Trafford

Born at West Derby, Liverpool on the 31st May 1914,  the birth being
registered during the September quarter 1914 in the West Derby R.D. - ref:
8b/525, the son of George Henry & Sarah Neale Petty (nee Walters).

Around 1920 the family moved to Birch Grove, Weaste, Salford.

1921 Census - 1 Birch Grove, Weaste, Salford.   Son - aged:7 - Scholar -
born: Liverpool.   Head of household - George Henry Petty - Married - aged:
35 - occ: Wharfinger for the Ellerman Lines Ltd, Shipowners - born:
Liverpool.    Also Sarah Neale Petty - Wife - aged: 36 - occ: Home Duties -
born: Liverpool.   Plus 1 younger brother.

Married - Edna Sykes during the March quarter 1938 in the Manchester South
R.D. - ref: 8d/321 and moved into No. 11 Overton Crescent off Woodhouse
Lane, Ashton upon Mersey.

1939 National Registration - 11 Overton Crescent, Sale.    Ronald W. Petty
- Married - born on the 31st May 1914 - occ: Technical Estimator,
Manufacturing Engineers.   Edna Petty - Married - born on the 10th June -
occ: Unpaid Domestic Duties.

Ronald joined the Merchant Navy and became the 5th Engineer on the Liner
"Manchester Merchant".  

The "Manchester Merchant" was built in 1940, it's gross register tonnage
was 5,670, it was 446 feet long, 57 feet wide and could make 13.8 knots.  
A cargo liner, it was one of 13 ships operated by Manchester Liners Ltd,
St. Anne's Square, Manchester 2.    It could accommodate 12 - 1st class
passengers.

In the Atlantic, 410 miles ESE of Cape Race, travelling from Manchester to
New York via Halifax, Nova Scotia and St. Johns, New Brunswick, in ballast,
she was torpedoed by U-628, at 05.27 hrs whilst in convoy ON166, ('O' =
Outbound, 'N' - North America), comprising 48 ships and sank in 90 seconds
in position - 45.10N 43.23W.   There were 29 survivors who were rescued by
H.M. Destroyer "Montgomery" and H.C.N. Corvette "Rosthern" and landed at
St. Johns, but 36 crew/passengers were lost.

Ronald left a widow and two children - Judith B. Sykes -born: 1940 and
Ronald M. Sykes - born: 1943.