Army DEMS mystery
 

Dear All,
I've found two Glosters who were both killed on the same day, 14/03/1941.
The CWGC states "DEMS personnel".
5187924 Pte Ernest Hale
5187992 Pte William Worby
I've read enough to understand that Royal Artillery personnel, more often than not AA trained, were DEMS, but I'm not understanding why my two Glosters could be DEMS personnel.
I see the two Regimental numbers are very close.
Has anyone got any ideas please?
Thanks,
Ken

Wonder if they were on board,loss of SS Western Chief on this day,

Early in World War II, the British government purchased Western Chief to help to alleviate the shipping shortage the United Kingdom faced due to losses to Axis submarines. In British service, Western Chief was on a voyage, under Captain Eric Alexander Brown, Master with Hogarth's shipowners, as a part of Convoy SC 24 when she was sunk at 13:07 on 14 March 1941 by the Italian submarine Emo in the North Atlantic Ocean 250 nautical miles (463 km) south of Iceland at 58°52′N 21°13′W.[3]