James Edwards
Place of birth: Birkenhead, Cheshire, England
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service Number: KX 83113
Joined Hood: 1934
Left Hood: 1938
Biographical Information: Born 10 June 1913 in Birkenhead, Cheshire. Was placed in a childrens home but ran away when 13 to join Merchant Navy (said he lied about his age) then volunteered to join The Royal Navy as a seaman on 4th May 1933 his commencement of time was 9th August 1933 and he signed up for 12 years. His first ship was Victory 11 he then joined HMS Hood on 12th January 1934 as Stoker 2nd class by the end of that year he was Stoker 1st class. He left the Hood and served on the Victory again and in his years with the Royal Navy he served on several ships including Dauntless, Drake 1V and many more times on The Victory. He was discharged as 'Physically unfit for Naval duties' in 1944 with TB. His home became a little wooden hut in the grounds of Preston Hall at the Royal British Legion Village, Aylesford, Nr Maidstone in Kent where TB patients were treated. He became a machine minder in the printing department of the British Legion Industries where he met, and in 1946 married, Doris Lilian Readman. They had 8 children, 6 boys and 2 girls. James died April 19th 1985 aged 72.
Additional Photographs
None at this time.
Memorials
No known memorials
No known memorials
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
'Register of Deaths of Naval Ratings' (data extracted by Director of Naval Personnel (Disclosure Cell), Navy Command HQ, 2009)
Certificate of the Service courtesy of Hazel Shrubsole, Jan 2015