SMITH Desmond Thomas died France 27/07/1944 aged 21.
Is anyone connected to this family from Dudbridge Hill. We’d love to find a photo of Desmond.
He was the second child of Gilbert & Alice (Luker). He had an older sister Phyllis. The family lived at Bowl Hill, Kingscourt and moved to Dudbridge Hill in 1930. Alice & Gilbert were still there in 1959, Gilbert was gardener. Desmond attended Stroud Boys’ Tech. The address varies and numbering of the estate doesn’t seem to have changed so they must have moved within the estate from 1 Dudbridge Hill to 52 and later 65.
Gilbert was 21 when he died as a Petty Officer Motor Mechanic in the RN. The incident in which he died is well documented in online WW2 forums.
He was working as part of the UK Coastal Forces on Motor Torpedo Boats designed for high speed with the manoeuvrability for night torpedo launch. On the 26th/27th July 1944 Desmond was aboard Motor Torpedo Boat 430 in poor weather conditions off Cap D’Antifer. Intercepting a German flotilla, MTB 430 was rammed and blew up. The First Lieutenant was killed, 8 men wounded, and 10 missing. Desmond is buried at St Desir War Cemetery, so perhaps he died as a result of injury.
