HMT Bedfordshire Memorial, Ocracoke
“IN MEMORY OF THE HMT BEDFORDSHIRE AND ITS CREW DESTROYED BY TORPEDO FROM GERMAN SUBMARINE U-558 IN MAY 1942
On right: CREWMEN OF THE ROYAL NAVAL PATROL SERVICE ON BOARD: / LT. R.B. DAVIS R.N.R. COMMANDING OFFICER / SUB LT N. CLUTTERBUCK R.N.V.R. / *SUB LT. T. CUNNINGHAM R.N.V.R. / SUB LT. B. HALL R.N.V.R.
On left of list: FREDERICK W. BARNES - ENGINEMAN / STANLEY BENNETT - SEAMAN / LEONARD P. BICKFORD - SEAMAN / ERNEST G. BOWEN - SEAMAN / EDWARD S. CARRUTHERS - SEAMAN / GEORGE W. CERRINO - LDG. SEAMAN / WILLIAM F. CLEMENCE - SEAMAN / FRANCIS CRAIG - SEAMAN / *STANLEY R. CRAIG - TELEGRAPHIST / JOHN R. DICK - SEAMAN / THOMAS H. DICKS - SEAMAN
In middle of list: ALFRED DRYDEN - SEAMAN / ANDREW W. DUNCAN - CH ENG / GEOFFREY FEATHERSTONE - TELEGRAPHIST / GEORGE H. FISHER - STOKER / HERBERT FORD - SEAMAN / JOSEPH KELLY - SEAMAN / WILLIAM LEE - LDG SEAMAN R.N.R. / ERNEST W. LUKINS - P.O. STOKER / ALEX A. McCRINDLE - SEAMAN / ANGUS McKENZIE - STOKER / FREDERICK F. MALTBY - LDG. SEAMAN R.N.R.
On right of list: ERNEST N. MORTON - SEAMAN / WILLIAM J. MYERS - STOKER / SYDNEY W. SMITTEN - SEAMAN / PERCY E. STONE -SEAMAN / JOHN SWEENEY - SEAMAN / CHARLES T. TRAVELL - SIGNALMAN / THOMAS A. WATSON - SIGNALMAN / CHARLES W. WHITE - TELEGRAPHIST / LESLIE J. WILLIAMS - STOKER / RUSSELL DAVIS - SEAMAN R.C.N. / JAMES L. McCAULEY - SEAMAN R.C.N.
*BURIED HERE AT OCRACOKE, NC, WITH TWO ADDITIONAL MEN UNIDENTIFIED, THE
OTHERS WERE LOST AT SEA.
On bottom left of memorial: HMT BEDFORDSHIRE
AN ARCTIC TRAWLER, BUILT IN 1935 BY SMITH’S DOCK CO. OF MIDDLEBROUGH,
ENGLAND. IN 1939 SOLD TO THE ADMIRALTY AND CONVERTED TO AN ARMED
TRAWLER. IN 1942 IT WAS ONE OF THE 24 TRAWLERS LOANED TO THE U.S. NAVY
FOR COASTAL PATROL. ARMAMENT: ONE 4” GUN, ONE MACHINE GUN AND DEPTH
CHARGES.”
Ocracoke Coast Guard Station Personnel
35.116680 , -75.980790
"The sinking of HMS Bedfordshire," History Features (March 2008), BBC, (accessed February 14, 2013) Link
Yes
Black granite.
In 1942, the British trawler, the HMT Bedfordshire, came to the United States as part of the Allied effort during World War II. While patrolling the waters of the Outer Banks for German Naval activity, the boat was torpedoed by a U-Boat and all crewmen aboard were lost. Only four bodies were recovered and were laid to rest on Ocracoke, in a tiny plot that is the smallest Commonwealth War Graves Commission gravesite in the world.
Marker is on British Cemetery Rd., on the right when traveling north.
Every year on the Thursday and Friday closest to May 11th, a memorial service is held by both US and British troops to honor the British seamen buried on the island of Ocracoke.
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