On Chatham Naval Memorial, Kent is the name of Lieutenant James Nelson Beazley seeing on H.M.S. Juno with the Royal Navy who died 21/05/1941.

He was the son of James Nelson Beazley and Ida Beazley, of East Bolden, County Durham and the husband of Joyce Lomax Beazley, of Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

Christine Davison has submitted the following:-

James Nelson was the son of James Nelson and Ida Beazley nee Webb who was born in Frizington, Cumberland.

James was born on June 15 1913, he had one brother and a sister. The family lived at Langhurst Villa, 37 Langholm Road, and his father was a Shipbroker.

Seafaring seems to have run in the family, as his grandfather had been a Master Mariner. According to records, by 1928, James Nelson Beazley Jnr. was serving as a 3rd Mate, and he was described as 5 feet 9 inches tall, with blue eyes and brown hair, and a fresh complexion.

By 1930, he was an apprentice on the vessel Scottish Standard, arriving at New Orleans from Tampico. He had spent 2 years at sea, stood 5 feet 8 inches in height, and weighed 150 pounds.

James began his career in the Merchant Navy and was appointed Sub-Lieutenant in the R.N.R. in July 1938. Six months later, he was transferred to the Royal Navy in the same rank to HMS Excellent for training courses then made Lieutenant in January 1939.

He married Joyce Lomax Read in1940 in Hertfordshire.

H.M.S. Juno was a J-class destroyer and was launched in August 1939. Juno was attacked by an Italian aircraft as she steamed with the Mediterranean fleet against the German invasion of Crete and sank 30 nautical miles southeast of Crete. 116 crew died out of a complement of between 130 and 218 seamen and officers. There were no official numbers for the full complement.

Lieutenant James Nelson Beazley (27) died on 21 May 1941 in Crete. Commemorated on The Chatham Naval Memorial, Panel 41,

James Nelson Beazley is remembered at East Boldon on E46.01 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.

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