ALBERT EDWARD YATES: Born 19.10.12, Died 1.6.39 - Age 26, A Victim of the Loss of H.M. Submarine "Thetis" for which, as it was said "The Admiralty Regrets"....but perhaps not enough?

Albert was the first born of eleven children of Arthur and Elizabeth Anne Yates (Nutton) Born 13-10-1892 of 35 Clough Road Golcar near Huddersfield Yorkshire. Went to school in the area and later joined the Royal Navy, at one time he was based at HM Dockyard Plymouth it was whilst here that he met Doris, who resided at 6,Ashgrove,North Prospect, Plymouth, she was so smitten with him that she lied to him about her age she said she was 18 when really she was 15, on visiting her one day he found out the truth from her mother but this didn't put him off he continued to see her when the Navy allowed and when she was eighteen they married in Plymouth. Eleven months later they had the first of their two sons Robert, some time later because of more money Albert transferred to Submarines and was sent to train at Birkenhead; Doris at this time pregnant with Alan with Robert went to live with Albert's parents in Clough Road Golcar. Once his training was to finish Albert was to join the crew of HMS Thetis.

Listening to stories about him from his surviving relatives he was a proud man, proud of his roots, a very likable man, well respected by all who knew him, a great sense of humour and to his brothers and sisters a big tease.

Unfortunately we know what happened to the Thetis on that fateful day in June 1939, my Granddad's life was wasted at such a young age and his two very young sons my dad only being three weeks old lost the chance to have a life with their dad, not only them his family lost a husband, son, and brother who was going to be sadly missed. When the Submarine was recovered over three months later, Albert's body was taken by train to Plymouth were he was buried at Weston Mill cemetery. As far as I am concerned not only my Grandad but also the rest of the crews life could have been saved, someone somewhere has a lot to answer to, trouble is even after sixty five years no-one is willing to tell the truth or apologise for the waste of so many lives.

Albert Edward Yates Born 19-10-12 Died 1-6-1939 Married 15-8-1936 to Doris May Yates (McGinnes) Born 1-1-1918 Died 1971 they had two sons Robert Edward Yates Born 15-7-1937 Married to Babs Yates no children. Alan Yates Born 5-5-1939 Married to Judith Yates (Gibbons) Born 6-10-1944 - 3 children

Adrian John Yates Born 3-9-1963 Married to Janet Elizabeth Yates (Mitchell) Born 29-5-1962 2 children Alex Simon Born 26-12-1990 & Rhys Albert Born 10-8-1994. Michael Roy Nicholas Yates Born 30-10-1964 1 child Joshua Clayton Born 22-8-1992

Anthony Robert Yates Born 24-4-1967 2 children Mathew Robert Born 3-9-1988 & Luisa Yates Born 24-6-1999

CYBERHERITAGE`S MAIN THETIS PAGE: Navy - Memorial to loss of HM Submarines Thetis and Thunderbolt

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