Stoker Mechanic
Leonard Albert
DAW
Royal Navy
21
Leonard Daw was born in Stoke Newington, Hackney, London on 11 December 1928, the son of Albert William Daw (a Police Constable) and Mrs Catherine Mary Daw (née Imm). His mother, Catherine, is reported to have died on 9 April 1935. A son, Ronnie, was adopted in 1935. His father was remarried to Gladys Daw (née Longuehaye) in 1937. In September 1939, P.C. 148 Albert Daw (‘X’ Division, Metropolitan Police) was living at 131, Maybank Avenue, Sudbury with his new wife Gladys. One other person is listed for the same address but it is not known if it was Leonard Daw. Sadly, Lennie’s younger brother Ronald (Ronnie), who had been adopted by a close friend of his father, Len Langley of Twyford, Oxfordshire, was killed in a road accident in 1940 when just 5 years old and on his way to his first day at school.
Sometime after leaving school Leonard Daw joined the Royal Navy as a Stoker Mechanic and he trained and qualified as a submariner. He was drafted to HMS DOLPHIN ‘for Submarine HMS TRUCULENT’, which was completing a refit at Chatham Dockyard, on 9 January 1950. On 12 January 1950, TRUCULENT was returning to Sheerness Dockyard on the surface at night having completed post refit trials when the submarine was in a collision with the Merchant Vessel DIVINA in the Thames Estuary. The crew members on duty on the bridge were thrown into the water but were rescued. However, the submarine was badly damaged, sank and most of the crew were trapped onboard. An escape was organised by those remaining in the submarine but many of those who successfully escaped from the submarine were swept away in the dark and drowned.
The body of Leonard Daw, who was one of those swept away, was later washed ashore in Herne Bay. At the inquest in April the Coroner recorded a verdict of Accidental Death. Leonard Daw of 131, Maybank Avenue, Sudbury, Middlesex. is buried in the Paddington Cemetery in London in Grave 19051.
In 1953 the entire family, comprising June 26 years, John 15 years, Brian 13 years, Robin 10 years and Valerie 8 years and both parents emigrated to New Zealand.
One Response
I only met my half-brother once when he visited us in Sudbury (Middx) around Christmas time 1949/1950. He was in uniform and impressed us younger ones, but when HMS Truculent was sunk by collision soon afterwards on 12 January 1950 that memory began to fade.
Our present day family respects and values Leonard as our brother, sadly lost at sea.