Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class · D/MX 52505
An ordnance artificer remembered through family records, photographs and the memories of shipmates.
Gordon Smith’s transcription of Ministry of Defence records traces George’s service from 1936. He became an Ordnance Artificer 3rd Class in February 1940. Shipmate Mr Barker remembered him maintaining Charybdis’s forward A turret and its ammunition hoists.
A 1944 Red Cross letter preserves his wife Irene’s search for news. Gordon describes how uncertainty sustained hopes long after the sinking.
Years later, Gordon sought out men who had known his father. Their recollections add a strong swimmer, humour and practical skill to the service record. His wider research helped form the naval history website that preserves this family collection.
The exact circumstances of George’s death remain unknown. His son records his commemoration on Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 82, Column 3.
Published casualty roll cross-checked against Gordon Smith’s family history and transcription of Ministry of Defence records.
Service details follow Gordon’s published transcription; shipboard recollections are attributed memories.
H.M.S. Charybdis and H.M.S. Limbourne Roll of HonourThe register is a growing collection of sourced records. It is not a verified list of everyone aboard on the final night.
The ship’s history provides context for this person’s service. A rank or branch alone does not establish an individual’s action station or experience.
A correction, a remembered story or a document reference can help deepen this account. Contributions from families, survivors and researchers are reviewed before publication, with private contact details kept separate from the public record.
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