Marine Gunner Sam Wallace
I enclose a photo of Ceridwen Myfanwy Wallace (nee Price), widow of Sam Wallace, and of his four-month-old son John. Sadly Sam never received this photograph nor did he see this happy smiling boy as he was killed when y-gun of HMS Cairo received a...
I enclose a photo of Ceridwen Myfanwy Wallace (nee Price), widow of Sam Wallace, and of his four-month-old son John. Sadly Sam never received this photograph nor did he see this happy smiling boy as he was killed when y-gun of HMS Cairo received a direct hit during Operation Pedestal.
Sadly also, Mrs Wallace's second marriage was something of a tragedy for both John and his mother and 10 years after this photo was taken John was "rescued" from St Leonard's in London and spent a further four unhappy years in a children's home. John's stepfather destroyed or had destroyed all John's mother's mementos of her earlier years and only the photo survives.
Mortally wounded, Sam was transferred to HMS Wilton and he later died of his injuries. We understand that most of the survivors and casualties of HMS Cairo eventually went to Gibraltar but one survivor, a certain Mr Rea, says he went to Malta. Other survivors say that no sea burials took place on HMS Wilton following the sinking of the Cairo.
Sam, who came from Belfast, was recruited in February 1941 at Eastney Barracks. Sometime between then and his death in 1942 he met and married John's mother. We have a sneaking feeling that somewhere in this saga the Joe Lyons corner house features as it was one of Ceridwen's favourite places. It was a favourite for servicemen "Up Smoke" from Portsmouth and maybe the place where Sam and Ceridwen met. Perhaps she was a waitress.
We are keen to hear from any of your readers who may know of anyone who served in Operation Pedestal, especially Royal Marine veterans or any other veterans they know from other operations. We are keen to know if HMS Wilton called first at Malta and if they discharged not only Mr Rea but anything else, perhaps the remains of HMS Cairo casualties.
Sam definitely survived to be transferred to the Wilton and does not appear to have been buried at sea.
This is a very human story intimately connected with Malta and we hope your readers and other Malta veteran organisations can assist us.