Charles Blythe was born on 22 February 1911, the son of Charles Blythe (Kings Own Scottish Borderers) and Mary Colina Blythe (née Mackay). After leaving school, he joined the Merchant Marine.

On 3 November 1928, Cadet Charles Blythe arrived in Glasgow in the SS LAURENTIC described as a ‘distressed mariner’ ex SS CAIRNTORR, which had been wrecked after running aground on an island in the St Lawrence River in Canada on 23 October 1928.

Charles Blythe was appointed Temporary Sub Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve on 27 May 1940 and was promoted to Temporary Lieutenant on 20 February 1941.

On 7 July 1941 he was appointed to the Submarine Depot Ship HMS MEDWAY ‘for Submarines‘. In December 1941, he was appointed to the HMS P611 (ORUÇ REIS) completing at Barrow as 3rd Hand and originally ordered for delivery to Turkey in March 1942. His next appointment was to HMS OTWAY as Navigating Officer on 9 March 1942. This was followed by an appointment to HMS P221 (HMS SHAKESPEARE) completing at Barrow as Navigating Officer on 6 June 1942. On 15 October 1942 he was appointed to TCG BURAK REIS as First Lieutenant. This was followed in October 1943 by an appointment to HMS SYRTIS as First Lieutenant.

On Monday 7 February 1944, SYRTIS was towing the X Craft – HMS X22 in the Pentland Firth in severe weather when the submarine was pooped and the Officer of the Watch on the Bridge – Charles Blythe – was washed overboard and was lost.

Charles Blythe is commemorated on Memorial in St Andrew’s Church in Berwick and on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel 87, Column 3.