FRED S SPARKES Ordinary Telegraphist C/JX 371503. Submitted by Anthony F Balch.

This account begins in October 1942 when I first met Fred on joining HMS St George to begin our naval training. We were 15 years old, we both qualified as AC boys and were assigned to the same class of W/T students.

On completion of our training in March 1944 and by now firm friends, we were pleased to learn that we had been drafted together to our first ship HMS Warspite. There were 5 of us from the same class joining together as Boy Telegraphists.

June 1944 saw the Warspite in action at D-Day and subsequent actions at Brest and Walcheran Island.

In March 1945 the complement of the ship began receiving drafts to their next assignments, mine to prepare for the long journey to Sydney Australia to join the British Pacific Fleet and Fred to join the Escort Frigate HMS Goodall.

That was almost 64 years ago, and over all those years I have wondered how my fellow boy telegraphists have fared, and in particular my friend Fred. As I have recently had my 82nd birthday I was always aware that some will have succumbed to old age or suffered a terminal illness of some sort or other.
However my curiosity remained over the years and I always cherished the idea that perhaps we would meet up again somewhere, sometime.

Surfing the Internet on Friday 27th February 2009 I came across a Site called naval-history.net which led further to a section covering war time casualties listed in alphabetical order of names – some 125,000 of them.
Hesitantly I selected the names under S and to my utter disbelief there was Fred's name. There could be no doubt it was my friend from all those years ago. His rating O/Tel - his service number C/JX 371503 (mine is C/JX371512) his ship HMS Goodall and the date he was listed MPK – nissing presumed killed - 29th April 1945.

This fine young man, not yet 18 years of age had given his life before it had even started. I am not ashamed to admit the tears flowed.

Further research provided the information that Goodall was sunk by a torpedo from submarine U286 under the command of Oberleutenant Willi Dietrich (36) at around 2200 on 29th April The torpedo struck her magazine and the forepart of the vessel was entirely demolished at the same time killing her commanding officer (Lt. Commander James V Fulton RNVR) and many ratings. Only 44 survived from her crew of 156.

Goodall was part of the 19th Escort Group bringing yet another convoy from Murmansk to Clyde and was only a few miles out to sea on her return journey. U286 was herself sunk only a few hours after her successful strike by depth charges from HMS Anguilla and other frigates of the EG.

I have since learned that Fred Sparkes is remembered on the Chatham Naval Memorial which I am told overlooks the town of Chatham. A visit to the Memorial will be made at the first opportunity.

Chosen to join the British Pacific Fleet and live to my present age of 82 was my roll of the dice.
Fred was chosen to serve on Arctic convoys and lost his life at 17 just one month after I saw him last.

A final irony. HMS Goodall was the last major warship of the Royal and Dominion Navies to be lost in the war against Germany.

Fred May You Rest In Peace and encounter only fair winds and calm seas