Albert 'Bert' or 'Sandy' Sandfield was born in Northern Ireland and served during the war in the Merchant Navy. He was killed in September 1943 when his ship was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese. He was engaged to marry. His widowed mother lived in Marconi Road.

Bert was born in Hollywood in County Down, Ireland on 21st August 1914, the third son of the the chef and former soldier George Benjamin Sandfield, and Florence Mabel Sandfield (nee Manning). Bert's father had been born in St. Pancras, London in 1868; his mother in Warley in 1885. His parents had married at Billericay on 28th February 1907.

Bert's siblings were Frank Sandfield (born in 1907), Jessie Augusta Sandfield (born in 1909), George Alfred Sandfield (1911-1984), and Julia Florence Sandfield (born in 1916).

Bert's father, a former blacksmith, had originally joined the army's Medical Staff Corps (later  the Royal Army Medical Corps) in 1889 with whom he served 21 years, including service in the South Africa (1896-1903) during which he was wounded. In 1911, shortly after leaving the army, he had been employed as a chef by Lipton's Limited. In May 1916, at the age of 47, Bert's father rejoined the army to serve with the Royal Irish Rifles. At the time his family was living at 2 Yew Place, Downshire Road, Hollywood in County Down, Ireland. He remained in the army until January 1920 when he was discharged on medical grounds.

During the Second World War Bert served in the Merchant Navy. He was killed on 9th September 1943 when his ship, the  5,151 ton motor vessel Larchbank (Glasgow) was torpedoed and sunk by the Japanese submarine I-27 in the Indian Ocean (position 07.38N/74.00E) when on passage from Baltimore for Colombo. He was 29 year's old and was serving as Third Engineer Officer.

Bert's father had died earlier in 1943, on 28th April, at 130 Costead Manor Road in Brentwood. He was 75 years old.

At the time of his father's death Bert's mother was living at 38 Marconi Road in Chelmsford. In 1940 his parents had been listed at 23 Eves Crescent in Chelmsford.

Albert SANDFIELD, Third Engineer Officer, M.V. Larchbank (Glasgow), Merchant Navy

Killed when his ship was sunk in the Indian Ocean. Aged 29

On 29th January 1944 a mass was held for Bert at the Church of Our Lady Immaculate in London Road, Chelmsford. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial in London along with 11 others killed on the Larchbank. Bert was engaged to marry Peggy.

Bert left an estate of £412 0s. 10d.

His mother died in 1965.

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