Died
4 June 1942
Sources
Place
Walks
Ordinary Seaman Kenneth Pettman D/JX 253805
In Loving Memory of
KENNETH
BELOVED HUSBAND OF
DORIS PETTMAN
KILLED ON ACTIVE SERVICE 4TH JUNE 1942
And underneath, on a separate stone, is:
IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
A GREAT PAL
FROM HULL MEN
AND BOYS AT FLEETWOOD
Fleetwood Chronicle 4 June 1943Killed in Action
Twenty-eight years old Able Seaman Kenneth Pettman, only son of Mr. Isaac C. Pettman, of 27, Birch-street, Fleetwood, has been killed in action in a motor launch.
Able Seaman Pettman was acting gunner. He was born in Hull, and before joining up in 1941 managed his father’s business on Wyre Docks.
Able Seaman Pettman married a Hull girl. They have X children. The funeral was at Bardsea, near Barrow-in-Furness.
CWGC tells us that he was the husband of Doris May Pettman, of Broughton-in-Furness, and that he served on H.M.M.L. 137 (His Majesty’s Motor Launch 137 – built in 1940 in Falmouth) This boat was part of the 5th Motor Launch Flotilla (for air rescue work), based at Newhaven, Sussex. Read more...
One of three people killed on that day, while on active service.
A thread on Ships Nostalgia provides information of the event which killed him, referring to the Captain, Wilfred (Hank) Tomlinson, DSC, RNVR.
On June 4th 1942, he was severely wounded (2 bullet and 16 shrapnel wounds) in the chest, back and abdomen when his ship was attacked by aircraft when returning from a Commando raid on Le Touquet, He was awarded the DSC for “Courage and coolness in action against enemy aircraft while in command of H.M.M.L. 137”.
shipsnostalgia.com Posted by Pete Legg.
1921 Census
The 1921 Census for Hull, East Yorkshire has living at 7, Woodcock Street, Hull were Isaac Craven Pettman (37) Fish Merchant, Billingsgate, Hull, born Hull; Edith Pettman (37) Home Duties, born Hull; and Kenneth Pettman (7) Whole time school, born Hull.
Kenneth Pettman married Doris M. Mollett in Hull in Q2 1939.
1939 Register
In the 1939 Register Kenneth Pettman (DoB 3 June 1914) Married, Plastic Moulder for Electrical Accessories (Possibly Ashley Accessories or Oxley’s?) was living at Smith Hills, Bardsea, Lancs, along with his wife Doris M. Pettman (DoB 28 August 1913) Unpaid Domestic Duties. Pettman has been crossed out over his wife’s name, and replaced with Corlett. This marriage, to Edwin G. L. Corlett, was registered in Lancashire in Q3 1946. Doris May Corlett’s death was registered in Bournemouth in October 2006.
A second Doris M. Mollett, DoB 11 March 1918 and born in Hull makes certainty a little difficult.
