Kenneth Robert Hale

A Petty Officer with H.M.S. Niger, Kenneth died on 6th of July 1942 aged 23. 

Kenneth was born at Haddiscoe on 4 October 1918, a son of George and Edith Hale, and his family lived at Haddiscoe in 1921. By 1939 the family home was at 5 Compass Street, Lowestoft. 

In 1941 Kenneth married Gladys Rose Cook, this was registered in the Lothingland district.  

Kenneth served on the minesweeper, H.M.S. Niger. On 27 June 1942 the Niger left Murmansk as the lead ship of a convoy consisting of several merchant ships: convoy QP 13. Heavy fog, and a navigation error, on 5 July meant that the Niger mistook an iceberg for land and sailed into an allied minefield off Iceland. The ship struck a mine and sank, as did four of the ships following, while two others were damaged. All of the 148 men on board the Niger were lost.