George Henry Waker
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 Catherine Waker
Home address: 20 Cambridge Heath Road, Bethnal Green, London
Date of birth: 1920
Place of birth: East London
Date of death: 14/01/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 21
Further information:
George was born and raised in East London, the son of a dock labourer and the second youngest of 8 children. He had 2 older sisters, 4 older brothers, one of whom died in childhood and a younger sister.
On the day of his death, George was serving aboard the unescorted British Steam Merchant ‘Caledonian Monarch’, on route from Halifax Canada to Loch Ewe in Scotland, carrying a cargo of 8075 tons of wheat. Some confusion surrounded the actual date of events as the Caledonian Monarch straggled from convoy SC-63 on the 7th January, and was thereafter assumed lost until the Germans reported sinking her on the 22nd January. The crew of U-boat U-588, reported that at 04.11hours on the 22nd January 1942, they scored a hit amidships on the Caledonian Monarch and the crew abandoned ship in 5 lifeboats about 30 miles north-northwest of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. The U-boat then fired a further torpedo to sink the vessel. The master, 41 crew members and 6 gunners including George, were however never seen again.
George died on 14th January/22nd January 1942 (but not 9/2/42 as 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/1280.html