Edgar George Henry Dowsing; Deck Hand, HM Yacht Yarta, Mercantile Marine Reserve.

The youngest child of William and Charlotte, Edgar, was born in Melton on 3rd October 1896. In 1911, he was working as a bookstall assistant for Smith and Sons. When war broke out in August 1914, Edgar had not reached eighteen and could not enlist in the army. However, it is possible that he joined the Mercantile Marine Reserve as it, like the Royal Navy, had a lower enlistment age than the army. By 1915 he was serving on the steam yacht Yarta, that had been requisitioned by the Government from the Right Honourable Arnold Morley. The Yarta was equipped with two, three-pounder guns and was in service between 13th July 1915 and 3rd April 1919.

During the war, the Yarta was based in Scapa Flow, and between 7th and 9th April 1916, it was involved in the salvage of the SS Ecrudijk and the SS Eemdijk for which the Yarta’s crew was awarded a share of the salvage money in November 1917.

From available records, we know Edgar remained with the Yarta throughout the war. He received the 1914-15 Star and the British War and Victory Medals for his war service. In 1923, Edgar married Mabel Mary Easey.

During the Second World War, he was a senior air raid warden living in Barrells Yard, Woodbridge, where he worked as an assistant manager seedsman and florist. He died in 1984 at Jubilee House, Seckford Hospital, Woodbridge.