WW2 death of marine in London

[Certacito]

He was a serving officer at the time of his death which is shown on the cwgc website

His rank was Colour Sgt in the Royal Marines and he is buried at Gillingham Woodlands cemetary

Okay thanks for that but one point.  You can't be an officer and a colour sergeant.  One is commissioned and the other a None Commissioned Officer.

[IMBER]

He's listed in the GRO's index War Deaths (Naval Ratings) 1939-1948.  The details you will require to order a certificate are Year 1940 Volume 6 Page 2099.  He's also listed on www. naval-history. net. Apart from the details you already have it also records "Pens J 7793, Devonport, bombing, killed". Does that mean he had some sort of pensioner status.  As regards him being buried at Gillingham I see that that cemetery had a plot reserved for use by the nearby Royal Naval Hospital. Was he perhaps taken to the hospital but later died there of his injuries?

[Wendi]

Well done IMBER !  Nicely found 

[dutchman]

thanks for all the info.
My grandfather was indeed old to be a marine.  He had spent all his adult life in the marines and hated being a civilian.  War gave him a new but very brief lease of life.  He died as he would have wanted not old and beached.
I will follow up the suggestions and hope to find a fuller picture of his death.