William was born on 11 October 1896 in Upton on Severn (Malvern), Worcestershire to George and Alice (née Lowe) Bridge, the elder of 2 children with the brother Albert Ernest’s arrival in 1902 completing the family unit in Worcestershire.

William joined the Royal Navy at HMS VIVID 1 in Devonport on 21 January 1914 for a 12 week basic seamanship course at the age of 17 years and 4 months and became a Boy Second Class. On 16 April he joined the battleship HMS LORD NELSON in Portland and was advanced to Boy First Class on 26 April when the ship was on active duty in the English Channel, then, on 11 October 1914, he was advanced to Ordinary Seaman. In February 1915 LORD NELSON was despatched to the Dardanelles and engaged in active service against Turkish coastal positions.  William was advanced to Able Seaman on the 20 May 1915.

On 11 January he was back at VIVID 1 with a transfer to HMS DEFIANCE from 27 February to 9 June, then to VIVID 2 for “TB 107” in which he volunteered for submarine service and so received a draft to HMS DOLPHIN in Gosport on 4 December 1916 to 4 January 1917 for the submarine familiarisation course. He joined HMS MAIDSTONE in Harwich on 5 January 1917 to 30 June when he transferred to HMS E47 on 1 July 1917.

E47 was ordered to patrol off the Texel Islands and left Harwich in company of  three other E class submarines and was not heard from or seen again. She was officially reported as missing on 20 August 1917 when she failed to return to harbour as planned. In 2012 a Dutch diving expedition found, surveyed and dived on a wreck that later proved to be E47 lying on the sea bed with her bows pointing East. They reported she had a large hole on her port side underneath the bridge area which indicated she had struck a mine. The deck gun that had been detached by fishing activity was recovered and this proved the wreck was that of E47.

Able Seaman William Arthur Bridge, Svc No. J29416 had “Crossed The Bar” sometime in the middle of August 1917 with 31 of his shipmates. He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial on Panel 21.