One of several casualties to die whilst serving in a semi-military capacity Jack, who was known locally as Tilley, was lost at sea aboard his boat the Cobbers.  At the outset of the war in 1939 the British Admiralty had commandeered many small fishing vessels from the ports of Britain; some of these had been re-fitted as mine sweepers or patrol vessels but many still retained their original roles as part of a national fishing fleet.

          The vessel that Jack served aboard was a trawler that had been re-fitted as a mine sweeper and been attached to the Royal Naval Patrol Service on patrols off the North Sea coast of Britain.  The crew would have remained the same but would have been given naval ratings according to their experience at sea; Jack’s official title was as an ‘Ordinary Seaman’, probably meaning that he had some sea experience but had not spent long periods at sea.  It is unclear at the present time as to the actual circumstances into Jack’s death because his body was brought back to Filey for his funeral on 14^th March 1941 by the crew of the Cobbers, indicating that it wasn’t sunk but that some other fate befell him.

          Jack was married to Evelyn and the couple lived at 19, Reynolds Street; in his free time Jack was a keen footballer and had played for Filey Town F.C. for many years.