William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-
Alan was the son of Robert and Eva Maria (nee Smith) and was born at Chopwell on August 6th 1925. The couple has married at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, Chopwell on December 21st 1924. They went on to have two boys namely Alan and Peter born March 19th 1937.
Alan’s father Robert had several jobs including a cinema operator, motor mechanic and also a lorry driver.
The family home was eventually at 16 Bilbrough Gardens, Benwell. In 1939 Eva, Peter and two others were living there, there is no mention of Robert. Alan worked as a draper’s assistant at Parrish’s Department store in Shields Road Byker.
Alan registered for service at Newcastle and was posted to local (Newcastle upon Tyne) merchant ship SS White Crest.
The White Crest was en route to Buenos Aires (via Cardiff 12 February 1942 then Belfast Lough 15 February) with a cargo of coal and coke. At 08.35 hours on 24 February the unescorted White Crest (Master Gordon Joures), a straggler from convoy ONS-67 due to a heavy gale on 19 February, was hit by two torpedoes from U-162 and sank capsizing after eight minutes southeast of St. John’s Newfoundland. The ship had been spotted at 02.30 hours and was hit by two torpedoes at 04.45 hours. The master, 40 crew members and six gunners were lost.
The U162’s commander was Justin Wattenberg who was a particularly successful naval officer. It was on his first patrol that he met and sank the White Crest. Later in the war Wattenberg and his U boat was in turn sunk and he became a prisoner of war in the United States.
Alan Driver is remembered at Newcastle on NUT231
