DEMS gunner losses

Hi Steve,

TEHRAN WAR CEMETERY, Iran
HILL, Bombardier, GEOFFREY FRANK, 1548210, 7 Bty., 4 Maritime A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery. 5 October 1941. Age 26. Son of Frank and Emily Hill, of Boscombe, Bournemouth, Dorset, England. Grave Ref. 2. B. 15.
He died at the Anglo Iranian Hospital, Abardan, Persian Gulf - cause of death – Dysentry.

DURBAN (STELLAWOOD) CEMETERY, South Africa

INGLEDEW, Gunner, GEORGE, 4441753, 2 Bty., 1 Maritime A A.Regt., Royal Artillery. 7 October 1941. Age 38. Son of Thomas and Mary Ellen Ingledew; husband of Rose Elizabeth Ingledew, of West Hartlepool, Co. Durham, England. Grave Ref. Block F. Grave 210. – [death by violence]

Regards
Hugh

 

Wednesday 15th October 1941

HOPKINS, William H, Gunner, RA (7/4 Maritime Regt), 1722175, killed
WATT, James R, Bombardier, RA (7/4 Maritime Regt), 1482474, killed

Above two gunners were lost when S.S. Vancouver Island sunk, together with two RCN gunners (ARDAGH and McLEOD). Another four gunners were lost in this sinking.

W.C. Teagle was lost was three gunners (including AB Jack McMASTER). [Casualties listed on 16th, but actually sunk early on 17th]

Unassigned gunner deaths for this period are

HALL, Ernest, Gunner, RA, 1809061 (1/1 Maritime Regt), killed
HATFIELD, Arthur, Gunner, RA, 1809030 (1/1 Maritime Regt), killed
FRANCIS, William, Gunner, RA, 1721987 (7/4 Maritime Regt), killed
HURLEY, Philip R, Gunner, RA, 1722026 (7/4 Maritime Regt), killed
MAGILL, Robert, Gunner, RA, 1535753 (7/4 Maritime Regt), killed
ROBERTS, John, Gunner, RA, 1722230 (7/4 Maritime Regt), killed

It seems likely that the four 7th Battery gunners were lost with their colleagues onboard Vancouver Island, which would leave the 1st Battery gunners to be lost with W.C.Teagle. Any ideas if this is correct?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

HALL, Gunner, ERNEST, 1809061, 1/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS W.C. Teagle) 15 October 1941. Age 32. Son of William and Mary E. Hall; husband of Ellen Hall, of Whitworth, Lancashire. Panel 61, Column 2.
HATFIELD, Gunner, ARTHUR, 1809030, 1/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS W.C. Teagle) 15 October 1941. Panel 61, Column 2.
FRANCIS, Gunner, WILLIAM, 1721987, 7/4 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS Vancouver Island) 15 October 1941. Age 31. Panel 62, Column 2.
HURLEY, Gunner, PHILIP RICHARD, 1722026, 7/4 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS Vancouver Island) 15 October 1941. Age 29. Son of James and Mary Hurley; husband of Doris Hurley, of Felinfeol, Carmarthenshire. Panel 62, Column 3.
MAGILL, Gunner, ROBERT, 1535753, 7/4 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS Vancouver Island) 15 October 1941. Age 22. Panel 62, Column 3.
ROBERTS, Gunner, JOHN, 1722230, 7/4.Maritime Regt, Royal Artillery. (SS Vancouver Island) 15 October 1941. Age 26. Son of Annie Roberts, of Dolwyddelan, Caernarvonshire. Panel 62, Column 3.

My records concur with your thinking.
Regards,
Hugh

 

Friday 17th October 1941

ROWE, John, Gunner, RA, 1809164 (2/1 Maritime Regt), killed

Possibly lost when S.S. Samos sunk. The Greek ship is listed by Lloyd's as being lost with 24 crew, 3 gunners and 4 passengers, but I've only identified one gunner ( LAMBERT, Walter, Act/Able Seaman, C/JX 236543) and one passenger (SLAUGHTER, Stanley E, Captain, 108431, RAOC).

Also lost on this day was Pass of Baimaha. Confusingly Lloyd's says this ship was lost with 16 crew and 2 gunners, but other sources say had four gunners.

CLARKE, Peter H, Act/Able Seaman, P/JX 235670, (President III), MPK [PoM]
HUGHES, Ivor F, Act/Able Seaman, D/JX 214831, (President III), MPK [PlyM]
MILLS, Matthew MCL, Act/Able Seaman, P/JX 236701, (President III), MPK [PoM]
TAYLOR, Alfred J, Act/Able Seaman, C/JX 236526, (President III), MPK [ChM]

CWGC only identifies CLARKE and MILLS as being on Pass of Baimaha, listing the other two as just HMS President III, but I can't read too much into this, as they often don't identify the ship gunners were lost on.

So was Gunner ROWE one of the missing gunners from Samos or were the gunners from that ship AB HUGHES and AB TAYLOR? Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve all the above RN gunners confirmed as being lost aboard PASS OF BALMAHA.

Regards
Hugh

 

Hi Steve,
No he was not aboard SAMOS but the Norwegian BARFONN.

ROWE, Gunner, JOHN, 1809164, 2/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS Barfonn) 17 October 1941. Age 34. Panel 61, Column 2.

Regards
Hugh

 

Monday 27th October 1941

WOOD, Clarence D, Gunner, RA (2/1 Maritime Regt), 1777920, killed [PoM]
SHARPE, Harry, Gunner, RA (2/1 Maritime Regt), 1777932, killed [STAVELEY CEMETERY]

Possibly the above gunners were lost with the sinking of Dutch ship SS Friesland. Lloyd's says was lost with 11 crew and 2 gunners.

CONNELLY, William, Gunner, RA (4/2 Maritime Regt), 1780834 [BROMPTON-ON-SWALE CEMETERY]

No obvious ship for Gnr Connelly, maybe an accidental/illness cause of death. Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,
Just to confirm the above both were the gunners of FRIESLAND.

STAVELEY CEMETERY, United Kingdom
SHARPE, Gunner, HARRY, 1777932, 2 Bty. 1 A.A.Maritime Regt, Royal Artillery. (SS Friesland) 27 October 1941. Age 23. Son of Percy and Jenny Norris Sharpe; husband of Gwendoline Sharpe, of Mastin Moor. Grave Ref. Sec. L.L. Grave 3.
----------------------------------------------------
WOOD, Gunner, CLARENCE DOUGLAS, 1777920, 2/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS Friesland) 27 October 1941. Age 21. Son of Albert Henry and Louisa Wood, of Stapleford, Nottinghamshire. Panel 61, Column 2.

I have the following but no idea of the cause of death but appears to have not been at sea. ss CITY OF PRETORIA had arrived Liverpool for repairs on 24th October 1941.

BROMPTON-ON-SWALE CEMETERY, United Kingdom
CONNELLY, Gunner, WILLIAM, 1780834, 4 Bty., 2 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (SS City of Pretoria) 27 October 1941. Grave Ref. Grave 231.

Regards
Hugh

 

Wednesday 29th October 1941

ROGERS, George F, Gunner, RA (3/2 Maritime Regt), 4755372 [EDMONTON CEMETERY, MIDDLESEX]

No obvious shipping incident, so possibly an accidental/illness cause of death, any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

EDMONTON CEMETERY, United Kingdom
ROGERS, Gunner, GEORGE FREDERICK, 4755372, 3 Bty., 2 Maritime Regt, Royal Artillery. 29 October 1941. Grave Ref. Sec. W. Grave 90. Accident at Middlesbrough aboard (SS Rudby) – Cerebral Hemorrhage.

RUDBY had been in the port of Middlesbrough from 9th - 31st October 1941.
I think there is a piece in the Newcastle Journal 30 October 1941 about the accident - I don't have access so can only see the headline but I think it refers to him.
Regards
Hugh

 

Tuesday 4th November 1941

CLARK, Fred, Leading Bombardier, RA (6/3 Maritime Regt), 1490162, killed [ChM]
FRY, Eric J, Gunner, RA (6/3 Maritime Regt), 1611694, killed [ChM]

Seems that these gunners were lost with the sinking of Dutch merchant vessel S.S. Madjoe, which is listed by Lloyd's as being lost with 4 crew, 2 gunners and 1 pilot. Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

CLARK, Lance Bombardier, FRED, 1490162, 6/3 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (Dutch, SS Madjoe) 4 November 1941. Age 45. Husband of Daisy Ellen Clark, of Lenham, Kent. 50, 3.
FRY, Gunner, ERIC JOHN, 1611694, 6/3 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. (Dutch, SS Madjoe) 4 November 1941. Age 33. Son of Henry Samuel and Susan Fry; husband of Florence Elizabeth Fry, of New Cross, London. 50, 3.

The local pilot who died was Capt. George, Campbell Fairweather.

I can also identify 3 of the 4 Dutch casualties:

Captain Jan Oorburg 1912-1941
AB Lammert, Gerardus Veltman 1914-1941
AB Hendrik Broekema 1915-1941

Regards
Hugh

 

Hi Hugh,

Thanks for that, I didn't have his details.

Regards,

Steve

 

Thursday 6th November 1941

CRAWFORD, John S, Gunner, RA (2/1 Maritime Regt), 2763730, [LARGS CEMETERY]

No obvious shipping incident and a shore burial, so probably an accidental/illness cause of death. Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

CRAWFORD, Gunner, JOHN STEWART, 2763730, 2 Bty., 1 A.A.Maritime Regt, Royal Artillery. 6 November 1941. Age 21. Son of John and Agnes Crawford, of Largs. Grave Ref. Sec. Y. Grave 175.
The Coroner at a Southport inquest recorded a verdict of death from nephritis.

Regards
Hugh

 

Saturday 8th November 1941

WALLACE, Edward, Gunner, RA (7/4 Maritime Regt), 1560595, [MANCHESTER SOUTHERN CEMETERY]

The only shipping incident on this date that I can see, is damage to S.S. Gaslight after an air attack. So was Gnr Wallace a victim of this event or did he die from an accident/illness? Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,
I can only add that he was shown on casualty reports as "died 8.11.1941".
Re GASLIGHT - Lloyds states: "Towed into Sunderland November 9 with extensive internal damage".Crew was 23 including 4 gunners. No indications anywhere of casualties.
The 1941 Crew Agreement for GASLIGHT O/N 144696 is held at Kew in BT 381/1404 - you could maybe check if he was one of the 4 gunners aboard.

Regards
Hugh

 

Tuesday 11th November 1941

GRAY, William B, Gunner, RA (1/1 Maritime Regt), 3253736, killed [PoM]

Benn Hann was lost with 10 MN crew and 1 OR RN gunner. Was Gnr Gray also lost with this sinking? Any ideas?

Regards,

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

GRAY, Gunner, WILLIAM BLACK, 3253736, 1/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery. 11 November 1941. Age 31. (SS COPTIC) Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Gray, of Craigmillar, Edinburgh. Panel 61, Column 2.
Gunner Gray was missing presumed drowned at sea after being washed overboard during a heavy gale.

Regards
Hugh

 

Hi Hugh,

Thanks for that. I've put Gaslight on my Kew list, though I think it'll be a few months before I get another change to visit.

Regards,

Steve