Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 156

W ORLD W AR II

S T . E DWARD ’ S S CHOOL , O XFORD R OLL OF H ONOUR

Name RICHARD LOUIS CUNNINGHAM (Lt)

Lef SES 1937

Set / House E

Roll Number 2847 Died 20:08:1941

Arrive SES 1933

Where LOST AT SEA OFF LIBYAN COAST Serving with SUBMARINE SERVICE, ROYAL NAVY

Age 22

Buried Lost at Sea, No Known Grave Remembered Royal Navy Memorial Portsmouth (Part III) and The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

Born 1919, the son of Admiral-of-the Fleet Sir John Cunningham, later a governor at St. Edward’s 1949-59. He was in the Lower Science VIth Form on leaving. He joined the Royal Navy in 1938 on leaving School and once war broke out was a Sub-Lieutenant in 1941, transferring to the Submarine Service in 1941, on Submarine P33 attached to the 10th Submarine Flotilla. In August 1941 his craft was off the Libyan coast. It was thought that it was sunk along with her sister vessel P32 by the Italian Torpedo Boat ‘Partenope’ near Pantelleria. While there was no definite witness to this action, HMS ‘Unique’ which was in the area heard prolonged depth charge attacks on the date and area in question and neither submarine was ever seen again. Neither was any debris ever recovered. ‘He was a true son of the sea, his great ambition being to qualify for the Senior Service: no one could have been happier than he, when he was able to follow in his father’s career’ (Chronicle). ‘We knew him in his formative years as a boy of determination’ (Chronicle).