Oliver Wadlow
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: Oliver and Esther Maria Wadlow Brown
Home address: 167 Kelynmead Road, Birmingham
Date of birth: 1918
Place of birth: Birmingham
Date of death: 15/01/1945
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried at Birmingham (Yardley) Cemetery and commemorated on the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 26
Further information:
Oliver was born and raised in Birmingham, the son of a labourer and the youngest child of 8 children. He had an older brother and 6 older sisters and his father died when he was 10 years old.
Oliver enlisted in 1940 and on the day of his death he was serving aboard the unescorted British Motor Tanker 'Maja' on route from Swansea to Belfast carrying a cargo of 10680 tons of gasoil and motor spirit. On 15 Jan 1945, the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat U-1055 southeast of Drogheda. 17 crew members and eight gunners including Oliver were lost. The 40 survivors were picked up and landed at Holyhead. Oliver's body was subsequently recovered and buried in his home town.
Oliver died on 15th January 1945 (Memorial incorrectly stated 19th).
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/3424.html