Name on Cenotaph: Searching for Truth about WW2 Tragedy Christopher Overton, May 2019
TE Cook listed on the Box War Memorial (courtesy Carol Payne)
I was born at Cromer, Norfolk, but at the age of 3½ I emigrated to New Zealand with my parents, Herbert and Joan. That was 1956. Growing up, I heard about my grandparents and my parent’s siblings and dad would relate stories to me of his elder brother Ronald Jolliffe, who tragically died in World War II. Dad himself was at sea on a Hunt Class Destroyer when he heard the news. The circumstances of his death were not known and not-knowing left my father wondering for the ensuing years.
Dad’s family was from Middleton, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk. The younger siblings were Peggy, Bernard, Joan and Dennis. Dad was known as Shakky and he and Ron were very close. There was only a couple of years difference in age, so Ron was very much the big brother and I am sure the apple of his mother’s eye.
Military Background
My grandfather Horace Overton served in the Royal Navy from 1904 until 1929 when he became a postman. Dad and I used to attend Anzac Day Parades in New Zealand held at dawn on the 25 April each year. Dad would wear his medals and I was very proud. The family eventually returned to Norfolk where we attended Remembrance Day Services at Middleton Church. Ronald’s name would be read out amongst the other names on the Cenotaph for World War II, inside the Church. Ronald Jolliffe was May Overton’s Son from a previous marriage. That didn’t matter to the children as they all loved Ron and he loved them in return.
At the outbreak of war, Ronald’s unit of the Royal Artillery were called up and Horace was also recalled to the colours as he was on the Royal Navy Reserve. Ronald was stationed with an anti-aircraft Search Light Unit. He was bored, as were many others but, I expect the clamour for excitement and work of a secretive nature was compelling.
In 1942 the family were devastated when news reached them that Ronald had been killed. Horace had returned to his peacetime role of postman by this time and had to bring the telegram home to his wife May. The younger daughter Joan’s recollection was seeing her father who said, “Run home and tell your Mother to give you children your tea as you won’t want it when I get home.” Ronald was 20 years old when he died on the 21 February 1942. The circumstances of his death were not known but the rumour was that Ron had been lost at sea somewhere off the coast of England or Scotland. His fate didn’t become clear to us for another 75 years.
Dad’s family was from Middleton, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk. The younger siblings were Peggy, Bernard, Joan and Dennis. Dad was known as Shakky and he and Ron were very close. There was only a couple of years difference in age, so Ron was very much the big brother and I am sure the apple of his mother’s eye.
Military Background
My grandfather Horace Overton served in the Royal Navy from 1904 until 1929 when he became a postman. Dad and I used to attend Anzac Day Parades in New Zealand held at dawn on the 25 April each year. Dad would wear his medals and I was very proud. The family eventually returned to Norfolk where we attended Remembrance Day Services at Middleton Church. Ronald’s name would be read out amongst the other names on the Cenotaph for World War II, inside the Church. Ronald Jolliffe was May Overton’s Son from a previous marriage. That didn’t matter to the children as they all loved Ron and he loved them in return.
At the outbreak of war, Ronald’s unit of the Royal Artillery were called up and Horace was also recalled to the colours as he was on the Royal Navy Reserve. Ronald was stationed with an anti-aircraft Search Light Unit. He was bored, as were many others but, I expect the clamour for excitement and work of a secretive nature was compelling.
In 1942 the family were devastated when news reached them that Ronald had been killed. Horace had returned to his peacetime role of postman by this time and had to bring the telegram home to his wife May. The younger daughter Joan’s recollection was seeing her father who said, “Run home and tell your Mother to give you children your tea as you won’t want it when I get home.” Ronald was 20 years old when he died on the 21 February 1942. The circumstances of his death were not known but the rumour was that Ron had been lost at sea somewhere off the coast of England or Scotland. His fate didn’t become clear to us for another 75 years.
Shoreline off which the ship was sunk (courtesy Chris Overton)
|
The Search for Closure I felt the need to find some closure for my father and members of the family. My grandmother May passed away not knowing as did my Dad Herbert and their brother Bernard. Together with my aunt Joan and her husband Richard we searched the War Office records for forty years and snippets would come to light, but it was not until 2017 that we found the truth after we came across a website called Uboat.net. The site lists some 80,000 persons on Allied Ships who were sunk by German U-boats. We found out that the Admiralty asked the Army for help in 1940 and the call went out to the Royal Artillery for volunteers for Secret Special Duties at Sea. The initial 940 volunteers were posted to the 6 / 3 Maritime Unit, Royal Artillery for service on merchant ships as anti-aircraft gunners. Ronald volunteered and was promoted to Lance Bombardier. The role of the volunteers was to man light machine guns to protect the merchant vessels with light machine guns. This was politically sensitive, and many would be recorded as merchant seaman to disguise their real role. Ronald was posted to serve on fuel tankers for the transport of oil from the West Indies. The ships originally transported molasses and had been converted to fuel oil to support the Allies’ war effort. Right: Ronald Jolliffe (courtesy Chris Overton) |
|
Photo courtesy sjohistorie.no and https://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship1015.html
Service on the Kongsgaard
Ronald had served on other tankers and at one time had been to Nova Scotia. We believe he had been torpedoed on this trip. He came home on leave carrying a sack of tinned food items such as butter for the family. He then joined a Norwegian tanker, the Kongsgaard. The Kongsgaard had travelled in convoy from the United Kingdom leaving Milford Haven on the 20 January 1942. On the 6 February the convoy dispersed to sail independently.
On the 13 February 1942 the ship arrived at Curaçao and the following day sailed to Venezuela to take on 15,600 tons of light crude oil. On the return trip, the Kongsgaard was bound for the Caribbean island of Aruba to the oil refinery and was just off the coast of Curaçao when tragedy struck. The vessel was torpedoed on the morning 21 February 1942. The ship was sunk with 38 crew losing their lives and only 8 survivors.
Ronald had served on other tankers and at one time had been to Nova Scotia. We believe he had been torpedoed on this trip. He came home on leave carrying a sack of tinned food items such as butter for the family. He then joined a Norwegian tanker, the Kongsgaard. The Kongsgaard had travelled in convoy from the United Kingdom leaving Milford Haven on the 20 January 1942. On the 6 February the convoy dispersed to sail independently.
On the 13 February 1942 the ship arrived at Curaçao and the following day sailed to Venezuela to take on 15,600 tons of light crude oil. On the return trip, the Kongsgaard was bound for the Caribbean island of Aruba to the oil refinery and was just off the coast of Curaçao when tragedy struck. The vessel was torpedoed on the morning 21 February 1942. The ship was sunk with 38 crew losing their lives and only 8 survivors.
|
Visiting the Site
My wife Sandra and I went on a cruising holiday this year from Barbados that took in Aruba and Curaçao. We took the opportunity to pay the family’s respects to Ronald and the crew in their final resting place. Prior to that I had contacted Box Parish Council and had contacted Sandra Wright whose father Thomas E Cook from Box was also a volunteer for the Secret Special Duties at Sea and who also tragically died on the ship with Ronald when it was torpedoed. The Captain of our cruise ship, the Marella Explorer, was Master John Clark who invited us both on to the Bridge to meet the Navigation Officer and review the Kongsgaard's position off the coast of Curaçao. Our first port of call was Aruba and our route as we passed the top of Curaçao took us within 30 miles of the last known position at 0300 hours in the morning. |
Christopher and Sandra
|
|
We both got up just before 0300 hours and looked out into the inky blackness with stars twinkling above. The sea was relatively calm and in the light of the ship’s bow waves we saw a lone gannet flying above the wave-tops alongside our balcony and keeping pace with us as we sailed on.
We arrived in Aruba on the 12 February and this enabled us to light two candles in a small church at the top of the island for Ronald and Thomas. Our second port of call was Curaçao and the Marella Explorer arrived on the morning of 13 February 2019, the anniversary of the Kongsgaard’s arrival of 13 February 1942. This is the closest to the anniversary of the sinking of the Kongsgaard we could get. On land, we estimated that we got to within 5 miles of the Kongsgaard’s resting place from the headlands of Nordpunt and Westpoint. We looked out to sea knowing we have done our best to remember! Left: Memorial Church (courtesy Chris Overton) |
Poignant Notes
I wonder if my grandfather Horace suspected the truth of what happened to Ronald and to spare his wife and the children and that the rumour of lost overboard was an act of kindness?
In 1956 when we three emigrated to New Zealand our first landfall was Curaçao. Dad did not know that we had been within a stone’s throw of Ronald’s resting place.
Sister Peggy named her son Ronald.
I became a Territorial Army Officer in the Royal Anglian Regiment, so perhaps it is in the blood.
I wonder if my grandfather Horace suspected the truth of what happened to Ronald and to spare his wife and the children and that the rumour of lost overboard was an act of kindness?
In 1956 when we three emigrated to New Zealand our first landfall was Curaçao. Dad did not know that we had been within a stone’s throw of Ronald’s resting place.
Sister Peggy named her son Ronald.
I became a Territorial Army Officer in the Royal Anglian Regiment, so perhaps it is in the blood.