ALFRED DAUBNEY
MICKEY
Photograph courtesy of Ray
Born: 3rd April 1919, Bourne, Lincolonshire.
Died: 8th July 1944; age: 25; off Juno Beach during the Normandy Landings.
Rank: Petty Officer; Service Number: P/JX 169293.
Regiment: Royal Navy, H.M.S. ‘Pylades’.
Memorial Reference:
Panel 81, Column 2.
Portsmouth,
Hampshire.
Relatives Notified & Address: Son of Robert Edwin & Lizzie Daubney, of Sleaford, Lincolnshire; husband of Constance Mary Daubney.
Father: Robert Edwin Daubney, born September 1884, Haydour, Lincolnshire. A Farm Labourer.
Mother: Lizzie Daubney (nee Bristow), born December 1894,
Cranwell, Lincolnshire.
In 1943, Ipswich, Mickey married Constance Mary Mansfield, born 1899, Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire.
Mickey is also remembered on the war memorial at St. Deny’s Church Sleaford, Lincolnshire. St Mary at Stoke Church memorial, Ipswich.
H.M.S. ‘Pylades’ – 8th July 1944
H.M.S. ‘Pylades’ was a minesweeper of the Auk class. Built by Savannah Machinery & Foundry Co., Savannah, Georgia, U.S.A. Supplied to the British Royal Navy under the Lend Lease program. Ordered 2nd December 1941. Laid Down 30th January 1943. Launched 27th June 1943. Commissioned and re-classed as a Catherine class – 24th November 1943.
On the 14th June 1944 she arrived at Normandy beaches, France to commence mine sweeping duties. At 6:50am on the 8th July while under weigh off Juno beach she suffered an explosion on the stern and she listed badly to port. Ten minutes later she was struck by a second explosion after which she started to sink rapidly. Lt. Montague Harris R.N. gave the order to ‘Abandon Ship’. The survivors were picked up by the minesweeper H.M.S. ‘Cockatrice’. 11 men were lost.
In 2004, a survey of the wreck was carried out for Channel 4’s TV series ‘Wreck Detectives’. The underwater archaeological survey indicated that the damaged was caused by torpedoes probably launched from the German mini submarines Marder or Neger.
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