On the Tower Hill Memorial in London, is the name of Cabin Boy Thomas Stobbs, serving on S.S. Empire Gilbert (Sunderland) with the Merchant Navy, who died 03/11/1942.

The son of S. R. (sic)  and Esther Hannah Stobbs.

Thomas, known as Tommy, was born in South Shields, the youngest son of John Robert and Esther Hannah Stobbs. He lived at 71 Princess Street.

Information by Pamela Siegel (nee Stobbs).

The Family Story as told:
Tommy and his best mate had gone to the Shipping Federation office to try to get a ship. But there was only one vacancy, so the lads shuffled their cards under the counter to see who would go. The card that came out was Tommy’s. This was his first and last ship. The S.S. Empire Gilbert was hit on the port side by two torpedoes from U Boat U-586 and sank within 2 minutes southwest of Jan Mayen.

Additional research: James Pasby

Thomas Stobbs is remembered at South Shields on S86.037,  at Westoe in W101.08 page 75 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.