The mystery of a long-lost Royal Naval serviceman who drowned in Australia has been laid to rest after the Sutton Guardian traced the dead man's family to Northumberland.
Jeremy Kinver, 49, of Ponteland, was surprised to receive a letter from this paper detailing a search for the family of his uncle Donald Stevens, from Beddington, who died on January 14, 1946, at the age of 19, while on leave in Leeton, New South Wales, Australia.
The discovery comes as the Sutton Guardian was contacted by Leeton Council's library manager with archived reports of his death found printed in the Leeton Irrigator newspaper.
The search for Mr Steven's family began after Ministry of Defence staff in the Naval Historical Branch found a copper plaque in his name at the bottom of a filing cupboard and asked for help in returning it to his relatives.
Mr Kinver, a sales manager, is the son of Mr Steven's sister Joyce who went on to marry John Kinver on August 21, 1941.
Previous reports by this paper led old family friends Brenda and Donald Franks, who are also Godparents to two of the couple’s five children, to contact the newsroom with details that Mr and Mrs Kinver had moved from Wallington to Ash Vale.
The clues lead to this newspaper tracking the younger Mr Kinver down.
He said: “I was dumbstruck, it was so out of the blue. I knew about Donald, but not of the plaque and when I phoned my brother and father they also had no knowledge about the plaque. It's a mystery.
“I remember as a child my mother and Franks family talking about Donald. My mum didn't say too much, but that he died tragically.
“It's quite emotional knowing there is a plaque and to think that someone remembered him in whatever capacity.”
Mr Kinver, said his father John still lived in Ash Vale but confirmed his mother Joyce had died about six years ago soon after her 50th wedding anniversary.
He said his siblings lived across England and abroad: brother Richard, a plant maintenance manager, lives in Somerset; Roger, a telecommunications engineer lives in South Africa, Jennifer, retired, lives in Wiltshire and Angela, lives in Ash Vale, Hampshire.
He said: “No-one knows too much about Donald: he was close to my mother, but died so young.
“It will be nice to have something tangible to remember him by.”
The missing sailor mystery
The Leeton Irrigator reports that Mr Steven sailed to Australia on November 17, 1944 on the HMS Mabbington.
He was visiting Mr and Mrs Walden in Leeton, as Mrs Walden's father and brother lived a few doors down from the Steven's in Wallington.
He went for a swim at the local baths to cool off, as he was feeling the heat and while swimming there he sank and although rescued and resuscitated he died later that day in Leeton Hospital.
Mr Stevens was giving a military funeral, arranged by the local Returned Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen's Imperial League and is buried in Leeton Cemetery.
The newspaper said: “A tall fair sailor boy, he was always full of fun and of a pleasant disposition.
“His sudden passing has cast a gloom of sorrow over all who had come in contact with him.”
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