William Dowsett was born on 14 July 1894 in Camberwell, Peckham, London, the fifth child of John William and Lucy Marino (née Cass) Dowsett. Three sisters Alice (1882), Kate (1883) and Emily F (1885) and two brothers John (1889) and Albert (1899) made up the family living in the borough of Camberwell, London & Surrey. The death of father John (ex RN served 1868 – 1872) in 4Q 1910 had Mum, Alice and Albert moving to Southampton according to the 1911 Census.

William joined the Royal Navy on 27 April 1910 when he crossed the gangway of HMS IMPREGNABLE, the “Boy Training Ship” in Devonport dockyard, and became a Boy Second Class. On 26 August he moved to HMS GANGES in Shotley, Suffolk, and he was rated Boy First Class on 21 November 1910.  He was drafted to HMS VICTORY 1 in Portsmouth on 15 April 1911 for 1 month  and on 18 May he joined HMS ROXBURGH for sea training, with a return to VICTORY 1 on 28 November 1911 until 7 January  1912.  He then joined HMS INVINCIBLE to be rated Ordinary Signalman on 14 January 1912, and a year later to Signalman on 12 June 1913.

Six months later on 1 January 1914 he had another visit to VICTORY 1 for 3 weeks with a draft across the harbour to HMS DOLPHIN on 24 January 1914 for submarine training prior to a draft to HMS ADAMANT  moored in Great Yarmouth on 18 August. He joined HM D5 who, with the rest of the 8th Flotilla, carried out patrols in the North Sea with special attention to the German Bight area.

On 3 November 1914 D5 was in Yarmouth harbour with D3 and E10 when the harbour came under gun fire from German warships. The three submarines were ordered to sail when the gunfire was first heard. As D5 left harbour and headed into the North Sea she struck a mine and sank very quickly. 21 of the crew disappeared with the submarine and were never seen again.

Signalman, William Richard Cass Dowsett. “Crossed The Bar” that day with 20 of his shipmates.