Albert Kenneth Gilder

LST-420 was a Royal Navy tank landing ship of World War II, built as a LST-1-class tank landing ship (LST Mk 2) in the US that was transferred to UK. She was lost on 7 November 1944, after hitting a mine in heavy seas off Ostend, Belgium, sinking with great loss of life, particularly amongst her Royal Air Force passengers. It was the greatest loss of life on a British landing craft during World War II.

On 7 November 1944, a small convoy of vessels comprising LST-200, LST-320, LST-367, LST-405 and LST-420 crossed the English Channel bound for Ostend, Belgium. The weather had been very poor for a week and a severe storm was rising. By mid-afternoon when they arrived off the Belgian coast conditions were terrible, and as a result they were refused permission to enter port at Ostend due to concerns that an accident in the harbourmouth might cause considerable disruption in the supply line for land forces. The convoy duly altered course back towards England planning to shelter overnight in the Thames Estuary before returning to Ostend on the following day.

At approximately 15:00, within sight of Ostend the bow section of LST-420 struck a German mine which tore a large hole in the ship's hull causing it to break into two parts. The ship's galley fires were lit at the time due to the evening meal being prepared and gallons of petrol from the damaged fuel tanks of the vehicles caught fire enveloping the stern section of the ship in flame. LST-420 sank very rapidly and due to the heavy seas only larger vessels were able to attempt to rescue survivors in the water. Only 31 or 32 men of the BSRU were saved from life rafts.

The position of the wreck is recorded as 51°15.033′N 2°41.798′E.[8] A section of the bow of LST-420 was raised in 1990.[9] A yellow marker buoy is located above the wreck today.

Casualties

• Crew - Lieutenant-Commander Douglas Everett and 54 other members of the crew of LST-420 were lost that night. (4 are buried in Belgium, 1 was washed ashore in England and was taken home for burial by his family. The other members of the crew are commemorated on the Naval Memorials at Plymouth, Chatham and the Royal New Zealand Naval Memorial).
Runnymede Memorial where at least 136 of the casualties of LST-420 are commemorated
• Royal Air Force – At least 232 members of the Royal Air Force and 5 members of the Royal Canadian Air Force died in the sinking. Tthey were 14 officers, 3 warrant officers, 31 flight sergeants and sergeants and 189 junior ranks. The dead are buried mainly at Ostend and Blankenberge but as far north as Kiel in Germany. Those without graves are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The majority were members of "No.1 BSRU".

• Other passengers – it is possible that 12 members of No. 335 Provost Company, "Corps of Military Police" Royal Military Police, 5 members of No. 111 General Hospital, Royal Army Medical Corps, 9 members of Royal Army Service Corps and several other British Army personnel were also lost aboard LST-420.

At least 292 persons were killed, with the total loss of life probably being over 320.The dead were washed ashore as far north as the north German coast, on the beaches of the Netherlands, Belgium, England and as far south as Calais, France.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

CWGC cites his death age as 28 but BMD and census data contradict this assertion.