Ernest Henry Brown
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: William Henry and Rosina Brown
Marital status: Married
Home address: 68 Rosemary Road, Poole
Pre-war occupation: Brick Setter
Date of birth: 29/08/1915
Date of death: 04/03/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 28
Further information:
On the day of his death, Ernest was serving aboard the unescorted steam ship, City of Pretoria, which was travelling from New York to Holyhead carrying a general cargo plus a cargo of explosives. At 06.09 hours the ship was hit by two of three torpedoes from U-boat U-172 and after a heavy explosion sank about 320 miles northwest of the Azores. The master, 108 crew members, 24 gunners including Ernest, six passengers and six apprentices were lost and no survivors. Ernest's record status was changed from missing to presumed killed 12 months after the sinking.
Died: 4th March 1943 (incorrectly stated 3rd March on the 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.findmypast.co.uk/
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/