HAYGREEN, Ronald Jack "John"


No.C/JX337781. Able Seaman, Ronald Jack HAYGREEN
Aged 25


SS "Empire Turnstone", Royal Navy
Killed in Action on Thursday, 22nd October 1942


Ronald Jack Haygreen was born in Wickhambrook on 10th February 1923 (according to Navy records which makes a nonsense of his age as recorded by CWGC)(Risbridge Q1-1923 4A:1563), son of Albert Arthur and Jessie HAYGREEN (née COOK). His mother had previously been married to Pearl Victor HARROD, her surname on marriage to his father. Father had been married first to Clara PAVIS and had a son Horace V (1914) and daughter (unnamed in 1919 and dying with her mother).

In the 1939 register his father Arthur A [12-2-1891] a labourer; mother Jessie [20-9-1894] and half brother Victor C HARROD [1-7-1914] a lorry driver, were living at 8 Little Monks Farm, Bunters Road, Wickhambrook.


Ronald was a Royal Navy gunner aboard the "Empire Turnstone" ( ex SS Western City") when she was torpedoed by U-621 (Kptlt. Horst Schünemann). On 10 Oct 1942 the Empire Turnstone in convoy ONS-136 developed engine trouble and turned back on 21 October. At 00.53 hours on 23 October, she was torpedoed and sunk by U-621 southwest of Iceland. The whole crew, including 7 Royal Navy gunners, were lost. No photograph of the vessel has been found


photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Ronald Haygreen is commemorated on the Chatham Naval memorial, 54:2

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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