Ronald Nunn

Photo courtesy of Julia Nunn

Ronald Nunn lived on Tudor Drive, Kingston and was serving in the Merchant Navy. He was one of four crew who had been awarded the BEM for outstanding qualities of bravery after spending 39 days on a raft after thier ship was torpedoed in 1943. The ship had been sailing alone when it was struck and sank almost immediately. There was no time to launch the boats but a number of rafts floated clear. Although efforts were made by the survivors on one raft to rescue others, only four of the crew were eventually rescued. After a period of recuperation he returned to the UK and was serving on SS Dungrange during the Normandy landings.

On 10th June 1944 Dungrange was taking a cargo of provisions, ammunition and fuel from the Isle of Wight to the Normandy beaches as part of a convoy of twenty ships. But as they sailed passed St Catherine’s Point the convoy was attacked by a German E-boat. It first hit SS Brackenfield which began sinking and when the Dungrange went to its aid to search for survivors, two other E-boats appeared and sank the Dungrange with torpedoes. Eighteen crew members perished, including Ronald Nunn.