On the Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of C/SSX 18747 Leading Seaman Frederick Etherington serving on H.M.S. Walney with the Royal Navy on who died 08/11/1942.

He was the son of Robert Thomas and Isobel Etherington and the husband of Rosalind Etherington, of Croxdale, Co. Durham.

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
The son of coal miner Robert Thomas Etherington and his wife Isobel/Isabella (nee Raine), Frederick was born in Dunston on 13th November 1913, the youngest of nine children.  His siblings were Ada Marion (b.1897 Toft Hill), Robert William (b.1901 New Shildon), Thomas Henry (b.1903 New Shildon), Emma Elizabeth (b.1904 New Shildon), Herbert (b.1906 New Shildon), Ruth (b.1908 Old Shildon), Thomas Henry (b.1910 Felling) and Jane (b.1912 Byker).

In 1921 the family were living at South View, Chilton and father Robert was out of work.  Mother Isobel died in 1934 and in 1940 Frederick married Rosalind Allison in Croxdale.  They had one son named after his father born in March 1943.

Fred served with the Royal Navy during WW2 and was on board H.M.S. Walney when she was sunk by gunfire in Oran Harbour, Algeria after first ramming both the outer and inner booms during Operation Reservist.  On board the Walney when she was sunk were 200 men of the 6th US Armoured Infantry Division and a 35-strong US Naval contingent and 6 US Marines.

There were only 14 survivors from the crew of the Walney itself, one officer and 13 ratings. The commanding officer of the operation A/Captain Frederick Thornton Peters DSO, DSC, VC, RN also survived. 81 of Walney‘s crew went down with the ship along with all but a few of the troops carried aboard.

Frederick Etherington is remembered at Croxdale on C104.01 and C104.06, at High Etherley on H127.01 and H127.02 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.