Richard Michael Eames Pain

PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Panel 61, Column 3

HM Submarine P514

Built in the United States as R-19, she was transferred to the United Kingdom under the terms of Lend-Lease on 9 March 1942. Commissioned into the Royal Navy, she was renamed HMS P.514.In June 1942 she sailed for St.Johns, Newfoundland under the command of Lieutenant Walter Phillimore, RN.

HMS P-514 was on passage around the coast of Newfoundland from Argentia to St Johns. On 20 June 1942 P514 (Lt.Cdr. R.M.E. Pain) left the Canadian village of Argentia bound for St Johns, Newfoundland. At 0300 on the 21st the Canadian minesweeper HMCS Georgian (A/Lt.Cdr. A.G. Stanley, RCNR) was waiting to provide escort for a convoy bound for Sydney. The Georgian, unaware that any friendly submarines were in the area, assumed that the dark shape of P-514 crossing her bow, was an enemy vessel.

The Georgian rammed the mystery submarine amidships and reported it sunk. A rescue mission was immediately sent out but no survivors were found. 42 men were lost including Lieutenant Commander Richard Pain from Old Cotes, Nottinghamshire. A Board of Enquiry into the accident accepted that the Commanding Officer of the Georgian had acted correctly as there had been no reply from the submarine to his identification challenge. Lt. Phillimore's parents lived at Swinbrook, Oxfordshire, England. There is a memorial to P.514's officers and men in the Church of England parish church of St. Mary the Virgin in Swinbrook. (Wikipedia & wrecksite.eu)

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