Able Seaman D/JX 393224 Cyril Springford

Family details:
Son of Albert and Elizabeth Springford, of St. Helens, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register. Unfortunately Cyril and one other member of the household are redacted. Father Albert Springford born 20/01/1892 a Brick Works Foreman, mother Elizabeth Springford born 18/03/1894 an Unpaid Domestic, brother Albert Springford born 18/12/1918 a General Labourer Brickworks (Heavy Worker), sister Hannah Jackson (Springford) born 16/01/1921 a General Labourer Brickworks (Heavy Worker), brother Norman Springford born 15/01/1926 At School and sister Minnie Finney (Springford) born 17/06/1927 At School are living at 10 Essex Street, St Helens. Essex Street was off Burton Head Road and no longer exists.

HMS Capel (K 470)- Frigate of the Captain class. [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/HMS_Capel.jpg[/pic][caption]HMS Capel[/caption] HMS Capel sailed on 5 May 1944 to join the massive anti-submarine screen patrolling the western end of the English Channel, in order to protect the Normandy Landings of 6 June 1944. Capel returned to Belfast on 18 June to rest. After the port of Cherbourg was captured and cleared the Capel and her Escort Group escorted convoys across the Channel, to and from Cherbourg with rest periods spent at Plymouth. In late 1944 the group shifted operations to the eastern end of the Channel, patrolling the convoy route to the newly-liberated port of Antwerp. On 26 December 1944 HMS Capel (Lt. Bevil Grenfell Heslop, DSC, RN) was torpedoed and sunk north-north-east of Cherbourg, France in position 49 degrees 50'N, 01 degrees 41'W by the German submarine U-486. 76 members of the crew went down with the ship. "At 14.14 hours on 26 Dec, 1944, U-486 fired three Gnats (Torpedoes)at the 1st Escort Group on patrol off Cherbourg and observed hits after 1 minute 39 seconds and 1 minute 41 seconds and heard a third detonation after 7 minutes. Meyer claimed two destroyers sunk and a corvette damaged. In fact the frigates HMS Affleck (K 462) (Cdr C. Gwinner, DSO and Bar, DSC, RN (retired)) and HMS Capel (K 470) (Lt B.G. Heslop, DSC, RN) were hit. The first was towed to port, but declared a total loss and the latter sank northeast of Cherbourg. The survivors were picked up by American MTBs and taken to Cherbourg. The commander, eight officers and 67 ratings from HMS Capel (K 470) were lost". [ww2cas=270]George Lewis[/ww2cas] also served on H.M.S. Capel and died on the same day. (Jeff Keenan) [center][pic2]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/Springford_zps72176c6b.jpg[/pic2][/center][caption]The panel on the Plymouth Naval Memorial bearing the name of Able Seaman Cyril Springford[/caption]