Chalcraft, S (Sydney)

Chalcraft, S (Sydney)

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Petty Officer Chalcraft was the son of Edward Percy and Fernande Clemence Chalcraft of Emsworth Hampshire. He was serving on H.M.S. Tweed[1] at the time of his death.

On the 7th of January 1944 at 17:11 a GNAT torpedo[2] struck H.M.S. Tweed on the starboard[3] side. It had been fired by U-Boat U305.[4]

The ship sank within two minutes. All the survivors were rescued from the sea by H.M.S. Neme and taken to Londonderry’s port. Petty Officer Sydney Chalcraft was one of them, but he died of wounds sustained in the incident. 83 other officers and men also lost their lives on that day.

U-Boat U305 was originally thought to have been sunk by the British destroyer HMS Wanderer and the frigate HMS Glenarm on 17th January 1944. It is now thought to have blown itself up on the 16th.

Date of Death: 27/01/1944 (Aged 24)

Service: Petty Officer, Royal Navy, H.M.S. Tweed

Service Number: P/JX 142345

Burial Location: Londonderry (or Derry), City Cemetery, C. of E. Plot. Sec. F. Grave 40.


[1] HMS Tweed was a River class Frigate.

[2] GNAT – German Navy Acoustic Torpedo, launched November 1942 and sunk January 1944.

[3] Starboard is the right side as you face forward.

[4] U-Boat U305 was launched July 1942 and sunk during January 1944 because of an accident, 51 crewmen died.

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