William Alfred Joshua Walley was born on 22 August 1905 in Gosport, Hampshire, the eldest of the four children of William Joseph Walley (1874-1924) and Annie Walley née Black (1885-1964). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter 0f 1905 in the Alverstoke Registration District, Hampshire.
On the census return form that was completed on 2 April 1911, he was shown as aged 5 years and staying with his mother and his brother, Leslie George Walley (1910-1974) in a seven roomed property at 24 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London, the home of his maternal grandparents Alfred Riden Black and Annie Black née Hutton. His father was shown on a separate census return form as a Sergeant in the Royal Marines living in a four roomed property at 19 Brougham Street, Gosport, Hampshire.
On 21 January 1921 he joined the Royal Navy, service number C/J100527, as a Boy Class II. He was shown as such and aged 15 years at HMS Impregnable, a Royal Navy Training Establishment for Boys at Devonport, Devon, on the census return form that was completed on 19 June 1921. He was promoted to Boy Class I on 11 September 1921. On 22 August 1923, his 18th birthday, he signed on for 12 years service, initially as an Ordinary Seaman and was promoted to Able Seaman on 22 February 1924.
On 17 April 1927 he married Gertrude Ada Rayner (1904-1996) at St Paul’s Church, Shadwell, London, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 21 years, a bachelor and an Able Seaman serving on HMS Repulse, the son of William Walley, deceased, whilst his wife was described as aged 21 years and a spinster who was residing at 34F Juniper Street, Shadwell, the daughter of Ernest Rayner, deceased.
Four days later, on 21 April 1927, he was promoted to Acting Leading Seaman.
He and his wife were to have four children: Gertrude Winifred Walley (1928-2014); June V. Walley (b.1930); Winifred R. Walley (b.1932) and William Alfred Walley (1935-1983).
Promoted to Leading Seaman on 6 September 1928, he was eventually demobilised on the expiration of his 12 years service on 21 August 1935 and was transferred into the Royal Fleet Reserve, service number RFR Ch/B23711. He was awarded the RFR Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
In January 1938 he was appointed as a postman in the London Postal Region. This was confirmed on in which he shown as appointed by the Post Office as a postman or mail porter.
Electoral registers show his family living at 37F Juniper Street, Shadwell in 1938 and at 31G Juniper Street in 1939. On 27 August 1939 he was re-mobilised and after various attachments he was finally posted to HMS President III which was the shore based accounting role for the RFR.
On 12 November 1940, aged 35 years, he was serving aboard the S.S. Argus, a Trinity Lighthouse tender, when it struck a mine in the Thames Estuary and sunk with all 34 persons aboard. As his body was not found of the Chatham Naval Memorial, Great Lines, Gillingham, ME7 5DQ. His widow was later to receive an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours List of 1951 for services as the Honorary Officer in charge of the Stepney Savings Centre.
He is shown as 'WALLEY W. A. J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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