Able Seaman
Paul
MAPPLEBECK
Royal Navy
22
Paul Mapplebeck was born in Inverness on 24 May 1920, the son of Thomas Mapplebeck and Jane Jamieson Mapplebeck (née Nelson). After leaving school he joined the Royal Navy for a twelve year Continuous Service Engagement.
Paul Mapplebeck was a volunteer for ‘Special Service’ and he trained as a charioteer at HMS VARBEL. He was selected for a team of charioteers formed for an operation to attack Italian shipping at the port of La Maddelena. The team was embarked in HMS P311 for the operation with three chariots – Nos. X, XVIII & one other. P311 had completed the passage through the Sicilian Channel – reported at 0130 on 31 December 1942 – but no further reports were received from the submarine and P311 was presumed lost with all hands in a minefield near La Maddelena on or about 2 January 1943. Also lost were the three chariots, the three chariot crews and the team of four dressers – ten personnel in all. The date of the loss of P311, her crew and her chariot passengers was assumed to have been 8 January 1943 which is the date that the submarine was due to arrive back at Malta.
Able Seaman Paul Mapplebeck was the husband of Margaret Mapplebeck (née Macrae). He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel No. 75 Column 2 and on the 12th Submarine Flotilla memorials at Rothesay on the Isle of Bute and at Kylesku.