Petty Officer
Colin Gordon Hugh
DUFFAY
,
DSM
Royal Navy
28

Colin Duffay was born on the 17 May 1913 in Plymouth, Devon, the son of John Hugh Duffay (Royal Navy Retired) and Edith Emily Duffay. He was one of 12 children having eight sisters and three brothers. All four of the Duffay boys joined the Royal Navy.
By the time World War Two was underway, two of Colin’s other brothers were in active service with the Royal Navy. Stuart served in surface ships and Owen was a fellow submariner. Sadly, Owen Duffay perished with the loss of HMS REGULUS in the Mediterranean in 1940. This, followed by the tragic loss of Colin in HMS TRIUMPH two years later, was undoubtably too much to bear for their Mother who sadly passed away in February 1943.
Colin Duffay died when TRIUMPH was lost with all hands after apparently striking a mine in the Aegean Sea.
As a final sad footnote to this story, Colin’s Mother Edith, received several letters from the Admiralty following the reported loss of HMS TRIUMPH. Amongst these was a King’s Commendation for Bravery in rescuing colleagues from a burning ship during an enemy air attack in Malta Harbour. He was also awarded a Distinguished Service Medal (London Gazette of 20 January 1942) “for courage, skill and resolution in successful submarine patrols“.
He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 63, Column 2.