Alfred Cecil Luce (1903 - 1941)

Born 6 Nov 1903 in Highgate, London, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Died 20 Oct 1941 at age 37 in At Sea [uncertain]

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Biography

Alfred was born on 6th November 1903, in Highgate, London, England. He was the eldest son of John Luce and his wife Mary (nee Tucker). ^[1]

At the 1911 Census Alfred was living in Alverstoke, Hampshire with his parents and three younger brothers. ^[2]

On 14th May 1930 Alfred married Mary Constance Morrice at Malmesbury. ^[3]

Naval Career

Like his father Alfred joined the Royal Navy as an Officer Cadet and trained at the Royal Naval Colleges at Osborne and Dartmouth. He rose steadily through the ranks, training as a gunnery officer and serving on a number of battleships and cruisers. His final posting was as Commander (or Executive Officer) of the heavy cruiser HMS Norfolk. ^[4] During this appointment HMS Norfolk was involved in the hunt for the German Battleship Bismarck, and Luce witnessed the sinking of HMS Hood on 24th May 1941. For his part in the action he was awarded a "Mention in Dispatches", and was called as witness in the the sinking of HMS Hood on 14th August 1941. ^[5]

He died on board the hospital ship HMHS Amarapoora on 20th October in 1941 as a result of an accident during a firefighting exercise on 13th October. He was buried at sea off Thurso, Scotland. ^{[6] [7]}

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: England & Wales General Register Office, GRO Online Index - Birth (https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content : accessed 4 Mar 2024), database entry for LUCE, Alfred Cecil (Mother's maiden surname: TUCKER). GRO Reference: 1903 D Quarter in ST.PANCRAS Volume 01B Page 144.
2. ↑ 1911 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XWQ7-Q6V : 21 December 2022), Alfred Cecil Luce in household of Mary Dorothee Luce, Alverstoke, Hampshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
3. ↑ Marriage: "Marriage Index" (https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=rUROs641BPeit3yMnKsoQA&scan=1 : accessed 4 Mar 2024) FreeBMD, database online for Mary C Morrice and Alfred C Luce, 1873 Dec Quarter District: Malmesbury Vol: 5a Page 146.
4. ↑ Career History RN Officers 1939-45 accessed 4 Mar 2024
5. ↑ Board of Inquiry: Evidence taken on board H.M.S. "King George V" at Scapa Flow on 13th August, 1941Testimony Accessed 4 Mar 2024.
6. ↑ Death: Naval History Net
7. ↑ Probate: "England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:7XHT-MQMM : Thu Dec 14 00:08:12 UTC 2023), Entry for Alfred Cecil Luce and Mary Constance Luce, 2 Jan 1942.