Joseph John Corbey – Royal Naval Patrol Service, H.M. Motor Minesweeper 9

Seaman Steward Joseph John Corbey – Royal Naval Patrol Service, H.M. Motor Minesweeper 9

Joseph John Corbey was born in 1921, in Marylebone, London, the son of Henry M. Corbey and Margaret Pattison.

1921 Census – Bonville Street, Paddington (W2)

1921 Census

At the time of the 1921 Census, Joseph—still an infant—was recorded living at 6 Bonville Street, W2, in the household of Mahala L. Chapman, a 40‑year‑old widow. Mahala’s foster children were Kathleen L. (9), John H. (7), and Albert E. (6). Also present were her sister‑in‑law Rachel Peacson (50) and a nurse child, John (4 months). Joseph’s presence in this household suggests he was being cared for outside his parental home, a not‑uncommon arrangement in London’s working districts during the early 20th century.

Military Service – Royal Naval Patrol Service

During the Second World War, Joseph John Corbey served as a Seaman Steward with the Royal Naval Patrol Service, assigned to H.M. Motor Minesweeper 9. The RNPS—often called “Harry Tate’s Navy”—was responsible for minesweeping, coastal patrols, and harbour defence, and its crews faced constant danger in Britain’s ports and coastal waters.

Death in Swansea Docks – March 1941

British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records

According to the British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, Joseph accidentally drowned in the South Dock, Swansea, on 28 March 1941. The circumstances are not fully recorded, but accidental drownings were tragically common among RNPS personnel working long hours around harbour installations, often in blackout conditions and hazardous environments.

Joseph John Corbey
Morriston Cemetery
credit - findagrave

Burial

Joseph was buried at Morriston Cemetery, where his grave stands among the wartime naval and merchant seamen commemorated in Swansea.