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George Sanderson

Ordinary Seaman
World War Two

Extract from the Keighley News dated 24th February 1940.
(The sinking of HMS Daring)

Oakworth Man
Another victim is George Sanderson. who lived with his widowed mother at Griffe View, Oakworth. he was 21 years of age and joined the Navy in September last.
Sanderson was employed in the goods department at the Keighley L.M.S. station and before starting work he attended the Keighley Boys' Grammar School. His father was badly gassed and died some years ago. He was one of a family of four boys and a girl, and one of his brothers is serving in the Army. After completing his training he was attached to the Daring about a month ago.

G. Sanderson, Forecastle Div
No 30 Class, HMS Royal Arthur
Skegness, Thurs 28/11/39

Dear Tom,
Many thanks for your letter received today.
First of all about coming home. All buses are cancelled now as for government orders, so do not bother trying to meet because for the moment I do not know how I am going to get home. 
We have slight (very slight) hopes of getting a car to bring us but if that goes flop it will be by train.
However I shall get home somehow.
We have got orders today for drafting. A week on Thursday I am going to Portsmouth for final training. Mother says it is cold here. I parade at 6.45 in a morning in the outfit I wear in the photo. Incidentally we have been issued with 2 vests since I wrote last so thats OK now.
I have made several references in my last few letters that it would be better if Mother were to go to the Wellington on Saturday but Alice says Mother does not know whether I am going straight to Beeches Terr. or not. Let me know if she will be there.
I am going to try & let you know when I can get home, - the time I mean.
If necessary I shall wire Alice who will ring Lees and ask them to tell you.
Ask Mother is she will bake some of my biscuits & arrange for them to be packed for me to bring back. They would be best in a tin. 
It takes your letters two days to come and we shall be off early on Saturday so you may not have time for a reply.
So Cheerio until the weekend.
Yours George.

HMS DARING (Sunk on February 18th 1940)

British destroyer of 1,375 tons, launched in April, 1932 and torpedoed and sunk by two torpedoes from the U-boat U-23 (Kptlt. Otto Kretschmer-Knights Cross) while escorting a convoy from Norway to Britain. She sank about 30 nautical miles east of Duncansby Head in the northern tip of Scotland. Commander S. A. Cooper went down with the ship as did eight other officers and 148 ratings. 
One officer and four ratings, the only survivors, were picked up from the sea by rescue ships. The Daring was the first Royal Navy destroyer to be sunk by a U-boat torpedo in WWII. The U-23 was scuttled on September 10, 1944, off the coast of Turkey.

09.02.1940 - 28.02.1940
Eighth Sailing - active patrol
On the 9th Feb 1940, U-23 left Wilhelmshaven under the command of Otto Kretschmer for operations E of the Orkneys and after more than two weeks arrived at Kiel on 28th Feb 1940.
Otto Kretschmer hit three ships on this patrol, two of these ships were in convoy: One was from convoy HN-12 and one was from convoy HX-19. 
On 18th Feb 1940 he sank the British 1,375 ton HMS Daring, sailing with convoy HN-12. 
On 19th Feb 1940 he sank the British 5,225 ton Tiberton. 
On 22nd Feb 1940 he fatally damaged the British 4,996 ton Loch Maddy, a member of convoy HX-19. 

Please contact me, Andy Wade with any information.