COUSINS, Arthur Robert

Arthur was born 1917 in Newport to Arthur Robert & Ellen Maud (nee GIBBS) COUSINS who were living at 22 Barton Road in Newport around the time of Arthur’s death.

HMS/M Grampus commanded by Lt Cdr C A ROWE. Central Mediterranean, off Augusta, eastern Sicily in the Ionian Sea. Torpedoed by the Italian Torpedo Boats Circe, Clio, Calliope & Polluce. She had sailed from Malta on the 10th of June 1940 to lay mines off the east coast of Sicily. She signalled a successful lay on the 13th, then nothing further was heard. Sighted by Italian ships three days later, a final depth charge attack by Circe & Polluce is believed to have sunk her on the 24th of June 1940 with the loss of all 59.

Arthur, aged 23, was never recovered & he is commemorated by the Commission on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial to The Missing together with over 15,000 of his Second World War shipmates.

Arthur is also remembered on the Newport Borough War Memorial.