Frederick Willicombe – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Charles Astie

Trimmer Frederick G. Willicombe – Royal Naval Reserve, H.M. Trawler Charles Astie

Early Life and Family Background

Frederick Willicombe

Frederick Willicombe was born in 1887 in Swansea, the son of William Willicombe and Eliza Temlett, who had married in 1867 in Wiveliscombe, Somerset. The family had settled in Swansea by the late nineteenth century, where William worked within the town’s expanding industrial workforce.

1891 Census

By 1891, the Willicombe family were living at 16 Medland Terrace, Swansea. Frederick’s father, William, aged 50, born in Somerset, was employed as a General Labourer, while his wife Elizabeth, aged 44, was also Somerset‑born. Their household was large and busy, with children Florence (20), a Tinplate Worker; Charles (18) and Frank (16), both General Labourers; Louisa (11); Eva Jane (8); Harry (5); Frederick G. (3); and Beatrice M. (1). The family’s composition reflects the typical working‑class life of Swansea’s industrial districts during this period.

1901 Census

A decade later, the 1901 Census shows the family still residing at 16 Medland Terrace. William, now 60, was working as a Labourer at the Tin Works, and his wife Eliza, aged 54, remained at home. Several of their older children had moved on, but those still living with them included Charlie (26), a Labourer at the Tin Works; Frank (24), employed at the Tinplate Works; Eva (18); Harry (15), a Labourer at the Tin Works; Fred (13), also working at the Tin Works; and Edgar (9). By this time, Frederick had already entered industrial employment, following the path of his father and brothers.

Marriage

Frederick Willicombe and Mary Josephine Veckman
marriage certificate
St. David’s Church, Llangyfelach, Swansea

In 1909, Frederick married Mary Josephine Veckman at St. David’s Church, Llangyfelach, Swansea.

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the couple were living at 11 Horeb Road, Morriston. Frederick, aged 23, was employed as a Tinplate Ancaler, while Josephine, aged 22, was managing their home. Their household reflected the early years of married life in one of Swansea’s thriving industrial communities.

Service in the Royal Naval Reserve

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

South Wales Daily Post

Frederick later enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve, serving as a Trimmer, a physically demanding role responsible for managing the ship’s coal and maintaining the vessel’s steam power. According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Trimmer Frederick Willicombe lost his life on 26 June 1917 following the sinking of H.M. Trawler Charles Astie. News of his death was later reported in the South Wales Daily Post in July 1917, reflecting the impact of the loss on his local community.

H.M. Trawler Charles Astie

H.M. Trawler Charles Astie was a Mersey‑type Admiralty trawler, built in 1917 by Cochrane & Sons Ltd., Selby, and launched only weeks before her loss. Designed for patrol, escort, and mine‑warfare duties, she operated in the dangerous waters around the Irish Sea and the approaches to Lough Swilly, where German U‑boats were highly active. On 26^th June 1917, while escorting the steamer Hartland from Tory Island to Inishowen, the trawler struck a mine laid by the German submarine U‑79. The explosion was devastating, and the vessel sank with all hands, resulting in the deaths of all thirteen crew members aboard. The loss of Charles Astie was one of several tragic incidents involving small naval trawlers during this period of intense U‑boat activity.

Frederick Willicombe
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth
credit - findagrave

Death and Commemoration

As he has no known grave, Frederick Willicombe is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, which honours Royal Navy personnel lost at sea during the First World War.