GAY, William Edgar

Portsmouth Naval Memorial, UKCredit: CWGC

Leading Cooks Mate
HMS Torrent
Royal Navy

William was born on the 24th of September 1891 in Newport to William John & Elizabeth Ann (nee PAYNE) GAY who were living at 2 Melrose Villa, Avenue Road in Shanklin around the time of William’s death.

William had joined the Royal Navy several years before the outbreak of war, serving on HMS Furious in 1911. On the 23rd of December 1917 the Destroyer Torrent was lost at sea to a Mine Strike off the Dutch Coast. Aged 26, William’s body was never recovered & so he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial together with over 10,000 of his First World War shipmates.

William is also remembered on the County & Shanklin War Memorials.

CWGC Casualty Record

Cemetary

Sons & Daughters Commemorated Far From Home

Those from the Newport & Carisbrooke area who are buried or commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission outside of the area, both in the UK and in other countries.

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The image is of the Tyne Cot Military Cemetery & Memorial in Belgium.