Memorial
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Inscription (Outer Plaque)
TO THE GLORY OF GOD
THE ARCHES ABOVE THIS PLACE
ARE GIVEN IN MEMORY OF
THE OFFICERS AND MEN
OF H.M.S. ISIS.
LOST IN ACTION OFF THE
COAST OF NORMANDY ON
JULY 20 1944. DURING
COMBINED OPERATIONS FOR
THE LIBERATION OF EUROPE.
Inscription (Centre Plaque)
IN COMMAND
Lieut.Commander HENRY DUMARESQ DURELL RN
Lieut. FRANK HUGH SEYMOUR R. (1st Lieut)
Lieut. LIONEL MANFRED DAVID APPERLEY DSC.,RNVR.
Sub.Lieut. EDWARD ROY BAILEY RNVR
Gunner (T) JOHN HENRY BURFITT
RN Lieut.(E) DUDLEY GOODE DRAKEFORD RN
Surgeon Lieut. CHARLES JOHN SANDERS GREEN RNVR
Midshipman JOHN GIRVIN NICHOLSON RN
Sub.Lieut.JACK ROGERSON RNVR
Midshipman ERIC MICHAEL HENRY RYLAND RV
Sub.Lieut.HENRY VICTOR FRANCIS WORAM RNR
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Inscription (Left Door)
JOHN V. AKERS A.B.
THOMAS J. AISBITT ERA5
FREDERICK C. ALLUM Ord.Mech.5.
JAMES T. ANGUS ERA 4
DENNIS G. ASHWOOD Ord Sea
GEORGE ASHWORTH Yeo of Sig
ROY C.F. AVERY AB
ROYCE BAILEY Ord.Sea
DEREK E.W. BALDWIN Ord.Sea
BRIAN BARKER Ord.Sea
DONALD R.V. BARNES AB
LESLIE S. BARTRAM, CERA
ALAN V. BETTS Sto1
ARCHIBALD BORLAND A.B.
FRANK BOWLEY A.B.
WILLIAM H. BOXALL Ch.Sto.
THOMAS E. BRAND Ord.Sea NZ.
TREVOR J. BRANDON Ord.Sea NZ
LIONEL A.C. BROOKS L.Sea
ERIC H. BURTON A.B.
JAMES BURTON A.B.
CYRIL W. BUTTON Ord.Sea
ALEXANDER CAIRNS A.B.
EDWIN T. CALLISTER. Steward.
HENRY CAMPBELL Sto.2.
JOHN CANNON A.B.
HENRY CARMICHAEL Ord.Tel.
JOHN D. CASEY Ord.Sea.
HARRY S.T. CAUSTON A.B.
JOHN E. CHESTER A.B.
FREDERICK J. CHURCH A.B.
WALTER CHURCH Sto.1.
LESLIE A. CLAY Sto.1.
THOMAS CLELAND A.B.
REGINALD J. COUCH P.O.Tel
CHARLES J. COUSINS P.O.
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WILLIAM E. COX EA3
JOHN P.J. CROKE Sto.1
AUSTIN CUDWORTH Steward
WILLIAM E. CUMMING P.O.
CECIL P. DARKER P.O.
LERICK L. DIBBENS P.O.
FREDERICK DICKINSON A.B.
DOUGLAS G. DIXON L.Sea
HENRY DONOHOE P.O.Steward
ROBERT DOWNER S.P.O.
REGINALD D. DYER Ord.Sea NZ
FREDERICK ELEY A.B.
HENRY T. FIELD Ord.Sea
JOHN FLETCHER Sto.
WILLIAM R. GALE Ord.Sea.
JAMES A. GATENBY A.B.
WILLIAM J. GILBERTSON L.Coder
ROBERT E. GOODCHILD Ord.Sea.
WILLIAM GRAHAM Canteen Asst.
ALFRED GRANT A.B.
GEORGE GREEN Ord.Sig.
HENRY L. GRIFFIN A.B.
GEOFFREY G. HALL L.Sea.
JOHN E.P. HAWKINS Sto1
DURLEY J. HICKS P.O.
SYDNEY E. HILLYARD ERA3
SYDNEY HOLT Sto1
JOHN HAWARD S.P.O.
ALBERT H. HULMSTON A.B.
LESLIE F. HUTCHIN A.B.
JOHN HUTCHINSON A.B.
ERNEST A. JACKSON Sig.
MORRIS E. JOHNSTONE Ord.Sea NZ
ALLAN K. JORDON Ord.Sea NZ
CHARLES S. JUPE L.Sto.
DENNISON T. KELLY Sto2
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Inscription (Right Door)
WILFRED KEOWN A.B.
RONALD A.N. KING Sto1
REGINALD E. LEAR L.Sea
JOSEPH LEE Sig.
JAMES D. LEEL A.B.
CYRIL J. LEWIS S.P.O.
WILLIAM E. LLOYD Sto1
JOHN M. LOLLGAN E.R.A.3
ROBERT McKECHIN Ord.Sea.
HENRY MANNERING Ord.Sea.
EDWARD MARMION A.B.
JOHN D. MEARNS Sto.1
ARTHUR W. MILLS L.Sto.
ERNEST A. MONTGOMERY L.Sto.
ERIC T. MORRIS Ord.Sea.
ALEXANDER MUIR Sto1
GEORGE C.C. MUNRO Ord.Sea.NZ
JAMES C. MURRAY Sto2
RESLYN NEWTON A.B.
ADAM NICHOLSON A.B.
ERNEST S.J.C. NORTHEY A.B.
DENNIS A. NUNN Ord.Sea.NZ
THOMAS O'DONNELL A.B.
LEONARD A.J. PARKER Ord.Sea.
WILLIAM H. PARKIN P.O.Cook
BERT F. PATTEN A.B.
HUGH C. PEARSON Ord.Sea
JAMES McG. PETRIE Sig.
IVOR R. PHILLIPS Tel.
WILLIAM PROCTOR Sto1
EWAN J. QUIGLEY A.B.
HENRY RICE A.B.
GEORGE P.D. RICHARDS P.O.
GEORGE E. RINDER Tel.
HENRY J. RIPLEY Sto1
ROBERT ROBINSON L.Coder
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CHARLES E. ROBSON A.B.NZ
FRANCIS J. ROONEY Tel.
SIDNEY G. SAINSBURY A.B.
GEOFFREY D. SAUNDERS A.B.
JACK SHERWOOD A.B.
HARRY SMITH ERA4
JOHN SMITH S.P.O.
THOMAS SMITH Sto1
STANLEY SOLLITT A.B.
JOHN STANTON Sto2
THOMAS E. STEVENS Ord.Sea.
GEORGE H. STEWART Ord Sea
HOWARD G. STURGESS P.O.Sig
FRANK SUTHERLAND A.B.
THOMAS E. SWADLING S.P.O.
THOMAS SYRON Ord.Sea
EDWARD TAYLOR Sto2
LESLIE R. TERRY OA4
NORMAN THOMSON A.B.
VINCENT P. THORNE Ord.Sea.
BEN TURNER S.B.A.
LEONARD UNWIN A.B.
ARTHUR A. VEALE P.O.
REGINALD J. VELLENDER A.B.
JOHN W. WALKER Sto2
LESLIE N. WALKER DSM, A.B.
RONALD G.H. WALLIS A.B.Radar
RONALD J.J. WALTERS Supply Asst.
GEORGE S. WARD A.B.
ALFRED I. WASLEY A.B.NZ
RONALD J. WEAVING P.O.
RONALD G. WEST P.O.Sto.
ARTHUR E. WHITBREAD A.B.
MERVYN A. WILLIAMS Rad.Mech. NZ
WILLIAM W. WILLOUGHBY A.B.
WILLIAM WILSON A.B.
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Further Information
The ship was an Intrepid Class destroyer (1,370t) built in Yarrow and launched in November 1936, it was sunk by human torpedo or mine off Normandy. It was on anti-submarine patrol off the Western Sector (Normandy Invasion). There were 20 survivors.
The names of those lost are commemorated on the CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL and individual details can be obtained by searching against the names at www.cwgc.org
A Survivor's Account
[Courtesy of Ken Davies D/JX, 420469]
I came aboard Isis some 9 or 10 days before she was mined and not only witnessed the bombarding of German shore positions but also took part in the excitement of depth-charging a suspected U-boat. I
remember nothing of either event. It appears that the sights and sounds of the mine explosion and it's aftermath induced some sort of mental block. I nevertheless stand by my recollections of the mining itself and of my time on the Carley Float and subsequent rescue by the American Coast guard cutter.
I was on deck when the ship hit the mine. Shortly after this explosion there was a second, which I assumed was that of the boiler. On both occasions I was thrown to the deck. On seeing the for'ard hatch falling away, I began to release one of the Carley Floats. There must have been a dozen or more men just standing by the port rail obviously in shock and doing nothing to help themselves. They only came to life when the float hit the water. Naturally they were the first on.
The emotional strain of our situation was soon demonstrated. On my raft one young fellow's mind went - he kept talking to his mother whilst refusing to give up the paddle he was clutching. Another was wearing a Duffel Coat and a polar necked jumper. He was asked to give up his coat to cover a fellow who was wearing only a singlet and appeared to be badly scalded or burnt. Duffel coat refused. Someone suggested taking the coat off him but wiser heads said that a struggle would have us all in the water and if that happened some would not make it back to the float.
I remember the speed with which men died. The fellow next to me said he was feeling warm at last. This I knew was a sign of hypothermia. I tried to keep him awake by talking to him, but failed. It seemed no time at all before he was as stiff as a board and we tipped him over the side.
Just as the sun was about to disappear, we saw the silhouettes of two ships. They wouldn't have been much more than a mile away. Duffel coat stood up to shout and wave. Whether he stumbled or was given a nudge, I don't know, but he ended up in the water. I don't know if he got back on board or not, but then I didn't look for him; it was at this time that a man I was told was the ship's R.P.C. and I were fixing life-belt lights onto a paddle.
Eventually the American Coast Guard Cutter spotted us and nosed between our float and another, not realising that the two were roped together. This had the effect of turning our float onto it's starboard side. We had to quickly jump across to the cutter. I was second to jump and was terrified I would mistime my jump and end up in the water. In the event all went well and I was taken below and put in a bunk with white sheets!.
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