Ilbert Parsons

Ilbert Parsons

Ilbert Parsons was one of the youngest individuals from Abercrave, Ystradgynlais, to lose his life at the age of 17 during the Second World War.

South Wales Daily Post

The South Wales Daily Post published an article regarding the sinking of H.M.S. Bonaventure, and Ilbert had survived the sinking.

H.M.S. Bonaventure was the flagship of the Dido-class light cruisers built for the Royal Navy during the 1930s and WWII. Completed in 1940, it joined the Home Fleet and took part in Operation Fish, evacuating British assets to Canada in July. Operation Fish was the largest movement of physical wealth in history, transferring British money and gold ingots to Canada for safekeeping during World War II.

H.M.S. Bonaventure

H.M.S. Bonaventure and two destroyers were instructed to join the Mediterranean Fleet on the afternoon of 28 March during the Battle of Matapan against the Italian Fleet. They reached their destination at 10:00 the next day, following the British victory over the Italian Navy. The cruiser was assigned to escort Convoy GA 8, headed for Alexandria from Piraeus, and joined them at 08:00 the following morning. At approximately 20:30, the Italian submarine Dagabur launched an unsuccessful attack on the ship. At around 02:55 on the morning of 31 March 1941, Bonaventure was struck midships on the starboard side by two torpedoes fired by the Italian submarine Ambra. The first torpedo hit near the aft end of the forward engine room, while the second exploded near the aft engine room, damaging the aft watertight transverse bulkhead and exposing 'X' magazine to the sea. This led to significant flooding, causing the ship to list severely to starboard and capsize within six minutes south of Crete, resulting in the loss of 139 out of 480 crew members. 310 survivors were rescued by H.M.S. Hereward and the Australian destroyer Stuart. Bonaventure was the largest warship sunk by an Italian submarine in World War II.

Following the sinking of H.M.S. Bonaventure, Ilbert served with H.M.S. Gloucester, ranked Boy 1^st Class.

H.M.S. Gloucester

H.M.S. Gloucester was a Town-class light cruiser commissioned in August 1939. Initially assigned to the China Station, she later moved to the Indian Ocean and South Africa to search for German commerce raiders. In mid-1940, she joined the Mediterranean Fleet, mainly escorting Malta Convoys.

H.M.S. Gloucester bombarded Libya in April, then covered a convoy to Malta. On the night of April 20^th-21^st, it joined battleships Warspite, Valiant, Barham, and destroyers to attack Tripoli harbour successfully. At month's end, it briefly transferred to Force H at Gibraltar before escorting a convoy to Malta and rejoining the Mediterranean Fleet for Operation Tiger in early May.

At 12:25, Force A1, positioned 20 to 30 miles west of Antikythera, received a request from Rear Admiral Edward Leigh Stuart King to provide support for the damaged Naiad and the remainder of his Force C. Consequently, Force A1 proceeded east into the Kythira Strait, rendezvousing with Force C between 13:30 and 14:00. As the senior admiral, King assumed command, despite both forces sustaining damage from air attacks. At 14:02 and 14:07 respectively, Fiji and Gloucester were dispatched to deliver anti-aircraft assistance to the destroyers Kandahar and Kingston. These destroyers had already been tasked with rescuing survivors from the destroyer Greyhound, which had been sunk at 13:50. In his post-battle dispatches, Cunningham noted that King was unaware of the anti-aircraft ammunition shortages in Fiji and Gloucester. At 14:13, King and Rawlings exchanged communications regarding the ammunition shortages within both Force C and Force A1, with Rawlings voicing concerns about the orders given to Gloucester and Fiji. Following this exchange, King issued an order at 14:57 to recall both Gloucester and Fiji.

While navigating the Kythira Strait, approximately 14 miles north of Crete, H.M.S. Gloucester and H.M.S. Fiji came under attack by Stukas from StG 2. Between 15:30 and 15:50, during an attempt to rejoin Force A1, H.M.S. Gloucester was struck by several bombs, prompting a decision to abandon her due to the intensity of the air assaults. Despite being under heavy fire, H.M.S. Fiji deployed rafts for H.M.S. Gloucester as she passed, but could not halt, leading to her sinking within a few hours. 807 men aboard at the time of her sinking, only 85 survived

Ilbert Parsons
Plymouth Naval Memorial
credit - findagrave

Ilbert Parsons was one of the 807 lost.  His name is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, and additionally on a plaque at St. David’s church, Abercrave.  Ilbert was the son of Morgan and Lilian Parsons, of Abercrave.