BORN HULL 08/04/1895. SON OF FREDRICK CHARLES DEE (1880-1928) & FLORENCE BEATRICE DAWSON (1884-1968), OF 9 BELVOIR STREET, HULL (CWGC ADDRESS). ABLE SEAMAN. SERVED IN THE ROYAL NAVY RESERVE, ON HMS, ‘KILLINGHOLME’. KILLED IN ACTION IN THE NORTH SEA, AFTER A SUBMARINE ATTACK ON 27/04/1916. HE WAS 21 YEARS OLD.
HIS NAME IS LISTED ON THE TRINITY HOUSE MEMORIAL, AND THE PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL, DEVON, UK.
HIS DEATH WAS REPORTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL, ON 27/04/1917.
William Victor Dee was born at Hull on 8 April 1895, the son of Frederick and Florence Dee of 9, Belvoir Street, Prince’s Avenue. During the Great War he served aboard H.M.S. Killingholme, an old Humber ferry which had been requisitioned by the Admiralty for use as a Fleet Messenger. On 8 April 1915, while Killingholme was cruising in the Humber Estuary, Dee spotted a drowning sailor and dived overboard to save him. The sailor, a Humber pilot named J. R. Brown, unfortunately drowned. Dee was awarded an Honorary Testimonial Certificate by the Royal Humane Society on 8 June that year. On 27 April 1916, Killingholme struck a German mine off the Humber and was severely damaged, losing 18 crewmen killed. Dee lost his life during this incident. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
Launched By Eales Shipbuilders, Hull, on 24th February, 1912, the double paddle steamer, HMS Killingholme, was used as a Humber Ferry Service. It was requisitioned by the Admiralty as a sea plane carrier, to intercept airships, in March 1916. On 27th April 1916, it suffered major damage while on an anti-zeppelin patrol, overnight in the Humber. There are conflicting accounts of what happened with some claiming that the ship hit a mine and others claiming the ship was hit by a torpedo from a German submarine. Regardless, 18 crew members were killed including four members of the Royal Naval Auxiliary Service. The attempts at intercepting airships were not successful and Killingholme was returned to her owners 21st April 1917. Killingholme went on to become an important seaplane carrier.
