Trafford

Attended Springfield Rd Senior School.

Joined the RN when only 15½ years of age.  He served in the Norwegian
Campaign, in the far east and in the Mediterranean.   He had been sunk
twice previously, off Norway and Crete.   He had been on convoy duties but
later on minesweepers.

H.M.S. "Magic" was one of 22 'Catherine' class minesweepers that were built
in the U.S.A. and transferred to the R.N. in 1942/43.   They had a
displacement of 890 tons and a complement of 80 personnel. 
During the Normandy landings, Magic was used as part of an outer defence
ring around the assault beaches, but during the night of the 5th/6th
June,the Germans introduced their new secret weapon - the human torpedo
(Neger type) launched from the German occupied northern shores of the
Seine.     The torpedo could not submerge and could only travel at 3 knots
for up to 10 hours.   They were steared by a lone crew member, who jumped
off as the torpedo approached its target, to be picked up later.   
Magic was at anchor and the crew sleeping, when at 03.53hrs, on  the
06/06/44,  approximately 10 miles north of Ouistreham in position 49.25N
00.15W. she became the first victim of this new weapon.

He had one brother serving in the RN and another in the Army.