No.P/JX 159879, Able Seaman, Harold Graham FLEMING
Aged 18
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Born in 1923 [Kingston, Surrey Q1-1923 2A:743], the son of John G. (1886-1923)and Myrtle Helen (1898-2000) FLEMING (née DOWE) and foster son of George and Sophie HALLS.
A relative has helped by finding Sophie Halls, married to George William HALLS and living at the time of the 1911 census in West Row. In the 1939 register, at The Orchards, The Green, West Row, were his foster parents George W HALLS [22-12-1882 (cowman); Sophia [27-10-1888], their daughter Sylvia A [29-4-1918](later ROLFE) and John R BURFORD [15-5-1937] (evacuee?).
Looks like he always wanted to be a sailor..hopefully a photo of him as an adult may come to light |
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"Out of Sollum in position 32.34N and 26.24E in the Mediterranean, Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen in his U-331 U-boat of Type VIIC came within
torpedo range of the British 31,100 ton battleship HMS Barham which was out on a sortie from Alexandria. Kptlt. Von Tiesenhausen fired a spread of 4 torpedoes
towards the group, 3 of which hit HMS Barham's port side causing it to list heavily and spread fire towards the ammunition storages. Only 2 and a half minutes passed from the torpedo impact until the ship rolled onto its side and the aft magazine exploded killing 862. There were 396 survivors. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
