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Lieutenant Thomas Murray OSWELL RN
HM Submarine H42, Royal Navy Date of birth: 11th October 1898 Date of death: 23rd March 1922 Killed on active service aged 23 Buried at sea
11th of October 1898 the youngest son of Commander Thomas John Oswell RN and Alice Gertrude (nee Warren) Oswell later of Holmbury St Mary in Surrey and of Dulwich. He was christened at St Alban's Church, Acton Green on the 20th of November 1898. He was educated at Dulwich College from September 1909 to July 1913 and at Lancing College from September 1913 to July 1915 where he was in Sandersons House. He returned to Dulwich College from September 1915 to July 1916. On leaving school he joined the Royal Navy and was appointed as a Midshipman on the 15th of February 1917. He was posted to the battlecruiser HMS New Zealand on the 20th of March 1917 and served with her until the 11th of November 1918. During his time on the ship he was described by his commanding officer, Captain Leveson-Gower as: - "Reliable officer of the watch at sea being of very good physique, he ought to play more games than he does. Very good in charge of men." He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of May 1918. He was posted to the shore establishment, HMS Victory until the 22nd of November when he was posted to the destroyer HMS Stuart on the 16th of December 1918, serving with her until the 17th of February 1920. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 15th of May 1920. On the 26th of October 1920 he applied for a transfer to the submarine service having undergone a medical examination on the 23rd of October. He was posted to HM Submarine H42 as Third Officer on the 11th of April 1921. In a report dated the 21st of June 1921 he was described as: - "Keen and zealous; has not been very long here but shows he is anxious to learn and get experience and will, I think, do well. The right type to make a S/M officer. Quiet disposition. Good physique." In December 1921 the crew of HM Submarine H42, under the command of Lieutenant Douglas Carteret Sealy DSC and Bar RN, celebrated Christmas at Portsmouth before setting sail the following month for naval exercises in the Mediterranean. On the 23rd of March 1922 she was on exercise with other submarines off Europa Point to the south of Gibraltar, making a dummy attack on a group of Royal Navy destroyers which were making twenty knots. At 9.41am H42 surfaced some one hundred and twenty yards ahead of the bow of the destroyer HMS Versatile. The captain of HMS Versatile, Commander Victor Campbell RN, ordered the engines to full astern and swung the ship hard to port but the destroyer struck the submarine just behind the conning tower, almost cutting her in two. H42 was lost with all hands, Lieutenant Douglas Carteret Sealy DSC and Bar RN, Lieutenant James Charles Woolmen Price DSC RN, Lieutenant Thomas Murray Oswell RN and twenty three ratings. A memorial to the crew was unveiled at Gibraltar on the 23rd of March 2022.

Sandersons House