Missing in action, HMS Gloucester 1941

[taffy2]

Hi all.
I'm looking for information IE place and date of birth, i have found him on the Plymouth Naval memorial.(panel 49. Col 3.)
He is
Thomas.
Donald.
Ord seaman, Royal navy.
Ship. HMS Gloucester.
service number. D/JX 157798.
His date of death is given as 22/05/1941. When his ship was sunk off Crete.
His mother was Bessie Discombe Annie Anderson/Dean / Thomas. Dob 21/4/1896,Cardiff?, as far as i know she had two husbands. Henry Dean died of wounds on 10/5/1918. France.
Im not sure if she married Mr Thomas.
Any information would be greatfully received.

[Procat]

He does have a Death Certificate which can be purchased from the GRO. I don't know if it would he helpful from the point of view of his age however. You need to select the option for Overseas events:

Name: THOMAS, Donald
Ship or unit:Gloucester
Rank:Ordinary Seaman
Year: 1941
Volume : 10
Page: 3840

There is a possible birth:

Name: Donald Thomas
Mother's Maiden Surname: Anderson
Date of registration: Dec QTR 1922
Registration district: Cardiff
Inferred County: Glamorganshire
Volume Number: 11a
Page Number: 638

[IanStockbridge]

Thought you may be interested in this regarding HMS GLOUCESTER.

GLOUCESTER
British Cruiser
Royal Navy from 1939 to 1941
Southampton (Town Group II) class Pendant number 62
Technical data:
Built by H. M. Dockyard, Devonport, Plymouth January 1939
Job No. Ordered 02/03/1936 Laid down 22/09/1936 Launched 19/10/1937 Completed 31/01/1939 Commissioned 27/01/1939
Engine information:
4 Steam Turbine Parsons S.R. Gearing Boilers 82,500 Shp by Scott's Shipbuilding & Eng Co Ltd., Greenock Speed 32.5 knots
Original dimensions:
591.50 x 62.25
Displacement, Standard 9,400

Equipment:
Prime Armament 12-6in.(4x3), 8-4in.(4x2), 4-3pdr., 8-2pdr.AA.(2x4), guns.
Other Armament 6-21in.(2x3), T.T.; 2-aircraft; 7-depthcharges.


Remarks

27.1.1939: Commissioned as the cruiser HMS GLOUCESTER (62) for the Royal Navy at HM Naval Base, Devonport.
1.1939: Assigned to 4th Cruiser Squadron, East Indies Fleet. Flagship C-in-C.
18.11.1939: With Free French sloop RIGAULT DE GENOUILLY left Colombo to search for German armoured ship ADMIRAL GRAF SPEE.
1.5.1940: Assigned to South Atlantic Command, based at Simonstown.
26.5.1940: Assigned to 7th Cruiser Squadron, Mediterranean Fleet, based at Alexandria.
12.6.1940: Bombarded Tobruk. Sank Italian auxilliary minesweeper GIOVANNI BERTI.
8.7.1940: Damaged in bomb attack by Italian aircraft. Bridge hit; CO and 17 crew killed.
9.7.1940: Battle of Calabria. Struck by unexploded bomb. Assigned to 3rd Cruiser Squadron.
25.11.1940: Assigned to 7th Cruiser Squadron.
11.1.1941: Attacked by German Ju 87 dive-bombers. Unexploded bomb went through the DCT. Nine killed, 14 wounded.
28.3.1941: Fired on by Italian cruisers. With Force B, but held up by engine problems.
28.3.1941: Fired on, but not hit, by Italian battleship VITTORIO VENETO. Destroyer HMS HASTY laid protecting smoke screen.
20.4.1941: Bombarded Tripoliarea in support of the withdrawal of 8th Army.
30.4.1941: Bombed in Malta Harbour. Unexploded bomb passed out through hull on port side below waterline.
5.5.1941: Escorted convoy to Alexandria, Operation 'Tiger'.
22.5.1941: Bombed by German aircraft. Hit by three bombs causing internal explosions. Sank nine miles off Pori Island.
22.5.1941: Only 82 survivors. CO Cpt H A Rowley and 692 men lost.

[taffy2]

Thank you for your most useful replies.
Donald (Donny) Was my cousin, thought he died before i was born. The year of birth seems right as i was told he was either 18 or 19 at his death.
I have only just started researching this branch of the family, it seems strange that he had two older siblings and two younger. One of his younger sisters has the surname of Dean, yet her supposed father died in 1918 and she was born in either 1925 or 1926.??
I feel a mystery starting

[geneius]

Hello
Diary of HMS Gloucester
http://www.
naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Gloucester.htm

Further reading
http://news.
bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/281741.stm

Interesting that the CWGC doesnot indicate whose son he is!


From www dot Freebmd.org.uk
This may possibly be Donald's mother
Bessie Discom A Anderson Apr-May-Jun 1896 Cardiff Vol 11a Page 387

Marriage
Bessie D A Anderson
George H Dean
Jan-Feb-Mar 1917
Cardiff Vol 11a Page 408

[taffy2]

Thank you .
Sorry for the delay, ive been playing with those sites you gave me, fantastic. Ive managed to track down her five children. now i have to get their certifacates to prove there mine .
I cant find any marrage to a mr Thomas though.And it seems strange that her youngest daughter Vera (CDF 11a 748) Was given the surname of her deceased husband who was killed 8 years prior. More might come out when i get the birth cert.
Thank you once again for that freebmd site.

[geneius]

Play away, like most of us you will find this becomes very addictive!

Remember when researching that WW2 changed things for a lot of people, divorce wasn't as we know it a copuple og months and your free. Herberts Divorce Act 1937 was introduced to accomodate war 'widows'.
It is unlikely, if she wasn't a widow that you will find any divorce papers, they will most probably have been lost....then if a widow re married she may have lost any pension entitlement! Life goes on!!!!! maybe your skeleton in the cupboard

In the UK certificates are ordered from:www dot gro.gov.uk
This site will advise what you can expect to find on them : www dot direct.gov.uk select Government citizens & rights

www dot familysearch.org for parish records, census information all worldwide etc.

others genuki.org.uk

Enjoy