In Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery is the Commonwealth War Grave of:

J.L. Jemmett
Seaman RNPS. LT/JX. 174551
H.M.S. Eileen Duncan
30th September 1941

Margaret Coniam has provided the following information:

John Leslie Jemmett was the son of Benjamin Walter Jemmett (1890-1938) and Edith Emily Jemmett nee Jarvis (1891-1976).  His siblings were: Benjamin Charles (1910-1980), Gladys Maud (1912-1989), Ernest William (1913-1956), Robert Sidney (1914-1984), Albert Walter (1916-1993), Reginald Percy (1919-2012), Cecil K (1922-2005), Jean N (1928-2010)

John Leslie Jemmett was born on the 18th August 1920 in Faversham, Kent. On the 1921 census, he and his mother and siblings were living at 1, North Lane in the town. His father, Benjamin, a barge captain and working for Burley and Co., Sittingbourne, was away that night although Edith, his mother, had put down her husband’s name by mistake.

John was educated at the Faversham District School and on leaving full time education he started working at Messrs George Beer and Rigden’s Brewery in the town.

In 1938 his father died. He’d been connected with the sea and rivers all his life as he’d joined the Royal Navy in WW1 and then started working on barges.

In December 1939 John himself joined the Royal Navy.

On the 27th September 1941 he married Isabella Adams in Gateshead just three days before the ship he was on was bombed.

The Eileen Duncan was requisitioned for war service in 1940 and she was based at North Shields. She was sunk during an air raid on the 30th September. In all eight of the crew lost their lives.

John was buried in Tynemouth Cemetery with full Naval honours.

He was one of six brothers to serve in the Royal Navy during the Second World War.

In 1946 Isabella remarried.

John Leslie Jemmett is remembered in our List of Ships’ Crews.

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