Alfred (Alfie) George McDOWELL

Alfred (Alfie) George McDOWELL. Ordinary Seaman D/JX 151550 Royal Navy on aircraft carrier H.M.S. Glorious
Born 22 June 1921 to Alfred and Winifred McDowell, of Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Died at sea 8 June 1940 as the result of his ship being sunk by German battleships, he was aged 18 .
Glorious and two other ships were part of Operation Alphabet. The evacuation of allied forces from Norway. Glorious along with her escorting destroyers HMS Ardent and HMS Acasta were detached from Vice Admiral Lionel Wells' aircraft carrier squadron. The ships were sunk after being spotted the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. The British were unaware that the ships had been sunk until be informed by the Germans.
Commemorated on Jane Cutter headstone in Old Priory Churchyard, Holywood, County Down, Northern Ireland. Also commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, Devon.


Photograph credited to http://www.glarac.co.uk/image/tid/42?page=1

Arthur Donald Field is also commemorated on this headstone.