Howell William Parry
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: Howell and Elizabeth Parry
Marital status: Married
Home address: 56 Poplar Road, Pontypridd, Glamorgan
Pre-war occupation: Factory Silk Printer
Date of birth: 06/09/1915
Place of birth: Pontypridd
Date of death: 25/09/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 27
Further information:
Howell was born and raised in Pontypridd, the son of a general labourer. In 1939 he was living with his widowed father, his younger sister Thelma and his wife Muriel Eileen Prindle whom he had married the same year.
On the day of his death, Howell was serving aboard the British Steam Passenger Ship, The New York, which was part of convoy RB-1 on route from St John’s Canada to Londonderry Ireland carrying a cargo of ballast. At 23.57 hours on 25 September 1942, U-boat U-96 fired 2 torpedoes at convoy RB-1 about 670 miles west of Achill Head and hit the New York with both. Howell died during this altercation but the remaining crew and gunners abandoned ship and were picked up by other ships in the convoy including the HMS Veteran which was later lost with all hands. The final tally from the New York was 38 dead, including Howell, and 30 survivors. Howell was originally reported as missing which was changed to killed in action 5 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/2216.html