Edward William Varnfield
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Parents: William George and Ethel May Varnfield
Marital status: Married
Home address: 3 Johnsons Cottages, Horsemarket, Kettering, Northamptonshire
Pre-war occupation: Boot and Shoe Operative
Date of birth: 13/03/1913
Place of birth: Kettering, Northamptonshire
Date of death: 06/05/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 29
Further information:
Edward was born and raised in Kettering Northamptonshire, the son of a blacksmith. He married Hilda May Tyrell in 1936 and together they had two children. In 1939 Hilda was also working in the boot factory as a packer.
On the day of his death, Edward was serving aboard the unescorted British Steam Merchant ‘Empire Buffalo’, on route from Kingston Jamaica to New Orleans carrying a cargo of ballast. At 22.25 hours on 6 May 1942, the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat U-125 west of the Cayman Islands. The master, seven crew members and five gunners, including Edward, were lost. The 29 survivors were picked up and landed at Kingston.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
This information has been provided by Sarah Hands, Volunteer Researcher for the South Gloucestershire War Memorials Web Site.
By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):
https://www.cwgc.org/
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/1610.html