He was a young 14 year old boy, barely a teenager, and loved by his entire family & friends. Reginald Earnshaw was determined to serve his country during the war and go to sea.
“He was a bright boy”,said Pauline Harvey, the sister of Reggie Earnshaw. “He didn’t like sitting around and doing nothing.” ” He took himself and signed up for the merchant navy and left home.”
The merchant navy cabin boy had lied about his age, claiming he was 15 years old, so he could join the war effort.
The North Atlantic convoys were often targeted by enemy submarines & planes. Reggie survived a long and dangerous trip to Canada & back. But, just a short time before his death, he had concluded that the merchant navy was not for him.
Reggie Earnshaw’s story came to light after a shipmate conducted research to determine what happened to his young friend.
A friend of Reggie’s and former machine gunner, Alfred Tubb, said,”He wasn’t really happy going to sea and didn’t want to go back anymore.”
after 5 months of being at sea, a German aircraft attacked the ship he was on, the SS North Devin, and he died at the age of 14 years old.
His sister Pauline Harvey, 77, will mark his birthday on Today by laying flowers at his grave in Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh.
If You Would Like To Test Your Knowledge Of World War II For A Chance To Win A FREE Apple MacBook Pro Computer, Then Click On The Image Below:
