William (Snowy) Lofsten

Leading Seaman

By Allan Wood

 

William (Snowy) Lofsten was Born 19 March 1881 in Liverpool, England, to a Swedish Stoker & a Scottish ship Stewardess. He migrated to Sydney c1883 with his Mother. Bill dropped his Father’s name of Carl (Bill’s second Christian name) when WWI broke-out, due to it’s Teutonic connotations.

On 23 March 1905, he joined the Royal Navy under the Australian Naval Agreement (1903), & served thus-

HMS Mildura -               O.S.     23 Mar. ’05    - 05 Nov. ’05

             “    Pioneer -                “           06 Nov. ‘05    - 12 Apr. ’06
             “    Pyramus -              “           13 Apr.  ‘06    - 12 Apr. ’07
             “    Challenger -           “           13 Apr.  ‘07     - 30 Sept.’08
             “           “          -          A.B.     01 Oct. ‘08    - 22 Mar.‘10
In Nov. 1911, he married Clara May, an Alberton, Vic. girl, at Fitzroy, Melbourne, & gives his address at that time as Hobson’s Bay.

Joined the fledgling R.A.N. on 23 May 1911, with Number 1226, serving thus-

         HMAS Protector -          A.B.     23 May ’11      – 30 Sep. ’12
              “            “        -          L.S.      01 Oct. ‘12      – 26 Mar. ’13
              “      Cerberus. -        L.S.     27 Mar. ’13    – 28 May ’13
              “             “         -       A.B.     29 May ’13     – 22 May ’14
              “             “         -       “          01 Jun. ’14      – 07 Aug. ’14
              “      Protector.  -        “           08 Aug. ’14      – 26 Nov. ’14
          “     Cerberus. -        “          27 Nov. ’14     -  30 Dec. ’14
              “      Sydney.     -        “           31 Dec. ’14      -   04 Feb. ’16
“      HMA Lon.Depot.-          05 Feb. ’16      – 07 May ’16
              “     Cerberus. -    “              08 May ’16     -  21 Oct. ’16
              “      Brisbane.        “               22 Oct. ’16      – 11 Dec. ’16
              “      Penguin.         “               12 Dec. ’16      – 17 Aug. ’17
              “      Encounter.      “               18 Aug. ’17      – 02 Apr. ’19
              “      Una.                “              03 Apr. ’19      – 22 Apr. ’19
              “      Encounter.      “               23 Apr. ’19      -  30 Sep. ’20
              “      Tingira.           “               01 Oct. ’20      -  10 Jan.  ’23
              “       Sydney.          “              20 Jan. ’23       -  13 Apr. ’23
              “       Brisbane.        “              14 Apr. ’23      – 31 Dec.’23

He took part in the German New Guinea operations in late 1914, & served otherwise during WWI, in the Indian Ocean , & on Atlantic operations aboard HMAS Sydney, sailing out of the Halifax & Bermuda stations. It is said that he had a pet monkey aboard at one stage, smuggled aboard whilst on operations in the Caribbean.

He joined the US Army SMALL SHIPS Service in Sept. 1944 (at 63 years of age) as a Bosun, after dyeing his hair & “winding back” his age somewhat, as he was by then too old to rejoin the R.A.N. for WWII.  Discharged late 1945. Vessels unknown, but certainly saw service around the New Guinea/New Britain region. Apart from his three WWI Service medals, he was later awarded two US Pacific Campaign medals for his US WWII service.

Being only 5ft 6in. tall, he was handy with his fists & never backed away from a good fight, thus he did several years duty in the early 1920’s aboard the R.A.N. training vessel HMAS Tingira in Sydney, keeping the young naval recruits in line there. Between wars he worked in stores & other maritime establishments on the islands in Sydney Harbour. During early years of WWII he worked in munitions & aircraft production in Sydney area, but had too much salt in his veins to stay ashore for long. He lived at Pyrmont in Sydney, & died in April 1956 at age 75 yrs. He is buried with his wife, who died in 1938, at Rookwood in Sydney.