River Plate Crewmen (Ajax, Exeter & Achilles) & Ajax All Casualties


Ajax Crew & Casualties together with Exeter & Achilles River Plate crew list

Details of the 48 who died in service with HMS Ajax can be found below.
Further information regarding their memorials or graves can be searched on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site HERE
Details of crew members who served at the River Plate in any of the three British ships; served in Ajax Cruiser during WW11; or in the Ajax Frigate that visited Ontario in 1976 can be found below
Crew Members listed on Town of Ajax Memorial Wall
HMS Ajax V11 Casualties
Killed and Died - in chronological order
 
Wednesday 13 December 1939
Battle of the River Plate. All buried at sea
BASHFORD Cyril George: Corporal R.M., CH/X 959, killed, age 23.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

BURRELLS Albert Frederick Owen: Marine R.M. CH/X 1688, killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

CLEMENTS James Henry: Corporal R.M., CH/X 654, killed, age 29.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

FARLEY William John: Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 151605, killed, age 18.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

FOLLETT Harry: Sergeant R.M. CH/X 688, killed, age 29.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

FRANCOM Ernest Albert Corbett: Steward, C/LX 21835, killed, age unknown.
(shown as FRANKCOM in various records)
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

LAMBARD William Walter: Marine R.M., CH/X 1663, killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.
 
Saturday 1st June 1940
Dunkirk evacuation, operation Dynamo (Ajax then under repair)
MCINALLY John Edward: Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 171493, Missing presumed killed, age 22.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

Sunday 2 June 1940
Dunkirk evacuation, operation Dynamo (Ajax then under repair)
DAVEY John Gauthrope: Able Seaman, C/JX 150882, Missing presumed killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

WRAGG Lawrence Walter: Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 153502, Missing presumed killed, age 19.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

PARSONS John Henry Bickerseth: Leading Seaman, C/JX 127584, Missing presumed killed, age 29.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.
 
Thursday 27 June 1940
ELEMS William: Able Seaman, C/J 44538, died, age unknown.
Buried at Hither Green Cemetery, London
(Believed as a result of Dunkirk evacuation)
 
Sunday 30 June 1940
SIMPSON William Ernest: Petty Officer Sick Berth, C/MX 45734, died, age 32.
Buried at Streatham Park Cemetery, Surrey, England
(Believed as a result of Dunkirk evacuation)
 
Saturday, 12 October 1940
Battle of Cape Passero east of Malta. Buried at sea
BORCHARDT Roger John B.: Able Seaman, C/JX 173007, killed, age unknown.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

EDWARDS Thomas Walter Mayes: Chief Petty Officer Telegraphist, C/JX 128736, killed, age 28.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

GAMON Maurice Partridge: Py/Instructor Lieutenant, service no. unknown, killed, age 24.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

HILLS George William: Boy 1st Class, C/JX 163325, killed, age unknown.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

HORNETT Frederick William: Chief Yeoman of Signals, C/J 84409, killed, age 39.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

KENNEDY William John: Boy 1st Class, C/JX 161008, killed, age 17.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

MEEK Luther Grantham: Telegraphist, C/JX 149066, killed, age 19.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

O'DELL Harold John: Able Seaman, C/JX 157109, killed, age 18.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

OWENS Norman Donald: Bugler Royal Marine, CH/X 1141, killed, age unknown.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

PRESTON Samuel William: Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 169020, killed, age 29.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

REED Frederick: Corporal R.M. CH/X 16839, killed, age 21.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

SMITH Walter: Ordinary Seaman, C/SSX 28976, killed
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

STRATHY George Henry Kirkpatrick: Ty/Act/Sub Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, killed, age 22
Commemorated at Halifax Memorial, Nova Scotia, Canada.

(Ajax provided cover for Convoy MF4 to Alexandria with Fleet units and deployed with ships of Squadron east of Fleet. In close range night action with HM Cruisers ORION, SYDNEY and YORK screened by HM Destroyers NUBIAN and MOHAWK against Italian convoy in Gulf of Otranto. Two destroyers, AIRONE and ARIEL were sunk and destroyer ARTIGLIERE damaged.
Ajax hit by 7 shells resulting in 35 casualties including 13 killed.)
 
Saturday 1 March 1941
Troop landings at Suda Bay, Crete. Drowning.
CROKER Victor Gordon: Stoker 2nd Class, C/KX 105493, Missing presumed killed, age 21.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

HAND Albert James: Stoker 1st Class, C/KX 97296, Missing presumed killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.
 
The archives mention two hands being lost over the side in rough weather but gives no other details - could well be this incident.

Monday 7 April 1941
Piraeus, Greece
DAW, Ernest Frederick: Corporal R.M., CH/X 1148, killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

(April 6th – Ajax at Piraeus, Athens, with HMS Coventry during air raid when SS Clan Fraser was hit and blown up. No damage sustained to Ajax)
 
Thursday 29 April 1941
WARD C.A.: Leading Stoker,* died of injuries
(No record with War Grave Commission for this date)
 (Archives show result of action April 6th. However, Commonwealth War Graves Commission shows the only Charles Alfred Ward: Leading Stoker, C/K 60082 aged 43 years as dying on 6th June 1943 but in HMS Pembroke and buried in Chatham Cemetery)
*The family have been in contact and advise that Charles Alfred Ward died of emphysema in June 1943 at Pembroke Naval hospital (confirming CWGC entry) having spent most  of 1941 in a South African military hospital. He was medically discharged January 1943 from HMS Kongoni Durban. The family had believed he had been injured 01/01/43 at the bombing in Bone but this is unlikely unless he returned to Ajax following his hospital stay prior to end on 1942?
 
Wednesday 28 May 1941
Bombing at evacuation of Crete. Buried at sea (confirmed)
FOORD Herbert James: Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, C/MX 49502, killed, age 24.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

GIBSON James: Stoker 1st Class, C/K 60034, killed, age 41.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

PLOWMAN Rex Vernon: Ordinary Seaman, C/JX 159332, killed, age 18.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

SALT Joseph Edmund: Act/Leading Stoker, C/KX 93381, killed, age 21.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

SMITH Victor William Richard: Stoker 1st Class, C/KX 96829, killed, age 20.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

STANLEY Frederick: Ordinary Seaman, P/JX 186179, killed, age 25.
Commemorated at Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

(Sailed to assist in evacuation of allied troops from Crete. Damaged in air attack on passage with HMS Dido, HMS Orion, HM Destroyers Decoy, Jackal, Imperial, Hotspur, Kimberly and Hereward. (Ajax withdrew but damage found to be less serious and took passage to Heraklion to evacuate troops)
 
Wednesday 29 May 1941
CRIPPS Leonard Raymond: Ordinary Seaman, C/SSX 30447, Died of Wounds, age unknown.
Assumed buried at sea and Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.
(As result of action May 28th)
 
Thursday 12 June 1941
Believed Lebanon
GOODFELLOW, John, Musician, RMB/X 1453, died, aged 25 
Buried at Khayat Beach War Cemetery near Haifa
(Reason unclear but Ajax assisted in Commando operation to capture bridge over Litani River Lebanon on June 9th. French submarine CAIMAN just missed AJAX with a torpedo. On release from cover duty Ajax took passage with Force B and HM Destroyers Isis, Hotspur, Janus and Jackel for patrol off Tyre. Took passage to Haifa returning with HMS Phoebe to assist destroyers which had been in action against Vichy French destroyers Guepard and Valmy. On arrival remained with HMS Janus which had been seriously damaged with several casualties.)
 
Friday 1 January 1943
Bombing, Port of Bone, Algeria
BENTLEY John: Stoker 2nd Class, C/KX 151399, Missing presumed killed, age 18.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

BURNS James Kinloch: Stoker Petty Officer, C/KX 80887, Missing presumed killed, age 30.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

DEPLEDGE Dennis Sydney: Act/Engine Room Artificer 4th Class, C/MX 76658, Missing presumed killed, age 23.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

McKENZIE Benjamin: Stoker 2nd Class, C/KX 153069, Missing presumed killed, age unknown.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

McKINNEY Colin Michael: Marine R.M., CH/X 106659, Died of Wounds, age 18.
Buried at Bone War Cemetery, Annaba, Algeria.

TAYLOR William Archibald: Ty/Stoker Petty Officer, C/KX 78904, Missing presumed killed, age 33.
Commemorated at Chatham Naval Memorial.

YORK Charles Eric: Lieutenant (E), Missing presumed killed, age 23.
Commemorated in Chatham Naval Memorial.

(Damaged by air attacks during escort of coastal convoy and later by 1,000lb bomb during air raid at Bone. Two boiler rooms put out of action and a third damaged. January 7th. Dead recorded as missing but presumably little left to identify.)
 
Saturday, 31 March 1945
Piraeus, Greece
EASTMOND William John Frederick: Petty Officer Stoker, C/KX 86603, illness, died, age 28.
Buried in Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery Egypt
 
Thursday, 26 April 1945
THOMAS, Daniel, Shipwright 4th Class, C/MX 76908, Died of Wounds, age 23.
Buried in Phaleron War Cemetery Greece. 
 
Sunday, 3 June 1946
HOILE, Arthur, Chief Ordnance Artificer, C/M 36251, died, age 46.
(No details in archives; some records show 3 June 1945; War Graves Commission show 3 June 1946)
The family confirm he died sometime in 1946 from shrapnel wounds received at the Battle of the River Plate
Buried at Dartford (Watling Street) Cemetery.
The below Button opens up a list of Ajax crew combining the Town of Ajax List; the December 1939 Ledger in the Archives; & names submitted by members of the public but not necessarily verified. Use spreadsheet "search" facility to find names and duplicates.
HMS Ajax Combined crew list
There is no definitive list of the crew of HMS Exeter during the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939. But see Memorial list above. The below list is based on a list compiled by former Association member Jim Smith. The list contains some 467 crew names, with additions added by family and friends, and research in various newspaper articles. The full complement for the Exeter was approximately 630. 
HMS Exeter River Plate list
The below HMS Achilles River Plate list is from an unknown source. But see Memorial list above.
HMS Achilles River Plate list

For Graf Spee crew list see Admiral Graf Spee page

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