Able Seaman Sidney Ronald Jeffery Royal Navy
The Man Sidney Ronald Jeffery was born on Monday 26th March 1923, in Plymouth, son of Charles John, a Skilled Electrical Labourer at the HM Dockyard Devonport and former Royal Navy Stoker and Mary Ann nee Summerfield. He was one of five children, Mary Winifred M born in 1910, Alice Eliza Clara 1913, Violet Georgina M born in 1916 and Roy Kenneth 1927.
By the time of the 1939 census, the family were living at 82 Wolseley Road, Plymouth. Sidney, aged 16 and following his education was shown as a Yard Boy (Electrical) at Devonport Docks, Violet was a Cinema Attendant, Alice had married in 1934 becoming a Meddleton and Mary junior had also married becoming an Anstis, but sadly was in the City of Plymouth Sanatorium as a patient and listed as ‘incapacitated’, although she lived until 1987. Roy aged 12 was still at school.
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Sidney was aged 17, but when he turned 18 in 1941 enlisted into the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman with service number D/JX 335657. After initial training Sidney was posted to HMS President III, a shore establishment which on 28th August 1939 was re-established in Bristol to train those allocated for service on the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS). This was an Admiralty Trade Division programme established in June 1939, to arm 5,500 British merchant ships with an adequate defence against enemy submarines and aircraft. The acronym DEMS was used to describe the ships carrying the guns, the guns aboard, the military personnel manning them and the shore establishment supporting the system.
Sidney was posted to the SS Boston, an American ship, completed in May 1924 as American Boston for Eastern Steamship Lines Inc, Portsmouth and used for coastal passenger services. Which in 1942 was given to Britain by the US and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport. It was designated as a DEMS and Sidney was a DEMS Gunner aboard. In 1942 the SS Boston, with its Master Robert Smith Cook Young and armed with one 12pdr and four machine guns, sailed from New York – Boston – Halifax - St. John’s (21 Sep) and planned to continue to Londonderry as part of Convoy RB-1 to assist the transfer of passenger ships to the UK.
The convoy was stalked by U-Boat-216 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Karl Otto Schultz, who at 16.37 hours on 25th September 1942 fired a spread of four torpedoes at convoy RB-1 about 610 miles east-southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland and claimed the sinking of a passenger ship of the Viceroy of India type (19,000 grt) with three hits. In fact, the ship hit was the Boston which with her high superstructure and twin funnels led Schultz to overestimate the size of his target.
She was the ship of the convoy commodore and sank at position 54.23N / 27.54W turning over within seven minutes after being hit by two torpedoes on the port side through the forefoot and aft in the engine room. The master, 52 crew members, three convoy signalmen and ten gunners abandoned ship quickly in four lifeboats and rafts in moderate weather with a heavy swell. The British steam merchant New Bedford acted as rescue vessel and tried to pick up the survivors but, had difficulties taking them aboard due to her peculiar shape. When lowering one of her own boats it was caught underneath the belting and capsized, tipping the chief officer H.F.W. Kaye into the sea. She then re-joined convoy after having rescued only two crew members. The chief officer of New Bedford and 47 survivors, including the master of Boston, were picked up by HMS Veteran (D 72) which was sunk the next day by U-404 (von Bülow) with all hands.
Sidney did not survive and was killed in action. His grave is the sea, but he is commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 65, Column 2. He was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star and War Medal 1939-45.
By the time of the 1939 census, the family were living at 82 Wolseley Road, Plymouth. Sidney, aged 16 and following his education was shown as a Yard Boy (Electrical) at Devonport Docks, Violet was a Cinema Attendant, Alice had married in 1934 becoming a Meddleton and Mary junior had also married becoming an Anstis, but sadly was in the City of Plymouth Sanatorium as a patient and listed as ‘incapacitated’, although she lived until 1987. Roy aged 12 was still at school.
At the outbreak of World War II in September 1939, Sidney was aged 17, but when he turned 18 in 1941 enlisted into the Royal Navy as an Able Seaman with service number D/JX 335657. After initial training Sidney was posted to HMS President III, a shore establishment which on 28th August 1939 was re-established in Bristol to train those allocated for service on the Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships (DEMS). This was an Admiralty Trade Division programme established in June 1939, to arm 5,500 British merchant ships with an adequate defence against enemy submarines and aircraft. The acronym DEMS was used to describe the ships carrying the guns, the guns aboard, the military personnel manning them and the shore establishment supporting the system.
Sidney was posted to the SS Boston, an American ship, completed in May 1924 as American Boston for Eastern Steamship Lines Inc, Portsmouth and used for coastal passenger services. Which in 1942 was given to Britain by the US and transferred to the Ministry of War Transport. It was designated as a DEMS and Sidney was a DEMS Gunner aboard. In 1942 the SS Boston, with its Master Robert Smith Cook Young and armed with one 12pdr and four machine guns, sailed from New York – Boston – Halifax - St. John’s (21 Sep) and planned to continue to Londonderry as part of Convoy RB-1 to assist the transfer of passenger ships to the UK.
The convoy was stalked by U-Boat-216 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Karl Otto Schultz, who at 16.37 hours on 25th September 1942 fired a spread of four torpedoes at convoy RB-1 about 610 miles east-southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland and claimed the sinking of a passenger ship of the Viceroy of India type (19,000 grt) with three hits. In fact, the ship hit was the Boston which with her high superstructure and twin funnels led Schultz to overestimate the size of his target.
She was the ship of the convoy commodore and sank at position 54.23N / 27.54W turning over within seven minutes after being hit by two torpedoes on the port side through the forefoot and aft in the engine room. The master, 52 crew members, three convoy signalmen and ten gunners abandoned ship quickly in four lifeboats and rafts in moderate weather with a heavy swell. The British steam merchant New Bedford acted as rescue vessel and tried to pick up the survivors but, had difficulties taking them aboard due to her peculiar shape. When lowering one of her own boats it was caught underneath the belting and capsized, tipping the chief officer H.F.W. Kaye into the sea. She then re-joined convoy after having rescued only two crew members. The chief officer of New Bedford and 47 survivors, including the master of Boston, were picked up by HMS Veteran (D 72) which was sunk the next day by U-404 (von Bülow) with all hands.
Sidney did not survive and was killed in action. His grave is the sea, but he is commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 65, Column 2. He was posthumously awarded the 1939-45 Star, Atlantic Star and War Medal 1939-45.
Medal Details:
- 1939-45 Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- Atlantic Star: Unnamed as awarded.
- War Medal 1939-45: Unnamed as awarded.
This page last updated 30 Sep 21
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