Notes
John Wenlock Ashley was born at Tenbury in Worcestershire on 27 September 1914, the elder son of Leonard, a solicitor, and Lillian (née Du Rocher). He was educated at Bromsgrove School from 1928 to 1933 and represented the School at the National Schools Imperial Meeting at Bisley in 1933.
John Ashley entered Worcester College on 6 October 1933, where he was awarded the Theodore Williams Scholarship for Anatomy in 1935. He achieved 2nd class honours in Physiology in 1936 and won an open scholarship to Middlesex Hospital.
At the outbreak of war John Ashley was Resident Medical Officer at Hove General Hospital in Sussex and volunteered immediately for service with the Royal Navy. He was commissioned as a Surgeon Lieutenant in the RNVR on 10 November 1939 and posted to the destroyer HMS Imogen where he saw action during the Norwegian campaign in early 1940, including the sinking of the German U-Boat U-63. HMS Imogen was sunk in an accident in July 1940, during which John Ashley was badly injured.
In June 1942 John Ashley was part of the crew of the light cruiser HMS Hermione, escorting convoy MW-11 on its journey from Alexandria to Malta. During the voyage the group was spotted by the German U-Boat U205, which fired three torpedoes at HMS Hermione, hitting her amidships on the starboard side. She turned over on her side and floated for 21 minutes before sinking. Surgeon Lieutenant John Ashley remained at his medical station for some time after the ship was hit, and was later seen helping others to abandon ship, but was not seen again, and was reported missing, presumed killed on active service. He was 27 years old.
John Ashley is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial, and on the war memorials at St Mary’s Church, Tenbury, at Bromsgrove School, and at Worcester College, Oxford.