Glanfryn William Mollard
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: Albert Ernest and Catherine Mary Mollard
Home address: 59 Barratt Street, Bristol
Pre-war occupation: Bus Conductor
Date of birth: 11/02/1916
Place of birth: Pontypridd, Glamorgan
Date of death: 04/03/1943
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 27
Further information:
Glanfryn was born in Pontypridd, Glamorgan and the family moved to Bristol. Glanfryn was the son of an electrician and had an older sister and a younger brother.
On the day of his death Glanfryn was serving aboard the British Steam Merchant 'Sheaf Crown' part of convoy DN-21 on route f Artillery New York to Durban carrying a cargo of Government stores, including 2000 tons of explosives. At 03.46 hours on 4 March 1943, U-boat U-160 fired two torpedoes at the convoy east-northeast of East London South Africa, hitting and sinking one ship and damaging the 'Sheaf Crown'. One crew member and two gunners including Glanfryn were lost. A fire broke out in one of the holds and in view of the nature of the cargo a decision was made to abandon ship. The 45 survivors were picked up and landed at Durban. Glanfryn was originally reported as missing which was changed to presumed killed in action 7 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/
https://uboat.net/allies/merchants/ship/2711.html