Able Seaman Victor Edmund Bloye was born on 13 August 1920 in St Pancras, London, the youngest of the four children of Herbert Edmund Bloye (1886-1959) and Elsie Mary Bloye née Atherton (1892-1976). His birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1920 in the St George Hanover Square registration district. His father was a Metropolitan Police Constable. His elder sisters were Eleanor Elsie Bloye, (1914-2003), Winifred Mary Bloye (1916-2010) and Joan Margaret Bloye (1918-2005).
In March 1937 he was appointed as a Postman in the London Postal Region becoming a Telegraphist on 1 February 1938 and later a Counter Clerk & Telegraphist in May of that year. The family were living at 61 Clitterhouse Road, London, N.W.2.
He joined the Royal Navy, service number P/JX193173, and was serving on the light cruiser H.M.S. Penelope on 7 October 1943 when, with other ships, she sank six enemy landing craft, one ammunition ship and an armed trawler off Stampalia, Greece. While the ships were retiring through the Scarpanto Straits south of Rhodes, they were attacked by eighteen Ju 87 "Stuka" dive-bombers of I.Group Stuka Wing 3 based in Megara, Greece. He was aged 23 years and was one of the eleven men killed in the attack. Although damaged by a bomb, H.M.S. Penelope was able to return to Alexandria where he was buried in Plot 5, Row E, Grave 6 in the Hadra War Memorial Cemetery, Alexandria, Egypt.
Administration of his estate was granted to his mother on 7 February 1944 and his effects totalled £307-17s-4d. He is also commemorated on page 30 in the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance Memorial Book 1939-1945 and on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
At the time of his death he was a resident of Golders Green.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
