Born on the 16th December 1898 in Poplar, London, William Edwin was the first born of William Thomas and Ada Janet (nee Clifton) Shepherd. A sister Ada Louise (1900) and a brother Eric Walter (1905) joined the family and all have birth registration in Poplar, London. In the 1911 census the family are now registered as living in 3, Gerald Road, West Ham, London, Essex. This 1911 census is the last recorded event where the family are together, the father died in 1927 and Ada Janet lived in the same area until she died 1958.

William Edwin Shepherd joined the Royal Navy on Friday 12th March 1915 when he arrived in Devonport for HMS IMPREGNABLE the boy training ship for his 16 week Part 1 training. Selected for the communications branch he was rated “Boy Telegraphist” on the 26t June 1915 and drafted to HMS VERNON on the 25th July for two months under draft order 15/2 No. 6249 for further training. He joined HMS MAIDSTONE for submarine E5 on te 17th September 1915 and out on many patrols in the North Sea.

In March 1916 E5 disappeared and was not found until 2016 when a Dutch diving team confirmed her identity, reported the hull was in good condition with both hatches open. ?????

There were no survivors.