Died
15 December 1941
Sources
Barrow News
CWGC
yourtotalevent.com
yourtotalevent.com 2
wikipedia.org
Place
Walks
Walney 1 point 20
Themes
Billy Thompson
Engine Room Artificer 4th class
CWGC has:
Service No: D/MX 59394
Date of Death: 15/12/1941 Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel Reference: Panel 51, Column 2.
Additional Information: Son of Harry and S. Blanche Thompson, of Walney, Lancashire.
The Barrow News 24 January 1942 reported:
Barrow News, 24 January 1942BARROW ENGINEER TWICE TORPEDOED
RESCUED AT DUNKIRK NOW PRESUMED KILLED
A Barrow engineer in the Royal Navy who was rescued when his ship was sunk while bringing survivors from Dunkirk, E.R.A. William Davies (Davis on CWGC) Thompson, eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, of 48, Plymouth-street, Walney, has now been reported missing presumed killed.
He was serving on board H.M.S. Galatea which was recently announced to have been sunk after being torpedoed by a U-boat.
Twenty-five years of age, he was educated at Ocean-road School and the Barrow Technical College. He served his apprenticeship at Messrs. Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd. and joined the Navy about three years ago.
He was well known in local dancing and cycling circles.
Wikipedia tells us: On 14 December 1941 before midnight Galatea (Captain E.W.B. Sim) was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-557 off Alexandria, Egypt. Captain Sim, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed. Some 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers Griffin and Hotspur. Less than 48 hours later, U-557 was rammed by the Italian torpedo boat Orione and sunk with all hands.
