Heroes and Rebels in the Family Tree--John Henry Chapman and David George Spindler

 

The Exeter (LT 139) was a Lowestoft registerd trawler fishing out of Milford Havin, Wales when it was attacked by German aircraft and sunk with all hands.  Among the nine crewmembers who lost their lives were two men who are found within the family tree.  They were John Henry Chapman and David George Spindler.  The nine crew who were killed on March 29, 1941 were:

1. Williiam George Aldous, Skipper, Syleham, Suffolk, England.  He was the son of William and Betsy Aldous.

2. Sydney Beare Cook

3. Walter Henry Chaney

4. John Henry Chapman

5. Thomas Jonson Coverdale

6. David Evans

7. Benjamin Griffiths

8. David George Spindler

9. Henry Sugden

JOHN HENRY CHAPMAN

John Henry Chapman, Boatswain, Fishing Fleet. A Boatswain with Steam Trawler Exeter (Lowestoft), John died on March 29, 1941, aged 41. 

John was born at Pakefield on 28 August 1899, the son of John Henry Chapman (1871-1945) and Alice Sharpe (1876-1926). He was baptised at All Saints’ Church, Pakefield, on February 11, 1900. In 1911 his family lived at 4 Beach Street, Pakefield. In 1918 John lived at 73 Pakefield Street. By 1939 his mother was living at 45 Corton Road. 

John served with Y Section of the navy and on June 6, 1918 he joined the Royal Naval Reserve, service number DA 20657. He served as a Deck Hand on the trawler Fiery Cross and was demobilised on April 30, 1920. 

On May 10, 1933 John married Hilda Mildred Gwenith Allen at All Saints’ Church, Pakefield. John was a fisherman living at 73 Pakefield Street and Hilda lived at 34 Church Road. In 1939 they lived at 46 All Saints’ Street, Pakefield. Later Hilda lived at Somerleyton.  

Children of John and Hilda Chapman are not known.

In 1941 John was the Boatswain on the trawler Exeter. On March 29, 1941 the Exeter was fishing five miles south of the Ballycotton Light Vessel when it was bombed and sunk by German aircraft with the loss of all nine crew. 

 DAVID GEORGE SPINDLER

David George Spindler, Third Hand, Fishing Fleet.  David was born in Kessingland on August 5, 1901, the son of David George Spindler and Ellen Bunn.  He was baptized with the name David Arthur on September 7, 1902 in Saint Edmund’s Church of Kessingland, Suffolk, England.  The recording of his name was likely a mistake as he was clearly to be named after his own father, which is the name he used the rest of his life. He married Ethel Ruth Howlett on January 16, 1923 at St. Margaret’s, Lowestoft.  David was a fisherman and they both gave their address as 77 Seago Street. By 1939 they were living at 34 Notley Road and David was a general labourer. 

The family moved to 35 Shakespeare Avenue, Milford Haven in Wales at the outbreak of the second world war.  David was a former Royal Naval Reservist and served aboard the Steam Trawler Exeter.  He and Ethel were the parents of 8 children (a daughter was born in 1923 but died less than a year old). 

Their children were:

1.       Eveline Ethel Ruth Spindler 1921-2007

2.       Doreen Merlee Spindler 1923-1924

3.       Joan Doreen Spindler 1925-1992

4.       Roy David Spindler 1926-2012

5.       Ivan Alex Spindler 1927-2017

6.       Derek William Spindler 1929-2003

7.       Russell Charles Spindler 1930-2017

8.       Jean Aileen Spindler 1932-2012

9.       David George Spindler 1933-2008

On March 29, 1941 the Exeter was fishing five miles south of the Ballycotton Light Vessel when it was bombed and sunk by German aircraft. David was 38 years old.  He along with eight other crew members were lost on the Exeter.  All the fishermen from the Exeter are commemorated  on the Tower Hill Memorial, London.

Genealogy:  John Henry Chapman 1899-1941was the husband of Hilda Mildred Gwyneth Allen 1900-1974 and her father was George Allen 1860-1952 and his father was William Allen 1833-1901 and his father was John Allen 1802-1853and his father was William Allen 1773-1824 and his mother was Alice Cullingham 1745-1819 and her mother was Alice Wilson 1702-1790 and her father was John Wilson 1687-1738 and his mother was Elizabeth Mones 1665-1716 and her father was Philip Mewse 1629-1673 and his brother was Simon Mewse (butcher) 1641-1719 and his son was Simon Mewse (butcher) 1672-1741 and his son was Simon Mewse 1695-1736 and his daughter was Mary Mewse 1727-1797 and her daughter was Elizabeth Curtis 1756-1831 and her son was John Curtis Adams 1797-1873 and his son was William Frederick Adams 1848-1907 and his son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.

Genealogy:  David George (Arthur) Spindler 1902-1941 was the son of Ellen Bunn 1877-1949 and her brother was George Bunn 1856-1934 and his wife was Mary Ann Welsh 1855-1912 and her sister was Susannah Welsh 1847-1898 and her son was George "Pikey" William Welch-Adams 1867-1940.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frederick George Lumsdaine, Robert Willis Lumsdaine and James Ashby

Image
  Margaret Ellen Lumsdaine (1875-1950) married Robert Willis (1877-1951) on December 23, 1900 at St. Margaret’s Church in Lowestoft, Suffolk, England.  Their children were Helen Rachel Lumsdaine (1897), Frederick George Lumsdaine (1898), Robert Willis Lumsdaine (1900), Joseph Willis (1903), Edward (1905), Jessie M E Willis (1906) and Mary Willis (1908). By the outbreak of World War I, the family was living at 194 Clapham Road in Lowestoft.  Both Frederick George and Robert Willis were working aboard British fishing vessels when tragedy struck. Margaret Ellen Lumsdaine and Robert Willis were notified of the tragic loss of their eldest son Frederick, 18 years old and within three months received notice of the loss of their second son Robert Willis who was only 17 years old at the time of his death. For the fishermen of Lowestoft the Great War started on November 3rd 1914, when the steam drifter  Fraternal  struck a mine and sank with the loss of three of her cre...
Read more

Trades Tuesday—The Publicans (Part 1) George Mann

Image
  Life on Ber Street in the 1850’s. Ber Street, an ancient Roman Road, has been a major route out of the city since the 12th century, but by 1696, development in the area was limited to the street itself.   Ber Street’s function as a cattle drove is reflected in its width, a key feature of the street. It was the location of many butchers and slaughterhouses;   it was known locally as ‘Blood and Guts Street’. The area between Ber Street and King Street was densely built up by the 1840’s with many yards and courts leading off the street.   It also became home to the Italian community, with ice cream parlours and pubs.   However, slum clearances between the 1930’s and 1960’s, together with Second World War bomb damage means that few houses from before the war remain.   During the 1930s more than 35 yards with almost 300 homes were flattened. The area was bombed in the Second World War and then in the late 1950s/60s much of the rest of the area was pulled dow...
Read more

Family Vignette--Robert Snowling

Image
  Robert Snowling 1839-1916 was one of 12 children (3 did not survive infancy) born to William Snowling (1815-1874) and Mary Ann Day (1815-1893).   Robert was born in March 1839 in Ellingham, Norfolk, England as the second child.   His father was an agricultural labourer in 1851 in the town of Broome, Norfolk, but by 1861, the family had moved to Ellingham, Norfolk to be closer to William’s mother, Amelia, who was 79 years of age.   In 1861, Robert was working as an agricultural labourer.                    The children of William and Mary Snowling were as follows: 1.        William Snowling 1837-1912 2.        Robert Snowling 1839-1916 3.        John Snowling 1841-1841 4.        Marianne Snowling 1843-1895 5.        James Snowli...
Read more