4 SECOND ROW James Gilbertson - KILLED IN AN ENEMY RAID WHILE IN SERVICE

Surgeon Lieutenant James Gilbertson was born in Sunderland in 1914 and was killed in action in Egypt in 1940. He played in the second row for the club in the early 1930s.He was the son of a surgeon who also served in the RNVR – during both world wars – and was educated at Durham School and the Medical School in Newcastle. The family lived in Side Cliff, Roker. James qualified as a doctor in 1938. During the early part of the war, he was serving on HMS Decoy which was part of the Mediterranean Fleet. He was on board  when it was attacked by enemy planes in Alexandria Harbour in 1940. He and another officer were killed as well as nine among the ranks. He is remembered in memorials at Durham School and in St Andrews at Roker. He was buried in Alexandria War Cemetery. His mother was a member of the Crown family which owned the site where the new film studios are being built.

Go to Google and click ‘James Gilbertson’ RNVR for further details.