Frank Stanley Carpenter
Memorial: South Gloucestershire war dead not on a local memorial
Regiment: Royal Navy
Medals: 1939–45 Star, War Medal 1939–1945
Rank and number: Able Seaman D/J 25613
Parents: Frank Stanley and Emma Rosetta Carpenter
Marital status: Married
Home address: 26 Warren Road, Filton, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Labourer
Date of birth: 10/11/1895
Place of birth: Bristol
Date of death: 17/09/1939
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea. Commemorated at Plymouth Naval Memorial. Not commemorated on a local memorial
Age: 43
Further information:
Frank was born in Bristol the son of a painter and the second eldest of seven children with five sisters and one brother. In 1911 Frank was working as an apprentice painter and in 1929 he enlisted in the Navy for a period of seven years. In 1932 he married Ruth Whitfield, the daughter of a printer at St Werbergh's Bristol and at the time was serving aboard HMS Berwick. He left the Navy in 1936.
On the outbreak of war Frank was called up and on 31st July 1939 joined the crew of the Aircraft Carrier, Courageous. Less than two months later Frank lost his life at sea when his ship was sunk by enemy action. At 19.50 hours on 17th July 1939, U-boat U-29 fired three torpedoes at HMS Courageous and hit her with two of them on the port side near the bridge. She sank after 17 minutes about 190 miles southwest of Dursey Head, Ireland. The commander, 17 officers and 501 ratings including Frank were lost. 36 RAF service crewmen and all the Swordfish aircraft of 811 and 822 Squadron of the Fleet Air Arm were also lost with the ship.
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/32.html