David Harris
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: Thomas and Gwenllian Harris
Marital status: Married
Home address: Home Address: Blaengarw, Bridgend, Glamorgan. Lived: 221 Oxford Street Pontycymer, Bridgend.
Pre-war occupation: Colliery repairer below ground
Date of birth: 04/05/1909
Date of death: 21/06/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 35
Further information:
David was born in Merthyr Tydfil and lived and worked in Bridgend until he enlisted. He was married to Eva Harris.
On the day of his death, David was serving aboard the British Steam Merchant, ‘Brinkburn’, which was part of convoy TE-22 on route from Gibraltar to Philipville (Skikda) Algeria, carrying a cargo 2500 tons of government stores, including 800 tons of ammunition. At 09.30 hours on 21 June 1943, the Brinkburn was hit by two torpedoes from U-boat U-73. The vessel exploded and sank immediately west of Algiers. The master, 21 crew members and seven gunners, including David, were lost, but one crew member and one gunner were rescued and landed at Algiers. David's military records originally registered him as missing in action which was changed to presumed killed 12 months later.
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/