William was born on 18 November 1881, the second of eleven children to Thomas Charles and Alice Emily (née Humby) Ayloff, with Frederick F (1880), Alice E (1891), Winifred L (1893), Emily M (1894), Annie F (1896), Lucy M (1898), Percival E (1903), Reginald T (1905), Dorothy M (1907) and William G (1910) completing the family unit living in Southampton, Hampshire.

William joined the Royal Navy on 13 July 1897 when he crossed the gangway onto HMS BOSCAWEN (ex HMS MINOTAUR), the boy’s sail training ship moored in Portland harbour and signed on as a Boy Second Class. On 16 November he was transferred to HMS LION, the sail training ship in Devonport dockyard where on 7 April 1898 he was advanced to Boy First Class. On 1 November he returned to Portland and the sail training ship HMS AGINCOURT with a draft on 21 December 1898 to HMS AUSTRALIA, on 21 April 1899 to HMS ROYAL SOVEREIGN, on 6 June to HMS ILLUSTRIOUS and on 16 September a return to ROYAL SOVEREIGN where on board on 18 November 1899 he was rated up to Ordinary Seaman.

On 8 May 1900 he was drafted to HMS CRUISER, then on 11 August back to ROYAL SOVEREIGN where on board on 19 June 1901 he was rated up to Able Seaman. On 8 September 1902 he was further advanced to Leading Seaman and on 30 August received a draft to (name unintelligible). On 28 October 1902 he was drafted to HMS EXCELLENT where on 16 December 1902 he was advanced to Petty Officer Second Class. On 1 March 1903 he was drafted to HMS VERNON, on 21 June 1903 to HMS DUKE OF WELLINGTON, on 7 July to HMS BRITANNIA, on 1 August 1903 to (illegible). On 12 March 1904 he was drafted to HMS THAMES, the submarine depot ship based at that time in Portsmouth, and on 22 March 1904 was confirmed in the rate of Petty Officer First Class.

In early June 1905 submarines HMS A8 and A7 were based in Devonport and partaking in many trials off Plymouth Sound. On the 8 June A8 had completed 2 dives and had surfaced to exchange 3 crew members in a normal boat transfer. After 3 onboard crew members had exited the submarine and were waiting on deck the bow of the submarine started dropping sending a lot of water into the conning tower. The submarine then began diving before the deck access hatch could be shut, the sailors on the conning tower jumped into the sea as A8 sank beneath the waves. Warships in the local area launched sea-boats to aid in the search but only 4 survivors were to be found, the other 15 crew members trapped inside died. The submarine was salvaged 4 days later and an on board investigation found that a loose rivet on the bow plating was the cause of the disaster.

Petty Officer 1c William George AYLOFF, Svc No. 194448 age 23 years had “Crossed The Bar” with 14 of his fellow crew members.