Charles Sawden
Memorial: Thornbury & District Museum: 6th Maritime Regiment Memorial
Regiment: 6th Maritime Regiment
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Gunner
Home address: Bridlington, Yorkshire
Date of birth: 1910
Place of birth: Bridlington, Yorkshire
Date of death: 12/03/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Buried Bridlington Cemetery and commemorated on the Maritime memorial Thornbury
Age: 32
Further information:
Charles was born and raised in Bridlington Yorkshire and enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1941.
Charles was serving aboard the small British Steam coaster ‘Farfield’ on route from Penmaenmawr in North Wales to Gloucester via the Bristol Channel and carrying a cargo of quarried stone, when it was bombed and sunk in the Irish Sea 5 nautical miles (9.3 km) off South Stack, Anglesey by Luftwaffe aircraft. The 9-man crew abandoned ship on life rafts but the aircraft returned several times gunning down and killing 8 of the crew. Only Charles survived by clinging to a hatch cover for over twelve hours until he was rescued by a passing naval patrol boat. Charles died from his wounds 8 months later and was buried near his home.
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/
http://www.rhiw.com/y_mor/shipwrecks/farfield/farfield.htm