Notes
The All About Thornton website (see References) states: ‘Ernest Box, born 4 May 1918, the 4th son of Thomas and Clara Box was born in Denaby Main. His future wife, Elsie May Whitfield was born in Denaby. Some time before September 1939 the Whitfield family had moved to 399 Thornton Road, Thornton. In the July to September Quarter of 1940 Ernest and Elsie were married, probably at Denaby, but certainly in the Don Valley. Ernest became an Able Seaman, Royal Navy, serving on the French Ship Branlebas, #P/JX 140444. He died 14 December, 1940, aged 22. He is commemorated on Thornton War Memorial, on Panel 38, column 2 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, and on Denaby War Memorial. hoto at the start of this section, below heading WW2.
The French ship Branlebas broke in two in heavy seas, due to poor design. Out of a crew of 108 only 1 Englishman and 2 Frenchman survived. A website which is about ship wrecks gives more information, see https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?133666 . It quotes the only English sailor who survived (along with 2 Frenchmen). The Branlebas, a torpedo boat from the French Navy, left Dartmouth around 1800 hours on 13th Dec. 1940. She was charged with escorting a west bound convoy. Her poor sea going qualities meant she could not keep pace with the convoy in rough weather and she lost contact. At 0900 hours on the 14th Dec a heavy head sea caused her to break her back at the after end of the engine room. The stern section separated , turned over and sank immediately. Only three sailors survived and they were picked up from a life raft four days later. The Englishman was Wilfred Sealey a telegraphist. His watch stopped at 9.15 am. Branlebas was unpopular with her crew. There were rats on board, (70 had been killed the previous weekend), and she made a lot of smoke. She was not built for the type of conditions encountered that night and many of the crew had a bad feeling about the trip. The Admiralty loss position puts her 25 miles SSW Eddystone but she is likely to be further down than that having spent 15 hours at sea.
Elsie Box lived in Thornton until her death in 2002, aged 86, for many years in George Street.'