On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Apprentice Donald Melville Makepeace serving on S.S. White Crest (Newcastle upon Tyne) with the Merchant Navy who died 24/02/1942.

William Kirby and Brenda McMahon have submitted the following:-

Donald was born on January 26th 1924 at Newcastle, the son of Norman Makepeace and his wife Grace nee Melville. The couple had married in Gateshead in 1921. He had a sister, Miriam

Donald, served aboard S.S. White Crest which was a British cargo steamer. On February 24th 1942 when, en route from Cardiff on 14/01/42 and the 12/02/1942 for Buenos Aires, left Belfast 19/02/42 carrying a cargo of coal & coke. She was torpedoed by U-162, captained by Jurgen Wattenberg, and was sunk. The Crew of 47 including Donald were presumed lost.

Donald’s father 2nd Engineer Officer Norman Makepeace also served with Merchant Navy.

The Newcastle Journal 28/04/1943 reports :-
Word of the award of the M.B.E. (Civil Division) to Second Engineer Officer Norman Makepeace reached his daughter Sergeant Miriam Makepeace A.T.S. of Earls Drive, Low Fell on her 21st birthday. When his ship was torpedoed Makepeace kept the engines going and in the words of the official citation ‘Set a splendid example to the engine room personnel’. The ship was eventually brought to port. Second Engineer Officer Makepeace, was born in Felling. He has served in the Merchant Navy for nearly 30 years. His son, Donald, also in the Merchant Navy has been missing for more than a year.

Donald Melville Makepeace is remembered at Newcastle on NUT087 and NUT231 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.