On Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire is the name of Lieutenant George Lambert Russell serving on Motor Torpedo Boat 639 with the Royal Navy who died 29/04/1943.
Christine Davison has submitted the following:
George Lambert Russel was the son of George Ellliot and Isabella RussellL, nee Lambert. Both his parents were born in Sunderland and married on the 6th August 1901 at The Venerable Bede Monkwearmouth.
George was born on 25th December 1902 in Bergen, Norway. I haven’t been able to find out what they were doing in Norway, according to a family tree his father was a ships draughtsman.
By the time of the 1911 census, the family were living on Front Street Cleadon but George’s father is absent, it appears that he has left the family and gone to Canada, According to local reports, he was thrown out of the house after having an affair with a local barmaid, he later married bigamously and had another family.
George’s mother was running a shop selling Groceries and Confectionery. George’s sister, Olga, was born in Sunderland. In 1919, George is recorded as a passenger on the Comrie Castle bound for the United Kingdom and his occupation is given as a Mercantile Marine Apprentice.
By the 1921 census, George’s mother, Isabella, and his sister Olga were living with their grandmother at 1 Linden Terrace, Monkwearmouth.
George appears to be absent from the 1921 census; it may be that he was abroad. In October 1928, George married Elsie Barton Hall at St. George’s Presbyterian Church, Sunderland, but they divorced, and on the 5th June 1940, he married Roma Glaholm at East Boldon Congregational Church.
George became an Insurance broker and had an office in Sunderland, he was also mentioned a few times in the 1930s in the Sunderland Echo for various reasons, twice for minor driving offences, letting his assistant, who didn’t have a licence, park his car and another for not having signed his driving licence, both times he seems to have avoided any penalty.
As a keen Yachtsman and member of Sunderland Sailing Club, he and his sailing partner, Dr. Norman Spark, won quite a few Races at various regattas, and also in 1936, he and Dr Spark had sailed to Norway and back on board a four and a half ton yacht called Vilia There was an article about them in the Sunderland Echo on 06/07/1936.
In 1939, George was living at Hillview Gardens, Sunderland, with his mother and William Pryde, who was the owner of Pryde’s Bakery.
George had joined the Naval Reserve and by 1940, was a temporary Lieutenant. In 1941, he was based at Great Yarmouth in charge of H.M.S. Midge with the Coastal Forces. On 20th October 1942, they were attacked off Tunisia but survived.
He later became a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and was Captain of Motor Torpedo Boat 639. In February 1943, there is an article about him presenting a plaque of his boat 639, which was part of 32 Flotilla, to Pryde’s Bakery.
On April 28th 1943, they were ten miles southeast of Cape Bon off Kaliba, Tunisia, having attacked an Italian vessel, with its sister ships, MTB639, having used all its torpedoes, engaged the enemy with gunfire. It was then attacked by aircraft and was severely damaged. The commanding officer and three ratings were killed.
George was posthumously Mentioned in Despatches for bravery. The citation stated, “He was in command of a Motor Torpedo Boat and showed outstanding gallantry and skill in pressing home an attack, in the face of heavy attack from two enemy destroyers, an enemy fighter overhead, and within range of shore batteries. During this action, this gallant officer was killed.”
The address on the Probate entry is given as 2 The Elms, Sunderland.
George Lambert Russell is remembered at East Boldon on E46.01 and E46.07 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.
