Sub Lieutenant - Royal Navy Reserves - HM Trawler Ouse
Background Information
Born
12th July 1920
Academics
Rank
Sub Lieutenant - Royal Navy Reserves - HM Trawler Ouse
Campaigns
Died
20th February 1941 age 20
Elton Patrick Ede was born on 12th July 1920 in Croydon, Surrey. His father was Ernest Elton Ede, a Churchwarden at St James’ Church, Gravesend and a well-known writer on cricket, especially for the Sunday Times, and his mother was Hilda Elizabeth (née Huggins). Elton was the grandson of Alderman H Huggins JP of 25 Portland Road, Gravesend. His mother died on 17th September 1937. The first school that Elton attended was the Convent High School in Gravesend.
In 1928 Elton Ede joined The County School for Boys – now known as Gravesend Grammar School. The Head Master at that time was the Reverend Samuel Lister. The County School for Boys was located in Darnley Road, Gravesend close to the Railway Station. In 1938 the School moved to brand new premises in Church Walk, Milton, Gravesend opposite to Milton Church.
The School’s Admission Register lists Elton’s address as 22 Pelham Road, Gravesend. Whilst at the School, Elton was in Town House.
In 1935 Elton left the School and joined the Merchant Navy, training on HMS Worcester at Greenhithe, then with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company. In World War Two he joined the Royal Navy Reserves, first serving on a destroyer, Narvik, which was sunk in the Mediterranean, Ede survived. He then served on HM Trawler Ouse as Acting Sub Lieutenant.
On 20th February 1941, Naval Trawler Ouse, a minesweeper, hit a mine off Tobruk, Libya and sunk with the loss of 12 of her 21-crew including Elton Ede, age 20. He is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 60, Column 1.
Elton’s Form had the highest number of students who lost their lives in World War Two. He share’s the Roll of Honour with Harold Ayliffe, John Foster, Francis Fry, Gilbert Hall and Geoffrey Parritt.
There are links below to Newspaper Clippings and Photographs from the Gravesend Grammar School Archives.
Below are links to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website and a few other websites that might be of interest:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2478656/ede,-elton-patrick/
https://www.wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?111162
https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?150593
