Matthew Semple Blakeston

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

Mathew Semple Blakeston was born in the March quarter of 1921, in Hendon, Sunderland, the youngest son of Jonas & Lily Margaret Blakeston (née Watson), who had married in the September quarter of 1909.

We see Mathew Semple Blakeston for the first time on the 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921. He is living at 9, Lodge Terrace, Sunderland with his parents and three siblings: Mary, aged 7; Lily, aged 5 and Jonas, aged 2. A fifth child, Robert, was born in the March quarter of 1923.

By 1931 the family had moved to 94, Fordham Road, Sunderland. When the 1939 Register was taken on the 29th September they had moved again to 29 Felsham Square, Sunderland in 1939. The two girls were now married, his daughter, Lily, had had two children and they were all living at home with thier father, Jonas. But Jonas was now widowed. Sadly, Lily had died at the beginning of September.

There is no sign of Mathew in the 1939 Register, or his brothers Jonas Jr or Robert. But I believe that Jonas Jnr may have  enlisted in the Royal Artillery as there is an attestation  record for a J S Blakeston in 1938. Robert also joined the Royal Artillery, attesting in 1941.

Sadly, I have no other information on Matthew Semple Blakeston's early or teen years and I don't know when he enlisted but he was to find himself fighting on D-Day and laid down his life for our freedom. He was serving with 3 Maritime Regiment, Royal Artillery and had been posted to man the guns on MV Derrycunihy, a Defensively Equipped Merchant Ship (DEMS).

The MV Derrycunihy sailed from West India Docks, London and joined a convoy off Southend-on-Sea which was heading for Sword Beach. They arrived on 20 June 1944 but bad weather and heavy shelling by the German defenders prevented them unloading for three days. A decision was made to move so they could unload on Juno Beach instead.

They got ready to sail at 07:40 on 24 June 1944 but the sound of her engines triggered an acoustic mine which had been dropped during one of the German Luftwaffe's nightly raids. The ship broke in two and the stern sank within seconds.

The Register of Deceased Seamen lists numerous men who died in the disaster, including Matthew. He was posted as missing, presumed lost. His body was never found so he is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial to the Missing.

Matthew's brothers survived the war. Jonas Jnr died in 1997 and Robert died in 2007.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

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