BORN HULL 01/08/1896. SON OF EDWARD BILHAM & FLORENCE, OF HARROW STREET, HULL & 9, PRINCE OF WALES TERRACE, STAINIFORTH PLACE, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). BROTHER OF ROSE POWDRILL, JESSIE & DANIEL. WELL KNOWN ON THE HULL FISH DOCKS. HE ENLISTED IN THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE, IN MARCH 1916. SERVED AS A TRIMMER ON THE HULL MINESWEEPER, WHICH STRUCK A MINE.
The Arfon was built in 1908 in Goole, East Riding of Yorkshire. It worked out of Portland Harbour Naval Base during the First World War, sweeping mines laid by German U-boats along the inshore shipping lanes off the Dorset coast for three years before striking a mine in April 1917 and rapidly sinking with the loss of 10 of the crew of 13. The wreck was found well preserved on the seabed on 19/08/2016. The following 10 crew drowned.
1 ABRAMS, JOHN (53), Skipper, HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Husband of Esther Abrams, of 20, Duke St., Grimsby,
2. BABSTOCK, WILLIAM THOMAS (32), Seaman (no. 477X), HMT Arfon, Newfoundland Royal Naval Reserve, Son of Lemuel Joseph and Eliza Babstock, of Happy Adventure, Bonavista, Memorial: Beaumont-Hamel (Newfoundland) Memorial
3. BILLAM, JAMES FRANCIS , Trimmer (no. 5194TS), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Memorial: Chatham Naval
4. COX, FREDERICK JOHN ROBERT , Engineman (no. 151ES), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, Chatham Naval Memorial
5. DOY, JAMES , Deck Hand (no. 10310DA), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Husband of Charlotte Doy, of 6, Camberwell Avenue, Brighton St., Hull. Native of Lowestoft,
6. GRAY, WILLIAM (21), Deck Hand (no. 750SD), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Son of Ellenor Gray, of 1, Addison St., Holborn, South Shields; husband of Jane Grey, of 6, Lower Thames St., South Shields, Chatham Naval Memorial
7. GRAYSON, WILLIAM HENRY (39), Deck Hand (no. 11550DA), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Son of George and Ann Grayson, of Hull. Native of Selby, Yorks, Chatham Naval Mem.
8. SMITH, ARTHUR JOSEPH , Engineman (no. 4853ES), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Chatham Naval Memorial
9. STEPHENSON, CHARLES HENRY (19), Trimmer (no. 5686/TS), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Son of Alfred and Margaret Stephenson, of 200, Barcroft St., New Cleethorpes, Grimsby, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
10. YOUNGS, EDWARD JAMES (29), Second Hand (no. 2683SA), HMT Arfon, Royal Naval Reserve, †30/04/1917, Son of Edward James and Esther Elizabeth Youngs, of Tunstall, Norwich; husband of Emily Louisa Youngs, of 37, Donington St., Great Grimsby, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial.
