A MAN who served in the Royal Navy during the war has died.
Colin Cartmell, 85, of Clayton West, was a teenage sailor on board the British battleship HMS Barham when it was torpedoed off the coast of Egypt in 1941.
Mr Cartmell was one of the 450 survivors of the sinking but more than 850 lost their lives.
It was on November 25, 1941, that the Barham was targeted by a German submarine. Mr Cartmell was flung into the oil-covered water as the ship exploded but was rescued by other Allied ships.
He went on to serve in the Navy for 16 years, ending his career in the China Seas during the Korean War.
Before joining up he had worked as an apprentice printer for the Wakefield Express.
But when he returned after the Navy, he joined the Barnardos charity and worked as a housemaster and sportsmaster at children’s homes across the north of England.
He was awarded the British Empire Medal for his work.
He leaves a widow, Eileen, two daughters Helen and Heather and six grandchildren.
A funeral service for Mr Cartmell takes place on Thursday, March 26, at All Saints Church, Clayton West.
