FLETCHER E 7615822 Pte

RAOC, died between 14.2.42 and 15.2.42 aged 23 years, son of Frank and Ida E. Fletcher of Thorpe Hesley, Yorkshire (CWGC).
 More accurately – in the first case because the ML311 was not sunk until 15 .2.42 -
his death (because he was trapped below the deck of ML311 when it sank) was ‘eye witnessed’ by Sgt. R. Sandilands, RAOC and attested in a letter dated 24.11.45
“… Cpl. Mason, Ptes. E. Fletcher and J. Carr were below deck when Japanese cruiser started shelling, and there they remained until our M.L. sunk and they were drowned …”
(WO 361/316). Sandilands reconfirms this fact, that Private Fletcher died by drowning on 15.2.42 at 6.00am as ML311 was sunk by a Japanese cruiser in Banka Strait, NEI.,
 on a schedule form ‘Cas. (L) Interrogation Form No.1’ held in file WO361/316 in the UK National Archives.

ml311

 (Research by Michael Pether [email protected])