Coder P/JX 207555 James Ernest Hunter

Family details:
Son of Ernest Everson Hunter and Elizabeth Hunter, of St. Helens, Lancashire. B.A.

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately James E and one other member of the household are redacted. Father Ernest E Hunter born 19/11/1878 a Safety Officer and mother Elizabeth Hunter born 03/01/1890 an Unpaid Domestic are living at 30 Lingholme Road, St Helens.

[pic]http://www.hu17.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/hms_beverley.jpg[/pic]( [caption](HMS BEVERLEY)[/caption] HMS [i]Beverley [/i](H-64) USS [i]Branch[/i] (DD-197) was a Clemson-Class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was later transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS [i]Beverley[/i] (H64) to serve during WW2. [u]WW2 Service. [/u] In April 1942 she was an escort for Convoy PQ 14 en route to North Russia. En route the convoy was attacked by a superior force of enemy destroyers, which had approached unobserved during a snow storm and fired several torpedoes at a range of 9,000 yards. One merchant ship was sunk. The enemy returned four times and took part in short gunnery duels, but did not close the range below 8,000 yards. On 4 February 1943, while escorting Atlantic Convoy SC-118 with Escort Group B-2, Beverley sighted the German Submarine U-187 (later sunk by HMS Vimy southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland. She also took part in attacks on other U-Boats the next day. [i]Beverley[/i] was assigned to Escort Group B-4 of the Mid-Ocean Escort Force for convoys ON-140, ON-161, ON-169, HX-229 and ON-176. On 9 April while escorting Convoy ON 176, she collided with the steamship [i]Cairnvolona[/i] in bad weather and had her anti-submarine and degaussing gear put out of action. Two days later she was torpedoed by U-188 commanded by Kaptianleutenant Siegfried Ludden and sank with the loss of 139 members of her crew, including her commanding officer. Only four crew members survived. [pic]imgs/WW2_misc/WW2_207555_Hunter.jpg[/pic][caption]From The Local Press - Courtesy Jeff Keenan[/caption] [center][pic2]tpics/207555_Hunter.jpg[/pic2][/center][caption]The name of Coder James Ernest Hunter on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Photo courtesy of Jeff Keenan)[/caption]