BURIAL AT SEA

[fitter]

Came across two black and white photos, about 6" x 3.5", good quality, of a burial at sea.
Understand the need to respect the privacy of any relatives but if there is a relative that would like the photos, please get in touch and I'll send them.
Writing on the back simply says, "The burial of Leading Stoker Fairburn "A Geordie" Died and buried at sea 12th December 1940."

[northeast]

Would be nice to trace any descendants, I've had a quick look at the Newspaper Archives, NE area without finding anything. 'Leading Stoker' may suggest naval rather than merchant seaman? Does the photo suggest which it was?

[northeast]

If you look down this page
https://www.naval-history.net/xDKCas1940-12DEC.htm

you will see

Thursday, 12 December 1940
Cornwall
FAIRBAIRN, William, Leading Stoker, C/KX 83661, died

Maybe more from RN records?

[northeast]

Lots more info due to some diligent research by my good friend Brian (Doctor) Watson.
Will try to copy it all:

I found this entry in the UK, British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records. He died of ‘enteric fever’ which we would call Typhoid Fever or Salmonella poisoning today.
(table won't copy)

It says he was about 25 and was buried at sea.

That would make his year of birth about 1915. I found that he was born in Sunderland on 2 June 1915 and that his mother’s name was Cruickshanks.

I can see there is an entry for him on the 1921 census on Findmypast living at Fullwell, Durham but I don’t have a subscription. There is also a Florence, George and five others living in the household.

I’m afraid that is the extent of public records for the poor chap but if whoever is enquiring goes to Findmypast and looks on the 1921 census section you can get a free trial and they might find out a bit more.

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I had an inspiration about how to find more about him and tried again and found that his father was William Fairbairn (1873-1919) and his mother Margaret Cruickshanks (1876-1947). He had 10 siblings the last of whom died in 2002.

And oh how awful! He married Sarah McGinley (1917-?) on 22 July 1940 (at Sunderland) – just months before he died.

His father had been a shipyard labourer but died in 1919 and was buried abroad (war casualty)

So there's a possible chance that his new wife may have had a child, otherwise there will certainly be nephews and nieces from his many siblings. It would require as a first shot a look for Fairbairns in the Sunderland phone book and enquire if any of them were the children of any of his brothers, the last ones to die were Leonard in 2000 and George in 2002. But they won't be youngsters, if still alive!