William was born on 23 August 1892, the third of 12 children of William Henry and Margaret Jane (née Hughes) Wearn in Liverpool, Lancashire. The family name of all children on Birth Registers and Baptism was Wearn. His family name as recorded on entry documents to the RN is Wearne and many of his family also adopted this name in later life. In the 1911 census the family still retained the name Wearn, living in 48, Thomaston Street, Kirkdale, Lierpool.

William joined the Royal Navy on 19 April 1909 when he passed through the gates of HMS GANGES, the boy training establishment in Shotley, Suffolk, and was given the rating Boy Second Class. On 25 August he transferred to HMS IMPREGNABLE, the boy training ship moored in Devonport dockyard, where he was advanced to Boy First Class on 22 November 1909. On 12 December he was back to GANGES to start the signaller’s course, with a draft to HMS VIVID 1 on 1 April 1910. On 15 April he was drafted to HMS DEVONSHIRE then, on the 9 May, transferred to HMS TEMERAIRE where on board he was advanced to Ordinary Signalman. Nearly a year later on 28 June 1911 he had a draft to HMS VICTORY 1 until 23 August and then a return to TEMERAIRE where he was rated up to Signalman on 30 October 1911.

He remained on board up to 8 February 1913 with a return to VIVID 1 where he volunteered for service on submarines. He was drafted to HMS DOLPHIN in Gosport on 30 April 1913 for the initial submarine training course, and, on 16 September 1914, was drafted to HMS ARROGANT, the submarine depot ship moored in Dover harbour, to serve on HMS C31.

C31 cast off from ARROGANT on the morning of 4 January 1915 for a planned 2 day patrol off Zeegrugge before returning to her new base port of Harwich on the 7 April. To this day she was never seen or heard from again. The Admiralty then recorded her loss as the 7 April, the day she was due in Harwich. Her wreck has never been found and surveyed to help explain her mysterious disappearance.

Signalman William James Wearne,  aged 22,  Svc No. J4019, had  “Crossed The Bar” with 16 of his shipmates.