Air Mechanic 1st Class FAA/SFX. 2616 Donald Parkinson

Family details:
Son of Edward and Mary Ellen Parkinson, of Thatto Heath, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately Donald and one other member pf the household are redacted. Father Edward Parkinson born 14/05/1896, an Asylum Worker (unreadable), mother Mary Parkinson born 19/06/1895? a Mental Nurse and brother John E Parkinson born 10/10/1921 an Iron Driller are living at 119 Scholes Lane, Thatto Heath, St Helens. Also at the address is widowed Harry Turner born 19/08/1864 a Mental Nurse Retired.

HMS DASHER (D-37) HMS Dasher was a WW2 Aircraft Carrier of the Avenger Class. This class of ship were converted US Merchant ships that had been made into Escort Carriers. Dasher was delivered to the Royal Navy in July 1942. War Service and Loss. Dasher participated in Operation Torch - the allied landings in North Africa. After doing some aircraft ferry operations in the Mediterranean, [i]Dasher[/i] sailed to the Clyde in March 1943 and, having had her flight-deck lengthened by 42 feet, she embarked Fairey Swordfish aircraft. She escorted one convoy successfully, but shortly after leaving with the second, [i]Dasher[/i] suffered engine trouble and turned back. Shortly after getting to the Firth Of Clyde on 27 March 1943, she suffered a major internal explosion and sank. Having completed a number of deck landing exercises during the day, her aircraft being refuelled, and much of the crew were below deck, making ready for shore leave on arrival at Greenock. Her fuel tanks contained some 75,000 gallons (340,947 l) of aviation fuel, with six torpedoes and 104 depth charges on board. Shortly after 4:40 pm, two massive explosions aft threw the aircraft lift into the air (witnesses estimate up to 60 feet) and caused the immediate loss of main engine, electrical power, and lighting below deck. Attempts to fight the resultant fire proved unsuccessful and the ship was abandoned. A number of vessel diverted immediately to assist, but the effect of the initial blast was immense, described as having peeled the flight back for half its length like a sardine can. Those not killed in the explosion faced the two extremes of hypothermia and exposure in the cold water of the Clyde in March, or of being engulfed in flames as petrol and diesel spilled from wrecked carrier caught light. By 4:48 pm, the ship was gone, leaving only 149 survivors to be recovered to Ardrossan and Greenock. An official Board of Enquiry was hastily convened and within just two days they concluded that the Dasher had sunk due to an internal petrol explosion. However, several key witnesses were not called to give evidence. The findings of the Board of Enquiry were never released until 1972 and even now information is being withheld. The wreck site has been deemed a war grave but many of the bodies have still not been accounted for. Controversy still exists around what happened to all the bodies that were later washed up - reference Operation Mincemeat. (Research by Jeff Keenan)[/caption]