William Lacey

The Prince of Wales was a George V battleship, launched on the 3rd of May 1939 and was commissioned on the 19th January 1941. They were involved in the attack on the Bismark off Iceland and in September 1941 she was on Mediterranean duty and in October they were posted to Singapore.
On the 10th of December 1941 they were spotted by a Japanese submarine. A single torpedo hit near the portside propeller shaft wrecking it and causing damage in the engine room, leading to rapid uncontrollable flooding.
Severely damaged and listing she was attacked by 6 Japanese aircraft and hit by 3 more torpedoes. Finally a 1,100lb bomb hit the Prince of Wales's catapult deck, penetrating to the main deck where it exploded. At 13:15 the order to abandon ship was given and at 13:20 the ship sank. There were 327 casualties out of a crew of 1,521.

William had celebrated his 21st birthday on the ship on the 4th September.
HMS Repulse was also sank in the engagement.
Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 19/12/1941, Local Men on Prince of Wales and Repulse.
Several men from this locality are known to have been on board the Prince of Wales and Repulse when they were sunk by Japanese bombers in the Far East. In many cases relatives have not yet had news of these men. In view of the large numbered saved from these vessels hopr is high and news is being received daily.

Son of Mr and Mrs W Lacey, 55 Somersall Street, Mansfield, is among the missing. He is Marine William Lacey and is the eldest son in a family of 2 sons and 2 daughters. Celebrating his 21st birthday on board ship on 4th September. Before joining up, about 19 months ago he was an assistant at the Bull Farm branch of Mansfield, Sutton & District Co-Operative Society.
William is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial panel 59 col 3.