Trafford

Mentioned in Despatches.

One of the dates must be wrong - It must now be presumed that Harold
actually died on the 7th November 1940.

It is now known that H.M.S. Swordfish (a class 5 submarine) was sunk by a
mine off St. Catherine's Point, Isle of Wight, whilst outward bound on
patrol from Gosport, with the loss of all 41 crew members, on the 7th
November 1940 - which does not accord with his date of death.   The
submarine was ordered to report her position on the 15th & 16th November
1940 - so this must, at the time, have been the first known date of her
loss.     She was presumed to have been sunk off Brest.   However this
theory was dispelled in July 1983 when the wreck was discovered off St.
Catherine's Point, the most southerly tip of the Isle of Wight.   The wreck
lies in two parts indicating that she had been mined.     The forward
hydroplanes are set to dive and the engine room telegraphs are at 'slow
ahead'.   The after escape hatch is open suggesting that some of the crew
escaped, however, without immediate rescue they would not have survived for
long.   It is now clear that she was sunk soon after leaving Gosport on the
7th.