Remembering Today Casualty Greaser JEWERS, WILLIAM Service Number 22364 Died 28/04/1941 Aged 31 H.M.S. Patia. Naval Auxiliary Personnel (Merchant Navy) Son of James and Mary Jewers; husband of Evelyn May Jewers. Commemorated at LIVERPOOL NAVAL MEMORIAL Location: Lancashire, United Kingdom Number of casualties: 1408 Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 17, Column 2.
HMS Patia. Cargo vessel equipped as fighter catapult ship. Sunk by German bombers off Northumberland coast. Allied Warships of WWII - Ocean boarding vessel HMS Patia - uboat.net From naval-history.net Patia, ship loss BAKER, David M B, Commander, RNR, killed BARTRAM, Norman, Steward, NAP, killed COCK, William C, Able Seaman, C/SSX 20709, MPK DAVIS, Reginald, Act/Leading Signalman, C/SSX 17314, MPK DAY, Morris N, Fireman, NAP 199174, MPK DOHERTY, John, Greaser, NAP, killed DOWNS, James R, Fireman, NAP, killed FERGUSON, John, Donkeyman, NAP, killed GODLEY, Albert W, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 238148, killed GRAY, William, Carpenter, NAP, killed HENGLER, Sidney J, Storekeeper, NAP, killed HUGHES, George, Butcher 2c, NAP, killed HUZZEY, William A, Assistant Storekeeper, NAP, killed JAMES, John E, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 243193, MPK JEWERS, William, Greaser, NAP 22364, MPK JONES, Alfred, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 239066, killed LAWRENCE, Leonard, Greaser, NAP, killed MATCHAM, Arthur, Storekeeper, NAP 816941, MPK MINTEN, Leonard A, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 214897, MPK NEULING, Julius P, Greaser, NAP, killed NICHOLLS, Cyril S, Ty/Lieutenant, RNVR, killed ORMAN, William F, Fireman, NAP, killed OWEN, Frederick J, Lieutenant, RNR, MPK OWEN, Royston W H, 2nd Writer, NAP 205777, MPK PARISH, Frederick A, Able Seaman, C/SSX 27926, MPK PARRISH, Frederick A, Able Seaman, C/SSX 27926, MPK PELLING, Henry, Fireman, NAP 172353, MPK PHILLIPS, Godfrey S P, Ordinary Seaman, RNVR, C/LD/X 4484, MPK PRIM, Benjamin K, Ty/Sub Lieutenant (E), RNR, killed RILEY, Edward L, Ty/Lieutenant, RNVR, MPK ROGERS, Douglas, Fireman, NAP, killed SHORT, Cyril, Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 243078, killed SMITH, John, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 243090, died SMITH, John, Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 243090, killed SMITH, Wilfred S, Ordinary Coder, C/JX 229737, MPK STAFFORD, George, Fireman, NAP, killed TOMPKINS, Frederick E, Petty Officer Steward, NAP 146960, MPK VOWLES, Raymond H R, 1st Writer, NAP 966942, MPK WILLIAMS, Bertram E T, Py/Ty/Lieutenant, RNR, MPK Tim
UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 Name: William Jewers Event: Death Birth Date: 5 Mar 1908 Birth Place: London Death Date: 27 Apr 1941 Death Age: 33 CL1 - slight difference in date of death and a bigger difference in his age at death UK, Shipping and Seamen WWI and WWII Rolls of Honour, 1914-1945 Name: William Jewers Death Age: 33 Birth Year: 1908 Death Date: 27 Apr 1941 Death Country: United Kingdom (Image below) Note: There are 3 family trees on Ancestry that could represent him, they are Private, but all show his birth as 1910, which I believe from evidence in this post is incorrect TD
UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 Name: William Jewers Age: 31 Birth Date: abt 1910 Death Date: 28 Apr 1941 Cemetery: Naval Memorials United Kingdom Liverpool Burial Country: England Father: James Jewers Mother: Mary Jewers Regimental Number: 22364 Region or Memorial: Memorial Register Other Records: I note the CWGC details his DoB as "abt 1910" - I would have thought with the files available at the time they would have consulted them, rather than provide "abt". Also might be interesting to know where they received the death date from?? TD
Just been looking through this site - https://wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?12770 and it shows under the People on board section that about half are shown as died 27/4/1941 and the other half as 28/4/1941, I would assume that as she was sunk by aircraft that the date would generally have been 27/4/1941, doubt the Luftwaffe at that time would be bombing ships at night. Another thought ocurrs to me in that she was used to launch Hurricane aircraft for one assumes to be convoy protection, but this would have be a once only launch, so how many aircraft did the ship have, and how would the pilots be 'retrieved' after they had done their duty and chased away the German aircraft. TD
The ship would carry 1 plane and ditch into the sea and pilot picked up by convoy escort. HMS PATIA was not carrying a fighter when sunk. The German Heinkel bomber took of from Stavanger, Norway at 19:30 (German Summer Time) and attacked the ship 2 hours later. The bomber was shot down by the ship and 3 crew taken as prisoners of war, a fourth crew member was drowned. Regards Hugh
Thanks Hugh - thats quite a brave thing to do for the pilot. Who knows where he will ditch his aircraft, injuries perhaps and of course sea state leaves you thinking its a bloody risky business. Its also risky for the escort tasked to pick them up as they must come almost to a stop leaving them vulnerable to subs. I would think at times the risk assessment of do we stop a large vessel with 100's onboard to pick up 1 pilot could have proved difficult. Should we therefore assume the differences in dates of death would be the dates that there bodies were recovered? I assume the pilots would be RN rather than RAF TD
I would agree on both points TD. FCS ships had RN FAA pilots, later MAC ships had RAF pilots. Regards Hugh
