George Crowther

This story is shared by the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher.

George Crowther was born on the 15th October 1911 in the Selby registration district, the fourth child of John William Joe and Jessie Crowther (née Forth), who had married in the Parish Church at Cawood, on the 8th of September 1902. Their address when they married was Sherburn Street, Cawood. John was working as a Wireman for the Post Office and the census of 1911 shows they had three children at that point, John William Jnr, May Lillian and Elinor Louisa Crowther.

On the 24th of June 1916, John Crowther Snr enlisted into the Army, but was not called up for service until the 12th of February 1918 into the Pioneer Corps. However, on the 19th of September 1918, he was medically discharged, as physically unfit for War Service. It appears on the Service records that he had suffered Bronchitis, Gastro-enteritis and Pleurisy in March 1916 and ever since had shortness of breath. He was finally diagnosed with Myocardial Dilation and subsequently discharged.

The 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921, shows the family had grown. They were still living at Sherburn Street, Cawood, Yorkshire and John was head of the household but the census records that he was a Telegraph Foreman (Retired) for Postal Telegraph Construction. His wife, Jessie, was now working as an Auxiliary Post Woman for the Post Office at Cawood. Their children were John Crowther, 16 years, a Farm Labourer for Charles Wormald, Farmer, Cawood Castle; Elanor (sic) Crowther, 12 years; George Crowther, 9 years; and Thomas Crowther, 5 years, all born in Cawood.

A few years later, a tragic accident was recorded in the Yorkshire Evening Post, dated the 7th of November 1927. John Crowther Snr had been killed in a Motoring Collision whilst he was on his motorcycle, colliding with a motor car. He died in the Selby Cottage Hospital on the 7th of November. An inquest was held and the result of the inquest was that he met his death through misadventure and there was no blame attached to the motorist. The family would suffer another tragedy when Elinor died in December 1934, aged 25 years.

In the December quarter of 1937 George Crowther married Amy Golton in the Howden registration District, East Riding of Yorkshire. The 1939 National Register, taken on the 29th of September 1939 shows George was working for the London and North East Railway as a Permanent Way Labourer. He and Amy were living at Main Street, Riccall, Derwent, East Riding of Yorkshire.

Sadly, I have no other information on George Crowther, neither his early or teen years, but he enlisted in the Royal Artillery in 1941 and he was to find himself fighting on D-Day and laid down his life for our freedom. He was serving with 6 Maritime Regiment and was posted on board the SS Ashmun J Clough, a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS) as a DEMS gunner to provide protection for the ship in the Normandy landings.

The Asmun J Clough departed Barry, Vale of Glamorgan as part of convoy EBC.82 heading to Normandy on 24 August 1944. It was carrying tank tracks, tyres and other military stores. At 08:30 on 26 August 1944 it was torpedoed north of Cherbourg by the German submarine U-989. The torpedo struck below the bridge and the ship broke in two and sank within two minutes. The master, 11 crew members and four gunners, including George, were lost and the 19 survivors were picked up and landed at Cherbourg.

George has no known place of burial so he is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial to the Missing, London.

After losing George, Amy remarried again in the March quarter of 1951 to Franz Piringer in the Howden registration district. She died in January 1967 and was buried on the 28th of January in Riccall, Yorkshire.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

Unfortunately, we do not have a photo of George Crowther. If you are aware of one, or you are related to George, we would love to hear from you so we can add to his story.