William Pester, the son of Thomas and Margaret Pester of Bournemouth, was the sole survivor of the sinking of HMS SPEARFISH on 1 August 1940.  Having only just joined the boat before sailing, he had been the bridge lookout when the submarine was hit by a torpedo fired by U-34 off the Norwegian coast.  Pester’s binoculars snagged on the submarine’s fin dragging him down as she sank.  He was caught by a massive air bubble forcing him upwards, breaking the strap and allowing him to swim to the surface.  He was picked up by U-34 and spent the rest of the war as a PoW in Germany.  

He was killed in a motorcycle accident on 1 July 1945 and is buried in Bournemouth East Cemetery.