Service Most Silent - remembering those who died in Falmouth 6th March 1941

Thanks Rob for posting the photo.
Is there a backstory or link to the event that would explain how you come to own such an incredible piece of history?

 

Here i have attached a newspaper clipping about the o.b.e awarded to my great uncle ivan wharton,i still know nothing more about it!
I have been able to access some of his paper work interesting to find out as he was a diver he had a webbed toe on his right foot!

 

SuffolkCookie,
Thanks for sharing the newspaper clips. Do you know which paper they are from? I assume it was one local to Chatham.
Interesting about the toe - obviously born for the job.
Have you been able to get his service record from the MOD?

 

cornwallphil,
The newspaper clips are from the essex newsman,as ivan came from colchester,and still had family living there.
I have got some of his service records and he joined ganges in may 1925 aged 15.
Ivan and his wife violet didnt have any children so what happended to th OBE i dont know!

 

Here's the CWGC record and Gravestone for Alfred George Marjoram who survived the accident but, sadly, died in Falmouth Naval Hospital of his wounds.

 

An OBE (Officer of the order of the British empire) seems rather high award to an A.B.
Possibly an MBE (member Of the order of the British empire) but more likely BEM (medal of the order of the British Empire)

 

As we approach another anniversary of this fateful event I have used the story in my blog post for this month adding in a little more detail to my original post in this thread. I share it here believing it will be of interest.
https://www.philhadleypublications.com/post/march-2025

 

It is little realised or recognised that for its size, Falmouth was disproportionately subjected to numerous air raids and attacks in WW2.

 

Agreed ARPCDHG. Falmouth by the time of its final raid on 30th May 1944 had sounded the alert 783 times. For comparison, West Ham in the east end of London and at the heart of the Blitz had 1227 alerts during World War Two and Plymouth, according to figures issued in 1947 by the Town Clerk's Office, had 602 alerts.
For several months in 1941 Cornwall was the most bombed county in England.