Densham George Lewis

(Bearbeiten)

Biografie:
George Lewis Densham (1912 – 1964)
Commander G. L. Densham, O.B.E., D.S.C., R.N. (retired), to give him his full title, was known to all his friends as George, or at the most as George Densham, and he was indeed a most friendly individual. He died from injuries received in a road accident, and his prolonged struggle for life, even in a semi-conscious condition, typified his quiet, determined nature.
George had just retired from the Navy, and was settling down to a job which seemed to fit in well with his service experience as an engineer. He was a bachelor, but even his short spell as a civilian had started him wondering whether he would not prefer a more connubial state of life.
He served in H.M.S. Rodney before the war, and in H.M.S. Vanguard after the war, including the occasion of Her Majesty's visit to the ship, but throughout the hostilities he was in destroyers, first in the Western Mediterranean, then on the Russian Convoys to Murmansk, as well as in the Atlantic. After the war he spent some time in Ceylon and also in H.M.S. Vernon, the underwater establishment at Portsmouth.
George started climbing early in his naval career, and was able to enjoy whatever opportunities were at hand, from the crags of Kent and Dartmoor to the bigger mountains. As a member of the Climbers' Club he was attached to North Wales and was one of the pre-war supporters of Helyg. He served on the committee of that Club from 1961 until the time of his death.
He was elected to the Alpine Club in 1957, having by then collected a good list of alpine expeditions. In 1962 he joined C. B. M. Warren and I. H. Ogilvie on a small expedition to Mount Kenya, but although he reached the foot of the mountain, he was not well at the time so could not take part in the attempt by the North-west ridge, which was the objective of the party. In the circumstances he did not retreat, however, but characteristically and unselfishly worked most efficiently in support of the climbing party at both Two Tarn and Top Huts.
George was broadminded in a slightly old-fashioned kind of way, and tolerant of human frailty. His unfailing courtesy endeared him to his friends, and to women in particular, despite his bachelor ways. He also had a nice sense of humour. Whilst he did not give the impression of being a particularly religious person, he was in fact a regular reader of the Bible, and privately he gave much thought to the way one ought to live. There is no doubt that this, together with his naval training, made him a model of good breeding and behaviour. His main hobbies seem to have been mountaineering, his car and photography. He was a devoted son and spent a considerable amount of time taking care of his mother.
C. B. M. Warren
I. M. Waller
Quelle: Alpine Journal Volume 69, 1964, Seite 318-319


Geboren am:
1912
Gestorben am:
1964