On the Plymouth Naval Memorial is the name of D/JX 638884 Able Seaman Alan Askew, serving on H.M.S. Lapwing with the Royal Navy who died 20/03/1945.

The son of Joseph and Margaret Askew, of Felling, Co. Durham.

Alan was born 10th May 1925 at Felling.

In the afternoon of the 20th March 1945, U Boat U-968 commanded by Oberleutnant zur See Otto Westphalen, attacked convoy JW-65 and reported a destroyer and a Liberty ship sunk and another Liberty ship torpedoed. In fact, the sloop HMS Lapwing (U 62) (Cdr J.A. Binnie, Rtd, RN) of the 7th Escort Group and the Liberty ship Thomas Donaldson were sunk. The survivors of the sloop were rescued by HMS Savage (G 20) (LtCdr C.W. Malins, DSO, DSC, RN).

At 10.14 hours on the 20th March 1945, U-716 (Thimme) had attacked the same convoy and reported a Groznyj class destroyer sunk, but the U-boat probably missed HMS Lapwing (U 62).

Heslop’s Local Advertiser 19/04/1947 carries:
“Askew (Felling), Alan, lost at sea, H.M.S. Lapwing, March 20th, 1945.

Alan Askew is remembered in our List of Ships’ Crews.