P/KX 76142, Stoker Petty Officer, HM Submarine Olympus, Royal Navy
Born 4th January 1908, Earlsgate, Winterton. William was an older brother of Frederick John ARNOLD and brother-in-law of John CLABBY. His father Walter was at the time serving as a sergeant in the 2nd Lincolnshire Regiment and by 1911 the family had moved to Clarence Barracks, Spithead Forts, Portsmouth.
HMS Olympus was an Odin-class submarine, a class originally designed for the Royal Australian Navy to cope with long distance patrolling in Pacific waters. Olympus was built to the same design for the Royal Navy. From 1931-1939, Olympus was part of the 4th Flotilla on the China Station, and from 1939-1940 she was with the 8th Flotilla, Colombo, Ceylon. In 1940 she was redeployed to the Mediterranean and was damaged on 7th July 1940 when bombed by Italian aircraft while in dock in Malta. Repairs and refit were completed on 29th November 1940. On 9th November 1941 Olympus attacked the Italian merchant ship Mauro Croce (1,049 GRT) with torpedoes and gunfire in the Gulf of Genoa. The target escaped without damage.
On 8th May 1942, Olympus struck a mine and sank off Malta in approximate position 35°55’N, 14°35’E. She had just left Malta on passage to Gibraltar with personnel including many of the crews of the submarines Pandora, P36 and P39 which had been sunk in air raids. There were only nine survivors out of 98 aboard. They had to swim seven miles (11 km) back to Malta. 89 crew and passengers were lost with the ship. The casualties included William who died aged 34. William is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, and is also listed on the Glanford Brigg district WW2 Roll of Honour, under Winterton parish.
Born 4th January 1908, Earlsgate, Winterton. William was an older brother of Frederick John ARNOLD and brother-in-law of John CLABBY. His father Walter was at the time serving as a sergeant in the 2nd Lincolnshire Regiment and by 1911 the family had moved to Clarence Barracks, Spithead Forts, Portsmouth.
HMS Olympus was an Odin-class submarine, a class originally designed for the Royal Australian Navy to cope with long distance patrolling in Pacific waters. Olympus was built to the same design for the Royal Navy. From 1931-1939, Olympus was part of the 4th Flotilla on the China Station, and from 1939-1940 she was with the 8th Flotilla, Colombo, Ceylon. In 1940 she was redeployed to the Mediterranean and was damaged on 7th July 1940 when bombed by Italian aircraft while in dock in Malta. Repairs and refit were completed on 29th November 1940. On 9th November 1941 Olympus attacked the Italian merchant ship Mauro Croce (1,049 GRT) with torpedoes and gunfire in the Gulf of Genoa. The target escaped without damage.
On 8th May 1942, Olympus struck a mine and sank off Malta in approximate position 35°55’N, 14°35’E. She had just left Malta on passage to Gibraltar with personnel including many of the crews of the submarines Pandora, P36 and P39 which had been sunk in air raids. There were only nine survivors out of 98 aboard. They had to swim seven miles (11 km) back to Malta. 89 crew and passengers were lost with the ship. The casualties included William who died aged 34. William is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, and is also listed on the Glanford Brigg district WW2 Roll of Honour, under Winterton parish.