Charles James Oxenham

He was serving as a Petty Officer Stoker on the River-class frigate H.M.S. Itchen which was sunk in the Atlantic on 23 September 1943 by the German submarine U-666 . The Itchen was an escorting Convoys ONS 202 and 18.

At 21:51 on 20 September, HMCS St. Croix was hit and sunk. The Itchen went to assist, just over an hour later, whilst picking up the 81 survivors from the water, the German submarine U-305 fired a torpedo at the Itchen, but missed, striking HMS Polyanthus instead. As the Polyanthus was sinking it provided a screening for the rescue.

At 02:01 on the morning of 23 September, U-666 fired a torpedo at Itchen which hit the ship after 70 seconds. The frigate blew up with loss of 230 lives.

There were only three survivors from her crew and the 81 survivors from HMS Polyanthus and HMCS St. Croix that she was carrying.