The Royal British Legion
Staple Branch
Charity Number 219279
William Fagg
Died on 16th June 1945 Aged 20
RN HMS Serene
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William was born in Staple in 1925 and lived in Yew Tree Cottage, Barnsole until he enlisted in the Navy. He went to school in Staple then worked, with his father, at Hamill Brickworks. He was quite tall and the nickname 'Lofty' followed him into the navy which he joined at Chatham in 1943 when he was 18. We have few details of William's early Naval career but he rose to 'Stoker 1st Class' and joined HMS Serene in 1945.
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HMS Serene, an Algerine Class Minesweeper, was assigned to North Sea patrols, working out of Harwich and, latterly, Cuxhaven where she was when the war in Europe ended.
In May 1945 she was in dock in Cuxhaven for a month-long refit in preparation for a move to the Far East Theatre.
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On 16th June a leak in the boiler room caused a severe fire in which William died. He was buried with full military honours and now lies in Becklingen War Cemetery in Germany.
