John Pitt Ensor
Attended Brunts School and then trained to be a teacher at Leeds Trinity College. Taught in Blidworth and the Rawmarsh area were he met his wife to be. They married on 6th October 1930 at St Mary the Virgin, Rawmarsh before John took up the head mastership at Ashperton, near Ledbury, Herefordshire.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Son of Harry and Kate Ensor of 68 Sutton Road, Huthwaite. His mother's maiden name was Pitt which John was given as a middle name.
Siblings: Marian (1904), Ambrosina (1909-22), Alan (1918) amd Kathleen (1922).
In 1939 Marian was a teacher and Kathleen was a trainee teacher.
On 6th october 1930 John married Edith Ann Housley at St Mary the Virgin Church, Rawmarsh. They had 3 children, Zena 1932, Micheal John 1934 and David in 1937.
In the Navy List John's date of seniority for his Sub-Lieu posting was 6/12/1938.
He was on his way to HMS Ukussa, a shore base at Katukurunda, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) when the ship he was on was sunk off the Azores.
He was on board the Dutch steam merchant ship, Serooskerk, which had left London on the 7th November bound for Calcutta but calling at Columbo, Ceylon on the way. She was carrying over 6000 tonnes of supplies/military equipment. On the 6th December she had become adrift of her convoy and was sunk by U-155. The U-boat had been tracking her since 19:50 hours and at 22:06 hours U-155 released 2 torpedoes. The Serooskerk didn't sink but she stopped and a further torpedo was launched at 23:17 hrs but she was still afloat, but dead in the water. A final topedo was launched at 23:55 hrs and she finally sank. There were no survivors, the master, 89 crew, 9 gunners and 9 passengers inc John Ensor, were all lost. The Germans believed the first torpedo had caused multiply casualties and had also damaged the lifeboats as they saw no attempt for the crew to abandon the ship.
Mansfield Chronicle Advertiser: 25/3/1943: Former Brunts Scholar Missing.
Lt/Commander J P Ensor is officially reported missing, no news has been heard from him since he embarked for the Far East in October last. He was the elder son of Mr & Mrs H Ensor of Sutton Road and was 35 years of age.
From Brunts School he proceded to Leeds Trinity College where he received colours for tennis. For four years he was an assistant master at Blidworth school and will be remembered by many. He was afterwards headmaster at Ashperton,Herefordshire and he wrote a series of articles for Teacher's World.
He was called up on the outbreak of war, having already joined the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve. He was for a year and half a meterologist and transferred to Whitehall in a similar capacity and promoted to Lieutenant Commander,
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