Roll of Honour 2023

P AGE 218

W ORLD W AR II

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

Name FREDERICK JOHN GORDON MATTHEWS (Ld Air)

Lef SES 1939

Roll Number 2957 Died 17:01:1941

Set / House A

Arrive SES 1934

Where ROCKALL, NORTH ATLANTIC Serving with FLEET AIR ARM, R.N.V.R.

Age 21

Buried No Known Grave Remembered Memorial Register, RNVR, Lee-On-Solent and The St. Edward’s School WW2 Memorial

Born Northern Ireland 1920, the son of a clergyman. ‘He was a very able, studious, boy who although too slight to make his mark at Rugby Football , took part with zest in all games. He represented the School in the Shooting VIII (Captain), coxed the 2nd VIII, acted in the annual Play and sang in the Choir. He was interested in music and literature. As a School Prefect and head of his House, he displayed unique tact and firmness. After obtaining five School Certificates, three Higher Certificates (with a Distinction in Maths), he won a Rustat Scholarship in Mathematics to Jesus College, Cambridge, which he was never able to take up’ (Chronicle). He joined the Fleet Air Arm R.N.V.R. in 1940 as a Leading Airman, attached to HMS ‘Goshawk’ a Royal Naval Air Station (a shore establishment) based in Trinidad, West Indies in 1940. Matthews was killed early in 1941 off Rockall in the North Atlantic while in transit from England to the West Indies for training purposes on the SS ‘Almeda Star’ , which was hit amidships by torpedoes fired by U-Boat 96, which then surfaced and fired with its 88mm deck gun. 160 British personnel were killed, Matthews amongst them. A few survivors were picked up later by British destroyers.