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My Uncle, Albert Summersgill, served during WWII on the ship, HMS
Rodney, Renown and Prince of Wales.
I was told he was a Petty Officer in charge of a gun turret. ( and deaf in
one ear due to the noise!)
He emigrated to Australia around 1954.
He died
in Australia in 1965.
I wondered if there would be anywhere I could find information of his service record.
There are a couple of stories in the family about Albert in the war. He was
aboard at the time of the 1941 conference.
The story my late mother often told was about seeing the news reels in a
cinema and on seeing her brother on the screen stood up excitedly pointing
and shouting "It's our Albert!"
The cinema manager later called her to his
office and after talking about Albert, run the newsreel through a couple of
times for her.
It appears while HMS Prince of Wales was under attack, Albert was taking
water to a ship mate who was injured and trapped by twisted metal when a
doctor and and an officer carrying pistols told him to abandon ship. Explaining that his mate was trapped and needed water, the officer again
told him to abandon ship and that his friend would not be left to suffer.
He heard gun shots as he made his way out of the wreckage. having got of the
ship he was dragged onto an overloaded raft which among others included a
boxer famous it seems in that time but who's name I cannot remember.
Please
contact me with any information.
Andy
Wade (Webmaster) |
