown to them. The widow, with her month-old baby, Alan (Roy), her mother, Mrs. C. McGinnes, of 6, Ash Grove, Swilly, Devonport, the father and mother of Stoker Yates, together with Mr. and Mrs. Roy Sykes, of Westwood (son-in-law and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Yates), and Mr. Dyson Gledhill, of Westwood, a close friend of the late Stoker Yates, attended the memorial service on board the minesweeper Hebe on Wednesday.
They travelled in two private cars to Liverpool, arriving there about nine a.m., and went straight to Prince’s Landing Stage. They were taken aboard at 9-45, and sailed half an hour later. “It was a beautifully impressive service, but I should not want to go to another one like it,” said Mr. Arthur Yates.
“I don’t think I could stand it again.” interposed Mrs. Yates, mother of the dead sailor.
OFFICER’S BUNK FOR THE BABY
“Everybody was shown the utmost courtesy that it was possible to give,” Mr. Yates continued. “Dinner and tea were served to us on board by the sailors, who did everything they could to make us comfortable and to minimise our suffering. They could not do too much for us. They even looked after the baby all the time we were on the boat, and a Signalling Officer placed his bunk at the disposal of the baby. Indeed, they practically claimed the boy all the time we were on board, especially Leading Stoker Arnold, one of the survivors, who was a great friend of my son. It was Stoker Arnold, in fact, who carried the baby on board.”
After the service the party returned to Prince’s Landing Stage and arrived home about 10 o’clock on Wednesday night. The young widow, with her two children, will today return with her mother, Mrs. Mc. Ginnes, to Devonport.
Huddersfield Examiner 23 September 1939:
LOST IN THETIS
Golcar Man’s Body Recovered
News was received on Wednesday by Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Yates, 35 Clough Road, Golcar, that the body of their son, Stoker Albert Edward Yates, had been recovered from the submarine Thetis, which went down during acceptance trials on June 1.
Stoker Yates, who was twenty-six years of age, was the eldest member of a family of eleven. He leaves a young widow and two children, aged two years and four months respectively. He was educated at Clough Head Council School, Golcar, and attended Westwood Church Sunday School. Before joining the Navy eight years ago he was employed as a piecener by the Slaithwaite Spinning Company. He served for three years in Chinese waters on H.M.S. Herald, a surveying ship, and was subsequently transferred to H.M.S. Brazen., a destroyer, on which he rose to the position of first-class stoker. He joined the Thetis early this year. By a strange coincidence H.M.S. Brazen was among the first of the rescue ships to arrive at the spot where the Thetis sank.
An “Examiner” reporter was informed by Mrs. Yates that the body of her son would in all probability be taken to Plymouth, where, in accordance with his wife’s wishes, the funeral will take place.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.