Alfred John MacQuillin was born on 29 June 1897 in Walworth, London, the fourth of the ten children of William John MacQuillin (1872-1927) and Ellen Elizabeth MacQuillin, née Staples (1872-1942). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1897 in the St Saviours Registration District.
His nine siblings were: William George MacQuillin (1891-1976); Frederick Charles Soames MacQuillin (1893-1963); George Robert MacQuillin (1895-1947); Arthur Wallis MacQuillin (1899-1975); Ellen Elizabeth MacQuillin (1900-2004); Charles MacQuillin (1902-1994); Robert Joseph MacQuillin (1904-1968); Isabella MacQuillin (1906-1966) and Sydney Claude MacQuillin (1909-1911).
On 18 July 1897 he was baptised at St Peter’s Church, Liverpool Grove, London, SE17, where in the baptismal register his date of birth was confirmed, that his family were living at 8 Runham Street, Walworth and that his father was a leather dresser.
He was admitted to Scarsdale Road School, Southwark, London, on 7 January 1900 where the school register confusingly shows his date of birth as 9 June 1897 and that his family were residing at 2 Sandover Road, Camberwell, London.
The 1901 census shows him as aged 3 years living in three rooms at 2 Sandover Road, Camberwell, with his parents and five siblings; William George MacQuillin, aged 9; Frederick Charles Soames MacQuillin, aged 7; George Robert MacQuillin, aged 5; Arthur Wallis MacQuillin, aged 2; and Ellen Elizabeth MacQuillin, aged 3 months. His father was described as a general labourer - vestry.
When his father completed his 1911 census return form he showed Alfred John MacQuillin as aged 13 years and at school, living with his family in three rooms at 6 Sandover Road, Camberwell. The form listed his family as: William John MacQuillin, aged 39 years - a general dealer working on his own account; Ellen Elizabeth MacQuillin, aged 39 years - no occupation, but confirming she had given birth to 10 children, all of whom were still alive; Frederick Charles Soames MacQuillin, aged 17 years - a leather dresser; George Robert MacQuillin , aged 15 years - a parcel boy Metropolitan Railway; Arthur Wallis MacQuillin, aged 12 years - at school; Ellen Elizabeth MacQuillin, aged 10 years - at school; Charles MacQuillin, aged 8 years; Robert Joseph MacQuillin, aged 6 years; Isabella MacQuillin, aged 4 and Sydney Claude MacQuillin, aged 1 year.
He joined the Royal Navy on 5 June 1914 as a Boy I, giving his previous occupation as a Printers Boy. His service number was Portsmouth J31543. On 29 June 1915, his 18th birthday, he signed on for 12 years and was rated as an Ordinary Seaman, becoming an Able Seaman on 16 February 1916. He was serving aboard H.M.S. Hercules during the Battle of Jutland (31 May 1916 - 1 June 1916). After the war he was presented with The 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal 1914-1918 and The Victory Medal whilst serving aboard H.M.S. Vectis.
He was still serving as an Able Seaman, aged 24 years 0 months, aboard H.M.S. Vectis, a torpedo boat destroyer, at midnight on 19 June 1921 when the 1921 census was undertaken. His ship was at sea in the Torbay area of the English Channel. (Co-ordinates 50°20'00.0"N 2°58'00.0"W).
Electoral registers for 1922 and 1923 show him and his two brothers, Arthur Wallis MacQuillin (who was now using Wallace as his middle name) and Charles MacQuillin as absent (service) voters at 31 Dartnell Road, London, SE5, where their parents were also registered voters.
On 6 August 1922 he married Sarah Esther Francis (1893-1962) in the parish church of St George, Camberwell, where in the marriage register he is shown as aged 25 years, a bachelor and an Able Seaman serving aboard H.M.S. Vectis and that his father was now a fruiterer. His wife was described as aged 28 years, a spinster and a shop assistant residing at 40 Neate Street, Camberwell, the daughter of James Francis, a fishmonger. They had two children, Eileen M. MacQuillin (1926-2023) and Alfred M. MacQuillan (1928-2020). Both he and his wife were listed in the electoral registers from 1924 to 1929 at 24 Scarsdale Road, London, SE5.
On completion of 12 years service he was transferred to the Royal Fleet Reserve on 29 June 1927 with a service number of P/JX166195. On 16 July 1928 he was appointed as a Temporary Postman in the London Postal Service West and promoted to the grade of Postman on 6 October 1928. Electoral registers from 1930 to 1934 show that him and his wife were residing at 142 Neate Street, London, SE5 and from 1935 to 1937 they were occupying the Ground Floor, 31 Dartnell Road, London, SE5. On 27 August 1937 he received his Naval Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. Electoral registers from 1938 show him and his wife at Ground Floor, 24 Brymer Road, London, SE5.
On the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined active service and on 5 April 1940, aged 42 years, he was serving aboard H.M.S. Glowworm, a G Class Destroyer which formed part of the escort of the battlecruiser H.M.S. Renown, along with her sisters H.M.S. Greyhound, H.M.S. Hero, and H.M.S. Hyperion. The ships covered the mine laying operation in Norwegian waters, Operation Wilfred. On 7 April 1940, H.M.S. Glowworm was detached from the task force to search for a man lost overboard. On 8 April 1940, H.M.S. Glowworm was proceeding alone in heavy weather towards a rendezvous in West Fjord, Norway, when she met and engaged two enemy destroyers, scoring at least one hit on them. The enemy broke off the action and headed north, to lead the Glowworm on to their supporting forces. The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Commander Gerard Broadmead Roope, R.N., whilst correctly appreciating the intentions of the enemy, at once gave chase. The German heavy cruiser, Admiral Hipper, was sighted closing the Glowworm at high speed and an enemy report was sent which was received by H.M.S. Renown. Because of the heavy sea, the Glowworm could not shadow the enemy and the Commanding Officer therefore decided to attack with torpedoes and then to close in order to inflict as much damage as possible. Five torpedoes were fired and later the remaining five, but without success.
The Glowworm was badly hit; one gun was out of action and her speed was much reduced, but with the other three guns still firing she closed and rammed the Admiral Hipper. As the Glowworm drew away, she opened fire again and scored one hit at a range of 400 yards. The Glowworm, badly stoved in forward and riddled with enemy fire, heeled over to starboard, and the Commanding Officer gave the order to abandon her. Shortly afterwards she capsized and sank. The Admiral Hipper hove to for at least an hour picking up survivors but the loss of life was heavy, only 31 out of the Glowworm's complement of 149 being saved. (Lieutenant-Commander Roope was, for this action, posthumously awarded the first Victoria Cross in the Second World War). As his body was not recovered he is commemorated on Panel 39, Column 1, on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, PO5 3SB.
Probate records confirm his address as 24 Brymer Road, London, SE5 and when administration of his estate was granted to his widow on 25 July 1940, his effects totalled £314-14s-6d.
He is shown as ' MACQUILLIN, A.J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated, incorrectly as aged 44 years, on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website, on the Imperial War Museum's Lives of the First World War website, and on page 168 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1939-1949.
2016: we were contacted by MacQuillin’s son, also Alfred (via Sally Cole’s Facebook). He said the photograph we had found on Ancestry.com is not of his father, AJ, so we have removed it, though it is still on Ancestry, having been posted there by someone with AJ in their family tree. There is a second photo there but we won’t take the risk of using that. Alfred pointed out that for his sister’s name we had given Ellen instead of Eileen – which we corrected. We have also changed the phrase “was recalled” to “rejoined active service” since, with information provided by Alfred, that seems a better description of what actually happened.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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