Roy Berryman's Story.
Roy served with the Royal Navy Submarine Service from 1920 until 1932 on a 12 year engagement then was recalled following the outbreak of WW2. His family were from the Isle of Wight but he lived in Wistaston with his wife and two children and worked as Superintendent of Crewe Swimming Baths. He was based at HMS Watchful in Norfolk and was involved in the deactivating and making safe of enemy mines that had washed up on the beaches of Southern England. In 1940 he defused over 100 mines over a two month period and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO) for his bravery. He was the first person from Crewe to be awarded a gallantry medal in the war. He actually sent a deactivated mine to the Crewe Swimming Baths so it could be displayed there.
London Gazette 23 April 1940
Evening Sentinel Stoke April 25 1940
On 11th June 1942 hie was killed along with Ensign John Martin howard of the US Navy when a German GT Mine that they were trying to make safe blew up. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval memorial, the Wistaston War Memorial, the Wistaston memorial Hall Memorial and on a special Memorial in the minster Church ( St Nicholas) of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.
Portsmouth Memorial
Minster Church Gt Yarmouth
Wistaston Memorial
Memorial Hall Plaque