Information please:David Low ,killed in action November 1942 aged 21

If forum members could add anything.
Does not appear on CWGC.

David Low,killed in action November 1942 aged 21

Tower Hamlets Cemetery,London

 

6848882 LOW David Rfm. 1st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps died at sea 9th December 1941 Age 22
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2183775/low,-david/
Born 16th October1919
Residing Poplar, East London in 1939
Column 66 Alamein Memorial
Originally listed as missing 22.11.1941
He was presumed to have been killed in action as a Italian Pow on a casualty list 1944, date previously unknown. This may account for the vague epitaph?

 

Guy beat me to it..

Geoffs Search Engine found him
Service Number is slightly different
LOW, DAVID. Rifleman. Service Number 6848882. Died 09/12/1941. Aged 22
1st Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Cemetery/memorial reference: Column 66.
and the other chap....
BRAINE, GEORGE CHARLES. Service Number 6845447, Died 09/12/1941. Aged 24.
1st Bn. King's Royal Rifle Corps
Son of George Charles and Rachel Braine, of Chingford, Essex.
ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Cemetery/memorial reference: Column 66.

It's a private family stone, but what were they told to come up with November 1942 date?

Could he/they have been on a ship carrying PoW's that was attacked/sunk in December 1941?
If missing 22 November that fits with the Battle at Sidi Rezegh.....

Possibly this event
9 December 1941. Sebastiano Venier Italy: The prisoner of war (POW)-carrying cargo ship was torpedoed and damaged in the Mediterranean Sea off Navarino by HMS Porpoise ( Royal Navy). She was again torpedoed and sunk on 15 December off Cape Methene by HMS Torbay ( Royal Navy. 200 POWs killed. 1,800 POWs rescued by Arno ( Italy).

More info from Wiki
On 9 December 1941 the ship was carrying about 2,000 UK and Dominion PoWs from North Africa to occupied Europe when the Royal Navy Grampus-class submarine HMS Porpoise torpedoed her off the south coast of the Peloponnese about 5 nautical miles (9 km) south of Pylos. Many of the PoWs were in her cargo holds, two of which were quickly flooded by the torpedo explosion. One source gives different figures for the total number of prisoners killed: either 300 or 450–500.
The holds were opened to release trapped PoWs and the damaged ship was beached close to Methoni Castle on Cape Methoni. Many PoWs jumped into the sea and took their chance to swim to the rocky shore. A South African lance corporal, Bernard Friedlander of the 3rd Battalion, Transvaal Scottish Regiment, swam ashore with a rope, which took him 90 minutes. The rope was then used to haul a cable ashore, which was made fast on land. Nearly 1,600 survivors then used the cable to reach safety.
Sebastiano Veniero remained stranded at Methoni, and on 15 December the British T-class submarine HMS Torbay hit her with another torpedo.
A German officer saw Friedlander's heroism on 9 December and recommended the lance corporal for a UK bravery award. In July 1945 Friedlander was awarded the George Medal. In 1947 King George VI toured South Africa, and at a ceremony in Johannesburg on 31 March personally decorated Friedlander with the medal.
Accounts of the sinking of the Sebastiano Veniero were recorded by several POWs on board. A book on the topic was published in 1983 entitled No Honour No Glory by Spence Edge & Jim Henderson.

 

So why would the headstone state Nov 1942 - when official records (CWGC for example) show his date of death as Dec 1941. I understand the family sorting out the headstone, but I would have thought in 1963 when his nephew died and they created the headstone as above they would know which month/year the Uncle died, family errors??

TD

 

Hi,

Family likely "chose" Nov 1942 if he was initially reported missing Nov 1941 (Op Crusader Advance?) and as nothing further was heard the usual presumption of death was made 12 months later Nov 1942?

May be earlier Casualty List mention in late 1941?

Steve

 

Screwy one this - I would have thought in 1963 people would be more likely to accept the 'official' side of the argument in cases like this, rather than come up with what is effectively and arbitary date

England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
Name: David Low
Mother's Maiden Surname: Ware
Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1920
Registration district: Stepney
Inferred County: London
Volume Number: 1c
Page Number: 675

If this is his birth details then add 21 to his birth year and you are at 1941 which to me makes more sense

We will probably never resolve this but an interesting exercise all the same
TD

 

Dear All thank you very much for your time and effort and solving the issue.

The headstone is rather vague and will soon be lost in the mists of time due to the fact the cemetery is now a nature reserve.

regards
Clive

 

Casualty reports
David Low posted missing Date not recorded
David Low posted missing now not missing.
David Low posted missing 24 November 1941 (34 KRRC Missing 21-22nd November)
David Low posted missing now Prisoner of War 27/05/1942
David Low posted missing at sea date not recorded/reported (9 KRRC listed)
David Low posted missing whilst a prisoner of war,now presumed Killed in Action as a Prisoner whilst in Italian Hands 9th December 1941(List published 1944)
Army Roll of Honour Died at Sea 09/12/1941

Kevin`s info more than likely more about `The Jason` here
SS Sebastiano Venier (Jason) 09 Dec 1941

Kyle

 

Just to add that the details of these two are:
Casualty list No. 503 dated 2 May 1941 / Middle East / Cyrenaica / Missing DNR
Casualty list No. 576 dated 28 July 1941 / Middle East / Cyrenaica / Previously reported missing now not missing

Somewhat earlier, so a separate incident?

 

The above postings are proof positive that this forum leads the way in WW2 research.

Long may it survive !

Ron

 

Irrespective of the date issue, at least the family remembered him back in 1963 - and now most of his story will live on, here at least.

Ron: it's the snowball effect of goodwill - if someone can help, they do, and that leads on to others to try and add something to the mix.
Sometimes we can help, other times we leave it o others who know more, but if someone posts an interesting item, or asks for help (and hopefully responds positively to any help given) that's the real attraction of this forum. And belated condolences for your sister.

 

Yes i agree
we find a number of these that are not straight forward (I have a few ongoing at the moment)

from my view point you lot never give up and keep at it.
I visit a number of cemeteries and as the years go on many of the older ones (as in this case) are turned over to nature.
I was going to say this one looked like a bomb hit it ,but in fact it was bombed.

anyway
onwards and upwards and thank you again