Donald Ernest Chatfield

Name on Plaque

Connection with Effingham

He was not native to Effingham and nor were his parents. In 1948 his parents were living here at 2, Old Post Cottages and his brother Claude's family was living here at "Dorron", Mount Pleasant [1948 Electoral Register]. 

Genealogy

His father William Richard Chatfield was born at West Hoathly, Sussex in 1877 [GRO Ref: East Grinstead 2b 151, 1877 (Q4)]. William Richard married in 1899 to Sarah Ritchie [GRO Ref: East Grinstead 2b 322, 1899 (Q2)]. She had been born in Port Patrick, Scotland around 1880.

The 1901 Census finds William and Sarah living with their first child in West Hoathly:

By 1911 they had moved to Great Bookham:

They subsequently produced three further children:

Claude R. Chatfield [GRO Ref: Epsom 2a 75, 1913 (Q3)]
David R. Chatfield [GRO Ref: Epsom 2a 75, 1916 (Q2)
Donald Ernest Chatfield [GRO Ref: Epsom 2a 70, 1918 (Q2)]

Donald Ernest joined the Royal Navy and became a Yeoman of Signals, serving in the War on the "special service vessel" HMS Fidelity. Equipped with guns and torpedo launchers, it sailed in late 1942 from the UK bound for Colombo, India via Capetown, as part of Convoy ONS-154.

H.M.S. Fidelity

On December 28th engine problems caused it to fall behind and a decision was made to head for the Azores, in the course of which it picked up 44 survivors of an earlier attack on the ship Empire Shackleton. On the evening of the 29th it was attacked by several U-boats but evaded their torpedos. However, on the 30th another U-boat struck with two torpedos with the result that she sank instantly, with the loss of 369 men; only 10 men survived. 

The War Graves Commission gives the date of Donald's death as occurring 2 days later, on January 1st 1943. This may not be strictly correct.

Further information about the sinking of the Fidelity can be found on Gordon Mumford's webpage for that ship, on which is also shown this photograph of Donald:

Donald Ernest Chatfield

Donald's mother Sarah may have died aged "69" in 1948 [GRO Ref: Surrey S.W. 5g 817, 1948 (Q4)]. His father William Richard died aged "84" in 1962 [GRO Ref: Surrey Mid. E. 5g 283, 1962 (Q1)].

Military Records

1. Service Record - not yet available

2. Commonwealth War Graves Commission Record