Ivor John Squire NORTON

  General Notes:

Their only son Ivor born 9th May 1910 - a honeymoon baby, was killed on HMS Courageous, t he first British ship lost in the war, on September 17 1939. She was torpedoed by U-29 (Lieutenant Commander Otto Schuhart) and 518 men were lost. He was a telegraphist in the RNVR. Ivor is remembered on the war memorial in Lympstone and also on the Naval Memorial in Plymouth. He was also married and had one son.

Courageous was built by Armstrong Whitworth, and laid down 18 March 1915. She was launched on 5 February 1916 and commissioned January 1917. She was converted into a carrier between June 1924 and May 1928.
There were two ships in the Courageous Class. Both ships of the Class were completed originally as Large Light Cruisers mounting two twin 15 inch guns. When these ships were found to be inadequate and there was a need for fast carriers, both were converted along the same lines as HMS Furious. The eight 15 inch guns were removed from these ships were eventually mounted in the battleship Vanguard.
On 17th September 1939 Kapitänleutnant Otto Schuhart in the Type VII U-boat U29 torpedoed and sank HMS Courageous in the South-West approaches (Southwest of Ireland), 150nm WSW of Mizen Head, Ireland. The carrier went down in only twenty minutes and 518 of her 1,200 compliment went with her, including her commander Captain W T Makeig-Jones.

At 1950 hours on 17 September 1939 HMS Courageous (Capt W.T. Makeig-Jones, RN) was struck by two torpedoes from the German submarine U-29 southwest of Ireland, in position 50.10N, 14.45W, and sank after 17 minutes. 518 officers and ratings were lost. 14 lifeboats of the Dutch steam passenger ship Veendam saved several survivors of the carrier, including the shipslog. This was a harsh thing to do in the heavily oiled sea. The American merchant Collingsworth also participated in the rescue operations. The survivors were later transferred to the British destroyer HMS Kelly . The carrier had been on patrol against U-boats with her destroyer screen. After this incident, carriers are withdrawn from such patrols.


Commonwealth War Grave Commission entry
Name: NORTON, IVOR JOHN SQUIRE
Initials: I J S
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Telegraphist
Regiment: Royal Naval Volunteer (Wireless) Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Courageous
Age: 29
Date of Death: 17/09/1939
Service No: D/WRX 16
Additional information: Son of Jack and Beatrice Norton; husband of Gladys Mary Norton, of Exmouth, Devon.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 36, Column 1.
Cemetery: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Ivor married Gladys Mary.