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HMS Astrea, Royal Navy
Edwin Belsham was born around 1891 in Tottenham, North London, one of six surviving children of Henry James (Harry) and Charlotte Belsham. His father was employed as a mechanical engineer and the family lived at one time in East Harnham, Wiltshire before moving to Priory Walk in Sudbury. His father was a Guardian for the Sudbury Workhouse.
By 1911 Edwin had left the family home, possibly to join the Royal Navy. His younger brother John Henry who also served in the Royal Navy; lost his life on 17 June 1916 serving onboard HMS Eden and is also remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial.
HMS Astrea was an Astrea Class Cruiser, which was built in 1893 and was scrapped in 1920. During the course of the war the ship was in the area of the Cape of Good Hope and the West Africa Station which included German S W Africa, East Africa and Cameroon.
No record has been located at present as to what happened to Edwin Belsham. In the ship’s log books there are several reports where an Able Seaman was discharged to a shore based naval hospital. It is possible that this is what happened and if he subsequently died he would possibly no longer be recorded as being with HMS Astrea.
Edwin is remembered on the Sudbury War Memorial.
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