In Taranto Town Cemetery Extension, Italy is the Commonwealth War Grave of 7520DA Deck Hand William John Ball, serving on H.M. Drifter Floandi with the Royal Naval Reserve who died 15/05/1917.
The son of Elizabeth Ball, of 42, Nelson Street, Washington Station, Co. Durham, and the late Thomas Ball. He was born at North Shields.
William John Ball was born in 1887 at North Shields, one of seven children of Thomas and Elizabeth nee Little, Ball.
William John Ball was in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, and was a deck hand on board HMS Floandi, when it was attacked by three ships [Helgoland, Novara and Saida], of the Austrian Navy on the 15th May 1917. The 1917 Battle of the Strait of Otranto was the result of an Austro-Hungarian raid on the Otranto Barrage, an Allied naval blockade of the Strait of Otranto. The blockade was conducted by lightly armed former fishing drifters laying and monitoring submarine nets with larger Allied Naval ships in support. The Austro-Hungarian Navy raided the Otranto Barrage with a force of three light cruisers, plus diversionary forces and submarines in support. It was an attempt to break the barrier to allow U-boats freer access to the Mediterranean, and Allied shipping. The three Austro-Hungarian cruisers: Novara, Saida, and Helgoland, modified to resemble large British destroyers, were to attack the drifters on the night of 14 May and attempt to destroy as many as possible before daybreak.
Three Allied Navies were operating in the area, the Italian, French and British, an Italian convoy was sunk by the diversionary destroyers and the cruisers at 03:30 began attacking the small barrage ships. The Austro-Hungarians frequently gave the drifter crews warning to abandon ship before opening fire.
In some instances, the drifter crews chose to fight, the Gowan Lee returned fire on the Austo-Hungarian ships. The ship was heavily damaged, but remained afloat, her skipper, Joseph Watt, was awarded the Victoria Cross for his actions during the battle.
There were 47 drifters in Barrage on the night of the 14th May; the Austro-Hungarians managed to sink 14 drifters and damage four more.
After the raid the Austro-Hungarian Cruisers were pursued by the Allies, HMS Dartmouth traded shots and caused damage but was torpedoed by a U-boat, UC-25 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Johannes Feldkirchner. The French destroyer Boutefeu was sunk by a mine while in pursuit.
FLOANDI, ship number 135076, was a hired drifter, Adty No 748. Built 1914, 99grt, Yarmouth-reg YH.973. Armament: 1?12pdr.
William John Ball was buried in Taranto Town Cemetery.
One of his brothers Charles Robert Ball was also in the forces in WW1. born in North Shields in 1890, and served in the 7th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment and died of wounds in hospital at Rouen on the 18th February 1917.
Both William and his brother Charles were listed in the Washington Holy Trinity church magazine after their deaths.
William John Ball is remembered at Washington on W96.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
