Alfred Thomas Key 1892-1916
Alfred was Mrs Helen Steel’s nee Key, Grand Uncle and provides the following information:
“My maiden name is Key. Alfred Thomas Key was my late father’s first cousin; his father Alfred Alexander was the eldest brother of my grandfather Albert Key. I had managed to find out with some sadness the story of Alfred’s short naval career through research; I have found out also that his sister (also named Helen) had a daughter named Freda (Alfred’s only niece) although I don’t know if she is still alive as she will be in her 80’s now. Alfred’s brother George died in 1994 aged 94, having never married. My father was born in 1917, the year after Alfred drowned, and as dad was named James Alfred I’m presuming it was in memory of his cousin although I will never know this now. I have seen on a website the site where Alfred was buried in Limnos and just hope that one day I would be able to represent the family and visit his grave one day as I’m sure his parents would not have been able to back then.
Here are two newspaper reports on the Alfred’s survival from HMS Natal:
The Reading Standard, January 8th 1916. Wokingham Survivor of H.M.S. Natal Disaster ‘We congratulate Mr and Mrs Key of 20 Rose Street upon the safety of their son Mr A.T. Key, who was Stewards’ Assistant on board the ill-fated Natal at the time of the explosion and whose name appears on the list of survivors. Another Wokingham man, T. Avis, believed to be on the same vessel, is not mentioned on either the list of survivors or victims’.
Reading Observer, January 2nd 1916. Mr A.T. Key of Rose Street, Wokingham, Ship’s Steward Assistant, saved from H.M.S. Natal. He was in the water about half an hour after the explosion and has been suffering slightly from shock
Our thanks to www.hmsnatal.co.uk for the above newspaper reports.
Rank: Ship’s Steward Assistant
Service No: M/12463
Date of Death: 01/04/1916
Age: 23
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy. H.M.S. “Rowan”
Grave Reference III. C. 340.
Cemetery PORTIANOS MILITARY CEMETERY. The hamlet of Portianos is on the west side of Mudros Bay, on the Greek island of Limnos in the north-east Aegean Sea. The cemetery is on the outskirts on the village, on Anzac Street, adjacent to the communal cemetery.
Historical Information. Because of its position, the island of Lemnos played an important part in the campaigns against Turkey during the First World War. It was occupied by a force of marines on 23 February 1915 in preparation for the military attack on Gallipoli, and Mudros became a considerable Allied camp. The 1st and 3rd Canadian Stationary Hospitals, the 3rd Australian General Hospital and other medical units were stationed on both sides of Mudros bay and a considerable Egyptian Labour Corps detachment was employed. After the evacuation of Gallipoli, a garrison remained on the island and the 1st Royal Naval Brigade was on Lemnos, Imbros and Tenedos for the first few months of 1916. On 30 October 1918, the Armistice between the Entente Powers and Turkey was signed at Mudros.
Portianos Military Cemetery was begun in August 1915 and used until August 1920. The cemetery now contains 347 Commonwealth burial of the First World War and five war graves of other nationalities.
Additional Information: Son of Alfred and Mary Key, of 20, Rose St., Wokingham, Berks.
Rowan, armed boarding steamer, both drowned in Greece
CHALK, Alexander, Seaman, Newfoundland RNR, X 545
KEY, Alfred T, Ship’s Steward’s Assistant, M 12463 (Ch)
20 Rose Street, Wokingham, Berkshire
From Mrs Helen Steel nee Key
It is with great delight I accidentally came across your web-site. I have been researching my family tree for a few years now, my maiden name is Key. Alfred Thomas Key was my late fathers first cousin, his father Alfred Alexander was the eldest brother of my grandfather Albert Key. I had managed to find out with some sadness the story of Alfred’s short naval career through research; I have found out also that his sister (also named Helen) had a daughter named Freda (Alfred’s only niece) although I don’t know if she is still alive as she will be in her 80’s now. Alfred’s brother George died in 1994 aged 94, having never married. My father was born in 1917, the year after Alfred drowned, and as dad was named James Alfred I’m presuming it was in memory of his cousin although I will never know this now. I have seen on a website the site where Alfred was buried in Limnos and just hope that one day I would be able to represent the family and visit his grave one day as I’m sure his parents would not have been able to back then. Having a 23 year old son myself I think that must have been a terrible thing to suffer as a parent. I have visited Wokingham and 20 Rose street, (I live near Epsom Surrey) I wondered if that was the actual house or has it been re-built since then? I was thrilled to see an actual photo of Alfred on your web page, the first one I’ve seen of him, I wondered if it would be at all possible if I could have a copy for my family album, I have many of the other Key members from that generation and he would be a missing piece of the puzzle. Indeed any other information you have on Alfred I would be eternally grateful as there are still some unanswered questions,(ie how did he drown? was it accident, did he fall was he saving someone? the other sailor who drowned was apparantly Canadian) and there are no more Key’s from that generation still alive to ask, I am basically the last one left from that branch of the tree as far as I know. If there is any information I can help you with please let me know
On the Great War Form (http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com), there is a thread about the HMS Rowan. One of the contributor’s has a journal from a relative who served on the ship. It may be worth contacting him to see if Alfred Key’s drowning is mentioned in it.
I am the nephew of the late Freda Paice d1996 mentioned in Helen’s piece on Alfred Key above, and can answer some of her questions on Freda’s life. I helped clear the flat in Hereford after her husband Cyril Shoesmith died in 2004, and took possession of quite a lot of family memorabilia as they had no offspring. Amongst the many photos I have is one taken in the 1920s of what I believe is Alfred Key’s grave. Standing by the grave is a lady who I do not know, but presume is a Key, even his Sister, Helen Key. I would be willing to share this with Helen, but do not know her contact details. Can you possibly pass on my email details.