Herbert Cast
1939: hosiery finishing.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Herbert was the son of Herbert and Elsie Cast (née Craven).
Herbert and Elsie were married at Nottingham Register Office on 16 October 1919. They were then living at 8 Morris Street, Redhill, Nottingham, the family home of Herbert's parents, Henry John and Alice Cast.
Herbert jnr. was born on 3 April 1920 and a second son, Albert Leslie, was born in January 1922.
By the time of the 1921 Census Elsie and her son Herbert were living with her parents, Arthur and Mary Craven, at 59 Gamble Street, Nottingham. Later that year Elsie was awarded maintenance by the Court in a case brought against her husband for cruelty. (See 'Extra information'). Elsie died in 1924 aged 22 (burial 2 July).
Herbert jnr. was still living with his maternal grandparents at 59 Gamble Street, in 1939 when the England & Wales Register was compiled; he was employed in the hosiery trade as a finisher. His brother, Albert Leslie, a clerk in a works order office, was living with his paternal grandparents, Henry and Alice Cast, on Mansfield Road, Arnold, Nottingham.
Herbert Cast joined the Royal Navy and served as an Able Seaman (DEMS gunner).
He was lost in MV King Malcolm (cargo, potash), which was a straggler from convoy SC-50, route Haifa-Sydney CB (17 Oct)-Belfast-Garston. The ship was last seen on 21 October east of St. John’s, Newfoundland in position 47°40N/51°15W. The date of the loss of the ship with all hands was officially recorded as 31 October 1941.
‘At 07.19 hours on 28 (sic) Oct, 1941, the King Malcolm (Master James Wilson) was hit by one of two torpedoes from U-106 (Hermann Rasch) and sank within three minutes southeast of St. Johns. The ship had been in convoy SC-50, but straggled and was last seen on 21 October in 47°40N/51°15W. Master, 33 crew members and four gunners were lost.’ (www.bandcstaffregister.com) Kptlt Hermann Rasch commanded U-106 from October 1941-April 1943; he survived the war.
Herbert's body was not recovered for burial and he is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial (Panel 47, Column 2).
CWGC Portsmouth Naval Memorial (extract): 'After the First World War, an appropriate way had to be found of commemorating those members of the Royal Navy who had no known grave, the majority of deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be provided. An Admiralty committee recommended that the three manning ports in Great Britain - Chatham, Plymouth and Portsmouth - should each have an identical memorial of unmistakable naval form, an obelisk, which would serve as a leading mark for shipping ...
After the Second World War it was decided that the naval memorials should be extended to provide space for commemorating the naval dead without graves of that war.' (www.cwgc.org)
One of Herbert's paternal uncles, 203904 Private Albert Cast, 8th Bn King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, was killed in action in 1917. Albert's nephew, Harry Cast, the son of his brother Henry John, served with the Parachute Regiment (4987084) in the Second World War and was killed in action on 18 September 1944 (Operation Market Garden). See records on this Roll of Honour.
CWGC Additional information: ' Son of Herbert and Elsie Cast.'
Nottingham Evening Post, 19 July 1921 (extract): ‘Candid Collier. Nottm. Defendant's Tribute to His Wife. Persistent Cruelty. Herbert Cast defendant of 9 Fairholme-terrace, Storer-street, Carlton-road summoned by wife for persistent cruelty. Married October 1919, one child [Herbert] … Order for 30/- a week.’ (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk). The newspaper report included details of Cast's behaviour to his wife and witness statements.
Photo of Herbert Cast commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Photo of Herbert Cast commemorated on Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Portsmouth Naval Memorial