On the Chatham Naval Memorial is the name of C/SSX 29524 Able Seaman George William Kirkup serving on HMS Candytuft with the Royal Navy who died 10/09/1941.

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-
George William Kirkup was born 8 September 1918 at South Cleatlam, Winston the son of farm labourer Stephen and Elizabeth (nee Marquis) Kirkup, who had married in 1915, and he was brother to Jessie (1917) and Stephen (1923).     Father Stephen had been married twice before, both wives had died, and he had children from both marriages.  Dorothy had been born in the USA in 1910, and Robert in Morley in 1914.

In 1921 all the children were living with their father and Elizabeth in South Cleatlam.   The 1939 Register shows Stephen and Elizabeth living with Jessie and George at Wham Grange Farm, Butterknowle.

Kevin Richardson has provided the following service information:
The service details of Able Seaman George W. Kirkup has not been researched.  He served aboard HMS Candytuft, a Flower Class corvette [K09] built by Grangemouth Dry Dock Co. [Grangemouth, Scotland], launched in July 1940 and commissioned in October 1940.

Candytuft was assigned to the Western Approaches Escort Force for service as a convoy escort and was engaged in protecting convoys, searching for and attacking U-boats which attacked ships in convoy, and rescuing survivors.

On 9 September 1941 in the North Atlantic, escorting HX 148, HMS Candytuft under the command of Lt. Cdr. F.B. Collinson RNR [retired], suffered a boiler explosion.  Eleven of the crew were killed in the incident and  Able Seaman George W. Kirkup was one.  He died from his wounds the following day, 10 September 1941.  HMS Candytuft was taken in tow and repairs were undertaken at New York in February 1942 and she was subsequently transferred to the US Navy.

George William Kirkup is remembered at Butterknowle on B156.01, at Lynesack on L70.02 and on our List of Ships’ Crews.