Alexander Victor Ballard
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: Frederick and Maud Ballard
Marital status: Married
Home address: Richmond, Surrey
Pre-war occupation: Roofer
Date of birth: 02/07/1913
Date of death: 11/01/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 29
Further information:
In 1939 Alexander was living in Fulham with an older brother who worked as a labourer. He married Elsie Rogers in September 1942, less than 4 months before he died.
On the day of his death, Alexander was serving aboard a British Motor Tanker, The British Dominion, which was part of convoy TM1, on route from the island of Curacao in the West Indies to Gibraltar, carrying a cargo of 9000 tons of aviation spirit.
At 00.40 hours, at a point North West of the Canary Islands, U-boat U-522 struck the vessel with 3 torpedoes, resulting in significant damage and causing the crew to abandon ship. About 2 hours later U-boat U-620 finished her off and sunk her. Out of the 53 people on board, 33 crew members and 4 gunners, including Alexander, were lost. The 15 survivors were rescued and landed at Gibraltar.
(DOD on Memorial and on CWGC given as 10.1.43, is incorrect)
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/