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Lumberg, Henry William

Henry William Lundberg was born circa 1919, according to the age of William on the Commonwealth War Graves Database which states that he was age 26 when he died in 1943, but I have found a possible birth Certificate for a William Henry Lumburg that is for the year 1917 (Flintshire (Mold) FLNT/53/98) which would have to be purchased to confirm/deny.   William Henry was the son of Alfred and Annie Lumberg (nee Williams).   Any help with this would be much appreciated.  The spelling of the name changes.

Alfred & Annie had married in St. Mary’s Church, Flint on the 6th September 1915 – Alfred LUMBURG, 25, Bachelor, Steelworker, Connah’s Quay, father William LUMBURG, Fisherman & Annie WILLIAMS, 24, Spinster, Castle Street, Flint, father Henry WILLIAMS, Florist.  (By Licence).   Witnesses:- Edith Mary WILLIAMS & Thomas John LUMBURG.

The 1921 census, which was taken on the 19th of June 1921, sees the little family living at 77, Church Street, Connah’s Quay.   Head of the household was Alfred Lumburg, now age 31 years and 10 months old, he was a Labourer at Crichtons Co. Ltd. At the Dock Yard, Connah’s Quay, but was “Out of Work.”   The miners were on strike and most of Deeside were out of work.  His wife, Annie Lumburg was now 30 years and 6 months old and had been born in Flint, she was doing “Home Duties.”   William Henry Lumburg was 4 years and 7 months old and his sister, Doris Lumburg was 2 years and 8 months old, both born in Connah’s Quay.

I have no information on Henry William in the intervening years and it seems that his mother Annie had died, as Alfred is shown as a widower on the 1939 National Register.  I cannot find her death.

William Henry Lumberg and Kathleen Joan Latham got married the day before war was declared, but after the rumblings of was had started on the 1st of September when Germany rolled into Poland and bombarded it both on land and from the air*, they must have been so apprehensive, bless them.

* https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germany-invades-poland

St. Ethelwold’s Church Parish Registers – Marriages.

Page 39 No. 77 2nd September 1939 William Henry LUMBERG, 22, Bachelor, Silk Worker, Brook Cottage, Shotton, Alfred LUMBERG, Labourer & Kathleen Joan LATHAM, 19, Spinster, Gerwyn Hall, Marchwiel, Henry LATHAM, Labourer.  (After Banns).   Witnesses:- R. LUMBERG & Beatrice Hetty LATHAM.

I cannot find Henry William Lumberg on the 1939 National Register, so he may have already been in the Royal Navy and was away.  The register was taken on the 29th of September 1939 and the war was declared on the 3rd of September 1939.

The 1939 National Register, which was taken on the 29th of September 1939, sees the family living at Wepre Brook Cottage, Brook Road, Shotton, Alfred’s now widowed, and his birthdate is given as the 16th of August 1889, and he was a General Labourer.   Kathleen J. Lumberg had been born on the 6th of May 1920, was married, and was doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.”   Her surname was crossed out and the name “Roxborough” written above, so it looks as though Kathleen Joan was to find happiness later with Ernest Roxborough.  They married in the March quarter of 1951.   Betty H. Latham had been born on the 18th of March 1923, was single and an Artificial Silk Spinner, as was Vera M. Latham, born 11th of June 1924.   Her surname is crossed out and “Horobin” written above, meaning that she married after 1939.   In fact, she married at St. Francis’s Church, Sandycroft on the 20th of December 1948 to Alfred Joseph Horobin.  Betty H. Latham had her surname crossed out too and “Elsley” written, but she later married Jack Elsby.    They were Kathleen Joan Lumberg’s sisters.

Incidentally, the Brook Road, Nine Houses area of Shotton lost at least 19 servicemen in the 1914 – 1918 War.   There were to lose more in World War 2.

We do not know exactly when he enlisted or was conscripted, but we do know from the Official Documents – The British armed forces and overseas deaths and burials that lists William Henry as being lost at sea that he was on the H.M.S. Egret, Royal Naval Reserve

Taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Egret_(L75)

 Sunk by a missile.

HMS Egret*was the first ship ever to be sunk by a guided missile.[3] The Germans had used the Henschel Hs 293 glide bomb for the first time on 25 August 1943 against the 40th Support Group in the Bay of Biscay.   Landguard was slightly damaged by a near miss.[3] Bideford was hit and damaged, with one sailor killed, though more serious damage was avoided because the bomb’s explosive charge did not fully detonate.[3]

On 27 August 1943 the 40th Support Group was relieved by the 1st Support Group, consisting of Egret together with the sloop Pelican and the frigates Jed, Rother, Spey and Evenlode. The group was attacked by a squadron of 18 Dornier Do 217 carrying Henschel glide bombs. One of the two covering destroyers, HMCS Athabaskan, was heavily damaged and Egret was sunk with the loss of 194 of her crew.[4] At the time there were four RAF Y-Service electronics specialists on board, all of whom also died in the attack, thus bringing the total killed to 198. (These four RAF personnel are typically excluded from published casualty figures.) Egret had been fitted with electronic surveillance equipment designed to monitor Luftwaffe bomber communications and these Y-Service technicians were aboard to operate this equipment. The other destroyer, Grenville, commanded by Roger Hill, was attacked by the Dorniers firing one missile at a time, but survived by being able out-turn the glide bombs.[5]

Egret’s sinking led to the anti-U-boat patrols in the Bay of Biscay being suspended.

*Crew List – http://warsailors.com/forum/read.php?1,41005,41018 (Please go to this link)

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3909.html 

Navy      The Royal Navy

Type      Sloop

Class     Egret

Pennant              L 75 / U 75

Built by J.S. White & Co. (Cowes, U.K.)

Ordered              5 Mar 1937

Laid down          21 Jul 1937

Launched           31 May 1938

Commissioned  10 Nov 1938

Lost       27 Aug 1943

Loss position     42° 10’N, 9° 22’W

History

HMS Egret (A/Cdr. John Valentine Waterhouse, DSO, RN) was the first Allied warship to be sunk by a guided missle. 30 nautical miles west of Vigo, Spain she was attacked by a squadron of Dornier aircraft, one of which carried and launched the Henschel Hs-293A guided bomb which hit sank Egret in position 42º10’N, 09º22’W, killing 194 of its crew.

County Herald Sat. 1st October 1943 – Flint – Missing Presumed Killed.

Mr. Alfred LUMBERG, of 12, Ash Grove, Manor Estate, Flint has received intimation that his son Gunner W.H. LUMBERG (R.Navy) is missing and presumed killed.   Gunner LUMBERG was serving on the destroyer “Egreat,”(sic) which was engaged on convoy patrol work when it was sunk by enemy action.   As a reservist he was called up at the outbreak of war and had sailed to many parts of the world.  He was 26 and married with two children, his home being ay 64, Mancot Way, Mancot Royal.   He was a cousin to Sergt. Dennis O. HOGAN* who was killed recently.   Before the war he was employed at Greenfield Works and, prior to that, at Aber Works, Flint.   Mr. Alfred LUMBERG (father) formerly was well-known as a footballer for Connah’s Quay and Flint Town.

*Dennis O. HOGAN is buried in Flint General Cemetery.

Chester Chronicle  9th October 1943  Page 6, Col. 6.

MANCOT ROYAL

MISSING PRESUMED KILLED

News has been received by Mrs. W.H. LUMBERG, 64, Mancot Way, Mancot Royal, that her husband, Gunner William Henry LUMBERG, R.N., is missing, presumed killed in action on Aug. 27th.   He was 26 and leaves a wife and two young children.   Gunner LUMBERG, who was serving on the sloop H.M.S.Egret, the loss of which was recently announced, had been in the Navy since the outbreak of the war.    He was at Messrs. Courtauld’s Greenfield factory and was previously at Aber Works for six years.

His family made sure that he would be remembered as his name was put forward to go on both the Connah’s Quay & Shotton and Hawarden War Memorials.    He was well loved.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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