Alfred Herbert Kingham – Royal Navy, H.M.S. President III

Able Seaman Alfred Herbert Kingham – Royal Navy, H.M.S. President III

Early Life

Born in 1923 at Edmonton, London, Alfred Herbert Kingham was the son of Frank Herbert Kingham and Lillian Minnie Kingham, of Tottenham, Middlesex. No surviving civilian records shed further light on his early years, leaving his naval service and tragic death as the principal surviving details of his short life.

Military Service

Alfred served as an Able Seaman with the Royal Navy, attached to H.M.S. President III, the accounting base for Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (D.E.M.S.) personnel. These men were trained naval gunners assigned to merchant vessels to provide protection against enemy aircraft and submarines during the Second World War.

South Wales Daily Post

Accident and Injury

Alfred’s serious injury was reported in the South Wales Daily Post under the headline “Fall Into Ship’s Hold.” The report stated that the young gunner, aged 22, had been found lying at the bottom of a hold aboard his vessel at Swansea Docks, having apparently fallen through the hatch. He was immediately conveyed to Swansea Hospital, where his condition was described as critical. The circumstances of the accident were placed under inquiry, and the newspaper noted the deep concern felt for him by his shipmates, who regarded him as steady and reliable in his conduct and service.

South Wales Daily Post

Death and Inquest

Alfred died on 15 November 1944, his death again reported in the South Wales Daily Post beneath the headline “Swansea Dock Accident.” At the inquest, the Swansea Borough Coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, concluding that Alfred had fallen through the hatch of the deep tank aboard his vessel while it lay berthed at Swansea Docks. The inquiry found no evidence of foul play. The coroner expressed sympathy to Alfred’s bereaved family in Tottenham.

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

Official British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records confirmed that Alfred died at Swansea General Hospital from a fractured skull sustained in the accidental fall.

Alfred Herbert Kingham
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

Alfred Herbert Kingham was laid to rest at Morriston Cemetery, his burial marking the final military interment of 1944 within the cemetery’s wartime roll.