Soldiers of the Regiment2nd
Lieutenant Thomas Edward Pennington DCM
2nd Lieutenant Thomas Edward Pennington DCM, 1st Battalion,
King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
Accession Number: KO2950/41
2nd Lieutenant Thomas Edward Pennington DCM, 1st Battalion, King’s
Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
Photo by H Bentley, 256 Dalton Road, Barrow in Furness.
Born 1895. The family are shown as living at 61 Albert Street in the
Salthouse area of Barrow in Furness in the 1901 Census. By 1911
they were living at 50 Mount Pleasant, Barrow in Furness. The
household was formed of mother and father and Thomas had three brothers
and a sister. He was shown as being employed as a Municipal Clerk
with the Borough Council.
He served with the 16th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, and
received the Distinguished Conduct Medal on the 1st July 1916 as Sergeant. (Sergeant T E Pennington,
number 7179, Manchester Regiment, “For conspicuous gallantry in action.
He established and maintained communications under very heavy fire; on
several occasions himself repairing wires in the open.” London Gazette
13 Feb 1917)
Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant 30 May 1917. Joined
1st King’s Own August
1917 and wounded on 12th October 1917 and gassed 5th December 1917. To Labour Corps 30th
November 1918.
Appears to have written an account of the 16th Battalion, Manchester
Regiment,
but also shown as 1st/9th Battalion Manchester Regiment in some records.
Was appointed Secretary, Treasurer and Accountant to the City of
Gibraltar on 15th December 1938. Received OBE for Public Services in Gibraltar.
He was killed on 19th August 1941 when the SS Aguila was sunk by enemy
submarine, U-201, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the West Coast of France,
sailing from England to Gibraltar. Thomas Edward Pennington DCM OBE of 4
Red Sands Road, Gibraltar. Husband of Eleanor Pennington.
The SS Aguila embarked from Liverpool en route to Gibraltar on 12th August
1941, as the Commodore ship of Convoy OG-71. The convoy was attacked by
German U-Boats on 19th August.
Soon after midnight, a torpedo hit SS Aguila and the ship sank
instantly. There were only sixteen survivors, leaving a death toll of
145. Those on board include twenty two women, nine WRNS officers and 12
Chief Wren Wireless Telegraphists, accompanied by one Queen Alexandra’s
Royal Naval Nursing Service nurse. These were the first group of Wrens
who had volunteered for cipher and wireless duties in Gibraltar.
© Images are copyright, Trustees of the King's Own Royal Regiment Museum.
You must seek permission prior to
publication of any of our images.
Only a proportion of our collections
are on display at anyone time. Certain items are on loan for display
in other institutions. An appointment is required to consult any of
our collections which are held in store.
