Eric Peter Molyneux

Eric Peter Molyneux (born 26 August 1923) is a war veteran who served on board with the Merchant Navy on D-Day. His ship took the US 2nd Rangers to Omaha on the morning of June 6, 1944.
Early life
Eric Peter Molyneux lived in Welwyn with his parents, Harold and Emily Molyneux. They moved to Borehamwood in 1937 as his father was working in Elstree Studios, which was still recovering from a huge fire in 1936. His mother was a nanny, and he had two brothers. Him and his family occupied 40 Hiilside Avenue, which he recalled "a large plum tree at the front, and that the bathroom was in the kitchen area (just inside the back door), and when World War 2 broke out we had an Anderson shelter built in the back garden."
Early career
In the early 1940s, he had a paper round job, in which he found incendiary bomb cases in Melrose Avenue. He went to school in Furzehill Road and gained a free scholarship to Greggs Business college in Finsbury Park for two years, learning shorthand and typing. Molyneux was a part-time messenger at the so-called Ambulance Centre in the old Village Hall, now 96 Shenley Road. Eventually he finished at Finsbury Park and took a job at Elstree with a London Insurance firm evacuated from London and based in a big house in Barnet Lane.
Second World War
In 1943, he volunteered for the Merchant Navy. After several lessons in London, Dock Street on turning on taps in ships engine rooms "we spent one afternoon shovelling granite chips through a hole, and then shovelling back again." A few days later he was sent to Scotland to find HMS Alca on the 13th of March 1943, which was loading coal. He took part in the Arctic Convoys. He went to San Francisco, where he picked up mines and took them to Akurari in the north and Seydisford in the south of Iceland. He celebrated his 20th birthday in Iceland. He was serving on HMS Ships under a Merchant Navy Agreement T124X which meant he received Merchant Navy pay but was under Royal Navy discipline.
On 20 August 1943, he was transferred to HMS Mersey (shore establishment). It was the home base in the old Royal Northern Hospital in Liverpool, established as a branch of HMS Eaglet.
On 15 October 1943, he joined HMS Prince Charles, a Belgian cross channel ferry converted to carry Commandos into action. Lifeboats were replaced with flat-bottomed landing craft or LCA (Landing Craft Assault) designed so that the front (bow) dropped on the beach enabling troops to run off and immediately begin their assault.
On 2 June 1944, Off Portland and the Jurassic coast, the ship was “sealed”. Nobody was allowed off and anyone coming aboard had to stay. It had around 30 soldiers, and several LCA's but knew it would not be a problem to make a rendezvous to collect 270 highly trained soldiers.
On 6 June 1944 (D-Day), he witnessed the landings on Omaha Beach where some 34,000 American soldiers landed.
In July 1944, he was recalled from leave and resumed training in Earnest, fully expecting to be sent to the Far East however on the morning of 10 August 1944, further landings were needed to open another Front in the south of France. He witnessed landings to recapture Lyons. The next day, another town along the coast, and finally Palermo in Sicily.
On 5 January 1945, he was called up for the army and joined the RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps 3 Coy). He was sent to learn basic nursing so he could be clerk to medical staff on board hospital ships and troop ships.
Following the victory in Europe, he successfully chose staying at sea as medical clerk in various ship hospitals. He travelled on SS Queen of Bermuda, an exceptionally large troopship carrier to Naples repatriating Italian prisoners of war and to South Africa and India, bringing and returning troops for the victory parade.
He was finally demobilised on the 29th May 1947.
Referees Association
Molyneux spoke about his time in the Referees Association: "I enthusiastically cycled to watch Arsenal, Tottenham and occasionally to Wembley before becoming interested in refereeing football, obtaining a copy of the Laws, and passing the examination in 1952. As my initial enthusiasm intensified, I joined the Referees Association, and after a few years, I became one of the top Referees in Hertfordshire. However, did not have the time, ambition, or transport to progress to refereeing at top professional matches. Administratively I progressed from local, through County, to Divisional and National levels of the RA and FA, becoming involved in training, monitoring, and discussions of Law changes at quite high levels. In 1993 I was appointed Life Member of the Referees Association." Molyneux has also presented the 50-plus years membership award to Max Lea MBE.
He has received the 50 Years Referee Long Service award from the Herts FA.
Shenley Parish Council
Molyneux was the Clerk of the Shenley Parish Council for 10 years.
Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur)
Molyneux was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur on April 1, 2021, for his role on D-Day, serving on board with the Merchant Navy. His ship took the US 2nd Rangers to Omaha on the morning of June 6, 1944.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu