BLACK, Joseph Henry


No.P/JX248515, Leading Seaman (Gunner), Joseph Henry BLACK
Aged 28
medals unknown but at least 1939-45 Star and War Medal 39-45

HMS President III (SS Mendoza), Royal Navy
Killed by enemy Action on 1st November 1942


Joseph Henry BLACK was born on 25th November 1913 at Birtley, Durham (4th qtr 1913 Chester le Street 10a:1262) son of Robert and Elizabeth BLACK (née KNOX)

He married Sevenoaks born Audrey Gladys Ethel TRINDER [5-120-1912], a treacher in Brighton in 1940, later of 28 Tivoli Crescent, Brighton

Nothing has been found so far to connect Joseph with Beyton



HMS President III was a shore base and would have been "home" for Joseph in between ships
The SS Mendoza was a French passenger ship, captured after the fall of France by the Royal Navy off Montevideo and taken to Freetown. Transferred to the Ministry of War Transport and used as a troop transport.
En route from Mombassa to Durban, with 253 military including naval personnel aboard. At 15:30 on 1st November she was hit by one torpedo from U-178 (Hans Ibbeken) about 70 miles ENE of Durban and stopped.She had just been missed by two torpedos at 15:00 . She caught fire and was sunk by a coup de grace at 16:00. The master, 19 crew, three gunners (one was Joseph) and three passenger were lost and the survivors (127 crew members, three gunners and 250 passengers landed in Durban.




photo CWGC

Joseph Black is commemorated on thePortsmouth Naval Memorial panel 62 column 3

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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