VICARS, Charles William

VICARS, Charles William

Chief Officer, Merchant Navy, M.V. Mistletoe

Born March 1887 (1939 register gives date as 9th, RNR record says 12th) in Cleethorpes, baptized at Old Clee Church on 17/12/1887

Died 15/10/1940, Age 53

Buried 07/11/1940

Son of Charles Foster Vicars (Fisherman, died at sea, December 1918) and Betsy Maria Vicars (nee Mumby-Croft)

Husband of Ruth Annie Vickers (nee Kilburn, married 1914, Grimsby). Appear to have had three chidren, Charles R (born 1915), Dorothy (born 1917) and Alec (born 1920)

Attended Matthew Humberstone School

Occupation (1911) – Fisherman, living at 27 Rowston Street, with parents and 6 younger siblings, Percy, Gladys, Horace, Betsy Mumby, Cora and Rex

Records show that Charles Vicars also served in the Royal Naval Reserve during the First World War on the vessels Ceto, Pembroke and Attentive III. His address when he enlisted on 30/10/1916 was 17 Grant Street, Cleethorpes. He is described as 5 ft 9 in tall, with blue eyes, fresh complexion and a crossed hands & flag tattoo on his left arm.

Occupation  (1939) – Inshore Fisherman, address 32 Rowston Street, Cleethorpes. Son Alec is still living at home. Charles’ widowed mother is living in the same street.

Charles Vicars was one of four men killed on the Mistletoe in the River Humber, whilst two other crewmen were rescued. The Mistletoe was built of wood in 1890 and was hired by the Admiralty as a river patrol vessel in December 1939. She was sunk on a mine, eight cables 310° from Bull Sand Fort.

The other men who died, all of whom were from Grimsby, were Donald Charles Hockney, Master, age 37, Isaac Jackson, 1st Engineer, age 31 and William Ernest Fincham, 2nd Engineer, age 21. Presumably Vicars was the only one whose body was found, as the other three are listed on the Merchant Navy memorial at Tower Hill.