William John Rees GUMBLETON
| Name: | William John Rees GUMBLETON | R0078 |
|---|---|---|
| Born: | 8 Aug 1912 | Bedwellty RD, Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Parents: | John GUMBLETON | Harriet REES |
| Died: | 1970 | Bedwellty RD, Monmouthshire, Wales |
| Occupation: | Leading seaman (RN) and colliery shaftsman |
 In uniform: William John Rees Gumbleton ca1936. With his father, grandfather and son. Thanks to John Gumbleton for the picture |
| Note: Information about later generations may be excluded for reasons of privacy | ||
| Spouse 1 | Vera Alice BRINKWORTH
Married 1934 Bedwellty RD (Registration district), Monmouthshire, Wales (Died 4 Dec 2003 Caerphilly RD, Glamorganshire, Wales) |
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| William John Rees Gumbleton was a son of John Gumbleton and his wife Harriet, nee Rees. He was born on 8 Aug 1912 in the Bedwellty, Monmouthshire, Registration District.
In 1934 he married Vera Alice Brinkworth in the Bedwellty District. They had two children. In World War II, he served as a Leading Seaman on HMS Exeter, seeing action at the Battle of the River Plate, Montevideo. This was the first naval battle of the war and was an encounter between the allied Navy and the German cruiser, Admiral Graf Spee. In the King's Birthday Honours, for 1940, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal (DSM)—a medal awarded for for bravery and resourcefulness on active service at sea. The citation is given in the London Gazette dated 11th July 1940, issue 34893, page 4258. He was pictured in the South Wales Gazette dated 15th March 1940, and again 22nd May 1942. The four Abertillery men who served on Exeter, were given civic receptions every time they were on shore leave. He was a shaftsman at the Six Bells Colliery, and also received the British Empire Medal (BEM), The citation is given in the London Gazette page 29 dated 01 January 1963. He was also known as 'Bob'. He died in September 1970. At the time, his home was at 43, Canberra Close, Penmaen, Blackwood, Monmouthshire, Wales. His widow died in 2003. Thanks to Bryan Boots for information about William Gumbleton | ||
| Date | Event | Place | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 Sep Qr | Birth registration of William J R GUMBLETON | Bedwellty RD (Registration district), Monmouthshire, Wales | Civil registration birth registers |
| 19 Jun 1921 | William John Gumbleton (age 8y 10m) living in Somerset Street, Abertillery, Monmouthshire in 1921 census | Abertillery, Monmouthshire, Wales | 1921 census |
| 1934 Dec Qr | Marriage registration of William J R Gumbleton | Bedwellty RD (Registration district), Monmouthshire, Wales | Civil marriage registers |
| 1946 | Navy List 1946 (WJR Gumbleton) | None | View details |
| 1 Jan 1963 | Recipients of British Empire Medal | Abertillery | View details |
| 1970 Sep | Death registration of William John R Gumbleton | Solihull RD, Warwickshire, England | Civil registration death registers |
| 10 Sep 1970 | Will of William John Rees Gumbleton | Blackwood, Monmouthshire | View details |
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