F118 ROY MUNFORD

F118 Roy MUNFORD. Acting Leading Stoker Mechanic, P/KX738119 Royal Navy on HMS Magpie. Born 27 February 1927 at Portsmouth, Hampshire to George and Florence Munford, of Runcton, Sussex. Died in Royal Naval Hospital, Bighi, Malta 9th August 1947 aged 20 years of pneumonia following acute anterior poliomyelitis.

At rest in Capuccini Naval Cemetery Plot F Grave 118

The cause of poliomyelitis in the early 20th century
THE 1947 outbreak of poliomyelitis in England was by far the largest that this country has ever experienced. Epidemics have been common and widespread in North America, Scandinavia, Australasia, and, during the recent war, in the islands of Malta, Mauritius and St. Helena.
The polio virus usually entered the environment in the faeces of someone who is infected. In areas with poor sanitation, the virus easily spreads from faeces into the water supply, or, by touch, into food. In addition, because polio is so contagious, direct contact with a person infected with the virus can cause polio.