Able Seaman. H.M.S. Gloucester. Royal Navy Service Number: D/JX 176235
Early life:
Eric Birtwhistle was born on the 31st of August 1919 in Keighley and the birth was registered there in the third quarter of that year. His parents were Benjamín Birtwhistle and Sarah Ann Birtwhistle née Storey, who were married at Bradford Cathedral (St. Peter’s Church) on the 28th of December 1908. They were living at 12, Barcroft in Cross Roads during the 1921 census when Eric was aged just one year and ten months. At that time the family consisted of Albert aged 40, a cotton scourer at the Stockbridge Finishing Company at the other side of Keighley; Sara Ann aged 38, Benjamin aged eleven, Edith aged ten, John aged five, Eric aged one and Ernest who was just six months old. The three eldest were attending school full time, and Sarah would have been looking after Eric and Ernest at home.
We found a record of an Arthur Birtwhistle born at the same time as Ernest who died aged just six months in 1921 and his mother’s maiden name was Storey. It’s possible he was Ernest’s twin brother.
In 1922 a Mary Birtwhistle was born with the mother’s maiden name of Storey. (Mary may be the redacted record in the 1939 register.)
Edith left home in 1934 when she married Matthias Ellis at St. James Church on the 31st of March that year. (They were living at 3, Lorne Street in 1939 and one redacted record suggests they had a child living with them.)
Eric’s father Albert died in 1935 at the age of 54 and his death was registered at Keighley in the third quarter of that year.
War service:
In the 1939 register one name is redacted from the family list and this may be Mary who (if it was her) would have been aged 17 at that time.
The family were widowed mother Sara aged 52 and on home duties; Benjamin aged 30 and a builder’s labourer; Eric aged 20 and a butcher’s apprentice, Ernest aged 18 and a painter’s apprentice. The one redacted record may have been Mary aged 17 at the time. They were all living at 25, Bingley Road in Cross Roads.
Eric joined the the Royal Navy in 1940 and would have trained at Devonport (Plymout). He was drafted to H.M.S. Gloucester a few months later in May and he served on board her for a whole year.
HMS Gloucester was one of three Town Class cruisers. She fought in the Battle of Calabria in 1940 and the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941. German dive bombers sank her on the 22nd of May 1941 during the Battle of Crete. Out of a crew complement of 807 she lost 722 men on that day. H.M.S. Gloucester had the nickname “The Fighting G.”
Eric was killed in action on the 22nd of May 1941, when Gloucester was sunk off Crete, his name appeared in the Keighley News shortly afterwards hoping that he had survived, but sadly this was not the case.
The Keighley News. 31st May 1941:
ON THE “GLOUCESTER”
A 21-year-old Cross Roads apprentice butcher, Mr. Eric Birtwhistle, was serving on H.M.S. Gloucester, sunk by enemy action off Crete close to the Greek mainland. It is hoped that many of the company will have survived, as ample boats and rafts were available.
Mr. Birtwhistle, who is a son of Mrs. S. A. Birtwhistle, of 27, Bingley Road, Cross Roads, joined the Navy in January last year and was drafted to H.M.S. Gloucester in May, 1940. Before the war he was employed as a butcher’s apprentice with the Lees and Cross Roads Co-operative Society. One of his brothers is also serving in the Navy.
Eric’s body was never recovered and his grave is the sea. He is named on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 46, Column 2.
Remembrance:
As far as we can tell, he is not commemorated in his home village apart from his hand written name on the St. James Church WW2 roll of service.
Post war:
According to the St James Church WW2 roll of service, his brothers Benjamin, Ernest and Eric also served in the war.
His mother Sarah died aged 90 in the third quarter of 1973. Her death was registered at Staincliffe.
Information sources:
West Yorkshire, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1813-1935
England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
1921 England Census
England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
1939 England and Wales Register
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960
Keighley News archives at Keighley Library – WW2 Scrapbook.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Plymouth Naval Memorial.
St. James Church roll of service.
