Dennison Thomas KELLY 1924 – 1944

P/KX 178870 Stoker 2nd Class Dennison Thomas Kelly RN HMS Isis died 20 July 1944 aged 19.  He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial [1]and West Auckland War Memorial.

Family Details

Dennison Thomas Kelly was born 1 August 1924,[2] the son of Dennis and Lily Kelly.[3]  In 1939, Dennis Kely worked as a general labourer at Leeming Bar RAF Station.  There were probably 4 children at home including Alice and Patricia.  The family lived at Salisbury Square. [4]

Service Details

The service details of Stoker Dennison Thomas Kelly have not been researched.  HMS Isis was a destroyer under the command of Lt. Cdr. Henry Dumaresq Durell which struck a mine and sank off Normandy, France on 20 July 1944.  The position was in channel “T” off the western sector of the Normandy landing beaches at 49˚27’196N 0˚36’574W.   The wreck lies in 20 metres of water about 5 miles NE of Courseulles-sur-Mer.  Eleven officers and 143 ratings were lost.[5]

Commemoration [6]

P/KX 178870 Stoker 2nd Class Dennison Thomas Kelly is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial along with almost 15,000 seamen lost at sea during the Second World War.  There is also a memorial in Portsmouth Cathedral.[7]

REFERENCES

[1] Commonwealth War Graves Commission

[2] UK British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records 1730-1960

[3] CWGC

[4] 1939 England & Wales Register

[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Isis_(D87) Note: https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4418.html states that all 155 officers and men were lost ad there is a difference in position

[6] CWGC

[7] https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4418.html