LEATHERHEAD WAR MEMORIALS - WWII
Able Seaman John Allan David Willmer MiD
HMS Penelope
Royal Navy
Town Memorial World War II
| ABLE
SEAMAN JOHN ALLAN DAVID WILLMER Service Number: P/JX 325295 Royal Navy H.M.S. Penelope Died 18 February 1944: Age 19 years old Commemorated at PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel 83, Column 3. Mentioned in Despatches Son of Albert and May Ann Willmer, of Leatherhead, Surrey. IN LOVING MEMORY OF
ALBERT JAMES WILLMER DIED 7TH AUG 1934, AGED 40 ALSO OF HIS SON JOHN DAVID ALLAN WILLMER KILLED IN ACTION AND BURIED AT SEA 18TH FEB 1944 AGED 19 |
 Leatherhead Parish Churchyard: source Haslam |
HMS Penelope (97): IWM
The torpedo struck her in the after engine room and was followed, 16' later, by a second one which hit in the after boiler room, causing her immediate sinking.
The remarkable point of the attack by U-410 is that the cruisers was making 26 kn when hit. As far as can be ascertained, this is a unique case in the history of submarine attacks in all of WWII, no other ship running at such speed was ever successfully attacked.
415 of the crew, including the captain went down with the ship. There were 206 survivors.
see also
Wikipedia HMS Penelope
HMS Penelope Association
U-410 was sunk on 11 March 1944 at the Missiessy Docks in Toulon, France, in position 43.07N, 05.55E, by bombs during US air raid (15th AF). The wreck was captured by Free French forces in August 1944 at Quay Noel in Toulon and broken up in 1946.
Surrey Advertiser
Saturday 15 April 1944
SURREY MEN THE FORCES NAVAL AWARDS
Mention in Despatches
...
Able Seaman John Allan David Willmer, Leatherhead
Mention in Despatches
...
Able Seaman John Allan David Willmer, Leatherhead
Surrey Advertiser
Saturday 19 August 1944
BRAVE LEATHERHEAD SEAMAN
Mrs. M. Harle, of 62, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, the death of whose son, Able Seaman John Allen David Willmer, has previously been recorded, has received the certificate and oak leaf emblem of mention in despatches awarded by the King. The citation states that A.B Willmer, who was serving in H.M.S. Penelope, showed skill and devotion to duty in many operations against enemy shipping in the Aegean seas.
Mrs. M. Harle, of 62, Cleeve Road, Leatherhead, the death of whose son, Able Seaman John Allen David Willmer, has previously been recorded, has received the certificate and oak leaf emblem of mention in despatches awarded by the King. The citation states that A.B Willmer, who was serving in H.M.S. Penelope, showed skill and devotion to duty in many operations against enemy shipping in the Aegean seas.
After destroying a German convoy on
October 17th, 1943, H.M.S. Penelope was damaged by a bomb and near
misses. Although wounded and in pain, A.B. Willmer showed great courage
in carrying on as a loading member of his gun team.
A.B. Willmer was educated at Leatherhead
Central School, and joined the Royal Navy early in the war. His father
died some years ago and his mother remarried. He was aged 20 [sic], and
was employed by a local firm of builders. His elder brother, Reginald,
is serving in the Royal Navy.
His life
John's full name on the family grave in Leatherhead Parish Churchyard is John David Allan Willmer. The newspaper articles and the CWGC record show variants of this. His birth was registered at Epsom Surrey in January 1924 with the name John David Allan Willmer.His father was Albert James Willmer born in 1894, Walberton, Sussex and baptised on 4 March 1894. In the 1911 Census, when his family were living in Epsom, he was described as a Garden Labourer Domestic. He served in the Machine Gun Corps in WW1. He was the son of James Willmer from Pulborough, Sussex and Alice Willmer.
His mother was May Annie Maria Port, born 2 May 1899, baptised 27 August 1899 at Leatherhead Parish Church, a daughter of Henry, a Labourer, and Ellen Louisa Port, of Fairfield, Leatherhead.
The marriage of Albert and May was registered at Epsom, Surrey in January 1920.
John had an older brother Reginald J Willmer, born 1921.
During John's life the family lived at:
1923-30: 1 Drybarn Cottages,
Headley Road, Leatherhead
1934: 332 Kingston Road: Albert James Willett, May Annie Willett, James Harle, Benjamin Renwick
1934: 332 Kingston Road: Albert James Willett, May Annie Willett, James Harle, Benjamin Renwick
His father died at the age of 40 on 7th
August 1934, the death being registered in Lambeth, London. He is buried
in Leatherhead Parish Churchyard.
His mother married again, to James D
Harle, registered in June 1937, Surrey Mid Eastern District. They lived
at:
1937-38: 4 Lower Fairfield Road, Leatherhead
1939-1945: 62 Cleeve Road, Leatherhead
1937-38: 4 Lower Fairfield Road, Leatherhead
1939-1945: 62 Cleeve Road, Leatherhead
After the war
John's mother lived at 62 Cleeve Road, Leatherhead until at least 1956 and later at 7 Barnett Close and 65 Cleeve Road.Her death was registered in January 1974, Surrey Mid Eastern District.
John Willmer is also remembered on these memorials
Leatherhead Town Memorial
Leatherhead RBL Roll of Honour, Leatherhead Parish Church
A memorial plaque commemorating those Penelopes lost is in St Ann's Church, HM Dockyard, Portsmouth.
the website editor would like to add
further information on this casualty
e.g. a photo of him, his name on the Portsmouth Memorial, and any
recollections of him
last updated 29 Aug 20