Stanley Fender
Leading Cook (S) Stanley Fender, served with the Royal Navy
on board H.M.S. Charybdis. Killed
in Action on 23rd October 1943, commemorated at Plymouth Naval
Memorial, Devon.
Stanley was born in 1917 and was the son of Mary H. Fender.
At the time of the 1921 Census, Stanley, whose age isn’t
recorded, lived at his grandmother, Margaret Fender’s address, 25 Orchard
Street.
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| 1921 Census |
Also present at the property on the night of the census are
Brinley Richard, 40, who owns his own plumbing business; Mary Hannah, 25, is a
Domestic servant; Oswald, 22, Motor Lorry Driver; William, 20, and Samuel, 15,
who are both General Labourers.
Margaret, 59, undertakes the Home Duties, the census doesn’t
record that she is widowed.
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| 1911 Census |
In the census of the decade earlier, 1911, the family is still in the address. However, Samuel, 49 is the head of the family who is a Dock Labourer. So, where has he gone at the time of the 1921 Census?
September 1925, Mary H. marries Thomas S. Harris.
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| 1939 Register |
At the outbreak of the Second World War, and the 1939 Register having been carried out, 22-year-old Stanley is residing with his parents at 13 North Hill Road.
Stanley’s occupation is recorded as a Copper Furnace
Labourer.
Stanley enlisted to join the Royal Navy, having served for 2
years on board H.M.S. Charybdis.
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| H.M.S. Charybdis |
H.M.S. Charybdis was a cruiser, following being fitted out and trials during December 1941, she was complete for service.
December 1941, H.M.S. Charybdis escorted the 1st
Minelaying Squadron in the laying of mines in the Northern Barrage. The Northern Barrage was the name of the
minefield between Orkney to the Faroe Islands and towards Iceland, this was to
restrict German access to the Atlantic Ocean.
H.M.S. Charybdis stayed with the Home Fleet until
1942, when in April, she was assigned to go to Gibraltar, from there to escort
the aircraft carrier USS Wasp and battlecruiser H.M.S. Renown to
the Mediterranean.
In September 1942, Charybdis was assigned to patrol
in the Atlantic, searching for German blockade runners attempting to reach the
Atlantic ports from the Far East.
Charybdis was sent home for a refit in December 1942,
following the completion of work by March 1943, joined the Home Fleet. Initially based at Scapa Flow, she covered
minelaying operations and patrolling in the North Sea until April.
Charybdis played a part during September 1943, in the
landings at Salerno. Whilst off the Italian
coast, she carried the US General Dwight D. Eisenhower to Salerno.
In October 1943, Charybdis returned to Plymouth, where
she returned to work in the Bay of Biscay.
The British authorities by late 1943, were aware of the
approach of the German blockade runner Munsterland. The British reacted with “Operation Tunnel”. An operation where available ships would
attempt to intercept. Charybdis was assigned to the operation on October
20th and put to sea on the 22nd. With the Charybdis were
HMS Grenville and Rocket and four destroyers Limbourne, Wenselydale,
Talybont, and Stevenstone. The Munsterland escort consisted
of five Type 39 torpedo boats.
Charybdis picked up a convoy on her radar at a range
of 7 nautical miles but didn’t intercept the radio transmissions. The Limbourne heard the transmissions
but couldn’t pick up the ships on the radar as the Charybdis was in the way.
German torpedo boat, T23, spotted Charybdis had
been hit on the port side by torpedoes fired by both T23 and T27. Charybdis sank within half an hour of
the attack, with a loss of over 400 men including the captain.
The wreck of the Charybdis was found in 1983.
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| South Wales Daily News |
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| The Herald of Wales |
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| Plymouth Naval Memorial credit - findagrave |
Stanley Fender is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial
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