Edward Wilkins 2nd from right top row

Edward was a twin and I don't know who came first so he was the 6th or 7th child born on 25th Sept 1897 to John Wilkins and Harriet White, his birth was registered in Maidenhead, Berkshire.

Edward was a farm hand and joined the Royal Navy on 13 October 1914 (he gave his year of birth as 1896) Edward was 5 ft 31/4ins and his chest measured 35 ins, so he was quite a slight chappie, he had a scar on his right cheek, hazel eyes, dark brown hair and a fresh complexion, he enlisted for 12 years. He first trained on Victory 2, then joined Royalist where the 'photo was taken and served on various ships as a stoker including Dolphin, Royal Arthur, Titania, Ambrose and Vindictive, all were support ships for submarines.

Edward died on 29 April 1923 whilst serving on Dolphin, he died at the home of his mother with his twin brother in attendance. The cause of death was Encephalitis Lethargica which was at epidemic proportions between 1917 and 1928, symptoms were high fever, headache, double vision, delayed physical and mental response and lethargy, the cause was unknown, and death was not common, no recurrence of the epidemic has since been reported.

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