PERSONALS

Hopefully, this will turn out as a page of interesting images - of the crew and their families.

The above photograph was taken on board HMS Ceres in 1942-43. Of the three marines only Harry Barrett [right] survived with both William Cole [left] and Albert Lunn [centre] losing their lives in "Y Turret".

Chaplin Wright in later years as Canon Wright at St Edward's in Essex.

P.O. Norman Halfacre and his bride Mary [nee Woodburn]
who were married at St George's Church, Barrow-in-Furness,
11th February 1946.
Mary worked at Vickers-Armstrong Shipyard where Spartan was built and
met Norman whilst the ship was being commissioned in 1943.

Acting P.O. Norman Halfacre in Naples just after Spartan's sinking.

Geoff Smith writes, "I enclose a reproduction of a snap I took
with a "Brownie" camera given to me by my dear Mum & Dad
for my sixteenth birthday. It shows my Mum standing at the front
door under the rose arbour my Dad had built.
The snap is inscribed "Don't forget your mother's love too soon."
and was given just before I left to go and win the war for her.
I was carrying the photograph in a small wallet in the breast pocket of
my overalls when we were sunk and I went over the side in January 1944.
Someone, still unknown, picked it up and eventually, some weeks
later, it was returned to me by our "Sin Bosun" [Chaplin Wright]."