3531708 L/Cpl Frederick Langridge, Manchester Regt. was killed in the 5th June 1940 at the age of 23. He has no known grave and his name is engraved on the panels of the Plymouth Naval Memorial. His name is also recorded in the Royal Navy's list of those who died in WW2. The CWGC indicates that he was part of the "Defensively Equipped Merchant Ships Personnel". Duties required by "DEMS Gunners" in WW2, as they were commonly called, were usually carried out by Naval Ratings and men of the Maritime Regiment Royal Artillery, I note that this soldier died on the 5th June 1940, a date which happens to be the day after the evacuation of the BEF at Dunkirk. Lastly, he may have lived in Audenshaw.
During the research the following questions arose:-
Was Langridge formerly with the 2nd battalion, which I seem to recollect was a "Machine Gun Battalion"?
Could Langridge have been detailed to carry out DEMS' duties aboard ship, a task which their expertise with machine guns would have made his party well fitted to take action against low flying enemy aircraft approaching their ship?
Opinions wanted, please. PhilipG.