William Clement Louch RN 1844 – 1916

In Memoriam

Today, we remember William Louch, a Fivehead man, one of 8 siblings, who died at the Battle of Jutland on 31st May 1916.

William joined the Navy as a baker in 1904, aged 20. He served on several ships including the state of the art battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable as a stoker. In 1914/15 he saw action in the Dardanelles, but Indefatigable was the first ship to be sunk on 31st May 1916 at the Battle of Jutland. Just 2 men survived out of 1019. William’s body was never found.

William is listed on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, as well as the Fivehead War Memorial.

As a side note, William’s brother Lewis fought the entire war with the Somerset Light Infantry.