Reginald Sharpe Craston OBE (1899 - 1985)

Born 27 Jan 1899 in Walton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Edith Smithson — married 7 Feb 1922 in St John's Church, Waterloo, Lancashire, England

Died 29 Nov 1985 at age 86 in Camborne-redruth, Cornwall, England

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Biography

Reginald was born in 1899. He was the son of William Craston and Mary Morgan. He passed away in 1985.

Captain R.S. Craston, Merchant Navy, survived 13 days in an open boat and navigated it to Brazil.^[1][2] This was after his command the SS Ena de Larrinaga was torpedoed and sunk in April 1941. In February 1942 on his command the SS Ocean Venture was torpedoed and sunk. After that he survived being torpedoed, this time in the SS Ocean Courier by an E-Boat whilst supporting the operations in Normandy in July 1944

Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Period:Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:Captain

Unit: s.s. Ena de Larrinaga, British Merchant Navy

Awarded on: December 2nd, 1941

Citation: "The ship was torpedoed at night and sank in fifteen minutes. The Master ordered the crew to the boats and to stand by. He then searched the ship and stepped from the rail into one of the two boats just before the ship sank. The boats kept together through the night. At dawn the Master determined to make for an island about 500 miles away. The crew was divided, nineteen to each boat. After five days’ sailing one boat was met by a ship. On the eleventh day the Master sighted he island, but owing to wind, sea and current, could not make it. He then made for the mainland some 200 miles away and reached it two days later. The Master set a fine example. His powers of command were shown in the organization and discipline that prevailed when abandoning the ship, and during the thirteen days’ voyage in the boat. His courage and good seamanship saved the lives of his companions."

Military Division

Craston remained with the Merchant Navy for the remainder of the war and saw active service during the Korean War. He retired in the 1960's^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ https://sixtant.net/2011/artigos.php?cat=ships-england-&sub=d-e-f-&tag=38)ena-de-larrinaga-u-105
2. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220303164557/https://sixtant.net/2011/artigos.php?cat=ships-england-&sub=d-e-f-&tag=38%29ena-de-larrinaga-u-105
3. ↑ https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/71044/Craston-Reginald-Sharpe.htm

"England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X92N-7JH : 21 May 2019), Reginald S Craston in household of William S Craston, Walton on the Hill, Liverpool, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Walton subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

"England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWT3-84B : 30 April 2019), Reginald Sharp Craston in household of William Stephen Craston, Seaforth, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.