James Henry Herbert Delaney
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 William and Florence Delaney
Home address: 40 Cranford Lane, Heston, Middlesex
Pre-war occupation: Printers Warehouseman
Date of birth: 20/04/1914
Date of death: 22/01/1942
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 27
Further information:
James was the son of an engineer's labourer and he signed up to the Royal Artillery on the outbreak of war. He served as a gunner for 2 years before he was killed.
On the day of his death, James 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 James, were however never seen again.
Died: 22nd January 1942 (9th on 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