ARGENT, John Harry


No.C/JX 146153, Petty Officer, John Harry ARGENT
Aged 23


H.M.S. Nile, Royal Navy
Died on Sunday, 22nd August 1943


Born in 2nd qtr 1920 Bury St.Edmunds 4a:1994, son of James Edmund and Maud Winifred ARGENT (née LEECH). Married to Dorothy Alice May EMSDEN [10-12-1921] of 23 St Andrews Street South, Bury St.Edmunds

He was recorded as missing, but from which vessel is unknown for certain. H.M.S. "Nile" was a "stone frigate", i.e., a shore base" at Ras el-Tin Point, Alexandria, Egypt. From CWGC records it would appear that H.M. Levant Schooner No 4 went missing that day, 4 sailors lost. These schooners were requisitioned native caiques for the most part, with a crew of 4 or 5. Heavily armed, each boat was fitted with a Swiss-made Oerlikon 20mm cannon mounted in the bow, two 50-calibre Browning machine guns in the waist at either beam, and two .303-inch twin Vickers. They were used in the Eastern Mediterranean and Aegean Sea for clandestine missions, sometimes landing raiding parties
These caiques were Greek fishing vessels, often abandoned by their owners and crews around Cyprus and Beirut after fleeing from the islands, their engines were very noisy Bolinda diesels which were replaced with Matilda Tank engines which could be operated with more stealth. Each caique was crammed with boxes of ammunition, hand grenades, plastic explosives etc. leaving mainly open deck space for the crew of 5 or 6 men with their own personal arms.






photo C.W.G.C.


John Argent is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial 67-3

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


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