On Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of 6708DA Deck Hand Adam Shell, serving on H.M. Trawler Ameer with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 18/03/1916.

He was the son of Adam and Margaret Shell, of Holy Island and the husband of Alice Shell, of 4, Mafeking Street, Gateshead.

Colin Boyd has provided the following:

Adam was born on 1st March 1882 on Holy Island the son of  Adam Shell, a fisherman and his wife Margaret.

By 1891 he was living with his parents, three brothers and two sisters in Marygate Street, Holy Island.

Ten years later the smaller family were living in the same house and Adam (junior) was working as a fisherman.

By the time of the 1911 Census Adam was now one of only two children still at home and he was working as a fisherman on his own account.

Adam married Alice A. Stephenson in Gateshead in 1914 and the couple set up home at 4, Mafeking Street, Gateshead.

Adam enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve on 8th May 1915 when he was described as being 5 feet 10 inches tall with grey eyes and a fresh complexion.

Adam was lost on the 18th March 1916 when HM Trawler Ameer struck a mine off Felixstowe and sank with the loss of eight crew.

Adam Shell is remembered at Holy Island on H65.01 and H65.05,  in the Alnwick Gazette Almanack page 57 and  in our List of Ships’ Crews.