Humphry Woolrych GM RN

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Biography

Humphry was born in 1926. He passed away in 2013.

RAF Shackleton Crash – Submarine to the Rescue

By; Lieut Commander Michael Woolrych GM Royal Navy (Retired)

Summary

On the evening of 25th June 1952 during NATO Exercise “Castanets” an RAF Shackleton had a radar echo and turned too sharply sticking her wing into the sea and crashed - - !

I was First Lieutenant (Second in Command) of submarine HMS Sirdar on patrol nearby, carrying out a dummy attack on a passing merchant ship, when I did a routine all-round search with the periscope I saw the aircraft flying low; unexpectedly, while we were going deep the aircraft crashed and by the time we returned to periscope depth all that was visible was smoke. We surfaced, closed to investigate and saw the first survivor; unable to get close with the submarine because of the burning wreckage, I had to think fast, because, as far as I knew, I was the only person onboard qualified in Lifesaving. I promptly volunteered to swim to the rescue; when I had helped him safely on board we circled the wreckage and found another survivor to whom I also swam, and rescued. Both men’s faces and hands had been badly flash burnt, and they were the only two survivors; the rest of the crew of 12 were strapped in their seats. The Captain made a signal for a Lifeboat to collect them and take to Hospital; sadly one of the survivors died in a Berwick hospital.

Subsequently, I received a notice (See London Gazette issue 39667 page 5327) to attend at Buckingham Palace to receive a George Medal from Her Majesty the Queen, with whom I share our year of birth – 1926, although I am five months younger than Her Majesty; and I share a birth date with Admiral Lord Nelson – 29th September, Michaelmas Day, the Feast of St Michael and All Angels – hence my baptismal name!

Name: Humphry Michael Woolrych Lt Cdr. ^{[1] [2]} The suffix Lt Cdr is non-traditional and may be too long for the WikiTree suffix.

Military Service: 1960 ^[2]

File File: Media Format: jpg. Michael Woolrych.

Marriage Husband @P6@. Wife @P2@. Child: @P1@. Child: @P7@. Marriage 4 Aug1951. Westminster, Middlesex, United Kingdom. ^[3] Could not interpret date in Marriage Date (4 Aug1951).

Name: Humphry Michael Woolrych Lt Cdr. ^{[1] [2]} The suffix Lt Cdr is non-traditional and may be too long for the WikiTree suffix.

Military Service: 1960 ^[2]

File File: Media Format: jpg. Michael Woolrych.

Marriage Husband @P6@. Wife @P2@. Child: @P1@. Child: @P7@. Marriage 4 Aug1951. Westminster, Middlesex, United Kingdom. ^[4] Could not interpret date in Marriage Date (4 Aug1951).

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Source: #S1139286975 General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5c; Page: 835 Ancestry Record 8753 #32933704
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} Source: #S1139286956 Peter Singlehurst Ancestry Record 2406 #10463853
3. ↑ Source: #S1139286975 General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5c; Page: 835 Ancestry Record 8753 #32933704
4. ↑ Source: #S1139286975 General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5c; Page: 835 Ancestry Record 8753 #32933704

• Public records
• Source: S1139286956 UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Record Collection 2406

• Source: S1139286975 England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc Record Collection 8753
• Source: S1139286956 UK, Navy Lists, 1888-1970 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. Record Collection 2406

• Source: S1139286975 England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005 Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc Record Collection 8753