Harry James Parsons

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: Eli Sydney and Lily Parsons

Marital status: Married

Home address: 1 Bristol Road, Bridgwater

Pre-war occupation: Labourer in Cellophane Factory

Date of birth: 10/09/1915

Place of birth: Bridgewater, Somerset

Date of death: 07/07/1942

Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury

Age: 26

Further information:

Harry was born and raised in Bridgewater Somerset. He was the eldest of at least 3 children and the son of a former miner who in 1939 was employed as a labourer at the local cement works. Harry married Dorothy Kingston less than 3 months before he died.

On the day of his death Harry was serving aboard the British Steam Merchant 'Hartlebury' dispersed from convoy PQ-17 on route from Sunderland via Reykjavik to Archangel Russia carrying a cargo of 6 vehicles, 36 tanks, 7 aircraft and 2409 tons of military stores. At 18.35 hours on 7 July 1942, the now unescorted vessel was hit by four torpedoes from U-boat U-355 and sank over the bow within 10 minutes 17 miles from Britwin Lighthouse, Novaya Zemlaya. A total of 29 crew members, seven gunners, including Harry, and two naval signalmen were lost. 20 survivors including the badly injured Master were rescued and landed at Novaya Zemlaya.

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/1903.html