On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 15896DA Deck Hand John Edward James Archbold, serving on H.M. Drifter Guide Me II  with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 29/09/1918.

The son of the late George and Elizabeth Archbold, of Craster, Lesbury, Northumberland.

In Embleton (Spitalford) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

In loving memory of
George Nesbit, beloved husband of
Elizabeth Archbold
who was found drowned
March 8, 1901, aged 51 years.

Also of the above
Elizabeth Archbold, who died
Feb. 1 1916, aged 84 years.

Also of Thomas William, their son,
lost at sea Feb. 10th 1928,
aged 51 years.

Also of John Edward James, their son,
lost while mine sweeping on the Irish Sea
Aug. 29th, 1918, aged 34 years.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

John was born July 28th 1884 in Craster to George Nesbit Archbold, a fisherman and his wife Elizabeth.  At the time of the 1891 Census the family, comprising the parents, John aged 6, older brother Thomas and older sister Mary were living at 25, South Side, Craster. Unfortunately father George was found drowned March 8th 1901 and was buried in Embleton Churchyard, so by the time of the 1901 Census Elizabeth (who died in 1916) was head of the household at 30, South Side, Craster. John was working as a stone breaker in one of the local whinstone quarries.

John enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on April 17th 1917 when he was described as being 5 feet 8 inches tall with grey eyes and a fresh complexion. He was posted to HMS Pembroke and served on various minesweepers over the next sixteen months.

John was lost on August 29th 1918 when the Admiralty hired drifter “Guide Me II” sank in the Irish Sea following a collision with the ss “Glengarriff”. John was the only casualty.

John Edward James Archbold is remembered at Craster on C61.02 and C61.04, at Embleton on E27.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.