Charles Ernest Oxborrow was born in Woodbridge, Suffolk on 17 October 1916, the son of the late William Oxborrow (and the stepson of Thomas John Scolding) & Eliza Oxborrow (nee Dewhurst – later Scolding). He joined the Royal Navy as a Naval Rating and was promoted to Acting Sub Lieutenant on 1 September 1937. He was confirmed as Sub Lieutenant on 1 January 1938. He was promoted to Lieutenant on 16 May 1939 and, on 21 June 1939 he was appointed to the Destroyer HMS VANQUISHER and was next appointed to HMS DOLPHIN for the Submarine Course on 11 September 1939.

On completion of the Submarine Course, he was appointed to HMS H33 as the Navigator on 7 October 1939. He was then appointed to HMS UTMOST as Third Hand on 15 July 1940. Charles Oxborrow was re-appointed to UTMOST as First Lieutenant on 7 November 1940. He was awarded the DSC in May 1942 for “daring enterprise and devotion to duty in successful patrols in H.M. submarines.”

Charles Oxborrow  completed his Commanding Officers Qualifying Course from 5 January 1942 and was appointed to HMS UNSHAKEN in Command on 21 June 1942. He died when he was lost overboard from UNSHAKEN on 11 November 1942. Late in the afternoon, UNSHAKEN surfaced in the Gulf of Lyons in very heavy weather to take navigational sights. UNSHAKEN then slid back to a depth of about 30 feet while the Commanding Officer and two lookouts were already on the bridge. They could not get below in time and were washed overboard. A search was made but they were not sighted again. Twenty-six-year-old Charles Oxborrow was the husband of Hazel Elaine Oxborrow of Maesteg, Glamorgan. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial on Panel No. 62 Column No. 1.