Tony Eldridge

The scuttled chariots were uncovered following the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. However, another report has their discovery being made by divers. The position is recorded as being near Koh Dok Mai in the Andaman Sea.

In 2004 Eldrige returned to the United Kingdom, attending submariners’ reunions and parades as well as supporting the British Legion. He became blind through suffering macular degeneration but enjoyed reading after being taught to use a computer by Blind Veterans UK. Eldridge attended the Cenotaph commemorations on Remembrance Sunday each year, of standing on parade he said –

Eldridge wrote his autobiography in 1998 entitled, Just Out of Sight as well as recording an audio-history for the Imperial War Museum.

Moving to Rhodesia in 1960, Eldridge joined the British South African Police Reserve attached to the anti-terrorist unit. He served there for 18 years and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal before moving back to South Africa after Rhodesian Independence.

After his military service Eldridge briefly worked as a farmer before joining International Computers Limited. He emigrated to South Africa in 1954, where he continued his work for International Computers Limited installing information management systems.

In 1950 Eldridge married Dorothy Perkins, with whom he had three daughters and a son.

At the end of the war, Eldridge was assigned to salvage and mine-clearance work before his demobilisation in 1946.

On 27 October 1944, Sub-lieutenant Eldrige and his number two petty officer, Sidney “Butch” Woollcott, boarded their Chariot named Tiny. They were accompanied on their mission by Petty Officer W. S. Smith and Ordinary Seaman Bert Brown aboard their chariot named Slasher. Their mission, Ceylon Secret Operation 51, was to attack Japanese shipping at Phuket Harbour in Thailand. Specifically, the targets were 5000 tonne Sumatra and the 5272 tonne Volpi.

Eldridge began his naval career in the Hunt-class destroyer HMS Cleveland, where he served on coastal convoys. From there he transferred to the shore establishment HMS King Alfred for officer training in September 1943. Eldridge volunteered for special service and was sent for dive training and then in April 1944 began learning to be a human torpedo using a Chariot manned torpedo.

Eldridge served as a lance-corporal in the Home Guard before joining the Royal Navy in January 1942, when he was eighteen.

Anthony “Lofty” William Charles Eldridge DSC (16 July 1923 – 13 April 2015) was a Royal Navy officer of the Second World War who led a human torpedo attack that sank two Japanese ships off Phuket, Thailand, for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross.

Anthony William Charles Eldridge was born on 16 July 1923 in Royal Tunbridge Wells, and for his education he studied at The Skinners’ School. While attending the school, Eldridge became a Senior King’s Scout.