William Samuel Anguish Starkings (1889-1917) of Martham
William is listed on the War Memorial as one of those who gave his life during the First World War.
William was born on 5th October 1889 in Martham. His father had exactly the same name as him and his mother was Elizabeth, nee Futter but was sometimes known by the surname Harman. As a baby William lived with his parents at Cess where his father was a farm labourer. By 1901, when he was 11, the family had moved to Staithe House, Martham.
William was serving in the Royal Navy Reserve in 1917 as Deck Hand 2723DA on H.M. Trawler Lord Salisbury*. On 4th May the Salisbury was sunk by a mine off the coast near Salonika (Thessaloniki) in the Aegean Sea. Four crewmen lost their lives that day and William, aged 27, was one of them. He has no known grave but is commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial column 26 and Martham War Memorial.
*The minesweeper Lord Salisbury (FY1212) was built in 1911 by Cochrane & Sons Shipbuilders Ltd. and owned at the time of her loss by the Royal Navy. The others who lost their lives that day were Sydney Brady of Hull; Hugh Lonsdale from Bridlington and William Readding from Fleetwood.
