Alfred Smith

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: Alfred and Elizabeth Smith

Home address: 5 Perth Street, Stepney, London

Pre-war occupation: Bakehouse Labourer

Date of birth: 15/10/1913

Place of birth: Stepney, East London

Date of death: 28/10/1941

Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury

Age: 28

Further information:

Alfred was the son of an Engine driver and fireman and was born and raised in Stepney East London. He was the eldest of at least 6 children.

On the day of his death Alfred was serving aboard the British Motor Merchant 'King Malcolm' a straggler from convoy SC-50 which was on route from Sydney Nova Scotia Canada to Belfast carrying a cargo of Potash. At 07.19 hours on 28 October 1941 the vessel was torpedoed by U-boat U-106 and sank within 3 minutes about 630 miles west of Ireland. The master, 33 crew members and four gunners, including Alfred, were lost. There were no survivors. Alfred was initially reported as missing which was changed to presumed killed in action 4 months later.

Alfred died on 28th October 1941 (not 8.12.41 as on Memorial).

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/1186.html