James William Darch
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: Edwin and Matilda Darch
Home address: Englands Lane, Wincanton, Somerset
Date of birth: 1921
Date of death: 09/07/1944
Buried/Commemorated at: Died at sea and commemorated Plymouth Naval Memorial Devon and the Maritime Memorial Thornbury
Age: 23
Further information:
James was an only child and the son of a chauffeur. He signed up to the Royal Artillery at the age of 18.
On the day of his death, James was serving aboard the unescorted British Steam Merchant, ‘Shahzada’, on route from Mormugao, Goa (India) to Aden (Yemen) carrying a cargo of 5000 tons of peanuts. On 9 July 1944, the vessel was torpedoed and sunk by U-boat U-196 about 470 miles west-southwest of Bombay. The master, 36 crew members and nine gunners, including James, were lost. The 52 survivors were rescued by 3 different ships and landed in Bombay, Goa and Aden.
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/3288.html