emsworth men who gave their lives in world war two, 1939
TRANSCRIPT
Emsworth Men Who Gave Their Lives
in World War Two, 1939-1945
plus Northern Ireland and Falkland Islands
The Emsworth Memorial Garden
Compiled by Jennifer Bishop [email protected] – 023 9247 0297
£7
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Borough of Havant Local History Booklet No. 89
Read this and all other booklets on line at:
thespring.co.uk/heritage/local-history-booklets/
Edited by Ralph Cousins
023 9248 4024
Contact for the Friends of Emsworth Memorial Garden
Maurice Clarke
Secretary
575 Southleigh Road
Emsworth
PO10 7TE
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01243 371486
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The Garden
History
Unlike many other small towns, Emsworth did not have a public war memorial.
The names of the war dead are displayed in St James’ Church but there was no
appropriate public space where people of all faiths and none could gather to
commemorate those who have died in war and other conflicts.
The idea for the memorial came originally from the Emsworth Community Board,
in response to several members of the community, especially by our President,
Harold Groom, who had been campaigning to have a memorial in Emsworth for
many years. The subsequent memorial sculpture was financed with Central
Government funding through the Liveability scheme. And after much discussion,
the design and site of the memorial was chosen.
The sculpture ‘Absence’ was erected in May 2006 together with a block paved
path. In August 2006, the memorial sculpture was unveiled by the Lord
Lieutenant of Hampshire, Mrs Mary Fagan, and dedicated by the Reverend Tom
Kennar.
The Memorial Sculpture, ‘Absence’ Central to the Garden is the Sculpture 'Absence', designed by Michael Johnson.
The sculpture depicts a uniformed man in the drill position 'Rest on the Arms
Reversed' cut out as a silhouette in a stainless steel sail to symbolise Emsworth’s
connection with the sea. ‘Absence’ is dedicated to all those local people who have died throughout the
world in the name of peace and justice, and whilst giving aid in times of conflict
and disaster. The base of the sculpture bears the words in bronze relief, “Lest we
forget” and “We will remember them”.
The Garden The Garden is now a special place for reflection and contemplation to which
people of all faiths and none can come, individually or in groups, to reflect in their
own way on events in times of trouble. Improvements completed so far:
New entrances, new block paved areas and paths;
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Seating areas and an information board;
Planting of the raised bed and rose and beech hedges to create seclusion
was completed in March/April 2008;
Ongoing problems with the beech hedge, caused by flooding and drought
and beech aphid meant that half of the plants had died and the rest looked
miserable, so a decision was made to replace them with hornbeam, which copes
much better with these conditions. The beech was removed in November
2009 and replanted with hornbeam in December 2009:
Trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials in the raised bed;
Dedication plaque commemorating the unveiling and dedication of
Absence.
The crowning glory was the installation and dedication on 24 July
2009 of stainless steel plaques lining the path to Absence, commemorating the
war dead of the two World Wars and later conflicts (see photo).
Teucrium hedge to the sides of the names was planted in October 2009;
Crocuses were planted in the raised bed in October 2010, and snowdrops
in the green were planted in the raised bed in March 2011:
The temporary chestnut pale fence with bright green windbreak around
the garden was replaced with a permanent fence in March 2013, using recycled
uprights from the recreation ground tennis courts, and new black mesh.
Planting bulbs in the grass and raised bed and next to the bench in the
southern corner, 1,200 Tete a Tete daffodils and 2,000 Whitewell Purple
crocuses were planted in the grass in October 2013 by 23 volunteers. Still to do:
Planting other borders around the entrances and seating areas.
Location The Garden is situated on the southeast corner of Emsworth Jubilee Recreation
Ground off Horndean Road. From Emsworth town centre go up North Street past the railway station and under
the two bridges, bear left at the ‘Y’ junction into Horndean Road (2). The entrance
to the Garden is on the left hand side at the junction with Coldharbour Farm Road.
There is a free car park in the recreation ground about 200 yards further up
Horndean Road.
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World War Two World War Two began with the invasion of Poland by Germany. It was a war
waged to protect Democratic countries and their colonies from being overrun
by Fascism (Germany) and Communism (Japan). World War Two was fought on several fronts from September 1939 until 2
September 1945 when the Japanese surrendered, V-J Day, following the
Atomic Bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the Americans.
Victory in Europe came earlier in August of that year, V-E Day, 8 May 1945. World War Two was initially fought by Britain and troops from the members
of the Commonwealth, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Africa, called
the British Expeditionary Force, and France, Poland, Belgium, Greece,
Yugoslavia and the Netherlands. These forces were called the Allies. The
enemy; Germany, Italy and the Japanese were called the Axis. America did
not enter the war until the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour in December 1941.
Russia was initially on the German side until Hitler invaded, then joining the
Allies in June 1941. The war was fought on several fronts by air, sea and land to protect our
freedom from oppression, and in order to succeed, the need to protect overseas
investments, the Allied colonies and keep open supply lines vital for the war
effort. The main Commanders of the Allied forces were Winston Churchill, Britain,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, America and Joseph Stalin, Russia. The Axis Commanders were Adolf Hitler, Germany and Emperor Hirohito,
Japan, and Mussolini for Italy. The Western Front France and Flanders: The First phase 1939 to June 1940 resulting in the retreat from Dunkirk, then
fought in the air culminating in the Battle of Britain, July- October 1940.
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The Second phase began with the Normandy landings in June 1944 until the
German surrender in May 1945. The North African Campaign was waged between June 1940 and May 1943. The Invasion of Sicily and Italy fought from July until August 1943 to open
Mediterranean Sea supply lanes and prepare for the Allied invasion of Italy. Pacific and Asian Campaign fought in Burma, Malaya, Singapore, Hong
Kong, Indochina and Thailand. It started in September 1940 with the Japanese
invasion of French-Indochina.
This was followed by simultaneous attacks on Thailand, the Philippines, Hong
Kong, Malaya and Singapore and the attack on Pearl Harbour in December
1941. Thailand then allied themselves to the Japanese and the Americans
entered the war on the side of the Allies.
The defence strategy for Malaya rested on the premise that the Allied troops
would be aware of an imminent attack allowing them to bring in re-
enforcements and that the Americans would help. Neither happened, the
Japanese were well informed and had local guides.
French Indochina had allowed the Japanese to build bases, airports and
amass troops there. They invaded Malaya in December 1941, mounting an
amphibious assault on the northern coast whilst at the same time invading
from the east along the Thai border.
The Japanese air force attacked Singapore whilst their troops advanced
across Malaya using light tanks and bicycle infantry which allowed them to
utilise native paths through the jungle. The sinking of HMS Prince of Wales
and HMS Repulse allowed them to continue with their landings.
The Royals Engineers destroyed over 100 bridges during the retreat from
Malaya to Singapore but it did little to slow the Japanese advance. About
50,000 were taken PoW in Malaya.
The defeat of Singapore took place on 15 February 1942 when the Japanese
overrun the island. The Allied forces in Singapore felt they were almost
impregnable. They thought they were well defended but after the Japanese
sunk the battleships HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse on 10 December
1941, they were allowed to land on the North-west coast, beating the
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Australian forces back and make their way through what had thought to be
impregnable jungle.
But believing the main attack would come from the North-east it was
decided not to re-inforce the Australian lines. The Japanese also landed in the
south-east on 9 February. The Allied forces then withdrew from their
defensive positions on the south coast which allowed the Japanese to land
armoured units which outflanked many of the Allies.
The Japanese pushed forward and on 11 February captured ammunition, fuel
reserves and the bulk of the island’s water supply.
The Allies stabilized their lines and were able to repel a Japanese attack on
12 February. But early on the morning of the 15th the Japanese broke through
the lines. There was then a war council where it was put to the Commanders
that their only way forward was to strike and regain water supplies or
surrender. Informed by senior officers that a counter-attack was impossible
with their depleted ammunition supplies and exhausted men, they had no
choice but to surrender. 5,000 Allies were killed or wounded and 80,000 taken
prisoner by the Japanese south-east Asia and the Pacific area.
Troops in hospital or wounded were killed including doctors and nurses,
Prisoners were forced into hard labour building railways, roads, airfields for
use by the Japanese in occupied areas. About 36,000 were transported to the
Japanese mainland and used as forced labour in coal mines, shipyards,
munition factories and on other works.
They were put in prisoner of war camps some of which were hulks moored
off the coast, others were marched across land. By the end of the war 30,000
had died from starvation, disease or mistreatment. Even more died on the
building of the infamous Burma Railway.
In 1944-45 the railway performed its planned role of supplying Japanese
forces in Burma even though Allied bombing caused extensive damage,
including to the steel bridge at Kanchanaburi, later known as the Bridge on the
River Kwai.
The prisoners in Japanese camps were liberated in September 1945.
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https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/history/conflicts/burma-thailand-railway
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IMPORTANT WAR DATES
1939
Sept 1 Germany invades Poland.
3 Great Britain and France declare war on Germany: the British
Expeditionary Force began to leave for France
Dec 13 Battle of the River Plate.
1940
Apr 9 Germany invaded Denmark and Norway.
May 10 Germany invaded the Low Countries (Holland and Belgium).
June 3 Evacuation from Dunkirk completed.
8 British troops evacuated from Norway.
11 Italy declared war on Great Britain.
22 France capitulated.
29 Germans occupied the Channel Islands.
Aug 8 to Oct 31 German air offensive against Great Britain (Battle of Britain).
Oct 28 Italy invaded Greece.
Nov 11 to 12 Successful attack on the Italian fleet in Taranto Harbour.
Dec 9 to 11 Italian invasion of Egypt defeated at the Battle of Sidi Barrani.
1941
March 11 Lease-Lend Bill passed in the United States of America.
28 Battle of Cape Matapan.
April 6 Germany invaded Greece.
Apr 12 to Dec 9 Siege of Tobruk.
May 20 Formal surrender of remnants of Italian Army in Abyssinia.
May 20 to 31 Battle of Crete.
May 27 German battleship Bismark sunk.
June 22 Germany invaded Russia.
Aug 12 Terms of the Atlantic Charter agreed.
Nov 18 British offensive launched in the Western Desert.
Dec 7 Japanese attacked Pearl Harbour.
8 Great Britain and the United States of America declared war on
Japan.
1942
Feb 15 Fall of Singapore.
April 16 George Cross awarded to Malta.
Oct 23 to Nov 4 German and Italian army defeated at El Alamein.
Nov 8 British and American forces land in North Africa.
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1943
Jan 31 The remnants of the 6th German Army surrendered at Stalingrad.
May Final victory over the U-Boats in the Atlantic.
May 13 Axis forces in Tunisia surrender.
July 10 Allies invaded Sicily.
Sept 3 Allies invaded Italy.
8 Italy capitulated.
Dec 16 German battleship Scharnhorst sunk off North Cape.
1944
Jan 22 Allied troops landed at Anzio.
June 4 Rome captured.
6 Allies landed in Normandy.
13 Flying bomb (V1) attack on Britain started.
June Defeat of Japanese invasion of India.
Aug 15 Paris liberated.
Sep 3 Brussels liberated.
8 First rocket-bomb (V2) fell on England.
17 to 26 The Battle of Arnhem.
Oct 20 The Americans re-landed in the Philippines.
1945
Jan 17 Warsaw liberated.
Mar 20 British recaptured Mandalay.
23 British crossed the Rhine.
Apr 25 Opening of Conference of the United Nations at San Francisco.
May 2 German forces in Italy surrendered.
3 Rangoon recaptured.
5 All the German forces in Holland, North West Germany and
Denmark surrendered unconditionally.
9 Unconditional surrender of Germany to the allies ratified in
Berlin.
June 10 Australian troops landed in Borneo.
Aug 6 First atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
8 Russia declared war on Japan.
9 Second atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki.
14 The Emperor of Japan broadcast the unconditional surrender of
his country.
Sept 5 British forces re-entered Singapore.
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Emsworth Men Who Gave Their Lives Thomas Kenneth Whitmore ATKINSON Service: Navy, HMS Sultan IV
Rank: Captain
Died: Sunday 15 February 1942 aged 40
Cemetery: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in Normanton, Yorkshire, on 26 January 1902 the son of
Corbett Wadsley and Constance Mary Atkinson. Thomas was a career sailor who joined the Royal Navy on 15 September 1915
where his report said: good at games, intelligent with considerable general
knowledge. 15. 09.1921 promoted to Acting Sub Lieut15.05.1922 promoted to Sub-
Lieut.15.06.1923 promoted Lieutenant.
In 1922 the newspapers of the day reported Sub-Lieutenant Thomas
Atkinson achieved a first-class certificate in a Cambridge Course.
Thomas was awarded the Beaufort Testimonial and the Wharton
Testimonial in 1922 for the midshipman passing the best examination in
pilotage and navigation. At this time he was serving in Portsmouth on
destroyers. He was also awarded the Robert Roxburgh Memorial Prize.
He married Winifred Mary Carothers in Marylebone on 20 April 1929.
Winifred and Thomas moved to Emsworth. On 15 June 1931 he was promoted
to Commander.
Thomas died whilst a prisoner of war in Japanese hands, HMS Sultan IV was the accounting base in Singapore for personnel based at
Keppel Harbour.
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Albert Percy AYLWARD
Service: Army, 922 Transportation (Stores) Company Royal Engineers
Rank: Sapper
Service No: 1453743
Died: Saturday 16 December 1944 aged 23
Cemetery: NAPLES WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: IN LOVING MEMORY OF MY SON, ALWAYS IN MY
THOUGHTS. SADLY MISSED. MUM. R.I.P. Family History: Born in 1921, registered in Westbourne, son of the late Ernest
Percy and Edith (née Boxall) Aylward, of Emsworth. His father died in 1935,
aged 49. Before the war Albert worked as a kennel boy at Stansted Park and was
interviewed by the press as a witness of two planes which had crashed in
Stansted Park killing both pilots. The Royal Engineers are all trained combat engineers but they also were
required to have another trade. They supplied military engineering and
technical support to the armed forces.
Albert joined the Army in 1938 originally into the Royal Artillery then on 1
June 1940 transferred into the Royal Engineers.
The Italian Campaign, where Albert was killed, lasted from September 1943
to May 1945. Albert died as a result of an accident.
Geoffrey Robert Bensley BACK (M.I.D. x 2)
Service: Navy, HMS Orion
Rank: Captain
Died: Thursday 29 May 1941 aged 47
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Photo. Hampshire Telegraph, 10 April 1941
Family History: Born on 22 February 1894 in Worstead, Norfolk, son of the
Reverend Arthur J. and Ellen Back. In 1918 Robert married Olive Maitland,
elder daughter of Surgeon Captain Maitland RN, the wedding took place on
the Isle of Wight. They lived on the Havant Road.
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Geoffrey joined the Royal Navy on 15 January 1907, by 15 January 1911 he
was Acting Sub-Lieutenant, followed by 30 August 1914 Sub-Lieutenant and
30 November 1915 Lieutenant.
In the First World War he served on HMS Glory and assisted in the
evacuation of Anzac troops at Suvla Bay and then later as part of the Harwich
patrol on board HMS Carysfort.
He was further promoted on 30 November 1923 to Lieut-Commander on 30
June 1929 to Commander and then on 31 December 1936 to Captain.
Geoffrey was mentioned in Despatches on 1 January 1942 and again in
February 1942.
HMS Orion was a Leander-class Light Cruiser which served with distinction
during World War Two with 13 battle honours, a feat only exceeded by HMS
Warspite.
She fought in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean and the Battles of Calabria
and Cape Matapan.
On 22 May 1941 she was in an engagement with the escort of a German
convoy and suffered damage.
On 29 May1941, whilst evacuating 1,900 troops from the island of Crete to
Egypt, she was bombed and badly damaged. About 360 lives were lost
including 100 soldiers. Geoffrey was killed by the bombing. He left a widow,
son and two daughters. https://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4005.html Alfred BAILEY
Service: Royal Air Force, 22 Squadron
Rank: Sergeant Pilot Officer
Service No: 40976
Died: Thursday 1 August 1940
Cemetery: ANN’S HILL CEMETERY, GOSPORT
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Family History: Born in Emsworth on 3 April 1914, baptised in St James’
Church. Alfred was the son of Alfred (Artificer Engineer RN) and Mary
Hannah Bailey of Westbourne Avenue. In 1939 Alfred married Sheila Valentine in Portsmouth, daughter of
Ophthalmic Surgeon J.A. Valentine of the Royal West Sussex Hospital. They
had only been married about nine months when Alfred died. Sheila remarried
in 1949. In March 1938 22 squadron was posted to Thorney Island as part of Coastal
Command, where they carried out anti-submarine patrols over the English
Channel. In 1939 they received Bristol Beaufort twin-engine monoplanes to
replace their outdated bi-planes. The Bristol Taurus engines of the Beauforts
proved unreliable at first, the squadron continued to use their Vickers
Vildebeest until December 1940 when this was corrected.
Plane Crashes into Sea
A flying accident was investigated Wednesday when the Coroner for South
Hants, Mr G. H. Warner, held an inquest on Pilot Officer Alfred Bailey (26) of
the Royal Air Force and Harry Dawson (32) a laboratory assistant, whose
home address was given as, 130,Woodside Rd, Reading.
Bailey was piloting. He completely stalled the machine and it crashed into
the sea. A boat was on the scene in 15 seconds and picked up one survivor, but
the aircraft sunk within 45 seconds of hitting the water. Squadron Leader E.
B. Harvey said that death was due to drowning.
A verdict of ‘Accidental Death’ was recorded.
Hampshire Telegraph, 9 August 1940
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Robert William BARBER
Service: Navy, HMS Duchess
Rank: Petty Officer
Service No: C/J55514
Died: Tuesday 12 December 1939 aged 39
Commemorated: CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in Yoxford, Suffolk on 21 March 1900, son of George
and Sarah (née Dalley) Barber; In 1926 Robert married Eva May Budd, daughter of William and Sarah Budd
of Bath Road. The couple lived in Obtuse Road.
HMS Duchess was a D-class destroyer, H64 built in the 1930s in Jarrow. On
12 December 1939 HMS Duchess and her sister ships, HMS Delight and HMS
Dainty were escorting the battleship HMS Barham back to the United
Kingdom from Gibraltar. At 4am in the North Channel, nine miles off Mull of
Kintyre, the zigzagging pattern of the Barham and Duchess crossed. HMS
Barham crashed into HMS Duchess cutting her in half. There were only 23
survivors out of the 160 crew.
Thomas BARNES
Service: Army, 80 Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 5495507
Died: Tuesday 12 September 1944 aged 32
Commemorated: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Family History: Born in Buckland Portsmouth 1912, son of Joseph and Sarah
Elizabeth Barnes. In 1938, Thomas married of Irene C. Holland, daughter of
Bert and Constance Holland of Bath Road.
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Thomas records say died at sea whilst a prisoner of war in Japanese hands,
he had been taken prisoner on 15 February 1942 whilst fighting in the
Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore. The army code for the
prisoner of war camp where Thomas was held is TH, I think it represents
Thailand. George Harry BARTER
Service: Merchant Navy, Naval Auxiliary Personnel, HM Rescue Tug St
Cyrus
Rank: Greaser
Service No:
Died: Wednesday 22 January 1941 aged 26
Commemorated: LIVERPOOL NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in 1914 in Emsworth, son of Frederick and Elizabeth
(née Kennett) Barter; of 37 South Street. His brother, Fred was awarded the
DSM for the part he played in the evacuation from Dunkirk where although
under heavy fire and his rowing boat having sunk, he swam over a mile to the
yacht he was on and procured another boat and continued to rescue the
soldiers on the beaches. The yacht rescued 400 in total. George, (nicknamed Jumbo) came from a large family and was an
accomplished amateur boxer before the war. In 1936 George married Dorothy
May Davey in Portsmouth.
HM Rescue Tug St Cyrus W47 was a Saint-class steam tug built in 1919; she
was lost when she hit a mine and sunk off of the Humber on 22 January 1941.
George was one of eight crew killed. George left a widow and one child.
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Leslie James BARTLETT
Service: Army, 2nd Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
Rank: Fusilier
Service No: 5512073
Died: Thursday 10 August 1944 aged 20
Cemetery: AREZZO WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: IN LOVING MEMORY OF DEAR LESLIE BEST BELOVED
OF MUM, JOAN AND GEORGE Family History: Born in 1924 in Kent, son of John and Annie Bartlett of
Southleigh Road. The 2nd Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers:
1940: France and Flanders with the British Expeditionary Forces.
1940-43: The North African Campaign
1943-45: The Italian Campaign, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, then in
September the Allies landed on the Italian mainland, where their advance
towards Rome took nearly a year with the Allies (Americans) taking
possession of Rome in June 1944. The German Army were allowed to get
away and were held responsible for doubling the Allied casualties in the next
few months. In the period from June to August the Allies continued to
advance beyond Rome and took Florence. It was during this period that Leslie
was wounded in combat; unfortunately he died of his wounds. William Francis Edmund BEALE
Service: Straits Settlement Volunteer Force.
Rank: Private
Service No: 5444
Died: Wednesday 7 March 1945 aged 30 (between 7 March and 10 June)
Commemorated: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 28 June 1914 in Portsmouth, son of the late Francis
and Lilian Florence Beale of Westbourne Avenue. Before he died William’s
father had been a Warrant Officer in the Royal Navy. That William was in the Straits Settlement Volunteer Force would indicate
that he was already in British Overseas Territory located in South-east Asia,
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maybe Singapore itself. The SSVF was made up from civilian volunteers that
included European, Malaysian, Chinese, Indian and Eurasian civilians
working in the crown colonies. William was another victim of the fall of Singapore on the 15 February 1942.
Taken prisoner by the Japanese he was originally recorded as being in a camp
with the initials BO, which I think was Borneo. Another record says Malai,
and then in 1943 he is listed as being in No. 4 PoW Camp, Singapore. William
died in March 1945. Harry BISPHAM
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit: No. 3 Coastal Operation Training
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 1077340
Died: Sunday 20 December 1942 aged 21
Commemorated: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, SURREY Family History: Born 1921 in Bolton Lancashire, son of Harry Hardman and
May (née Walmsley) Bispham of Bolton Lancs. His father was in World War
One on HMS Constance. Harry enlisted in Padgate, Warrington, an RAF training site. None of the
records give any clue as to the nature of Harry’s death, and I cannot find the
connection to Emsworth, except that his name is on the war memorial, but this
is the only H. Bispham recorded on CWGC in World War Two. No. 3 Coastal Operational Training Unit was formed in November 1940 at
Chivenor as an element of No. 1 OTU, taking over the training of Anson and
Beaufort crews as part of Coastal Command. Various airfields were used.
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George BORSBERRY
Service: Navy, HMS Hood
Rank: Petty Officer Cook
Service No: P/MX 45410
Died: Sunday 24 May 1941 aged 36
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 5 March 1905 in Cosham, son of Edward and Amy
Esther Borsberry. In 1937 George married Violet Beatrice Hedgecock of
Emsworth.
HMS Hood was an Admiral-class battlecruiser built on Clydebank and
commissioned in 1920. When war was declared HMS Hood was patrolling
Icelandic waters. She was then assigned as the flagship of Force-H naval
formation. She participated in Operation Catapult, a mission to sink French
ships in Algeria, afterwards returning to Scapa Flow to operate as a convoy
escort and then as a defence against a German invasion.
In May 1941, together with HMS Prince of Wales she was deployed to
intercept the German battleship Bismarck and the German cruiser Prinz
Eugen.
On 24 May 1941 they engaged in the Denmark Strait. Within minutes of the
British opening fire, Bismarck fired a shell into Hood’s aft ammunition
magazines. Hood exploded and sunk within three minutes killing all but three
of her crew. The Prince of Wales suffered a malfunction in her armament and
withdrew. Shocked and angered at the loss of Hood a large British force
pursued and sunk Bismarck three days later.
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Bertie BOWRING
Service: RAF, 51 Squadron
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 535325
Died: Saturday 17 January 1942 aged 24
Commemorated: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, SURREY Family History: Born on 26 September 1917, baptised Bertie and registered in
Gosport, son of Bertie and Nelly Bowring. Bertie senior was a Private in the
3rd Hampshire Regiment. Bertie was a younger brother to Charles and
Frederick. From 1932 until 1974 Gosport was the registration district of
Havant Urban District Council, so although born in Emsworth the birth would
be registered in Gosport. Bertie was stationed at RAF Dishforth, North Yorkshire, and a part of Bomber
Command. On the night he crashed he was a member of the crew flying
Whitely V, Z9301 MH-N, on a mission to Emden, north-west Germany when
his plane crashed at 17.20hrs over Terschelling, Netherlands.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Bowring Arthur BOYNS
Service: Army, 80 Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 1461069
Died: Saturday 24 July 1943 aged 23
Cemetery: KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, THAILAND
Inscription SWEET ARE THE MEMORIES, SILENTLY KEPT, OF ONE
WE LOVED AND WILL NEVER FORGET Family History: Born on 2 June 1920, son of Arthur and Florence Mary (née
Edney) Boyns of Rainbow Cottages, Westbourne. Arthur was another victim of the fall of Singapore, having fought in Malaya
then taken prisoner on 15 February 1942 and interned in a PoW camp in
Thailand. He may well have had to work on the Burma railway, as the railway
progressed prisoners were moved along the rail line. He died barely eighteen
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months later of Cholera in a PoW camp. Kanchanaburi was on the route of the
Burma Railway. James John BRAMBLE OBE
Service: Navy, HMS President Royal Marines
Rank: Major
Died: Tuesday 4 May 1943 aged 60
Cemetery: GOLDERS GREEN CREMATORIUM Family History: Born on 11 December 1882, one of three sons of Admiral
James Bramble CB and Mary Ellen Bramble (née Simmonds) of Horndean
Road, husband of Daisy Bramble MBE of Kensington, London. She was the
daughter of A.E. Flowers of Kingston Crescent, Portsmouth, and sister to
Colonel E. Flowers. She received her MBE for services to the midwifery
schools in Omdurman. She also worked at the Emsworth Auxiliary Hospital in
World War One.
James enrolled in the Royal Marines on 1 January 1902 and had served with
the marines throughout the First World War, particularly in Egypt where he
was later appointed the District Commissioner of Omdurman, Sudan.
In 1934 whilst James and his wife were in the Sudan his mother died and as
such he was unable to attend her funeral.
In June 1935 he was appointed recruiting staff officer for RN and RM in
Liverpool.
HMS President was a ‘Stone Frigate’ for the Royal Naval Reserve, another
name for a shore base. It was situated on the north bank of the River Thames
near Tower Bridge.
Malby Donald BROWNLOW
Service: Navy, HMS Bacchante
Rank: Captain
Died: Tuesday 13 February 1940 aged 52
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Family History: Born in 1888 in Brighton, son of Mr and Mrs Arthur
Brownlow, husband of Dorothy Brownlow of Emsworth.
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LATE CAPT. M. D BROWNLOW
WARBLINGTON BURIAL
Draped with a Union Jack, on which had been placed the Officer’s cocked hat
and sword, the coffin containing the body of Captain M.D. Brownlow, R.N. of
Marshlands, Emsworth, was on Friday carried into St Thomas’s Church
Warblington, where he had been a sidesman for several years. The late
Captain Brownlow died in a first-class carriage of a railway train whilst he
was on his way home from Scotland suffering from Influenza, which developed
into pneumonia whilst serving with the Navy. His wife and a Surgeon-
Commander were with him when he died.
Born at Brighton 52 years ago, the son of Mr and Mrs Arthur Chamberlain
Brownlow of Kenley, the deceased captain joined the Royal Navy at an early
age. His first ship was the Britannia. Later he served in the Magnificent in the
Persian Gulf (1909-11) and the Sapphire.
In June 1913 he married Dorothy Holmes Bennett, daughter of Mr and Mrs
William Bennett of Grimsby. Later he spent a year on the Navigation School
staff.
SERVICE IN THE GREAT WAR
During the Great War he served as a navigation officer on board the
Magnificent, Royal Arthur, Albemarle, Champion, and Tiger. He was
promoted Commander in 1920, and later served on the staff of the Navigation
School for the second time.
His next ship was the Caledon, where he served as navigating officer, and
subsequently became King’s Harbour Master at Invergordon, serving for two
years. Afterwards he was navigating officer on the Southampton and the
Chatham, (on the East Indies Station).
Later he was navigating officer on board the Royal Sovereign and the Royal
Oak, (In the Mediterranean). For two years he was assistant to the Captain of
the Dockyard Devonport, and later King’s Harbour Master at Plymouth. He
retired in 1933.
After taking up residence at Emsworth he rendered valuable aid to many
charitable causes, and was hon. secretary to the local branch of the Lord
Roberts’s Memorial Workshops fund for disabled ex-servicemen. He took a
23
keen interest in the local Boy Scout movement, and was also a keen tennis and
badminton devotee.
The Rev. J. F. S. Glynn officiated at the funeral, assisted by the Rev. K.G.P.
King. Miss Chambers was at the organ.
THE MOURNERS
The chief mourners were Mrs Brownlow (widow) Mr John Brownlow (son)
Miss Barbara Brownlow (daughter) Miss Brownlow (sister) Mr and Mrs C. F.
Peacock (brother and sister-in-law) Miss Willock Miss Spencer Mrs Dridge
Mr and Mrs Lintott. There was a large and representative assembly in
addition. Hampshire Telegraph, 23 February 1940 James Edward BRUNDRETT
Service: Army, 647 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery, Royal Artillery (attached to
the 9th Royal Fusiliers)
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 180924
Died: Saturday 30 September 1944 aged 23
Cemetery: GRADARA WAR CEMETERY, ITALY Family History: Born in 1921, only son of Frederick and Enid (née James)
Brundrett of Southleigh Road. They were later to become Sir Frederick
Brundrett KCB (1950) KBE (1956) and Lady Brundrett of Prinsted, West
Sussex.
James attended Ashford Grammar School where his paternal aunt worked. The Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery was active in the Middle Eastern and African
Campaign and in the Italian campaign, which began in July 1943 with the
invasion of Sicily. Then on 3 September of that year the Allied forces landed
on mainland Italy.
The Italian Government agreed to sign an armistice with the Allied forces,
and it was thought the Germans might withdraw to the north, but the Germans
did not want the Allies to capture the airfields within easy striking distance of
Germany.
The Germans prepared several defensive lines, and the Allies were
hampered by the winter and the difficult terrain. It took four major offensives
between January and May 1944 to break through to Rome.
24
From June to August 1944 the Allies took Florence and advanced toward the
last major defensive line. Although this line was penetrated on several fronts
there was no major breakthrough. It was during this time that James was
wounded in action and he died of his wounds.
The need to transfer troops to other theatres meant the Allies adopted a
defensive, offensive stance whilst preparing for a final attack in the spring
when ground conditions improved. Clifford Emil CARLSON
Service: Army, 7th Infantry Brigade Company. Royal Canadian Army Service
Corp
Rank: Private
Service No: H/87461
Died: Friday 20 October 1944 aged 23
Cemetery: ADEGEM CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY, BELGIUM
Inscription: LOVINGLY REMEMBERED BY HIS WIFE ELSIE AND
SISTER EMILY Family History: Born in 1921, son of Mr and Mrs C. E. Carlson, Canada.
On 25 April 1943, whilst stationed in Bordon Barracks, Clifford married Elsie
Kathleen Conduct, the service conducted by the Army Chaplain in St
George’s Garrison Church; Elsie came from Rowlands Castle. They lived in
Emsworth.
The RCASC provided support to Canadian soldiers wherever they went;
training in Canada and Great Britain for the campaign in north-west Europe.
They also delivered rations, ammunition, petroleum products, and all other
essentials to the front line. They used a variety of vehicles ranging from three
to ten ton trucks, and forty ton tank transporters. Formed in late 1940 the 7th Brigade was assigned to the 3rd Division:
August 1941: embarked for the United Kingdom, arriving in September. Then
the brigade spent three years doing garrison duties and training. June 1944: assigned to carry out the assault on Juno Beach; then participated
in the battles to capture Caen, and the clearing of the channel ports.
6 Oct to 3 Nov 1944: Battle of the Scheldt (Operation Switchback) a campaign
fought to open up shipping routes in order to supply the Allies in North-west
25
Europe. It was during this campaign that Clifford was killed whilst liberating
the towns of Breskens, Oostburg, Zuidzande, Cadzand, Knokke and
Zebbrugge. Percy Charles CATTON
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Petty Officer Stoker
Service No: P/K3166
Died: Sunday 25 July 1943 aged 52
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY Family History: Born on 26 February 1891 in Norfolk, son of William and
Elizabeth Catton; aged seven Percy attended Angel Road Boys School in
Norwich. He was the husband of Mabel Frances Catton of North Street.
EX-NAVAL MAN’S DEATH AT EMSWORTH
The death took place on Sunday of Mr Percy Charles Catton, of North Street
Emsworth. He was 52. He was a stoker petty officer, and had been pensioned
eight years when he re-joined at the start of the war. He served for a time at
Whale Island, and then went to Scotland, where he was taken ill, and
invalided out of the service in August 1941.
Mr Catton interested himself in The British Legion, and for several years
held the position of Hon. Secretary. He leaves a widow.
Hampshire Telegraph, 30 July 1943 Unfortunately Percy’s grave at Warblington Cemetery does not have a
headstone and is therefore unmarked. Albert Ferdinand CAVE
Service: Royal Air Force
Rank: Squadron Leader
Service No: 35222
Died: Saturday 23 September 1944 aged 43
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY Family History: Son of Albert Joseph and Ellen Jane Cave; husband of Jean
Marjorie Helen (née Turner) Cave of Emsworth.
26
Dog Ritchie’s wreath for her master
Every night for months the dog Ritchie sat patiently on the doormat, waiting to
welcome home her master. Together they had travelled hundreds of miles by
sea and air. Ritchie had often guarded the cockpit of his plane.
But one night her master, Squadron Leader Albert Cave, expert in torpedo-
carrying aircraft of Harburton-road, London N4 died in a taxi on his way
home to the nightly ritual.
Ritchie, who barked at every stranger, remained silent as her master’s coffin
was carried out by the undertakers. She travelled with it for the week-end
funeral at Emsworth, Hampshire, and was with the mourners.
On the Squadron Leader’s grave, among the floral tributes from the R.A.F.
and the Ministry of Aircraft Production, now lies a small wreath carrying a
label “From his little pal, Ritchie”. Daily Mirror, 2 October 1944
SQUADRON LEADER’S DEATH
Much regret has been occasioned by the death in hospital after a short illness
of Squadron Leader Albert F. Cave R.A.F., whose widow is a daughter of Mrs
Turner, of North Street, Emsworth.
Squadron Leader Cave had served for 24 years with the R.A.F. A brilliant
technician, he was on a special branch of the staff at the Air Ministry. He was
a native of Watford and had intended to spend the coming week-end at
Emsworth. The Hampshire Telegraph, 6 October 1944
Sydney CHALCRAFT
Service: Navy, HMS Tweed
Rank: Petty Officer
Service No: P/JX142345
Died: Thursday 27 January 1944 aged 24
Cemetery: LONDONDERRY (OR DERRY) CITY CEMETERY
Inscription: OUT OF THE STORMY OCEAN INTO THE HAVEN OF
PEACE Family History: Born on 21 March 1919, son of Edward Percy and Fernande
Clemence (née Fievet) Chalcraft of 12 Harold Terrace. Edward was a
carpenter and joiner.
27
HMS Tweed K250 was a frigate built in Glasgow. At 17.11hrs on 7 January
1944 HMS Tweed of the 5th Escort Group was attacked by German U-boat U-
305 southwest of Ireland. Hit on the starboard side by a Gnat (German Navy
Acoustic Torpedo) she sank within two minutes. Two officers and 81 ratings
were lost, the survivors, which included Sydney were rescued by HMS Nene
K270. Sidney died three weeks later of wounds inflicted in this incident at the
US Hospital, Creevegh, Londonderry. //uboat.net/allies/merchants/crews/ship3162.html CHALCRAFT. S. PO. R.N. - Loving birthday memories of our dear Sid, who
died of wounds, January 1944-Sadly missed by his Mother, Dad, sister and
brothers. Portsmouth Evening News, 24 March 1944 Charles Herbert CHAMBERLAIN
Service: Army, 2nd/6th Queens (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
Rank: Private
Service No: 6093048
Died: Friday 26 November 1943 aged 38
Cemetery: MINTURNO WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: SO DEARLY LOVED AND LOVING HUSBAND OF
MONICA, UNTIL HE COME Family History: Born on 14 April 1905 in Portsmouth, baptised in St Mary’s,
Church, Portsmouth, eldest son of the late Charles Edmund and Mabel
Chamberlain of Stubbington Avenue, Portsmouth. Charles married Monica Freda Cranstone in Portsmouth in 1942. Monica was
a music teacher at Windermere, Kingston Crescent, she held a diploma of
Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Music. (Charles’s brother Laurence
married Monica’s sister, Ruth) The couple lived in Emsworth, many families
moved out of Portsmouth during the war to escape the bombing, the dockyard
being a prime target.
28
The 2nd/6th was a Territorial Unit part of 169 Queen’s Brigade:
1940: Fought in France with the British Expeditionary Force.
1942: Sent to fight with the Eighth Army in the Western Desert. 169 Brigade
took part in the capture of Tunis, North Africa, in May 1943.
Sept; 1943, 169 Brigade took part in the landings at Salerno, Italy. It fought in
the Battles of Monte Camino and Anzio; it was during this campaign that
Charles was killed in action. http://www.queensroyalsurreys.org.uk/1661to1966/ww2 Grahame Gordon CLARK
Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 101Squadron
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 1851602
Died: Thursday 5 October 1944 aged 20
Cemetery: HOTTON WAR CEMETERY, BELGIUM.
Inscription: TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WE LOVE IS NOT TO
DIE. ONLY GOODNIGHT BELOVED Family History: Born in 1924 in Emsworth, son of George Charles and Mabel
Constance Clark (née Head, also born in Emsworth daughter of Robert and
Louisa Head of Hermitage) then living in Worthing; formerly of 1 Bath Road.
Grahame’s parents were married in Aldershot; his father was in the Forces.
Grahame enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in Oxford; he
was in Bomber Command stationed in Ludford Magna, 20 miles north of
Lincoln.
At 17.06 hrs on 5 October 1944 he was flying in a Lancaster 1 LL758 SR-A
on a mission to Saarbrucken on the Belgium/German border when his plane
crashed and he was killed near Trembleur, Belgium. aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Clark
29
William Alfred COMPTON
Service: Royal Navy, HMS Hood
Rank: Leading Stoker
Service No: P/K 55190
Died: Saturday 24 May 1941 aged 40
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in 1901 in Dartford, Kent, baptised on 26 April 1901,
son of Thomas William and Sarah Elizabeth Compton of Orange Row, South
Street. When William was born his father Thomas was in the Navy.
William also joined the Royal Navy in Portsmouth on 8 January 1919 for 12
years, described as 5′ 9″ tall with black hair and dark eyes, his occupation
given as a carter. In 1924 William Married Florence Savage daughter of John and Georgina (née
Parham) Savage of Hampshire Terrace, Queen Street. William and Florence
lived at 15 South Street.
William would have completed his 12 years, so it is not clear whether he
was recalled or was a member of the RNVR. For details of HMS Hood see George BORSBERRY Wilfred CUTLER
Service: Army, 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards
Rank: Warrant Officer Class 2
Service No: 2610501
Died: Friday 31 May 1940 aged 32
Cemetery: DE PANNE COMMUNAL CEMETERY
Inscription: LOVE OVERCOMETH ALL THINGS, GREATER LOVE
HATH NO MAN Family History: Born in 1908 near Penny Lane, Southbourne, son of Gertrude
Alice Cutler, born in 1890 in Prinsted. In 1932 Wilfred married Florence
Marie Davies from Cleethorpes in Grimsby. They lived in Bath Road, When
Wilfred was killed Florence returned to her family in Cleethorpes where she
remarried in 1954.
30
September 1939: 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards became part of the BEF
serving in France and Belgium. They were attached to the 3rd Infantry
Division.
June 1940: Evacuated from Dunkirk and returned to the UK. Wilfred was a casualty of the evacuation from Dunkirk, 26 May to 4 June
1940. Whilst awaiting transport the soldiers trapped on the beaches were
strafed and bombed by the Luftwaffe, as were the boats trying to rescue them.
Victor Hilary DANCKWERTS C.M.G.
Service: Navy, HMS Lanka
Rank: Vice Admiral
Died: Wednesday 1 March 1944 aged 54
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 11 January 1890 in Brompton, Middlesex, son of
William Otto Danckwerts KC and Caroline Marion Danckwerts. His father
was a Barrister; Victor was the second of three sons, he was educated at
Winchester College.
He had served in HMS Kent in the last war, at the Battle of the Falklands
and then serving with the Grand Fleet; On 26 June 1915 he married Joyce Middleton. They had three sons, (all of
which served in World War Two, the eldest, Peter MBE, won the George
Cross), and two daughters. The family home was Merton Lodge, Havant
Road. Victor joined the Royal Navy on 15 September 1904 in Portsmouth as a
midshipman. His promotion record; March 1909 Sub-Lieutenant, 1910
Lieutenant, 1918 Lieut-Commander, December 1922 Commander, June 1930
Captain, June 1940 Rear-Admiral. Promoted to Vice-Admiral in November
1943 when he retired. Victor had been placed on the retirement list in
December 1940 as being medically unfit due to pulmonary tuberculosis but
continued to serve as an Overseas Consular in Rimutaka, New Zealand.
Newspaper reports just stated he died suddenly in New Zealand.
HMS Lanka was a Sri Lanka shore establishment in Colombo established by
the Royal Navy in World War Two.
31
Robert William DAVIS
Service: 2945 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Leading Aircraftman
Service No: 921417
Died: Thursday 8 March 1945 aged 25
Cemetery: TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY,
MAYANMAR
Inscription: GOD HAS SAVED FROM WEARY STRIFE,
IN ITS DAWN, THIS FRESH YOUNG LIFE. R.I.P.
Family History: Born in 1920 in Emsworth, son of William and Andree L. V.
Davis of Victoria Road. Robert was killed by a grenade whilst serving in
Burma.
PROSPECTIVE EMSWORTH GROOM KILLED
Official information has been received of the death by enemy action in Burma
of Leading Aircraftman Robert W. Davis R.A.F. of 68 Victoria Road,
Emsworth.
Elder son of Mr and Mrs W. Davis, he attended Emsworth Council School
and was apprenticed to Messrs G. and R. Carrell of Havant before joining the
R.A.F. five years ago.
He had spent three years in the Burma area, and had recently forfeited leave
to bring nearer the time when he would qualify to return home for his
wedding. He had been engaged for the past five years to Miss Marie Collins
from Southbourne.
Just before news had arrived of his death, a letter had been received from
him in that he expressed the hope that all preparations were being made for
the wedding.
He belonged to a family with unusual associations with both the last and the
present war.His father was serving with the R.F.C. in France, when he met
and married the daughter of a French farmer whose home the British forces
had liberated from the Germans.
After the Armistice Mr Davis and his bride came to England.
Being unable to obtain work in his own country Mr Davis returned to
France and found work there.
32
After seven years he returned to England and a job.
His other son had a narrow escape from death by enemy action in London a
few months ago. He was repairing war damaged property when a V-bomb
made a direct hit on the building.
Of the thirteen workmen that had been doing repairs only two survived, one
being Mr and Mrs Davis’s youngest son.
Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 16 March 1945 Sidney Albert DE COMBE
Service: Army Catering Corp
Rank: Private
Service No: 1515194
Died: Thursday 7 March 1946 aged 27
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Inscription: IN LOVING MEMORY OF SID, PEACE PERFECT PEACE Family History: Born on 27 February 1919, son of Henry Charles and Ada
Maria (née Churcher) De Combe of The Gardens. Henry was a painter and
decorator. Sidney’s sisters, Mollie and Margaret were both married in St James’ Church
and his younger sister Joan was a bridesmaid to Margaret. Sidney was a twin
brother to Robert; he also had brothers, Henry and Albert.
Before enlisting Sidney worked as a plater’s assistant. He enlisted in the
Army in 1938, being transferred to the catering corps on 25 November 1941.
Sidney died whilst on active service in the home theatre. The Army Catering Corps was formed on 22 March 1941. During the Second
World War the Corps became highly successful in maintaining morale and
many civilian catering experts were called up to manage Army catering and
the training of cooks. On 29 May 1943, under Army order 819 of 1943, the
Corps became an all-tradesman Corps. On 5 October 1945 the Army Council
took the decision to retain the Army Catering Corps as an integral part of the
post war Army. The Corps then went from strength to strength. http://www.armycateringcorps.co.uk/new/acc-history
33
Edward Francis DISBROWE
Service: Navy, HMS Bonaventure
Rank: Commander
Died: Monday 31 March 1941 aged 40
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 12 April 1900 in Spilsby, Lincolnshire, and third son
of the Reverend Charles Penrose Disbrowe MA and Margaret Francis
Disbrowe, Lincolnshire. Edward joined the Royal Navy on 15 January 1914, his promotion record
reads; 1917 Midshipman, 1919 Sub-Lieutenant, 1921 Lieutenant, 1929
Lieutenant-Commander and then in June 1935 Commander. On 11 July 1927 Edward married Lois Gwendoline Williams in Kensington.
Their first home was in Portchester, then Emsworth. They had a son Noel in
1928 followed in 1929 by a daughter Pamela.
HMS Bonaventure was a Dido-class Light Cruiser built in Greenock, Scotland
and commissioned in May 1940. She participated in the largest transfer of
wealth in history when the British transferred their wealth to Canada.
On 10 of January 1941 together with HMS Southampton they shelled and
sunk the Italian torpedo boat Vega off Tunisia. Two of her crew were killed by
returning fire.
On 31 March 1941 she was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine
Ambra with the loss of 139 of her crew. Edward was among the dead. HMS
Hereward and HMAS Stuart rescued 310 survivors.
34
Thomas C. DIXON
Service: Navy, HM Submarine Rainbow
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: P/SSX 15879
Died: Saturday 19 October 1940 aged 29
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 10 January 1912 in Chorley, Lancashire. In 1938
Thomas married Valentine May Lush of Nile Street. In 1939 Valentine is
living with her widowed mother, Alice Lush. Thomas was reported missing
presumed dead in October 1940 when his submarine failed to return to base.
Following her husband’s death Valentine remarried in 1942 to Alexander
Fowlie.
HM Submarine Rainbow N16 was built by Chatham Dockyard and
commissioned January 1932. The loss of Rainbow is a bit of a mystery, she was never heard of after leaving
Alexandria on 23 of September 1940. She was assigned to operate in the gulf
of Taranto along with HM Submarine Regent.
On 3 October they were ordered to patrol the lower Adriatic on the Bari-
Durazzo route starting on 4 October.
On 7 October they were ordered to move to an area South-east of Capo
Rizzuto, Calabria.
On 13 October she was ordered to return to Alexandria and expected to
arrive on 19 October but she never arrived. Patrolling submarines were under the strictest radio silence, they could receive
transmissions but were forbidden from acknowledging receipt, therefore, the
lack of messages from Rainbow cannot be construed as proof of her presence
35
or not in a certain area. Only locating the wreck will solve this mystery for
certain. It is thought she was struck by an Italian freighter Antonietta Costa on 4
October whilst in the Adriatic on the Bari-Durazzo route as this ship reported
striking an underwater object followed by a large explosion which shook the
ship and displaced some hull plates. The date of death is recorded as when she
should have returned, the actual date is only a theory. uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3405.htm
Edward Clarence DRIDGE
Service: Navy, HMS President III (SS Ardanbhan)
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: P/SS 10282
Died: Friday 27 December 1940 aged 39
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 31 October 1901 in Emsworth, one of six children,
son of Edward and Laura Dridge of Seaview Terrace, South Street. His father
also named Edward Clarence served in the First World War.
Ted as he was known at home was thought to be one of the best amateur
footballers in the district before the war. He played for Havant Football Club
and Emsworth Football Club as well as the Navy elevens. His occupation was
a fisherman.
Edward joined the Royal Navy on 27 April 1921 for five years and seven in
the reserve from 27 April 1926. (He joined at the same time as his mate Leslie
Arthur Prior from Emsworth, No. SS10281). He was described as being 5′ 6″
tall with brown hair and grey eyes. During 1927 Edward married Evelyn
Lorraine; the marriage was registered in Havant. HMS President was the base for naval gunners on defensively armed
Merchant ships. SS Ardanbhan was an armed merchant ship on route from
Hull to Mar de la Plata, Argentina, with a cargo of coal when she was sunk by
the Italian submarine Tazzoli 200 miles south of Iceland. She was lost with all
37 hands including Edward.
36
Michael DUNNE (Three times MID)
Service: Army, 3rd Battalion Irish Guards
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 2718093
Died: Thursday 15 February 1945 aged 33
Cemetery: JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY, NETHERLANDS
Inscription: O FOR THE TOUCH OF A VANISH’D HAND AND THE
SOUND OF A VOICE THAT IS STILL Family History: Born on 5 April 1911 in Ireland, son of Joseph and Mary
Dunne; husband of Margaret Barbara Anne Dunne of Emsworth. The Irish Guards was formed by Queen Victoria in 1900 to commemorate
Irishmen who had fought in the Boer War. It was one of only two Irish
regiments in the British Army. 1939: Michael received the General Service Medal for duty in Palestine.
Dec. 1940: Lance Corporal Dunne Mentioned in Despatches duty location,
Norway.
Feb. 1944: Wounded in Italy. Battles including Monte-Cassino and Anzio,
Jan. 1945: Sergeant Dunne Mentioned in Despatches, Italy.
1945: Sent to France and Flanders, it was during this campaign that Michael
was killed. He was mentioned in despatches a third time. Ronald Frank EADES
Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS President
Rank: Lieutenant
Died: Monday 12 June 1944 aged 37
Cemetery: TILLY-SUR-SEULLES WAR CEMETERY, FRANCE
Inscription: THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD AS WE THAT ARE LEFT
GROW OLD. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM Family History: Born on 6 October 1906 in Emsworth, baptised in St James’
Church, son of Frank and Florence Edith Eades of Victoria Road.
In 1939 Ronald is lodging in Portsmouth where he is employed as a clerk-
manager for an auctioneer.
37
During World War Two no more ratings were accepted into the RNVR which
then became the main route for wartime officer entry. The service was called
the ‘Wavy Navy’ after the wavy sleeve stripes that RNVR officers wore to
differentiate them from RN/RNR officers. HMS President was a shore base of the Royal Naval Reserve based on the
River Thames near Tower Bridge. It served as an accounting base for the
naval gunners on armed merchant ships. Ronald’s records do not show which
ship he was on, or what mission took him to France.
However this was the date of the Normandy D-Day landings and Ronald is
buried in Normandy. Arthur Joseph FRADGLEY
Service: Navy, HMS Glowworm
Rank: Leading Seaman
Service No: P/JX 128502
Died: Monday 8 April 1940 aged 29
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 9 May 1911 in Kingston, Portsmouth, son of the late
George Henry RN and Anne Fradgley of The Stores, Hermitage. Arthur’s
father, George was a Chief Stoker in the Royal Navy. Demobilised in 1919 but
died four months later on 12 July. His mother Annie ran The Stores in
Hermitage for nearly 30 years following the death of her husband, she died in
1947 aged 75. Arthur was in the news in 1932 when he gave away his youngest sister Ivy in
marriage in Southbourne Church, (his father now deceased). He was already in
the Royal Navy. On 2 June 1937 Arthur married Joyce Mary Wyatt, eldest daughter of Mrs and
the late Mr Wyatt of Highground Cottage, Drayton, Chichester. The wedding
took place in Westhampnet Church. The report said he was currently serving
on HMS Shropshire.
38
HMS Glowworm was a G-class Destroyer built in the 1930s at Thornycroft’s
and commissioned in 1936. She was in Mediterranean waters when war was
declared and returned home to escort shipping in local waters. In 1940 she was transferred to the Home Fleet participating in the Norwegian
Campaign. On 8 April, being detached from the main flotilla to look for a man
overboard, she encountered German destroyers laden with troop’s intent on
invading Norway. The German destroyers radioed for help from the heavy
cruiser Admiral Hipper. Hipper badly damaged Glowworm who still
attempted to torpedo the German ship and then in a last ditch attempt rammed
the Hipper. This broke the bow off the Glowworm and she was on fire which
caused her boilers to explode and she sank. 109 of her crew were drowned or
killed in the explosion, 40 sailors survived but at least six died of their
injuries.
Arthur’s sister, Mrs Chinneck initially refused to believe he had been killed
as she had a dream in which he was taken aboard another ship; sadly this was
not the case. Edwin James Lawrence FULLER
Service: Navy, HMS Beaver
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 270967
Died: Saturday 24 February 1940 aged 58
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY Family History: Born on 25 August 1881 in Portsea, son of Edwin James and
Ann Fuller (née Lawrence), husband of Penelope Fuller of Kismet, Southleigh
Road. Edwin joined the Royal Navy on 25 February 1903, signing on for 12 years.
Described as 5′ 6″ tall with dark hair and blue eyes. His occupation was given
as boilermaker.
39
Having completed his term of service Edwin stayed in the navy serving in
World War One and being promoted to Acting Artificer Engineer on 15 June
1917. He was then promoted to Warrant Engineer in January 1920 and
Command Engineer in 1927. Edwin was placed on the retired list on 25
August 1931 with the rank of Lieutenant.
He was recalled to serve in the navy at the outbreak of war until February
1940 when he contracted bronchitis and died of heart failure, having served 37
years in the navy and both World Wars. Edwin left a widow and a small
daughter.
HMS Beaver was a shore base near Hull and Grimsby, mainly staffed by
navy personnel on the retired list; although not sea-going it had small craft
(Tugs) attached to it.
Alexander Pollock GIBSON (M.I.D)
Service: Navy, HMS Hostile
Rank: Commander
Died: Friday 23 August 1940 aged 37
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 11 November 1902 in Hampstead London where his
father, Henry Wilkes Gibson was a surgeon, his mother, Jane Grant Gibson;
he was the husband of Margaret Annis (née Best) Gibson of Frampton,
Dorsetshire. Margaret was the daughter of Admiral Sir Matthew Best,
formerly Commander-in-Chief of the America and West Indies Station. His parents and his brother, John Monro Gibson FRCS moved to New
Brighton Road. Alexander’s brother died in 1935 aged just 30, his father died
in 1949 and his mother in 1955. Alexander joined the Royal Navy on 15 May
1916; by 1922 he was an Acting Sub-Lieutenant, then Sub-Lieutenant 1923
and Lieutenant 1925. When Alexander married Margaret in Bermuda in 1936
he was a Lieut-Commander serving on HMS Apollo.
40
HMS Hostile H55 was an H-class destroyer built in the 1930s at Scott’s in
Greenock and launched in 1936. She spent a considerable amount of time in
Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War enforcing the arms blockade. In October 1939 she was sent to Sierra Leone in the South Atlantic to pursue
enemy warships attacking merchant shipping. Hostile participated in the Battle
of Narvik in April 1940 and the Battle of Calabria in July.
On 23 August, whilst going from Malta to Gibraltar, she struck a mine in the
Strait of Sicily. The explosion killed five men, including Alexander and
wounded three. The survivors were taken off by HMS Mohawk and HMS
Hero scuttled her. Alexander was Mentioned-in-Despatches posthumously.
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-27H-Hostile.htm
Russell Claude GORDON-SMITH DSC
Service: Navy, HMS Hardy
Rank: Lieutenant-Commander
Died: Wednesday 17 July 1940 aged 31
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Family History: Born 1909, son of Vice Admiral Arthur Gordon-Smith, CMG
and Ethel Gordon-Smith (née Barr) of Westbourne House.
Russell was educated at Winchester House School 1917-1922.
In 1937 Russell married Anne Cunitia Morris in
Kensington. They made King Street their home, where
they were delivered of a son in 1938.
1930 Russell is already in the navy with the rank of
Lieutenant, then by 1938 Lieutenant-Commander serving
as Navigation Officer on HMS Hardy.
Photo.Hampshire Telegraph, 12 February 1937
41
HMS Hardy was flotilla leader for the H-class Destroyers, built in Birkenhead
and commissioned in 1936. She spent a considerable amount of time in
Spanish waters during the Spanish Civil War enforcing the arms blockade.
In October 1939 she was sent to Sierra Leone in the South Atlantic to pursue
enemy warships attacking merchant shipping. She returned home in 1940 and
became the flagship of the 2nd Destroyer Flotilla attached to the Home Fleet.
She took part in the Battle of Narvik in 1940. The mission was to prevent the
Germans from exporting Swedish iron ore from Narvik, Norway to Germany.
On 4 April Hardy led four British ships down the Ofotfjord in a daring attack
on the Germans in harbour. Hardy torpedoed the German flagship Z21
Wilhelm Hiedkamp and it sank the following day. Another torpedo hit a
merchant ship, and then the British re-grouped and mounted a second attack
after which they attempted to withdraw, but were pursued by German
destroyers. She suffered several hits which set her on fire and mortally
wounded her captain and killed all others on the bridge. One Lieutenant, that
had not been present on the bridge at that time, took control and ordered her
run aground. 139 men managed to get ashore although 26 and the captain were
seriously wounded. Russell had suffered a serious head wound but for his
action men would have perished that day. His Captain was posthumously
awarded the Victoria Cross and Russell received the DSM.
DAWLISH HERO GETS D.S.M.
Stoker Wm. Hy. Bowden of Town Tree-Hill, Dawlish, a survivor of HMS
Hardy, who was recently honoured by his fellow-townspeople for the heroic
part he played in the Battle of Narvik, and who was presented with a silver
cigarette case and an illuminated address has now been awarded the D.S.M.
Stoker Bowden was one of the three crew who returned to the sinking Hardy
in a small boat, to rescue the navigating officer Lieut-Commander R. C.
Gordon-Smith who was seriously wounded.
Exeter Express and Echo, 8 June 1940
The Portsmouth Evening News reported Russell had been taken to hospital in
Norway suffering from a serious head wound and was progressing favourably.
Russell returned home to a naval hospital but died later that year.
42
Richard George GRANT
Service: Army 288 Field Company Royal Engineers
Rank: Sapper
Service No: 1918810
Died: 4 November 1943
Cemetery: THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY,
MYANMAR
Inscription: THERE WERE OTHERS, YES WE
KNOW, BUT HE WAS OURS, WE LOVED HIM SO.
WIFE AND SON
Family History: Born 15 August 1912 in Westbourne, son of George Henry
and Fanny Sarah Grant (née Lee) of River Street, Westbourne. In 1939 Richard married Dorothy May Davis, daughter of William and Martha
Davis (née Gasser) from Warblington. Richard and Dorothy lived in Nile
Street and then moving to Hermitage Hill. They had a son, David he would
have been about three years old when his father died.
Before the outbreak of war Richard was employed by West Sussex County
Council.
Emsworth Man Missing 19 Months
After being reported missing for the past year and seven months, Sapper
Richard George Grant (29) from Hermitage Hill, Emsworth is now reported
safe but a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. He was apparently captured
during the operations in Malaya.
He was one of the survivors of the Dunkirk evacuation. In civil life he was
employed by the West Sussex County Council
His wife’s brother, Pte Tom Davis is also a prisoner of war in Japanese
hands.
The Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 11 June 1943
43
Fred GUTTERIDGE
Service: Navy, HMS Vernon
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 345044 (before promotion)
Died: Wednesday 25 February 1942 aged 61
Cemetery: HASLAR ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY
Inscription: AT REST. GOODNIGHT, DADDY, ONE OF THE BEST.
LOVING WIFE, SON AND DAUGHTER Family History: Born 4 February 1881 in Loughborough, Leicestershire, son
of Mr and Mrs G. Gutteridge.
Fred joined the Royal Navy on 22 February 1902, described as 5′ 5″ tall
with dark hair and brown eyes. His occupation was given as a turner. In 1907 Fred married Sarah Annie Savage in Loughborough. In the 1911
census they are living in Portsmouth, and have a three-year-old daughter,
Irene. Fred is a Chief Electrician in the Royal Navy. Having served his 12 year term he immediately signed on for another 12 years
on 22 February 1914 serving on HMS Irresistible and HMS Albion in the First
World War. It was while serving on Albion that he was promoted to Chief
Electrical Artificer 1st Class.
On 4 February 1936 Fred is placed on the retired list with the rank of
Electrical Lieutenant. In 1939 Fred is a sub-postmaster at Haslar, but his record show him being
admitted to the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth in 1940, he was discharged
from hospital and re-appointed to take charge of an installation on HMS
Vernon. Then in 1942 HMS Vernon reported Fred had been admitted to Haslar
Hospital where he was diagnosed as dangerously ill of a cerebral
haemorrhage, he died on 25 February following a stroke. When Fred died, the
couple was living in Emsworth. Their daughter also lived in Emsworth; her
brother was serving in the Middle East.
44
Samuel HAMMOND
Service: Navy, HMS Jervis
Rank: Petty Officer Stoker
Service No: C/KX 87586
Died: Saturday 19 April 1947 aged 51
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Inscription: IN THE GARDEN OF MEMORIES I WILL WALK BESIDE
YOU Family History: Born on 13 February 1895 in Walberton, Sussex, son of CPO
Samuel Hammond RN and Sarah Hammond. Samuel went to the local primary school in Walberton and then on the 1911
census he was listed as attending a school in Greenwich, which suggests it
may have been a naval establishment. He joined the Royal Navy on 23
September 1913 for 12 years and then signing on in 1925 as a career sailor. He
was described as being 5′ 9″ with dark hair and grey eyes.
Samuel was the husband of Edna Louise A. Hammond (née Hughes) of
Palmers Road.
HMS Jervis was a J-class destroyer built on the Clyde and commissioned in
May 1939.
She began the war in the 7th Destroyer Flotilla patrolling the North Sea,
where she was damaged in a collision with a Swedish freighter and had to put
in for repairs.
Meanwhile the destroyer flotilla had been sent to the Mediterranean and
became the 14th Destroyer Flotilla; Jervis later joined them in Malta.
She spent the next two years protecting convoys, bombarding the coast for
the army and involved in the Battle of Cape Matapan, the Battle of Crete and
45
the first Battle of Sirte. On returning to Alexandria she suffered more damage
by an Italian attack on the port.
In 1942 she led the fleet in the 2nd Battle of Sirte. In 1943 she took part in
the landings at Sicily, Calabria, Salerno, and Anzio. 1944 saw her returned to
Home waters where she underwent a re-fit and participated in the Normandy
landings. She ended her career as a training establishment for sea cadets. She
had a reputation as a lucky ship; throughout the duration of the war no crew
member was lost to enemy action. Samuel’s records do not give his cause of
death. John Dwight HARVEY MID
Service: Royal Navy, HMS Malabar
Rank: Captain
Died: Thursday 19 July 1945 aged 45
Cemetery: SYDNEY WAR CEMETERY Family History: Born on 4 July 1900, son of Turlington and Mary Harvey (née
Dwight) husband of Joyce Elizabeth (Marett) of Duxbury, Massachusetts,
USA. John and Joyce had been married in Jersey on 21 December 1925. John joined the Royal Navy on 11 April 1919 as a midshipman, on his record
is written ‘Special Entry’ by 15 September 1921 he was Sub-Lieutenant, then
15 August 1923 Lieutenant. He was promoted to Lieutenant-Commander on
15 August 1931; it was about this time they were living at 12 Westbourne
Avenue. Then on 11 October 1934 he was voluntarily was placed on the
retired list with the rank of Commander.
During 1937 John qualified for his pilot’s licence. He became part of the
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. During World War Two John was posted to HMS Saker a Royal Naval shore
base for personnel serving in the Americas. This position was followed by
HMS Malabar, another shore base in Bermuda which served as a staging post
for trans-Atlantic convoys.
46
It was whilst stationed at Bermuda that John was killed as a passenger in a
Consolidated Liberator bomber, part of 1315 Flight RAF who operated from
New South Wales, Australia. He was one of twelve killed in a RAF transport
plane which crashed into a concrete bridge when taking off from Sydney
airfield and burst into flames. Also among the dead were Captain George
Roper, RN, Commander L. E. R. Govett, RNVR, Commander J. D. Bass,
RNVR Lieut-Commander H. P. Byrne, RN Surgeon-Lieutenant C. Nolan,
RNVR and Leading Steward E. Morris.
Liberators were used by Coastal Command for long range reconnaissance
and detection of U-boats, 1315 was a communications flight. John was
mentioned in despatches.
(I cannot find the record of John’s birth but I believe him to have been born
in America.) Stephen E. HARVEY
Service: Army, 10th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment
Rank: Private
Service No: 5350452
Died: Sunday 18 July 1943 aged 21
Commemorated: CASSINO MEMORIAL, ITALY Family History: Born in South Stoneham in 1922, son of William George and
Louisa Harvey (née Blake) of Emsworth. 10th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment:
28 August 1942: Set sail from Liverpool.
5 November 1942: Landed at Basra, Iraq. They then moved on to Kirkuk for
further training.
March 1943: Left for Egypt where they continued their training.
June 1943: Went to Gaza
July 1943: Set sail for invasion of Sicily - codenamed Operation Husky.
47
12 July 1943: Landed. Their first action was at Fossa Bottaceto and they
suffered heavy casualties. The battalion remained for a further five days under
fire at a place they named ‘Berkshire Farm’ before being withdrawn into
reserve. It was during the Sicilian Campaign and the landing battles that
Stephen was initially listed as missing then killed in action. Bryan David HILL
Service: Navy, HM Submarine Parthian
Rank: Able seaman
Service No: P/JX 146413
Died: Wednesday 11 August 1943 aged 23
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 8 September 1919 in Portsmouth, son of William
Perry and Alice Louisa (née Jones) Hill. In 1942 Bryan married Brenda Violet
Turner of Emsworth. Brenda’s mother was a Dridge.
HMS Parthian N 75 was the lead boat in six Parthian-class submarines all
built in 1929 at Chatham Dockyard. She spent most of the war in
Mediterranean waters; initially on the China station in 1940 she was then
transferred to Alexandria. She sunk the Italian submarine Diamante in June
1940 and submarine Souffleur in 1941. Towards the end of 1941 she
underwent a refit in the United States returning to duty in the Mediterranean in
March 1942. She carried out supply duties carrying aviation fuel and
ammunition to Malta between July and October. In order to increase capacity
one of her batteries was removed together with no longer carrying spare
torpedoes.
In July 1943 Parthian left Malta to patrol the southern Adriatic, diverted on
26 July and again on 28 July. She was signalled on 6 August but this was not
48
acknowledged and she failed to arrive at Beirut where she was due on 11
August. It was thought she may have hit a mine but remains a mystery. She
was lost with all 65 hands which included Bryan. uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3400.html Frances Wyville HOME
Service: Navy, Royal Marines, HMS Saker
Rank: Brigadier
Died: Friday 19 March 1943 aged 60
Commemorated: OTTAWA CREMATION MEMORIAL, CANADA Family History: Born on 14 June 1882 in Lewisham, son of Charles George
and Kate Selina (née Gardner) Home from Emsworth; Frances’ father was a
clerk in the civil service. Frances married Molly Evelyn Louisa May; they
lived in West Road. His sister was married to Dr L. S. W. Glanville of
Emsworth. Frances joined the Royal Marines in January1901 with the entry rank of 2nd
Lieutenant; he made Lieutenant a year later. In January 1912 he was promoted
to Captain and made Major in June 1917. Then after making Lieutenant
Colonel in 1931, on 15 January 1934 he was put on the retired list by his own
request, retiring with the rank of Colonel.
In March 1942 Frances was recalled for service with the rank of Temporary
Brigadier initially serving with HMS President, and then on 13 September
1942 transferred to HMS Saker II. This was a shore base in the USA for the
administration of British forces serving in the vicinity of the Americas. On the
19 March 1943 Frances died whilst in service in Washington. His death is
registered under Consular/Overseas. Nigel HOPE
Service: Royal Air Force, 185 Squadron
Rank: Squadron Leader (Observer)
Service No: 32173
Died: Thursday 30 November 1939 aged 32
Cemetery: ST MICHAEL’S CHURCH CHURCHYARD, HALTON,
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
49
Family History: Born in 1907 in Cricklewood, Middlesex, son of Graham
Archibald and Ruby Evelyn Hope; who were married in 1894 in India where
Nigel’s father was an officer in the Royal Horse Artillery; they also had
another son, Charles. In June 1934 Nigel is serving on aircraft carrier HMS Glorious as a Flying
Officer, No. 820 squadron, Fleet Spotter Reconnaissance. 820 Squadron was a
part of the Fleet Air Arm based in Gosport, it was whilst here that Nigel met
and married Evelyn Di Watson of Emsworth. They lived in Weald Cottage.
Nigel was a keen member of Emsworth Sailing Club.
.
185 Squadron, March 1938 to April 1940, was a training squadron flying
Handley Page Hampdens and part of Bomber Command. Nigel was a part of
this squadron based at RAF Cottesmore, Rutland.
On Thursday, 30 November 1939, Handley Page Hamden I L4203 was en-
route from Cottesmore to Heston when it hit bad weather with poor visibility,
the pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed at 11.27hrs near Grange Farm
Widmer End, Buckinghamshire, killing all on board. The crew were, Pilot
John Musgrave 41197, Obs/Sqn Leader Nigel Hope 32173, W/Op/Air Gnr
Daniel O’Reagan 624786, W/Op/Air Gnr Sergt. Lindsay Thom 580682.
http://aircrewremembered.com/musgrave-john2.html Anthony William Charles HOUSE
Service: Navy, HMS Belmont
Rank: Able Seaman.
Service No: P/J 115466
Died: Saturday 31 January 1942 aged 39
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 8 March 1903, baptised in Warblington Church, son
of George and Harriet Rose House of Nore Farm.
50
On 16 July 1921 Anthony enlisted in the Royal Navy in Portsmouth; described
as 5′ 3″ tall with brown hair and eyes, his occupation given as a carter.
His original service No. SS11003, changing to J115466 in February 1926,
when he had nearly finished his service and would then be placed on the
reserve.
During 1926 Anthony married Annie Ellen Beatrice Read they lived initially
in Nile Street and then in the High Street.
HMS Belmont was originally SS Satterlee a destroyer in the US Navy, being
transferred to the Royal Navy in 1942. One of 50 old American destroyers
transferred to the navy in exchange for allowing the Americans to build bases
in the colonies. She was part of the 3rd Escort Group protecting Atlantic
convoys.
Anthony was killed when in January 1942 whilst escorting a convoy of
British and Canadian airmen to the UK, she was struck by a torpedo from
German submarine U-82 just south of Newfoundland and sank with the loss of
all 138 hands. https://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/ Henry Douglas HURST
Service: 156 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Sergeant (Wireless Op/Air Gunner)
Service No: 921818
Died: Tuesday 11 August 1942 aged 29
Cemetery: COUTISSE CHURCHYARD, BELGIUM
Inscription: UNTIL WE MEET Family History: Born on 5 March 1913, in the registration district of Romsey,
son of Octavius Henry Payne and Annie Selina Hurst of 5 The Firs, Redhill
51
Road, Rowlands Castle. Henry married Hilda Kathleen May, registered in
Gosport in 1941. Before the war Henry was an engineer.
RAF BRIDEGROOM
On Saturday last the marriage took place at the Congregational Church,
Emsworth of H. Douglas Hirst, RAF, only child of Mr and Mrs O. H. Hirst of
Redhill, Rowlands Castle and Miss Hilda Kathleen May, only child of Mr and
Mrs A.E. May of The Gardens, Emsworth.
Hampshire Telegraph, 7 February 1941 When war broke out in 1939 the Air Ministry employed the RAFVR as the
main means of entry to serve with the RAF. A civilian volunteer on being
accepted for aircrew training took an oath of allegiance and was then inducted
in to the RAFVR. Normally returning to his civilian job for several months
until called up for aircrew training.
Henry was in 156 Squadron Bomber Command one of a six man crew of
Wellington III, Z1595-CT based at Alconbury, shot down by a German fighter
over Coutisse, Belgium, whilst on a mission to Mainz.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Hurst Thomas Henry JACOBS
Service: Army, 3rd Battery Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 1580786
Died: Sunday 26 August 1945 aged 33
Cemetery: KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, THAILAND
Inscription: AS THE YEARS GO QUIETLY BY, MY MEMORY OF YOU,
DEAR, WILL NEVER DIE, MOTHER Family: Born on 7 August 1912 in Idsworth in the registration district of
Catherington, son of Harry and Rose Ellen Jacobs (née Foster) of Emsworth.
In 1939 Thomas was living with his widowed mother at Wellwood,
Wellsrovel Lane, Rowlands Castle. His occupation is given as a labourer.
When Thomas was captured he was serving in the Indian Ocean in Malaya
and Singapore operating heavy anti-aircraft guns.
52
Thomas initially reported missing, was taken prisoner on 15 February 1942 at
the fall of Singapore and taken to a Thai prisoner of war camp where he would
have had to endure hard labour and meagre rations Thomas was in 30 Kilo
Camp (Rephaw) when the British authorities received notification of their
troop’s whereabouts.
He almost certainly worked on the railway and would have moved along the
railway line as it progressed eventually arriving in Kanchanaburi where he
died of Malaria in August 1945. James JEFFERY
Service: Army, 31st Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 833103
Died: Thursday 20 April 1944 aged 27
Cemetery: SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: OUR VERY DEAR JIM. LOVED AND REMEMBERED
ALWAYS, SADLY MISSED. MUM DAD AND FAMILY Family History: Born in 1917 in Milton, Portsmouth, fifth son of John and
Jane Jeffery (née Perryman) of Lumley Path. They were married in 1901 in
Portsea, where, before moving to Emsworth, John was a beer retailer. James had attended Emsworth Church School and had joined the army around
1934. In 1940 he had given his sister Ethel away in marriage in St James’
Church to Sergeant Ben Meadows of the RAF. His brother Bert (RAF) had met James when they were both serving in the
Mediterranean, they had arranged a further meeting when Bert was informed
his brother had been wounded and later died of his wounds. Bert wrote a letter
notifying his parents. James had survived the Dunkirk evacuation and served with the Eight Army
during its successful Desert Campaign. He was serving in the Italian
Campaign when he was fatally wounded.
53
Here is a happy party of boys of the RAF
Regiment in Italy enjoying an alfresco
meal. On the extreme right is LAC
Jeffery, son of Mrs Jeffery of 6 Lumley
Path, Emsworth.
The Evening News, 8 December 1943
Note: I am related to this man by marriage, he was my husband’s uncle and my
daughter is named Jane after his mother (her great-grandmother). Arthur Albert JOHNSON
Service: Army, 139th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 1112296
Died: Sunday 6 February 1944 aged 34
Cemetery: TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY, MYANMAR
Inscription: HEAVEN’S WINDS BLOW SOFTLY O’ER THIS SWEET
SPOT, WHERE ONE WE LOVE LIES SLEEPING Family History: Born in the last quarter of 1909 in Fulham London, son of
John and Julia Johnson; (née Brackley) on the 1939 register the family are
living in Bermondsey. Arthur was the husband of Nellie Vera Johnson of
Emsworth. Arthur is another victim of the Japanese prisoner of war camps, although his
records say killed in action. Following the retreat from Malaya where many
were taken prisoner, the remainder of these allied servicemen were taken
prisoner in the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. The whole region was
then in Japanese hands until the surrender in September 1945. So the most
likely explanation, given the location of his grave, is that he died in captivity
of malnutrition or disease working on the Burma railway. Arthur could have
been killed during an Allied bombing raid, hence the term ‘killed in action’.
54
Robert Anthony JONES
Service: Army, 5th Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment
Rank: Private
Service No: 14411535
Died: Saturday 20 May 1944 aged 20
Cemetery: CASSINO WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: UNSEEN, BUT EVER NEAR YOU LIVE, TO SMILE AT US
AGAIN Family History: Son of Benjamin Fulfort and Edith Dorothy Jones (née
Martyn) of Queen Street. His father Benjamin was an oil and colour merchant.
Robert originally enlisted into the Hampshire Regiment serving in North
Africa. Hampshire Regiment:
January 1943: Left for North Africa, participated in the fall of Tunis.
September 1943: When the war in North Africa had ended the regiment
landed at Salerno, Italy and suffered very heavy casualties. Robert was
reported missing on 8 September 1943 on casualty list 1260 during this
encounter, then on 4 November 1943 on casualty list 1282 reported not
missing. He may have been concussed or wounded. It was around this time Robert was transferred into the 5th Battalion Queen’s
Own Royal West Kent Regiment as he stayed in Italy whilst in February 1944:
the Hampshire’s returned to Egypt. 5th Battalion Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment:
May 1940: Evacuated from Dunkirk and returned to the UK
July 1942: Had arrived with the 4th Battalion in Egypt. They joined the 8th
Army and fought at the Battles of Alam Halfa and Alamein.
1943: Joined the 6th Battalion in the Italian campaigns;
1944: In action at Cassino and up the Peninsula to Florence, the Gothic Line
and finally entering Austria. It was in May of this year that Robert was killed
in action, the burial site suggests he may have been killed in the Battle of
Cassino.
55
Harold John Jesse KENNETT Service: Navy HMS
Culver
Rank: Shipwright
Service No: P/MX 88771
Died: Saturday 31 January 1942 aged 18
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 2 February 1923 in Emsworth, eldest son of Harold
Jesse and Lily Kennett of Victoria Road. His father Harold senior had also
served 26 years in the Royal Navy, and during the war served on HMS
Effingham. Harold was educated at Emsworth Council School and was an
accomplished footballer and swimmer.
HMS Culver Y87 was a former Coastguard Cutter bought on a lease-lend
contract from the Americans in 1941; she had already seen action in the North
Sea and the Atlantic when: On 26 January on convoy escort SL98 with HMS
Londonderry and other warships, at 23.31hrs on 31 January 1942 German U-
105 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at a convoy about 450 miles west south-
west of Cape Clear and observed two hits and a large explosion.
The Germans thought they had hit an ammunition freighter, but in fact it was
HMS Culver that blew up after being hit on the port side in the forward boiler
room and further aft, probably detonating the after magazine. The sloop heeled
45 degrees to starboard, broke in two and sank within one minute. The
commander, seven officers and 119 ratings were lost, including Harold. One
officer and twelve ratings were rescued by HMS Londonderry.
/www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/1304.html
56
Joseph KENNETT
Service: Navy, HMS Barham
Rank: Chief Stoker
Service No: P/K 55113
Died: Tuesday 25 November 1941 aged 41
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 12 November 1900 in Hermitage, son of Joseph and
Mary Kennett; when Joseph was born his father was serving in the army in
South Africa, he was the sixth child born to this couple. Joseph joined the Royal Navy on 25 November 1918 in Portsmouth.
In 1927 Joseph married Alice Jane Ackerman; they lived in Gordon Road.
Alice was delivered of twins in the autumn of 1928, Frederick and Joseph.
HMS Barham O4 was a Queen Elizabeth-class battleship built on the Clyde
and commissioned in 1915. When war was declared in September 1939 she
was in the Mediterranean, in 1940 she participated in the Battle of Dakar and
then transferred to the Mediterranean Fleet where she escorted Maltese
convoys. In 1941 she participated in the Battle of Cape Matapan and then the
evacuation of Crete where she was damaged by Junkers JU-88 bombers and
Heinkel HE III bombers causing a fire and the loss of five of her crew with six
wounded. Too large for the dry dock at Alexandria she had to put in at
Durban, South Africa. Six weeks later she returned to her role as flagship of
the 1st Battle Squadron in Alexandria. On the afternoon of 25 November 1941 the 1st Battle Squadron left
Alexandria with eight destroyers. At 16.25 she was torpedoed by German
submarine U-331, Barham capsized to port and her magazines blew up and
she sank. 862 men were killed, including Joseph, 487 survived including
Seaman Alfred Hobbs from Emsworth.
57
James Edward KENNISON
Service: 576 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gunner)
Service No: 523674
Died: Thursday 6 January 1944 aged 32
Cemetery: BERLIN 1939-1945 WAR CEMETERY, GERMANY
Inscription: HE ANSWERED THE CALL, HE GAVE HIS BEST, HIS
DUTY DONE HE IS NOW AT REST Family History: Born 1911 in Southwark, London, son of George Edward and
Ellen Martha Kennison of Bescot, Walsall, Staffordshire. In 1939 James married Zena Dridge of Emsworth. Unfortunately Zena died on
28 April 1941. James had joined the RAF in 1925 originally as a civilian, then
an aircraft hand. 576 Squadron was a part of Bomber Command; on the day James died he was
part of the crew of a Lancaster III ND416 code UL-G2 based at Elsham Wolds
on a mission to Stettin on the Polish-German border. His plane crashed at
Pasewalk, Germany. www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Kennison KENNISON- In loving memory of my beloved son-in-law Jim, who gave his
life January 1944 Air Gunner RAF.
From Mum, brother Bill, sisters, brothers-in-law, Jack, Bill, Trevor. Jim
devoted husband of the above. He lives with us still.
Portsmouth Evening News, 28 April 1944 (There was a remembrance notice to her daughter Zena above this notice).
58
Alan Ross KNIGHT
Service: Army, 80 Anti-tank Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 5496978
Died: Saturday 8 September 1945 aged 30
Commemorated: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 21 December 1914, son of Albert and Kathleen (née
Martin) Knight originally of Westbourne; they were living in Bridgefoot Path
in 1945. In 1937 Alan married Doris Randall of Emsworth. They lived in
Victoria Terrace, Lumley. Alan was yet another victim of the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. He
was taken prisoner and sent to a camp in Thailand, Malai 1; I think this may
have been on the Burma railway. Alan did well to survive the maltreatment,
starvation and diseases like Cholera, Malaria and Dysentery. He was liberated
in September 1945 having spent over three and a half years in these terrible
conditions, his relatives were notified of his release only to be devastated
when the plane flying him home was reported missing.
LIBERATED PRISONERS MISSING
Shortly after receiving official news that gunner Harry Lewis and Sergeant A.
R. Knight (a former Havant Territorial) had been liberated from Japanese
prisoner of war camps, their relatives have received official notification that
they are both missing in an overdue plane for which a search is being made.
Gunner Lewis who was attached to a Heavy A.A. Unit is the son-in-law of Mrs
Page of 1, Selangor Avenue, Emsworth. Before joining the army he was on the
staff of Mr J.E. Smith coal merchants, Havant branch. He is a survivor of the
Dunkirk evacuation. In his last message home he was looking cheerfully to the
future. Sergeant Knight is a native of Westbourne. His home is at Victoria
Terrace, Lumley Emsworth where his wife and child were looking forward to
his return. He was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore and was last heard
of at Bangkok whence he was on his way home by plane.
Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 22 October 1945
59
Peter Alec LASHLY
Service: 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Sergeant (Flight Engineer)
Service No: 1208560
Died: Thursday 10 September 1942 aged 22
Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY, GERMANY
Inscription: THY WILL BE DONE
Family History: Born 1920 son of Charles Frederick Harry and Nellie May
Lashly (née Skinner) of Emsworth. Peter received the scouts VC at the age of 13 when he was a Patrol Leader and
had saved the life of Raymond Denham. (Whose father was Leading Stoker on
the Royal Yacht). Whilst he was swimming Raymond had got sucked into the
sluice gates of Emsworth Mill. Peter had managed to prevent the boy from
being dragged through for about ten minutes until assistance came in the form
of two fishermen, Mr William Miller and Mr William Smith of South Street. When war broke out in 1939 the Air Ministry employed the RAFVR as the
principal means for aircrew entry to serve with the RAF. A civilian volunteer
on being accepted for aircrew training took an oath of allegiance ('attestation')
and was then inducted in to the RAFVR. Normally he returned to his civilian
job for several months until he was called up for aircrew training. During this
waiting period he could wear a silver RAFVR lapel badge to indicate his
status. Peter’s squadron was in Bomber Command based at RAF Syerston,
Nottinghamshire. On 10 of September 1942 he was a member of the crew of
Lancaster I, W4111 which crashed on a mission to Dusseldorf at 20.20hrs. http://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/ Richard Owen LENHAM
Service: Royal Air Force, Pembroke Dock SHQ
Rank: Corporal
Service No: 514334
Died: Monday 12 May 1941 aged 29
Commemorated: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, SURREY
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Family History: Born on 14 November 1911 in Wandsworth, son of James and
Maud Lenham, (née Baker). Richard was the youngest brother of James
Charles Lenham of Palmers Road. Richard married Edna Mary Vinall in 1938
in Portsmouth. Richard was part of Bomber or Fighter Command. He was stationed at RAF
Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire. In World War Two it became the largest
Flying Boat station in the world. Richard and his wife, Edna, and their child,
were killed when the house they were living in, 4 Gwyther Street, Pembroke,
was demolished during an air raid.
Harold Cecil LEWIS (Harry)
Service: Army, HQ6 Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal
Artillery
Rank: Gunner
Service No: 791037
Died: Saturday 8 September 1945 aged 37
Commemorated: SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 19 January 1907 in Kingsdon, Somerset. Harold
married Irene May Page from Selangor Avenue in 1935. Before he joined the
army Harry worked for J. E. Smith coal merchant of Havant. Harold joined the army on 1 March 1929; he survived the evacuation from
Dunkirk, and was fighting in Malaya when he became another casualty of the
surrender of Singapore in February 1942. Taken prisoner and sent to a PoW
camp in Thailand, Malai 1, which although mentioned in numerous documents
the location remains a bit of a mystery.
Harry survived the brutality, starvation and disease and was liberated in
September 1945; he left Bangkok on 7 September on a plane bound for home,
but never arrived. A search was made but found nothing; official records said
presumed dead between the 7th and 17th September, 1945. Harry left a wife
and four children under twelve.
Another Emsworth man, Alan Knight, was also on this flight, this is an
excerpt from a newspaper report:
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LIBERATED PRISONERS MISSING
Shortly after receiving official news that gunner Harry Lewis and Sergeant A.
R. Knight (a former Havant Territorial) had been liberated from Japanese
prisoner of war camps, their relatives have received official notification that
they are both missing in an overdue plane for which a search is being made.
Gunner Lewis who was attached to a Heavy A.A. Unit is the son-in-law of Mrs
Page of 1, Selangor Avenue, Emsworth. Before joining the army he was on the
staff of Mr J.E. Smith coal merchants, Havant branch. He is a survivor of the
Dunkirk evacuation. In his last message home he was looking cheerfully to the
future.
Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 22 October 1945 Ronald William LEY
Service: Navy, HMS Bonaventure
Rank: Warrant Engineer
Service No: M36654
Died: Monday 31 March 1941 aged 35
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 13 August 1905 in Portsmouth, son of John and
Alice Ley. In 1930 Ronald married Gladys Winifred Day in Portsmouth.
When Ronald died Gladys was living in Emsworth.
Ronald joined the Royal Navy on 13 August 1923, his occupation given as a
scholar, and described as 5′ 10″ with brown hair and grey eyes. On 1 April
1937 he was promoted to Warrant Engineer. For details of HMS Bonaventure see Edward Francis DISBROWE
William Henry LIPSCOMBE
Service: Royal Navy, HMS Fiji
Rank: Chief Stoker
Service No: P/K 56733
Died: Friday 23 May 1941 aged 40
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 30 May 1901 in Suffolk, son of George William and
Edith Lipscombe; In 1937 William married Lily Elizabeth Peckham of
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Emsworth. William joined the Royal Navy on 30 May 1919 in Portsmouth, his
eighteenth birthday. He is described as 5′ 3″ tall with brown hair and eyes, his
occupation, electrician.
HMS Fiji 58 was the lead ship of the Crown-Colony class light cruisers built
on the Clyde and commissioned on 5 May 1940. She was originally attached
to the Home Fleet, then detached and sent to the African Atlantic coast to take
part in Operation Menace. But en-route she was torpedoed by German
Submarine U-32 on 1 September 1940 and had to return to Britain for repairs. She returned to service in March 1941 and was assigned to patrol the Denmark
Strait and then re-assigned to Force H at Gibraltar. On 5 May Force H left
Gibraltar to escort a convoy bound for Egypt but halfway they were relieved
of their responsibility by the Mediterranean Fleet. Naval Intelligence anticipated the Germans were going to attack the island of
Crete and the Force were sent to rendezvous with Warspite and Valiant and
their escorts which they did the following morning. But they had been spotted
by enemy aircraft on 22 May on their way to the rendezvous and the German
aircraft started attacking. The Luftwaffe continued attacking for several hours.
HMS Greyhound was sunk at 13.50hrs, then HMS Gloucester at 15.50hrs, by
this time Fiji had exhausted her anti-aircraft ammunition and was firing
practice rounds. The aerial attack continued and at 19.00hrs Fiji was hit
amidships by a bomb from a Messerschmitt BF109 fighter bomber twice and
they had to abandon ship due to flooding. Almost all the crew were rescued,
but sadly not William.
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Sidney William LOCKYER
Service: Navy, HM Boom Defence Vessel Sparsholt
Rank: Chief Stoker
Service No: P/K 3805
Died: Friday 13 March 1942 aged 50
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in Emsworth on 25 May 1891, son of Charles and
Beatrice Lockyer (née Wells). He married his wife, Margaret, in 1926 the
marriage registered in Westbourne. Sidney was a career sailor; he joined the
Royal Navy on 19 August 1909, described as 5′ 8″ tall with light brown hair
and grey eyes his occupation give as an agricultural labourer.
Having initially completed 12 years he signed on for the rest of his career.
He passed his Petty Officer exam on 4 June 1913. He served throughout
World War One and on 23 May 1928 was commended for his attempt to save
another Chief Stoker. On the 1939 register Sidney is back in Civvy Street
living and working in Chichester with his wife and children. When Sidney
returned to the navy for the war effort they were living in Emsworth. Boom Defence vessels were positioned across the mouth of our harbours in
order to protect them from attack. They were manned by the naval veterans of
World War One. The boom normally consisted of three ships positioned
across the mouth of a harbour with nets (as shown in photo) either side so as
all shipping would have to go through the boom to access the harbour, There
would be a right, middle and left hand boom ship, incoming ships would sail
between the LH and middle, outgoing ships between the middle and RH.
HM Sparsholt was on duty in Sheerness across the Thames Estuary when on
13 March 1942 she hit a stray mine just off of the pier at Sheerness and sank.
Records of this incident are almost non-existent so I cannot say if there were
any survivors only that Sidney lost his life here.
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Anthony William LOVEBAND
Service: Royal Navy
Rank: Commander
Died: Tuesday 21 April 1942 aged 57
Cemetery: ? Family History: Born on 29 April 1884, son of Lieut-Colonel J.E. Loveband
of Instow, Devon. Anthony joined the Royal Navy on 15 September 1899
passing an entry exam for Britannia, a training ship for the education of naval
officers anchored in Portsmouth, then Portland and finally Dartmouth. In 1912 Anthony married Florence Mabel Francis in St Gabriel’s Church,
Cricklewood, Devon. The family home was in Beach Road. During World War One Anthony worked as a wireless signalling expert and
resumed these duties in World War Two. He died following a cerebral
haemorrhage leaving a widow, son and two daughters, all of whom were
serving in the forces. James William LOWE
Service: 487 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 657928
Died: Monday 3 May 1943 aged 30
Commemorated: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL, SURREY Family History: Born on 21 November 1913, son of Captain George Lowe
RAF and Harriet Lowe of Havant Road. Before the war having had a
university education James was employed as a schoolmaster. In 1941 James
married Mary Patricia Taylor of Emsworth.
Lockheed Ventura Bomber
65
487 Squadron
On 3 May 1943 James was a crewmember in a Ventura I AE798 EG-D based
at RAF Methwold, Norfolk, their mission Operation Ramrod 16. This was a
daylight bombing raid against the Hemweg Power Station, Amsterdam. The
plan was to destroy the power station and entice the Luftwaffe to engage with
the supporting Spitfires. Five Squadrons of Spitfires (60+ planes) were supporting one squadron of
Lockheed Ventura’s. They left Methwold at 16.43hrs, two squadrons of
Spitfires climbed too soon burning up their limited fuel and had to return to
base. The Ventura’s made their climb as they approached the Dutch coast and
their close support Spitfires fell behind, another squadron lost contact.
Meanwhile unbeknown to the allies, the Luftwaffe was holding a conference
at Schiphol airfield near Amsterdam and there were a great number of
experienced Luftwaffe pilots present.
When the Ventura’s reached the coast there was some 70 Luftwaffe waiting
to meet them, Focke-Wulf 190s engaged the Spitfire escorts while
Messerschmitt BF109s attacked the Venturas. Of the twelve Venturas only
two returned. The plane that James was in was shot down over the sea. John Edward Cook MERRIFIELD
Service: Army, 215 Battalion Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Lance Sergeant
Service No: 1435242
Died: Monday 11 March 1941 aged 40
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Inscription: PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE I GIVE UNTO
YOU
Family History: Son of Joseph M. and Mary L. Merrifield; husband of Madge
M. Merrifield of Emsworth. Madge died on 15 December 1991 aged 77.
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DIED ON DUTY
Well known in official circles in Portsmouth, where in peacetime he was on
the staff of The Motor Taxation Office, Portsmouth, Sergt. John Edward Cook
Merrifield (41) was killed as a result of enemy action. The funeral took place
at Warblington Cemetery on Saturday, when the coffin was draped with the
Union Jack. The Army Chaplain attached to his unit officiated, and several
officers, N.C.O.s and men from his company attended. The chief mourners
were Mrs. Merrifield (widow) Miss Gwen Merrifield (sister), Mr H. Tier
(father in- law), and Mr. A. Tier. Representatives of the Motor Taxation
Office, Masonic Lodges and the Emsworth Baptist Church were also present.
There were many floral tributes. Hampshire Telegraph, 21 March 1941
Alfred John Chapman NORTHEAST
Service: Navy, HMS Eagle
Rank: Petty Officer Steward
Service No: P/L 13791
Died: Tuesday 11 August 1942 aged 39
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 22 September 1903 in Alderbury, Wiltshire, one of
six children of Frederick John and Emma Taylor Northeast; during 1926
Alfred married of Eileen Miriam Rice they lived in St James’ Road. Alfred
joined the Royal Navy in Portsmouth on 25 February 1926, described as 5′ 6″
tall with auburn hair and brown eyes, his occupation given as a watchmaker.
HMS Eagle 94 was an aircraft carrier commissioned on 20 February 1924.
She was equipped with Fairey Swordfish Torpedo Bombers. For the first part
of the war Eagle was assigned to the Indian Ocean looking for commerce
raiders, and then late 1940 she was re-assigned to the Mediterranean to escort
convoys to Malta and Greece. In 1941 she was relieved by a more modern
carrier and returned to the Indian and South Atlantic Sea. Then in October of
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that year Eagle was ordered home for a re-fit so was out of action until early
1942 when she was assigned to deliver fighter aircraft to Malta to boost their
air defences.
On 11 August whilst escorting a convoy to Malta she was hit by four
torpedoes by German submarine U-73 and sunk. 131 men lost their lives,
including Alfred who left a widow and a little son, Brian, born 1935. 929 men
were rescued. His obituary notices in the Portsmouth Evening News mentions,
will be sadly missed by Mum, Dad, Stan, Les, Pat, Daisy and Edith. Herbert Frank PARVIN
Service: Army 80 Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 5495774
Died: Sunday 8 February 1942 aged 27 (between 8th and 10th)
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY, SINGAPORE
Inscription: FATHER IN THY GRACIOUS KEEPING LEAVE WE NOW
THY SERVANT SLEEPING Family History: Born in 1915, son of Harry and Emily Alice Maud Parvin of
King Street. Herbert married Freda Annie Spencer in 1934, they also lived in
King Street.
Herbert’s mother died in late1944 not knowing her son had already died, she
was buried with her husband in Havant Cemetery (who had predeceased her
by 11 years). Her other son attended the funereal.
Herbert had been killed in action during the Malayan Campaign and the
fighting for Singapore.
He had been listed as missing at the fall of Singapore and the hope was he
had been taken prisoner. It must have been some time before the Red Cross
were able to liaise with the authorities to get information, and it is to be
remembered there were 130,000 PoWs not including the dead. The official
War Office casualty record that changed from ‘missing’ to ‘killed in action’
was dated 15 January 1946.
68
William PIPER
Service: Army, Royal Army Service Corp (attached HQ 6th Airborne
Division)
Rank: Private
Service No: S/6403808
Died: Wednesday 7 June 1944 aged 28
Cemetery: RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY, FRANCE
Inscription: THOUGH LOST TO OUR SIGHT, IN OUR MEMORY EVER
DEAR. HIS LOVING WIFE AND PARENTS Family History: Born in Hailsham, East Sussex, on 17 March 1916, son of
Albert and Francis Piper; Albert had worked as a postman for more than 28
years initially delivering in rural areas by horse, the family were still living in
Hailsham, East Sussex, in 1939 where William was employed as an
auctioneer’s clerk. In 1942 William married Stella Margery Hunnisett in
Hailsham. Stella joined the Wrens and became Chief Wren Stella Margery
Piper, WRNS, of Emsworth. D-Day, or the Normandy landings, on Tuesday 6 June 1944 was the largest
seaborne invasion in history. It was the start of the Allied victory on the
Western Front. The amphibious landings were preceded by heavy aerial and
naval bombardment together with the landing of airborne troops shortly after
midnight.
The Drop Zones for the D-Day landings
69
The Normandy coast was divided into five landing areas called; Utah, Omaha,
Gold, Juno and Sword. The Allies landed under heavy fire and the beaches
were mined and covered with stakes, tripods and barbed wire, casualties were
heavy with about 4,500 confirmed dead. HQ 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British
army formed in 1943. It consisted of the 3rd and 5th Parachute Brigades and
the 6th Air-landing Brigade together with supporting units. William was with
this division and was probably in the first airborne landings after midnight. He
was reported missing on 7 June 1944, then presumed dead, the actual date of
death unknown.
William George RIPLEY D.F.M.
Service: 141 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer
Reserve
Rank: Flying Officer (Navigator/Wireless Op)
Service No: 139951
Died: Tuesday 16 November 1943 aged 30
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Inscription: SAFEIN GOD’S KEEPING UNTIL THE
DAY BREAK AND THE SHADOWS FLEE AWAY
Family History: Born on 17 April 1913, baptised in St James’ Church, son of
Thomas and Nellie Henrietta (née Lee) Ripley of Bridgefoot Path. William
attended St James’ Church School. He was a keen footballer, a member of the
Wednesday Football Club. In September 1940 William married Elizabeth Vera Cribb of Emsworth. They
had two children, twins born July 1941, Janet and David. The family lived in
Cambridge Terrace. William joined the RAF on Empire Day 1940.
In 1941 William was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for his skill
and efficiency as a Sergeant Wireless Op/ Gunner in the destruction of eight
enemy aircraft whilst serving in 604 Squadron. It was widely reported in the
newspapers across the country.
70
BROUGHT DOWN TEN ENEMY PLANES
Sharing with his pilot, Flying Officer Chisholm, D.F.C., the feat of having
brought down ten enemy night raiders, Sergt William George Ripley of
Emsworth who it was announced on Friday had been awarded the D.F.M. has
returned home to Emsworth on short leave. A former pupil of St James’
School Emsworth he is a playing member of the Emsworth Wednesday’s F.C
and C.C.
He was married last September. He said to a Hants Telegraph reporter:
“Night flying is a great thrill and I quite enjoy it. I am lucky to have a really
splendid pilot with whom I have shared company ever since I joined the
Flight.
“We have accounted for eight definitely and two highly probable night raiders
during the past few weeks.
“I received my ribbon a few days ago and my pilot and I celebrated the
occasion by bringing down another enemy night raider in the Plymouth area.
Sergeant Ripley is a cousin of the late Mr Harry Ripley who was one of the
first local residents to join the Army in the last war, and to taste active service
abroad.
He was taken prisoner in Germany, but made a thrilling escape, finally
making his way home to England. When he arrived home he was presented by
the townspeople of Emsworth with a gold watch on his remarkable escape.
The Ripley family of Emsworth are noted for their spirit and enterprise, and
Sergt Ripley’s elder brother Tom made two voyages around the world in a
yacht. On these voyages they sailed into dangerous waters on explorations
into Polar Regions. Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 9 May 1941 In February 1943, 141 Squadron was operating from the south-west flying
missions over north-west France. Then at the end of April, it moved to
Wittering and started flying missions over German night-fighter airfields in
support of Bomber Command. Currently flying the Bristol Beaufighter I, in
October 1943 these were replaced by the De Havilland Mosquito II.
William would have been flying in a Mosquito when he was fatally injured
in a flying accident in the Home Counties in November 1943. He died in
hospital, his pilot Dennis Mead also died in hospital.
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/141_
71
Mosquitos
James Percival RUSSELL
Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, HM Trawler Gairsay
Rank: Lieutenant
Died: Thursday 3 August 1944 aged 24
Commemorated: LOWESTOFT NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in 1919, only son of James and Lily Gladys Russell (née
Mortimer) of Southbourne. In September 1941 James’s engagement was announced to Miss Peggy Hetty
Woodley only daughter of Mr and Mrs Woodley of Emsworth. They were
married on 22 July the following year in Warblington Church. The wedding
cake was made to resemble a battleship complete with guns and lifebuoys.
They lived in Kings Road.
HM Trawler Gairsay T290 was built in Scotland was commissioned on 30
April 1943. She played a part in Operation Neptune, the Normandy landings;
she was part of the coastal defences called ‘the trout line’ after the
minesweepers had cleared the channels and the landings had taken place. She
was hit and sunk by a human torpedo on 3 August 1944. One officer and
twelve ratings survived, unfortunately James was killed.
72
Human torpedoes were diver propulsion devices, when the torpedo was fired
the diver would swim back to shore. www.naval-history.net/WW2BritishLosses Kenneth Gordon RUSSELL
Service: Army, 2nd Royal Tank Regiment RAC
Rank: Trooper
Service No: 7884155
Died: Thursday 16 April 1942 aged 27
Cemetery: TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY, MYANMAR
Inscription: JUST A LITTLE WHILE AND WE SHALL MEET FACE TO
FACE Family History: Born in February 1916, baptised on 23 April in St Michael’s
Church, Portsmouth, son of Ernest Charles and Ethel Rebecca Russell (née
McKenzie) of Lumley, Hermitage. Kenneth’s father was a pianoforte maker. In July 1917 Kenneth’s mother attended a show in Chichester where Kenneth
won a prize for the heaviest baby weighing in at two stones nine pounds at
only one-year-five-months-old. Kenneth was fighting in Burma (Myanmar) when he was killed in action. But
the mystery lies in that the date of his death is after the British surrendered.
As there are no official records of Kenneth being a prisoner of the Japanese
we might assume that maybe he was injured and died of his wounds or disease
before he could be interned or that he was unfit to travel. There may of course
be other reasons. The cemetery in Taukkyan town near Yangon, (which is on a peninsular in
southern Myanmar) where he is commemorated is a very long way from
Singapore. Some of the dates of these deaths were not really known so were recorded by
the war office when they received the confirmation reports.
73
Kenneth William SHORROCK
Service: Navy HMS Royal Oak
Rank: Leading Seaman
Service No: P/JX 129839
Died: Saturday 14 October 1939 aged 29
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 18 August 1910 in Sudborough, Northants, son of
William Thomas and Elizabeth (née Seymour) Shorrock of Bath Road, and
older brother to Maurice and Stanley below. Kenneth was a keen footballer.
HMS Royal Oak 08 was one of five
Revenge-class battleships built in World
War One in Devonport Dockyard and
commissioned in May 1916. As part of
the Grand Fleet she had survived the
Battle of Jutland but despite attempts to
modernise her when World War Two
started she was not up to the standard or
speed of the later built ships.
This however did not play a part in her downfall as on 14 October 1939 she
was at anchor in Scapa Flow when she was torpedoed by German submarine
U-47. Of the 1,253 crew 834 were killed or died of their wounds, including
Kenneth. Over 100 of the dead were boy seaman, not yet eighteen-years-old.
The huge loss of life so early in the war sent shockwaves through the nation
and badly effected wartime morale; the shock resulted in drastic changes to
the security of our harbours. https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4063.html Following the disaster Kenneth’s father was cycling past the railway station
when he recognized Chief Stoker C. Hine of Emsworth returning home and
stopped to congratulate him on his survival, explaining that he had lost his
own son on Royal Oak. Stoker Hine extended his deep sympathy to Mr
Shorrock for the loss of his son. Paymaster-Comdr J.R. Cundall from Record
Road, Emsworth, and Comdr Nicholls, Emsworth, also survived the sinking of
HMS Royal Oak.
Hampshire Telegraph, 27 November 1939
74
Maurice Peter SHORROCK
Service: Navy, HMS Greyhound
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service No: P/KX 100607
Died: Thursday 22 May 1941 aged 19
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 2 August 1921 in Havant, son of William Thomas
and Elizabeth (née Seymour) Shorrock of Bath Road and brother to Kenneth
and Stanley. HMS Greyhound was a G-class Destroyer H05 built in Barrow-in-Furness and
commissioned on 31 January 1936. In 1940 she had played a part in the
Norwegian Campaign, the evacuation of Dunkirk and the Battle of Dakar off
the West African Coast before being assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet in
November mainly on convoy duty.
Early in 1941 she sunk two Italian submarines whilst on convoy duty before,
whilst on her way to rendezvous with cruisers in the Kythira Strait she was
bombed by Stukas, struck by three bombs she sank soon afterwards with the
loss of 80 sailors, including Maurice. The survivors were picked up by HMS
Kingston and Kandahar. //www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/ Stanley Henry Alexander SHORROCK
Service: Navy HMS Hood
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: P/J112455
Died: Saturday 24 may 1945 aged 31
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 18 June 1909 in Spotley, Suffolk, Stanley was the
eldest son of William Thomas and Elizabeth (née Seymour) Shorrock of Bath
Road and brother to Maurice and Kenneth listed above. There were two more
75
brothers, Cyril and Dennis; their parents were married in St Mark’s Church,
Portsmouth, in 1908. On the 1911 census their mother Elizabeth, Stanley and
Kenneth are living in Portsmouth with their paternal grandparents. Their father, William, served in the Boer War and when he returned the family
went to Canada and he served in the Canadian Forces during World War One. They then returned to England where he worked for the Automobile
Association. William and Elizabeth celebrated their 50th wedding Anniversary
in 1958. They had two sons and six grandchildren. Their grandmother Isabella Shorrock, who was born in South Africa,
celebrated her 100th birthday on 22 March 1951 and received a telegram from
the King.
Isabella Shorrock on her 100th birthday. She lived with
her daughter (aunt to Stanley, Kenneth and Maurice) and
son-in-law Mr J. H. Lewington. She had five children,
eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. She had
lost five grandchildren in World War Two, the three
Shorrock brothers and their cousins George and Fred
Lewington. For details of HMS Hood see George BORSBERRY William Alfred SIMMONDS
Service: Navy, HMS Dunedin
Rank: Chief Petty Officer Cook
Service No: P/L 14361
Died: Monday 24 November 1941 aged 40
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born in Portsmouth on 26 March 1901 the son of William and
Caroline Simmonds of Portsmouth, William senior was a Stoker in the Royal
Navy. William first joined the Royal Navy on 6 May 1921, Service no;
M36465, described as 5′ 3″ tall with dark hair and brown eyes. Then on 3
March 1923 he was transferred and given the number P/L14361. On 6
76
November 1928 William passed his Petty Officer exam. He had served at
Admiralty House under the Earl of Cork and Admiral Jackie Fisher. In 1923 William married Mabel Sadler of Kings Road in Portsmouth. The
family lived in St James’ Road. His wife received a letter sending Christmas
greetings to the family written a few days before his ship was lost.
HMS Dunedin D93 was a Danae-class cruiser built in Newcastle upon Tyne
and commissioned on 13 September 1919. Early 1940 she was in the
Caribbean Sea where in the company of a Canadian destroyer she captured the
German merchantman Hanover, which the British renamed Audacity. On 15
June 1941 she captured the German tanker Lothringen which the Navy also re-
used.
She went on to capture three more Vichy-French vessels before in the
central Atlantic Ocean north-east of Brazil when two torpedoes from German
Submarine U-124 sank her. Out of a complement of 486 men only 67 survived
unfortunately William was not amongst them.
Dudley Malins SLATTER
Service: 141 Squadron, Royal Air Force
Rank: Pilot Officer
Service No: 44597
Died: Friday 19 July 1940 aged 26
Commemorated: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL SURREY Family History: Born in the 2nd quarter of 1914 in Gloucester, son of Wilfred
Thomas and Valetta Matilda (née Brinkworth) Slatter. Wilfred was a chemist;
the family lived in High Street.
Emsworth R.A.F. Officer Missing
Official information has been received that Pilot Officer Dudley Malins
Slatter, only son of Mr and Mrs W. T. Slatter of The Old Pharmacy High
Street Emsworth is missing. He only recently gained his commission.
77
Last year he was instrumental in assisting in the rescue of two young women
who were marooned off a rock off the coast of Cornwall.
On another occasion last year he was believed to have lost his life after he and
a companion had set out in a canoe off Portsmouth and a wallet and a tobacco
pouch belonging to them was picked up in the mud off Whale Island. Soon
afterwards he was seen walking up South Street with the canoe on his back.
He joined the RAF as a photographer and was gazetted Pilot Officer a few
weeks ago.
Hampshire Telegraph, 29 July 1940
Boulton Paul Defiant In 1940 141 Fighter Squadron was based in Malling with their headquarters at
Biggin Hill. On 19 July the squadron was scrambled to patrol over Folkestone
and nine aircraft took off in three rows of three. Soon after taking off the
Defiants were attacked by German BF109Es that attacked out of the sun. Six
of the nine were shot down, including Dudley’s Defiant I L7016. Only one
made it back to base.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Slatter
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/141_wwII.htm Jim SMITH
Service: Navy, HMS Greyhound
Rank: Able Seaman
Service No: P/JX 129000
Died: Thursday 22 May 1941 aged 29
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 16 July 1911 in Emsworth, son of William and
Charlotte Smith (née Whittington) of South Street. William worked on a
78
dredger. In the second quarter of 1937 Jim married Ester Mary Savage,
daughter of Thomas and Ester Savage, fishmonger, of 54 South Street. For details of HMS Greyhound see Maurice Peter SHORROCK Geoffrey Gordon SOAMES
Service: 115 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Pilot Officer
Service No: 118096
Died: Thursday 26 March 1942 aged 23
Cemetery: WARNSVELD (WICHMOND) GENERAL CEMETERY,
NETHERLANDS
Inscription: UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS Family History: Born 1919 the son of Ralph Martin and Mary Gooch Soames
of Tower Street, younger brother of Martin below. Geoffrey was stationed at RAF Marham near Great Yarmouth, in 1935 work
started on a new airfield that became active on 1 April 1937 with a resident
heavy bomber unit from within No. 3 Group, RAF Bomber Command.
The first squadron, No. 38, arrived in May 1937 with Fairey Hendon
bombers. In June No. 115 Squadron, RAF, re-formed at Marham with
Handley Page Harrows while 38 Squadron received Wellington I bombers in
December 1938, followed in 1939 by 115 Squadron.
Wellington Bomber
On the evening of 26 March 1942 Geoffrey was on a mission to Essen,
Germany, flying in Wellington III X3604 when at 19.54hrs his plane crashed
north-east of Arnhem in the Netherlands.
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Martin Strahan SOAMES
Service: 40 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 964528
Died: Tuesday 12 June 1941 aged 27
Cemetery: JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY, NETHERLANDS
Inscription: FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH Family History: Born in the 1st quarter of 1914 in Reigate, Surrey, oldest son
of Ralph Martin and Mary Gooch (née Strahan) Soames of Tower Street and
brother to Geoffrey above. Their father, Ralph was a Medical Practitioner.
Martin was educated at Cheltenham College (1928-1932).
Stationed at RAF Wyton until February 1941 then moved to RAF Alconbury
which is a Royal Air Force station adjacent to the Stukeleys, near Alconbury
and Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire in the United Kingdom, about 60 miles
north of London. No. 40 squadron flew Bristol Blenheim Bombers IV until
November 1940 when it changed to Vickers Wellingtons IC; operating as a
night bomber squadron with Bomber Command. On 11 June 1941 Martin was
on a night bombing raid to Dusseldorf when his plane R1464 crashed at
Meerlo, Holland, at 23.40hrs.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Soames+
http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RAF/40_wwII.html Cyril John SUNDERLAND
Service: Army Royal Army Medical Corp
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 7354270
Died: Wednesday 9 February 1944 aged 33
Cemetery: KANCHANABURI WAR CEMETERY, THAILAND
Inscription: NOT WITH US TODAY, BUT ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS.
THY WILL BE DONE Family History: Born in the 3rd quarter of 1910 in Gillingham, Kent, son of
John Richardson Sunderland and Maud Lake (née Cutler) of Sunderland. His
Father John was a Lieutenant-Commander in the Royal Navy. When retired in
1939 Cyril’s parents lived in Kingsey Avenue.
80
Cyril married Sylvia Maud Horton MPS in 1935 in Brentford. They lived at
Hanwell, Middlesex. On 15 February 1942, whilst serving in Malaya, Cyril is listed as a PoW, he
had previously been reported as a missing casualty. He remained a prisoner of
the Japanese held in either a camp or a ship. As a member of the Medical Corp
he would have been a great comfort to those who were injured or suffering
from disease in the prisoner of war camps.
The next casualty list was on 2 September 1945 when the prisoners were
liberated where Cyril is reported to have died the previous year in captivity;
the camp location listed as TH. (Thailand)
Because it is not a fighting arm, under the Geneva Conventions, members of
the RAMC may only use their weapons for self-defence. Laurence Frederick TERRY
Service: Navy, HMS Foxglove
Rank: Petty Officer Stoker
Service No: P/K/ 59387
Died: Friday 12 July 1940 aged 37
Cemetery: HASLAR ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY
Inscription: SADLY MISSED BY HIS DEVOTED WIFE ROSIE AND
CHILDREN MAUREEN AND LORRAINE Family History: Born on 17 December 1902 in Emsworth, one of nine
children of Frederick Charles and Martha Louise (née Bailey) Terry. His
brothers were Frank, Arthur, Charlie, Cecil, and Gilbert and sisters were Bess,
Maisie, and Molly. In 1936 Laurence married Annie Rose Harrison (née
Dedman), they lived in Selangor Avenue. Laurence had a daughter Maureen
and Annie gave birth to a second daughter Lorraine eight months after the
death of her husband. He also had three step-children, Alfie, Dennis and
Sylvia.
81
HMS Foxglove was an Acacia-Class Minesweeper built in Glasgow she
served in both World Wars. She was badly damaged when she was dive
bombed by German Aircraft off of the Isle of Wight on 9 July 1940. I think
from the evidence we can safely assume Laurence sustained injuries in this
attack which proved fatal, he was obviously taken to Haslar Hospital where he
died three days later.
Peter Mark English TILLETT
Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS Implacable
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant
Died: Thursday 9 August 1945 aged 19
Commemorated: LEE-ON-SOLENT MEMORIAL
Family History: Born in 1925, son of Mark and Ruth M. (née Curtis Pyne)
Tillett of the Town Brewery, High Street. Peter was head boy at Manor House
School, Havant, where he won Victor Ludorum honours and several silver
trophies.
MEMORIAL TO BRAVE AIRMAN
Last week the Rev. J. D. Scott (Assistant Chaplain Royal Naval Barracks)
unveiled and the Rev. J.F.S. Glynn (Rector of Warblington with Emsworth)
dedicated a stained glass window in St James’ Church a memorial to Sub-
Lieutenant (A) Peter Tillett (19) who lost his life while pilot of a plane that
helped to rescue the crew of another plane off the Japanese coast. Sub-
Lieutenant Tillett flew over the spot until he had been assured that the location
of the crashed plane had been noted by his squadron HQ, but his own machine
ran out of petrol. No trace of him or his machine was found. Mr Scott said at
the unveiling ceremony “I hope this window will be a reminder not only of the
lad, but of what he stood for - unselfish service to others”. Sub-Lieutenant
Tillett was the younger son of Mr and Mrs Mark Tillett of High-st Emsworth,
and a grandson of the late Mr William Tillett, a well-known journalist, who
was on the staff of the “Manchester Guardian”. The unveiling ceremony
attended by his parents, other relatives and friends, took place on what would
have been his 24th birthday.
West Sussex Gazette, 7 October 1948
82
HMS Implacable was an Implacable-Class Aircraft Carrier built during World
War Two, completed in 1944 she initially joined the Home Fleet then re-
assigned to join the British Pacific Fleet where she attacked Truk and targets
in the Japanese Home Islands in 1945. James Thomas TWIGGER M.I.D.
Service: Navy, No. 41 Royal Marine Commando M.I.D.
Rank: Colour Sergeant
Service No: PLY/X972
Died: Friday 10 September 1943 aged 30
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 12 June 1913 in Nottingham, son of John and Mary
Ann (née Martin) Twigger, James’ father was a coal miner. At a later date
having lost her husband, his mother moved to 98 Seafront Estate, Hayling
Island. James was mentioned numerous times in the local paper for his athletic
abilities in the naval tournaments. In 1941 James married Muriel M. Jones in
Portsmouth, they lived in Emsworth. James died in Italy after the occupation of Sicily (Operation Husky) when the
Marines were involved in the first landings in Italy at Valentia, Termoli and
then to the west of Salerno. It was during this campaign at Salerno that James
was killed. His death was recorded as ‘2’ which in military terms means he
either died from injuries or complications from injuries sustained in action or
was drowned. (Military code ‘1’ is killed outright or dies as a direct result of
enemy fire, ‘3’ is death from disease and ‘4’ is self-inflicted.)
83
Royal Marines’ Field Gun Trophies
James is first left, second row from top.
James was Mentioned in Despatches for distinguished services in Sicily,
Gazette No. 36454, page 1557.
http://www.commandoveterans.org/Salerno William John Van de KASTEELE
Service: Navy, HMS Norfolk
Rank: Lieutenant
Died: Monday 14 October 1941 aged 28
Cemetery: LYNESS ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY, ORKNEY Family History: Born in 1913 in Devonport, only son of William Leonard and
Gertrude Turnavine (née James) Van De Kasteele, William’s father was the
Dutch Consul in Plymouth and a timber merchant and his grandfather Conrad
Willem was a Colonel in the army of Holland. In 1936 William (already a Lieutenant and serving on HMS Viscount) married
Margaret Esme Bennett, only daughter of Paymaster Rear-Admiral and Mrs
M. G. Bennett of Deepdene, Emsworth, in Warblington Church. His two
sisters Theodora (Bunty) and Priscilla were bridesmaids and his fellow
officers formed an archway of swords as the couple left the church. They had
one son, Peter John.
84
William’s wedding at Warblington Church. Hampshire Telegraph, Friday, 14
February 1936
HMS Norfolk was a County-Class Heavy Cruiser built by Fairfield, Govan,
and launched in 1928. She served in the Atlantic in 1940 before returning to
Icelandic waters in May where in 1941 she was greatly applauded for the part
she played in the sinking of the Bismarck.
Then from September onwards she was deployed to protect Artic Convoys,
it was during this period that William died. He was buried on Orkney. Arthur Edward VICK
Service: Navy, HMS Airedale
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service No: P/KX 93206
Died: Monday 15 June 1942 aged 24
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born on 8 February 1918 in Portsmouth, son of William
Harry (Chief Engine Room Artificer) and Laura Vick of Emsworth. William
was a former pupil of St James’ School and then employed as a boat fitter. He
joined the Royal Navy in 1938. During rescue work in the Middle East he was
praised for his courage. His father was also serving in the Navy.
85
HMS Airedale was a Type III Hunt-Class Escort Destroyer built on Clydebank
and launched in 1941. On 13 June 1942 she was deployed as an escort to the
Malta relief convoy MW11 with the 5th Flotilla and fleet destroyers.
On 14 June they came under heavy air attack followed by attacks by German
E-boats.
On 15 June they came under attack by German dive bombers, two hits in the
aft section resulted in a major fire and their magazines exploded. The ship was
abandoned and was sunk by Allied destroyers. 45 of the crew were killed,
including Arthur, 133 survivors were rescued.
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Airedale.htm
Charles Oliver Mansfield VINE MID
Service: Navy Royal Naval Reserve, HMS Medway
Rank: Lieutenant
Died: Sunday 15 February 1942 aged 27
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 15 February 1915, only son of Charles John and
Nellie Olive Vine (née Blackman) of Mansfield, Emsworth. Charles’s mother
was a head teacher and Charles had resided in Emsworth since childhood. Following his education at Purbrook Park County High School, Charles
entered the training ship Worcester with a view to joining the Merchant Navy.
He became a cadet at 18 and later achieved his officers’ certificate. He
served on several Royal Mail Steamers as navigating officer, and then upon
the outbreak of war Charles joined the Royal Naval Reserve.
Prior to joining the crew of HMS Medway Charles was aboard HMS
Thrasher. He was recorded in the Royal Navy List as a Lieutenant on 11
October 1940.
86
HMS Medway (F25) was a submarine tender built in Barrow-in-Furness and
completed in 1929. In April 1940 she was sent to the Mediterranean and based
in Alexandria to support the 1st Submarine Flotilla. She was torpedoed and
sunk off Alexandria by German submarine U-372 on 30 June 1942.
Charles was mentioned in despatches, he was killed on his 27th birthday
whilst on active service. He had been expected home shortly. Arthur James WARREN
Service: Army, 2nd Battalion Middlesex Regiment (Attached Royal Army
Ordnance Corp)
Rank: Captain
Service No: 74683
Died: Thursday 8 June 1944 aged 27
Commemorated: BAYEUX MEMORIAL, FRANCE Family History: Born 1917, registered in Portsmouth, son of Colonel James
Warren (formerly REME) and Magdalena Warren of Emsworth. Arthur was a
pupil of the Imperial Service College and is remembered on their website,
www.haileybury.com/honour/. Arthur’s records initially list him as missing and then presumed killed in
action, but the duty location at time of death is given ‘at sea’. This indicates
that Arthur was killed on board a ship or landing craft during the D-Day
landings, which had started on 6 June 1944. Most likely on Gold Beach which
was close to Bayeux where he is commemorated.
87
Before the Second World War the Middlesex Regiment was one of four
infantry regiments to be chosen to be converted to a machine gun regiment.
The Royal Army Ordnance Corp was responsible for both supply and repair
of all Army equipment until 1942 when the Royal Electrical Mechanical
Engineers took responsibility for the armaments and the Royal Army Service
Corps were responsible for vehicle storage and spares. The RAOC retained
responsibility for ammunition, clothing and general stores. Leopold (Bundy) Augustus WAY
Service: Army, 7th Queen’s Own Hussars Royal Armoured Corp
Rank: Trooper
Service No: 7931541
Died: Sunday 21 June 1942 aged 22
Cemetery: KIRKEE WAR CEMETERY, INDIA
Inscription: TO LIVE IN HEARTS WE LEAVE BEHIND IS NOT TO DIE Family History: Born in 1920, only son of Hubert Augustus and Dorothy
Olivia Way (née Weymouth) of Emsworth. Hubert was a local solicitor and
Leopold was articled to the firm and had passed his intermediate exam shortly
before joining up in January 1941. The 7th Queen’s Own Hussars had originally been a cavalry regiment, they
were transferred to the Royal Armoured Corp in 1939.
At the outbreak of World War Two the regiment was in the Middle East as
part of the 7th Armoured Brigade Desert Rats. It fought in the Battles of Fort
Capuzzo, Beda Fomm and Sidi Rezegh. In 1942 it was sent to Burma to cover
the long retreat to India, it was during this campaign that Leopold was killed.
He is also commemorated on his parent’s grave in Warblington Cemetery
www.queensroyalhussars.org/regimental-history/7th-hussars
88
Arthur Frederick WELLS
Service: Navy, HMS Arrow
Rank: Stoker 1st Class
Service No: P/SKX 369
Died: Wednesday 4 August 1943 aged 20
Commemorated: PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Family History: Born on 6 April 1923 only son of Frederick Arthur and Alma
Wells (née Kingswell) of South Street.
A newspaper report mentioned that Arthur attended Emsworth Church
School and was a former member of Emsworth Boys Club, he had been the
winner of the shield awarded for the first darts competition held by the club.
Arthur had joined the Royal Navy in Portsmouth on his eighteenth Birthday.
HMS Arrow was an A-Class Destroyer built in Barrow-in-Furness and
launched in 1929. In 1943 she was deployed to escort convoys; whilst in
harbour in Algiers HMS Arrow was set on fire by an explosion aboard the
ammunition ship, Fort La Montee. She sustained many casualties, heavy
damage and was disabled. The ship was towed to Gibraltar for repairs but saw
no further action. Arthur died with many of his ship-mates whilst fighting the
fire.
Leslie Robert WARD
Service: Royal Air Force, 107 Squadron
Rank: Sergeant (Pilot/ Observer )
Service No: 564477
Died: Monday, 4 September 1939 aged 26
Commemorated: HAMBURG CEMETERY
Inscription: BURIED AT THE TIME ON HELIGOLAND
ISLAND BUT WHOSE GRAVE IS NOW LOST. THEIR
GLORY SHALL NOT BE BLOTTED OUT
89
Family History: Born about 1913, Leslie was based at RAF Wattisham,
Suffolk, where he was a member of Bomber Command. He was flying in
Blenheim IV N6188 on a mission to Wilhelmshaven Harbour when his plane
was lost, his pilot W.H. Murphy was flying as part of a squadron that had
taken off at 1600hrs to attack warships, one of fifteen. One Blenheim N6195
returned, landing with two 599lb bombs at Sutton Bridge having made no
contact with the warships. AIR27/841.
Initially Leslie was reported as missing, then missing presumed dead. It was
reported in the national newspapers that he was possibly the first British
casualty of the war. His wife was living in St James Road, possibly with her
parents, but I cannot find any marriage records so cannot identify her maiden
name.
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=Ward
He May be Our First War Casualty
An Airman reported missing may be one of the first British casualties in the
war. He is R.A.F Sergeant Leslie Robert Ward, twenty-six, his wife, who lives
in St James Road, Emsworth (Hants) has received official notification that he
is missing. She is expecting a baby.
Sergeant Ward a good footballer and a pianist was a very popular N.C.O.
Daily Mirror Tuesday September 12 1939
90
John Phillip WILKINS
Service: 38 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Rank: Flight Sergeant
Service No: 758168
Died: Sunday 13 July 1941 aged 21
Commemorated: ALAMEIN MEMORIAL, EYGPT
Family History: Son of Christopher William Wilkins FRIBA (Architect) and
Millicent Wilkins (née Lee) of Wade Lane, Havant. Recruits into the RAFVR were between 18 and 25 years old accepted for part
time training as Pilots, Observers, and Wireless Operators. Once trained and
attested a recruit could return to his civilian occupation until he was called up.
When war broke out the Air Ministry used this system as the main means of
entry for aircrew. In November 1940 38 Squadron was despatched to Fayid, Egypt to form a
night bomber wing to engage in attacks along the North African coast in order
to disrupt the movement of supplies to Italian forces in the Western Desert.
John was shot down whilst on a mission flying in a Wellington Bomber. Charles George Wiltshire WINGHAM
Service: Civilian War Dead, National Fire Service
Rank: Fireman
Died: Saturday 8 July 1944 aged 32
Cemetery: BASINGSTOKE Family History: Born on 31 March 1912, baptised in St James’ Church, son of
Charles William George and Annie Mary Wingham (née Hodder) of Sultan
Road.
Charles married Ellen Peggy Crockford in 1933, they lived in Bridgefoot
Path. Before the war Charles was employed as a labourer on a Government
contract.
Charles was injured on 30 June in Alton and admitted into Park Prewett
Hospital, Sherborne St John, where he died of his injuries.
91
INJURED EMSWORTH RIDER DIES
On Saturday, a week after his motor-cycle had been involved in a collision
with a military lorry, Charles George Wiltshire Wingham (32) a National Fire
Service despatch rider died from his injuries at Park Prewett Hospital, near
Basingstoke. He lived at 19 Bridgefoot Path, Emsworth, and leaves a widow
and two children.
Hampshire Telegraph, 14 July 1944 John Richard WOOD
Service: RNVR HMS Li Wo
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant
Died: Saturday 14 February 1942 aged 22
Commemorated: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Family History: Born 1920 son of Edward Stephen and Dorothy Wood;
husband of Anne Cynthia Wood (née Keeble) B.A. of Emsworth, John and
Anne were married in Copthorne, near Crawley, where Anne lived, in July
1941. HMS Li Wo was an Auxiliary Patrol Vessel, formerly a passenger riverboat.
She was sunk by Japanese warships after she single-handedly attacked an
enemy convoy during the Malayan Campaign. This earned her the title of the
most decorated small ship in the Royal Navy.
When out of ammunition and sinking as a result of enemy fire she rammed
the nearest ship, causing it to sink before herself sinking. Most of the 76
crewmen and eight passengers lost their lives; only seven survived and were
taken prisoner.
Her captain was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, also awarded
was six Mentioned in Despatches, one DSO, one GSM and two DSMs.
92
Charles Albert Arthur WOODEN
Service: Army, 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment
Rank: Private
Service No: 5512511
Died: Thursday 9 September 1943 aged 20
Cemetery: SALERNO WAR CEMETERY, ITALY
Inscription: OUR HERO. TO LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO
LOVE YOU IS NOT TO DIE. LOVE MUM, DAD AND BOYS Family History: Born in 1923 in Emsworth, son of Charles Arthur Wooden
RN and Florence Annie Wooden (née Bradley) of Victoria Road.
Charles probably enlisted when he was eighteen; he served in Africa and Italy. 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment:
11 November 1942: Set sail for Africa to take part in ‘Operation Torch’.
21 November 1942: Landed at Algiers.
29 November 1942: Then was moved to Tebourba. The next day the Battalion
were heavily attacked by shelling.
01 December 1942: They came under heavy attack by a force four times their
size. After three days the battalion was forced back and retreated through
Tebourba by now all the other troops had been withdrawn and the road behind
them had been cut off. Some of the battalion managed to break through allied
lines but many were captured.
13 May 1943: After the fall of Tunis, the battalion had become attached to 128
(Hampshire) Brigade, 46th Division, and took part in the Salerno (Italian
Campaign) landing.
Charles died of wounds received whilst in action during this assault. George Phillip WORT
Service: Army, The Royal Corp of Signals
Rank: Signalman
Service No: 14357975
Died: Monday 28 May 1945 aged 33
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY
Inscription: GOD BE WITH THEE AND ME WHILST WE ARE APART
93
Family History: Born 5 June 1911 in Warblington, son of George Philip and
Alice Louisa (née Scorey) Wort; husband of Violet S. Wort (née Goble) of
Kings Road. They were married in 1931 and had three children. Before he
enlisted George was employed as a plumber. The Royal Signals was created in 1920, after Winston Churchill, Secretary of
State for War, issued a Royal Warrant declaring that there should be a Corps
of Signals within the British Army. The origins date back to 1870.
Soldier’s Funeral
On Saturday last the funeral took place at Warblington Cemetery of
Signalman George Wort (33) R.C.S. who collapsed and died on returning to
his billet in Yorkshire last week after he had spent a period of leave at his
home, King’s Road, Emsworth. He leaves a widow and three children.
The Rev. A Black-Hawkins officiated at the interment, which was attended
by Mrs Wort (widow) and other relations.
Mr S Cooper, Mr P Palmer and a guard of honour comprising a captain, a
sergeant and eight members of the R.C.S. were present.
For 17 years Sig.Wort had worked for Percy Palmer, Plumber, Park Road,
Havant. Hampshire Telegraph, 8 June 1945 Francis James YELLOP
Service: AIF, 3rd Reserve Motor Transport Company, Australian Army
Service Corps
Rank: Private
Service No: QX 11517
Died: Sunday 4 January 1942 aged 35
Cemetery: KRANJI WAR CEMETERY, SINGAPORE
Inscription: PEACE PERFECT PEACE Family History: Born in 1903 and registered in Newport, Monmouthshire,
Wales. Francis was the son of Francis William and Beatrice Yellop (née
Harvey) of Emsworth. In 1911 the family were living in barracks in Cosham
and his father, Francis, was a Sergeant in the Royal Field Artillery. Francis jnr.
was the third born of seven children, called Sonny or Frank at home. At the
age of 18, on 4 January 1922, Francis is on a ship called Largs Bay bound for
94
New South Wales, Australia. On the 1934 Australian electoral roll he is living
at Helidon, Darling Downs, Queensland, now earning his living as a farmer. Francis died of wounds received whilst fighting the Japanese in Singapore,
Malaya. The Australians were charged with holding the north-west coast of
Singapore, when they saw the Japanese amassing on the Malayan shore
opposite prior to invading, they requested these be bombed, but those in
command thought the Japanese would attack from the north-east and decided
not to re-inforce the Australian lines. The Australians were overrun.
Malaya was gradually occupied by the Japanese between 9 December 1941
and the Allied surrender at Singapore on 15 February 1942. They continued
their occupation until they surrendered on 2 September 1945.
Northern Ireland Grahame Dennis COX
Service: Navy, Royal Marines 42 Commando
Rank: Marine
Service No: PO29780A
Died: Sunday 29 April 1973 aged 19
Cemetery: WARBLINGTON CEMETERY Family History: Born on Saturday, 20 February 1954, he lived in Emsworth.
Shot by IRA gunmen while on patrol in New Lodge Road, Belfast, Northern
Ireland. The gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons from the top
windows of an empty house. Their target was two Army Land Rovers filled
with men of 42 Commando as they drove by. One man was shot in the leg and
Grahame was killed.
Soldier Killed in Ulster Ambush
A soldier was killed and another injured last night when a patrol came under
fire in the New Lodge Road area of Belfast.
A burst of automatic shooting was directed at the patrol from a derelict
house.
The serviceman shot dead was named as Marine Grahame Cox, aged 19,
single, of Emsworth, Hants, a member of 42 Commando.
Birmingham Daily Post, 30 April 1973
95
Battle of the Falkland Islands
Paul Brian CALLUS
Service: Navy, HMS Coventry
Rank: Marine Engineering Artificer
Service No: D145600D
Died: Tuesday 25 May 1982 aged 24
Cemetery: Family History: Born on 10 January 1958 in Chatham, Kent. Youngest son of
Brian and June Callus, Paul was educated at St John’s College, Southsea. He
married an American, Cynthia Humphrey in 1980. After Paul was killed
Cynthia returned to America, they had no children. Paul was killed in action off the coast of West Falkland when his ship was
bombed and sank.
HMS Coventry was a Type 2 Destroyer, launched 1974, Pennant No. D118,
she was the first ship to launch surface to air missiles in combat providing
anti-aircraft cover for the fleet. Coventry was bombed by Argentine A-4 Skyhawk’s, she received three hits to
her port side just above the water-line and began listing, within 20 minutes the
ship had been abandoned and then capsized and sank. Nineteen of her crew were killed and 30 injured, one of these later died of his
injuries. 170 were rescued and it was reported the survivors sang Always Look
on the Bright Side of Life whilst awaiting rescue.
HMS Coventry – History
96
References and Acknowledgements
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
https://www.cwgc.org/ Forces War Records
https://www.forces-war-records.co.uk/search-military-records Find My Past
https://www.findmypast.co.uk/ History of War
http://www.historyofwar.org/ Air crew remembered
http://aircrewremembered.com/
http://aircrewremembered.com/musgrave-john2.html HMS Coventry – History www.queensroyalhussars.org/regimental-history/7th-hussars
www.haileybury.com/honour/ (Arthur Warren)
http://naval-history.net/xDKCas1916-05May-Jutland1.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DE-Airedale.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/OWShips-WW1-18-HMS_Foxglove.htm
http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-06CL-Orion.htm
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/3234.htm
https://www.uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4346.html
https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4063.html International War Museum
https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30018257
https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/a-guide-to-british-ships-at-the-battle-of-
jutland
97
1939-45 War
Medal
France and
Germany Star
1939-45 Star
Burma Star
name of recipient
After the war Awards were sent to the next of kin of those who did not
survive.
98
The Portsmouth Naval War Memorial
Not surprisingly, given its close ties to shipbuilding and the sea, many
Emsworth men elected to join the navy. The PORTSMOUTH WAR
MEMORIAL commemorates 24,591 sailors lost in the two World Wars.
Approximately 10,000 from the First World War and 15,000 from the Second
World War are commemorated here. The memorial is built of Portland stone and features a central obelisk,
designed by Robert Lorimer and unveiled in 1924; the names of sailors lost at
sea are engraved on bronze plaques surrounding the monument. The
monument was extended following the Second World War to a design by Sir
Edward Maufe, with additional sculptures by Charles Wheeler, William
McMillan and Esmond Burton. These additions were unveiled in 1953 by
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. Similar memorials were erected at
Plymouth and Chatham. For the First World War 40 Emsworth sailors are commemorated at
Portsmouth, two at Plymouth and three at Chatham. For the Second World War 35 Emsworth sailors are commemorated at
Portsmouth, seven at Plymouth and one at Chatham.
99
Overlooking the River Thames on Cooper’s Hill in Runnymede, Surrey, is
Runnymede Memorial, sometimes known as the Air Forces Memorial. The
memorial commemorates more than 20,000 airmen and women who were lost
in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United
Kingdom and North and Western Europe who have no known grave.
The Royal Air Force saw some of the earliest action of the Second World
War when on 4 September 1939, the day after war was declared, Blenheim
and Wellington bombers attacked German shipping near Brunsbüttel and
Wilhelmshaven. In those raids seven aircrafts were lost and 25 airmen killed,
the first casualties in what would become a worldwide struggle to gain
mastery in the air upon which victory depended. Dudley Malins SLATTER,
James William LOWE, Richard Owen LENHAM, Peter Alec LASHLY,
Bertie BOWRING and Harry BISPHAM are commemorated here.
The Kanchanaburi War Cemetery, Thailand, (known locally as the Don-Rak
War Cemetery) is the main prisoner of war (PoW) cemetery for victims of
Japanese imprisonment while building the Burma Railway. Arthur BOYNS,
Cyril John SUNDERLAND and Thomas Henry JACOBS are buried here.
100
The Battle of Monte-Cassino was one of the fiercist fought in Italy. The
cemetery lies within the shadow of the monastery. Robert Anthony JONES is
buried here and Stephen E. HARVEY is commemorated on the memorial.
The Taukkyan War Cemetery in Myanmar (Burma) is a cemetery for Allied
soldiers from the British Commonwealth who died in battle in Burma during
the Second World War. Robert William DAVIS, Arthur Albert JOHNSON
and Kenneth Gordon RUSSELL are buried here.
101
The Kranji War Memorial is located in Kranji in northern Singapore and is
dedicated to the men and women who died defending Singapore and Malaya
against the invading Japanese forces during World War Two, it comprises
the War Graves and the Memorial Walls. William Francis Edmund BEALE
and Thomas BARNES are commemorated on the memorial.
The Jonkerbos War Cemetery and Memorial is located in the town of
Nijmegen, Netherlands. The cemetery contains 1,643 British Commonwealth
and foreign service personnel of World War Two. Martin Strahan SOAMES
is buried here.
102
Emsworth 1939-45 1939 With its close proximity to Portsmouth Dockyard and Thorney RAF base the town
was preparing itself for war. A black-out was introduced requiring householders
to cover their windows and doors. Many people had moved out of Portsmouth to
escape the bombing.
Colonel H.S. Powell DSO of Havant Road, the local officer-in-charge,
advertised for recruits for the Home Defence Corps. Applicants were required to
be between the ages of 41 and 60. And the Air Raid Precaution (ARP) was
formed.
Boys too young to enlist played their part by filling sandbags for the protection
of the local hospital in September alone they had filled 9,000 and were still going
strong.
The local clubs, churches and associations like the British Legion and Red Cross,
all played a part in supporting the war effort, the Emsworth and District
Allotments Association grew produce for the Cottage Hospital, and even some of
the deceased left instructions donations be made instead of floral tributes.
EMSWORTH BUSY
First Aid Post Activity
Considerable progress has been made in A.R.P. at Emsworth. This is particularly
the case with the First Aid Post under the leadership of Mrs Horton and Mrs
Back. A contingent of about 40 helpers, mostly women, has been organized, and is
working wholeheartedly in the various branches of the work. They work in shifts;
day and night, which ensures continuous service in case of emergency.
There is a need for old clean sheets and pillowcases which can be torn up and
used as well as old clean rags for splint padding. Easy chairs would also be
welcome for convalescent cases if ever the most serious efforts of the contingent
are necessary.
Men are urgently needed for first-aid work and stretcher-bearing.
Hampshire Telegraph, 8 September 1939
Nationally petrol rationing was introduced and taxes increased to include a war
tax.
England and Emsworth receives news of their first war casualty, Airman
Leslie Ward.
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Emsworth House School is requisitioned by the Admiralty.
Hants and Sussex Motor Co. obtain a licence to run a bus service from
Emsworth railway station to Thorney Island.
1940 On 8 January food rationing came in, initially bacon, butter and sugar were
rationed, gradually this list was extended to most foods as the effect of the
German U-boats took their toll of convoys carrying imported food. Families were
encouraged to Dig On for Victory and grow as much as was possible. Many dug
up their lawns and flower borders. Rationing continued until July 1954. 1940 War effort in brief:
The Black Dog Darts Club have now sent 28 dartboards to the British
Expeditionary Force.
An annual ball was held in support of funds for the local hospital, the
dancers wore service uniform, Sir Dymoke-White and Lady White were
present. Lady White provided the buffet.
Emsworth Amateur Dramatic Society is rehearsing the farce, Tons of
Money, which they will perform to raise funds for the serving forces from
Emsworth.
A lantern lecture was given by Miss Douglas for the ‘Help Finland Fund’
16s. 10d. (84p) was raised.
A total of £40 16s.10d. (£20.80) was collected for the Emsworth Flag
Day for the Soldiers, Sailors and Airforce Families Association.
The Emsworth Sisterhood and Emsworth British Legion ladies knitted
hats and gloves and baked to send to the local men serving in the forces.
Scholars attending an ‘Egg Service’ in the Free Church led by Mr W.
Goodall collected over eighty eggs which were given to Emsworth
Cottage Hospital.
An elderly naval pensioner walked into the hospital and donated £100 in
notes, he wished to remain anonymous.
The Girl Guides knit jumpers for the troops whilst the Boy Scouts collect
waste paper, magazines and books.
The Home Guard is created nationally and the government passes the ‘Emergency
Powers Act’.
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Emsworth Spitfire Rivets Fund
Latest contributions to the Emsworth Spitfire Rivets Fund include the sum of 10s
(50p) which has been received from children at Emsworth Council School.
A letter of thanks for comforts sent during Christmastide has been received by the
Women’s Royal Voluntary Services from a local Platoon of the Home Guard.
Portsmouth Evening News, 31 December 1940 1941 June 1941 brought clothes rationing due to a shortage of material and the fact that
the labour was required in the munition factories and to build aircraft and other
weapons. Everyone was given a book of 66 coupons to buy clothes for a year.
People were encouraged to buy second-hand and pass clothes down to friends or
relatives, a new government slogan was born ‘Mend and Make Do. As more men were called up women were expected to fill their roles in the
factories and on the land. And another government slogan was born. Land Girls worked and lived on farms where they were sent to fulfil the labour
shortage, they were supplied with food and clothing but had to work long hours.
They were paid 32 shillings per week (£1.60). Other women’s jobs; Women’s
Royal Naval service (WRNS), Women’s Voluntary Service, (WVS), Air Raid
Wardens, Auxiliary Territorial Service, (ATS) and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force,
(WAAF). In response to an urgent appeal the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service is holding
working parties on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the British
Legion Hall, Emsworth, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm for camouflage work, anyone
with time to spare is welcome. Mrs D.W. Horston is in charge of the
arrangements. Emsworth: During War Weapons Week the local street group collectors did
extremely well on behalf of the National Savings Movement. In Victoria Road
alone the tenants of Council houses and private residents invested more than £100
pounds. Hampshire Telegraph, 8 August 1941 The National Service Act is passed requiring all men and women aged 18-60 to
participate in some form of service. The Schedule of Reserved Occupations is
abolished and cases decided individually.
105
Emsworth Thanked
A letter has been received by the Emsworth Branch of the WVS containing the
thanks of the Portsmouth ARP officials of the services rendered by the Emsworth
mobile canteen during the period of stress caused by the blitz a month ago. The
canteen served more than 3,000 hot drinks and hundreds of sandwiches and
cakes. The letter stated that the officials and Council thought highly of the
unselfish spirit among those members of the canteen party who made their
services so effective. Hampshire Telegraph, 14 February 1941
Emsworth Auxiliary Fire Service
A detachment of the Emsworth AFS who have done excellent service at
Southampton, Portsmouth and elsewhere during attacks by enemy bombers. This
branch of the AFS received letters of appreciation from the authorities in the
towns whose fire services they have effectively augmented after the call for
assistance had been sent out. 1942 Civilian petrol rationing was abolished, so petrol was no longer available to
private car owners, together with other fuels being rationed like coal. Petrol was
dyed and was only available to the armed forces, ambulances and other
emergency vehicles, buses and farmers. Clothes coupons were reduced to 48 per
year.
Since October 1941 a total sum of £5,814 19s. 10d. (£5,814.99) has been
collected by the street saving groups in Emsworth
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The latest list of contributions to the Red Cross Penny-a-Week Fund is
published.
A dance is held at the British Legion Hall in aid of the NFS. Music
supplied by the RAF Band.
Mr W. Jeffries has won the J.S. Mant Cup in the revived swimming
contest in Emsworth harbour
At the Emsworth Sisterhood meeting vouchers for coal, food, etc. were
handed out to the infirm and deserving poor.
The weekly Whist Drive held at Emsworth Social Hall raises funds for
deserving causes.
Emsworth formed a Rabbit club.
The women’s section of Emsworth British Legion held a party for the
children of members and evacuee children who had lost a parent through
enemy action, 120 children attended.
1943 It is announced women between the ages of 19-50 will be called to work in
aircraft and munition factories. Men eligible for military service may choose to
work in the coal mines. Clothes coupons reduced to 36 per year. Sergeant Air Gunner J.R. Treagust of Emsworth is in hospital in Benghazi with
slight injuries. Hampshire Telegraph, 16 April 1943
Emsworth Home Guard held a sports event at the recreational ground
with the British Legion Band in attendance.
St James’ Church held a National Prayer Day, attended by representatives
from the Army, Navy, RAF and Civil Defence Services.
Grannie Kennett from South Street celebrated her 88th birthday, she had
lived in South Street all of her life and even an enemy raid which caused
plaster to fall from the ceiling in her bedroom would not entice her to
move. She used to make and repair the Emsworth fishermen’s nets.
Colonel P. Kidd of the RAMC was repatriated from an Italian prisoner of
war camp.
After 17 months of anxiety Mr and Mrs Chalcraft are informed their son,
George, is a prisoner of war in Japanese hands.
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An annual inspection of E and F Platoons of the 16th Hants Cadet Force
was carried out at Emsworth Council School by Major-General H.
Rowan-Robinson DSO. 1944 The Black-out is reduced to a dim-out. The Home Guard is stood down. Ernest
Bevin announces plans for eventual demobilisation.
Wednesday was Emsworth ‘Salute the Soldier Day’. Assembling at
Record Road a procession of detachments from WRNS, Naval Cadets,
ACC, ATC, NFS, First Aid and Ambulance sections, Red Cross, Girl
Guides and Boy Scouts participated. The route was along Victoria Road
and Horndean Road to the recreation ground.
A joyful reunion of three Emsworth brothers took place in the Middle
East; they had not met for several years. They were Lieut George Bartlett,
Private Archie Bartlett and Private Harold Bartlett.
Sergeant E. Dridge of Waterside, Lumley, serving in a long range
penetration into enemy territory platoon reported how they had ambushed
a Japanese Convoy in Burma.
Emsworth man remanded for obtaining petrol other than by the surrender
of coupons.
Driver Andrew McDowell RASC, of New Brighton Road, is among
repatriated prisoners of war.
Miss Phyllis Payne organised a youth social at the British Legion Hall for
guides, scouts, cadets, rangers and Emsworth Boys Club.
A darts competition was held at the Kings Arms in aid of the Prisoners of
War Fund.
A garden party held at North Street House raised £116 for Dr Barnardo’s
Homes.
Stoker Petty Officer George Barnes is home on leave to get married. He
was transferred from HMS Hood just before she was lost, and was a
survivor of HMS Cairo.
Emsworth WAAF, Barbara Halsted is posted to the Middle East. 1945 Part-time members of the Fire Service are stood down.
2 May, the Civil Defence Service is stood down.
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8 May, VE Day.
8 June, demobilisation begins.
This was followed by a General Election which brought the Labour Party into
power.
15 August, VJ Day.
Commando George Dagleish native of Emsworth, arrived home from a
German prisoner of war camp, he said nothing helped to keep their spirits
up more than the Red Cross parcels and those sent from home.
Able Seaman Albert Henry (Peter) Parham of Lumley Cottages, was
reported missing, presumed dead, following a letter of condolence from
the King and Queen his parents received another notification saying he
was safe and apologising for the anxiety this must have caused.
Emsworth residents request the Air Raid Shelter in the square is
demolished. The Road and Works Committee said it would be done as
soon as labour became available.
Lance Corporal Mark William Tillett is on his way home from the Persia
and Iraq Command.
Sergeant E. Dridge and Sergeant R. Treagust, mates who joined up and
served together are home on leave from Burma.
Northlands Convalescent Home at Emsworth is to be used for a maternity
home.
A concert was held in the British Legion Hall in aid of the National Fire
Service Benevolent Fund.
Paratrooper Leslie John Buxton of Victoria Road arrived home after
being liberated by the Americans.
Celebrations for VE-Day reported tinged with anxiety for those still
fighting or interred.
A sale of work was held British Legion Hall in aid of the Prisoner of War
Fund.
VJ-Day, persons of the French naval camp at Emsworth gave nearly all
their rations to local children for their celebrations.
VJ-Day, a sailor out celebrating broke the window of the Locomotive Pub
in North Street.
Peace times scenes were remembered at Emsworth Harbour when the
Sailing Club ran a race over the A course of four miles.
109
Customers registered with R. Hazell, Jersey Dairy, Emsworth will have
their registrations automatically transferred to the Co-operative Dairy due
to a change of ownership.
After the VJ-Day celebrations the landlord of the Town Brewery was
informed his son, M. Tillet, had been killed.
Old Folk’s VJ Day at Emsworth
About 100 elderly folk resident in the town were entertained to a party by the VJ-
Day Committee in the Church Hall, Emsworth, on Tuesday evening. Amongst the
guests were three over 90 years of age, Mrs Peters, Miss Jewell (whose mother
lived to be 105 years old), and Miss Staker. Mrs Peters was presented with a
bunch of flowers. A souvenir was given to the oldest man present, Mr Taylor.
After tea at which the Rev. H. Black-Hawkins presided, there were games and
community singing.
Mrs Horton, Miss Burgess and Mr Tipple sang songs with Mrs Tipple as
accompanist. The refreshments were served by Mrs Wraight and helpers and Mr
W. Wraight was M.C. Hampshire Telegraph, 28 September 1945
Wartime Posters
110
Wartime Posters
National Savings Stamps
Wartime Essentials
111
Enemy Action in Emsworth
The following is a compilation of the incidents in the Emsworth area, which
were recorded in Arthur Jones’ diary (in italics), the Hants Control Incident
Chart and the Urban District Council of Havant and Waterloo Daily
Information Report of Incidents in the Neighbourhood logbook:
1940 December 14. It has now been established that in addition to the bombs
already reported a large time-delayed bomb fell in the mud near to the
Emsworth Sailing Club on the evening of December 5 and exploded about
16.30 the following afternoon. The Rescue Party working at Denvilles have
dug up the remains of a large oil incendiary bomb but there is no evidence that
it ignited. December 15. Examination of the IBs used by the enemy in this district so far
has revealed that these have been of pre-war stock, some of them four to five
years old. Generally speaking they have not been difficult; to deal with and
have been of poor quality but experience in other districts recently point to a
better and more modern type being brought in to use and an increasing
number being of the explosive type. These bombs are slightly larger and
contain a small explosive charge, which acts within two minutes of the bomb
igniting scattering molten metal. Instructions have now been received that
every small IB should be regarded as likely to contain an explosive charge and
should not be approached without some protection to the face and hands from
the molten metal thrown out by the small explosive. December 28. At 00.38 a British bomber crashed, caught fire and exploded at
Thorney Island. All the crew are missing.
1941 January 4. At 20.15 a small High Explosive (HE) bomb fell on open ground
½ mile North of Emsworth station causing no damage. February 18. At 12.45 an enemy bomber flew over Havant at a low altitude
and was engaged by ground posts with machine-guns. Some of the spent
bullets falling in the streets. At 14.30 four HE bombs dropped at Thorney
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Island causing no damage and no casualties. It is thought that some IBs fell in
to the mud between Thorney Island and Warblington Cemetery at the same
time. March 10. An anti-aircraft shell slightly damaged a house in Clovelly Road,
Emsworth. March 14. At 21.55 four HE bombs dropped near Thorney Road, Emsworth
causing damage to sewer. No casualties. April 17. At 22.00 a magnetic mine dropped in garden of Saxted House,
Tower Street, Emsworth causing considerable damage. At 22.15 two magnetic
mines exploded north of Emsworth in creek of Chichester Harbour.
Considerable damage to about 100 houses in High Street, South Street, West
Street, North Street and adjacent streets. Two slight casualties.
At 00.20 One HE bomb and 200 Incendiary Bombs (IBs) in open field
junction of Southleigh Road and Westbourne Road one mile north of
Emsworth Police Station. No Damage. No casualties. 00.30. Bomb dropped at
junction of Victoria Road and Record Road. Damage to two houses. No
casualties. During the nights April of 17th and 18th five enemy aircraft were destroyed
during an attack on the Portsmouth district with parachute mines, HE bombs
and IBs. Incidents occurred at Emsworth and elsewhere.
1942 March 26. Crashing of British plane on railway line by Selangor Avenue. March 27. Railway line cleared. November 30. At 12.29 one house in Havant Road, Emsworth seriously
damaged by machine-gun fire. No casualties.
1943
February 10, At 16.30 hostile planes machine gunned Havant, Hayling Island
and Emsworth from a low level. No casualties but slight damage to buildings.
Two HE bombs north of Bellair Road and house badly damaged. No
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casualties. Railway between Havant and Emsworth put out of action for 2½
hours. February 26, Milk retailers in the Havant and Emsworth area, and elsewhere,
pressed by the Government to amalgamate so reducing the number of
milkmen and their vehicles on the streets. They had done so locally by forming
a company, Country Dairies Ltd. August 15. Heavy raid for two hours last night. Saw two planes in
searchlights. Bombs at Hayling and Emsworth. August 16. At 00.35 IBs in grounds of Emsworth Cottage Hospital. No
damage. No casualties. At 00.45 one Unexploded Bomb (UXB) in house in
Bath Road, Emsworth. No casualties. Evacuation of 10 men, 14 women and
13 children to Rest Centre. Road closed. At 00.40 one HE bomb at 1, Harold
Terrace, The Gardens, Emsworth. One house demolished and 11 badly
damaged. No casualties. Two men, four women and seven children evacuated
to Rest Centre. One HE bomb in field west of recreation ground. No damage.
No casualties. August 17. Ban imposed on entry into the area by anyone who did not live or
work here, this applied to most of the South Coast. You had to show your
identity card when asked to do so by the civil or military police. Havant and
Emsworth was steadily becoming a military camp in preparation for the
invasion of Europe – and the Germans knew that.
1944 January 13. American troops begin to appear in the district. [A most
welcome sight as they brought American chewing gum (Wrigleys) with them,
which we could not get. Every American we saw was greeted with the
request: ‘Got any gum chum?’] February 8. Mosquito aeroplane rams a Wellington bomber in a mid-air
collision. The Wellington crashed at Chidham and the Mosquito at Lumley.
All crew are killed. February 23. About 22.00 alert goes. IBs at Emsworth and intermittent local
gunfire. Hear that unopened parachute flares fell here last night. Scamp, our
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Jack Russell terrier, was terrified by the gunfire but he could distinguish
between our planes and German ones. Occasionally his whining gave us an
early warning of a raid before the alert had sounded. February 24. At 22.30 two large IB containers fell at St James Road,
Emsworth and exploded on impact causing fires and damage to a dozen
houses. Casualties – three persons injured. March 9. Hear that Emsworth Common Camp is beginning to fill with troops
ready for the invasion. This refers to the large camp in what is now Southleigh
Forest made ready for the D-Day invasion. June 1. Waiting for the invasion to begin. We had been told, as wardens, to
be prepared for devastating raids on ports of embarkation and their
hinterland as soon as the invasion began. [In fact nothing happened.] June 5. Told by my younger brother, a railwayman that ‘picnic’ is likely to
start tonight! And it does start tonight. Before going to bed at 00.15 I see a
marvellous procession of bombers with navigation lights on flying fast and
low East South East. June 24. In the past week nine ‘flies’ are known to have landed within a
radius of about 20 miles of Havant – all of them travelling in a North West
direction, three having gone beyond this district, the rest having fallen short
of it. Two have actually passed over, three more would probably have done so
had they continued their flights a bit further. All of them have fallen either in
open country or in the water and although some blast damage to buildings
has resulted there has only been one slightly injured casualty. [During the war
a number of people acted as enemy agents (spies) for the Germans and sent
them military information. One of their duties was to report where these flying
bombs were landing so their timings could be more accurately set. Many of
these agents were known to the British and were persuaded to act as ‘Double
Agents’ and work on our behalf. As a result they sent back inaccurate
information so that later bombs would fall in the open countryside or the sea
and thus avoid more populated areas.] July 5. A ‘fly’ (V1 Flying Bomb) passed over Selsey and fell in the woods at
Emsworth Common – casualties two slightly injured. Actually it fell near to
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the transit camp badly damaging the cookhouse and other buildings. Fifty
metres to the south it would have landed in the middle of the camp where a
few days earlier or later hundreds of soldiers were quartered. September 7. Blackout to be partially lifted on September 17. Great news. October 24. Alert at 01.00, first since August 23. Hear a bang, presumably a
‘fly’. So war is not over for us yet. Amusing to see lighted windows as people
get up. November 23. Painters and plasterers commence work on bomb damage
repairs and decorating. While the war was on only emergency repairs were
carried out. [Broken windows were covered with roofing felt until replaced
with ‘wartime glass’, which you could not see through properly, roof slates
were replaced to keep the house watertight and the old fragile lathe and plaster
ceilings, many of which were shaken down, were replaced with plasterboard.
For some time after the war you could still claim for war damage repairs free
of charge.]
1945 May 7. Announcement of end of the war expected all day and at 21.00. BBC
announces tomorrow as VE day. Children very excited. May 8. VE (Victory in Europe) day. August 15. VJ (Victory in Japan) day.
116
King George VI's message to schoolchildren for the London Victory
Celebrations Day, 8th June, 1946.