Son of Great War Veteran Goes Down With “Royal Oak”

Rushden was profoundly moved by the news of its first personal loss in the war – a young sailor, son of a Great War veteran, who was posted as missing after the sinking of the “Royal Oak” battleship last Saturday morning.

The loss of the “Royal Oak” – apparently as the result of a German submarine attack – was announced at midday on Saturday, and subsequent bulletins showed that about 400 of its crew of more than a thousand had been rescued.

On Sunday evening the Admiralty, through the police, informed Mr. and Mrs. F. Allen, of 27, Oval-road, Rushden, that their younger son, 2nd-Class Stoker Arthur Frederick Allen, was among the missing members of the crew.

Stoker Allen joined the Royal Navy eleven months ago, and after undergoing training at Portsmouth on H.M.S. “Victory” was drafted to the “Royal Oak” in June. Since then he earned high praise from his superior officers, and he had recently begun training in air gunnery.

Educated at Rushden Newton-road Council Schools, Stoker Allen was employed for a time by Messrs. Bignells, Ltd., boot manufacturers, and afterwards by Messrs. J. and C. Claridge. He was a member of a Territorial Army searchlight unit before he joined the Navy. His father served throughout the last war, at first in the 5th Northants Battalion and later in the 2nd Northants. He was taken prisoner in May, 1918, and remained a prisoner until the Armistice.

The other children of Mr. and Mrs. Allen are a son, Frederick, and three daughters, Mrs. Phyllis Denton and Doreen and Jean Allen.