Able seaman a survivor as boats sank three times

A FORMER Royal Navy seaman, who lied about his age to enlist and survived being sunk three times, has died aged 83.

David Stewart, ex-Able Seaman with HMS Wilton, died on 10 January. He was born in 1926 in Haddington, one of five children.

Growing up in an area steeped in military history, David was keen to play his part and, at the age of 13, he became involved in a local group with many of the other young boys in the area.

The group helped lay turf at the RAF station at East Fortune.

Such was his dedication that a few years later, still in teens, he enlisted in the navy, lying about his age in the process.

He began his service in the Mediterranean where he was never far from danger.

Twice he was on board vessels that were sunk and, after being captured by the Germans, the ship he was being held on was again sunk, at which point he was rescued by British forces.

After this he was stationed in India but, as he was travelling to Japan, the atomic bomb hit, prompting another move back to the Mediterranean and then on to Syria and Palestine.

After years of service in the Royal Navy, David returned home to meet his future wife Roseann in 1948.

The couple were married in 1949 in St Mary's Catholic Church, Haddington.

On leaving the navy, David took a job at a steel galvanising plant but post-war shortages meant there was little safety equipment for employees to use. After inhaling fumes from the plant, David became ill and was off work for a year.

Although he recovered, he continued to suffer from industrial asthma all his life.

Despite the long-term results of his illness, David was a committed, hard working man.

After working at various jobs, he took a post at Brunton's Wiremill in Musselburgh, where he worked for the next 20 years until he retired.

In his retirement, David greatly enjoyed spending time in the garden and trout fishing when he could. He spent many years following and supporting Celtic FC and he was also an active member of the British Legion, who will attend his funeral service tomorrow at St Mary's Church, Haddington.

David was a committed member of the Catholic church, and he helped build the new abbey at Nunraw in the 1960s.

David's family were incredibly important to him and he was the proud father of three children – David, Wilma and Norma, who sadly passed away in 2004.

The family spent many summers in Donegal, Ireland where Roseann was from.

In recent years, Roseann suffered from dementia and, to his credit, David coped with this very well. David also loved spending time with his four grandchildren – Christopher, Kathryn, Daniel and Joseph, and great-grandchild Sophie.