World War II
SERVICE CASUALTIES IN THE BOOK OF
REMEMBRANCE Surnames C
Cadman, R. W. Ronald William Cadman, 1165794, was
the son of Henry William Cadman and his wife Edith Harriet, née Uden, and the husband of
Winifred Cadman, née Geer, from South Street, Faversham, Kent
He was a Flight Engineer Sergeant
in the RAFVR, 61 Squadron. He took off in Avro Lancaster R5759 from
Syerston, Nottinghamshire, at 18.05 hours on 1 October 1942, for a
raid on the town of Wismar, Northern Germany. It was a relatively small
raid with 78 Lancasters, of which two were lost. R5759 crashed later
that evening at Sildemow, south of Rostock. Only one crew member,
Sergeant Bartells, survived, to become a PoW The remainder of the crew
are buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany. 8 B 34
The crew were:
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Ernest
Dale |
Captain (Pilot) -RNZAF |
aged 25 |
Sergeant Ronald William Cadman |
Flight Engineer |
aged 26 |
Sergeant George Francis Dare |
Navigator - RAAF |
aged 28 |
Sergeant J G Bartells |
Bomb Aimer |
age unknown - became PoW |
Flight Sergeant Ronald Sydney
Cole |
Wireless operator/Air gunner |
aged 22 |
Sergeant Harry Robert Williamson |
Air Gunner - RCAF |
aged 21 |
Sergeant Harold Hewitt |
Air Gunner - RCAF |
aged 23 |
Notes:
Flight
Sergeant Dale was the son of Ernest James and Caroline Lucie Dale, of
Whangarci, Auckland, New Zealand
Sergeant Dare was the son of Joseph Penric and Ida May Dare, of Yanco,
New South Wales, Australia
Sergeant Williamson was the husband of Theresa Williamson, of Edmonton,
Alberta, Canada
with thanks to Dean
Sumner |
Cairns, J. John Desmond Cairns,
1894992, was the son of Edward and
Helen Cairns, from Dover, and an old St Mary's school
boy. He was an Air Gunner Sergeant
in the RAFVR, 15 Squadron
In Avro
Lancaster LL752 LS-A he took off from Mildenhall in
Suffolk at 22:36 hours on 11 May 1944, for a raid on
the railway yards at Leuven (Louvain) in Belgium. The
raid was carried out by 105 Lancasters as part of the
extensive operations carried out to destroy and disrupt
German supply and transport facilities in preparation
for D-Day. Four Lancasters were lost including LL752,
which was shot down by a Luftwaffe night-fighter at 00:30 hours, and crashed to the northwest of Leuven. All of the crew are buried there in the Leuven
Communal Cemetery, Belgium. John Cairns is in Row B,
Grave 4
Flight Lieutenant
Alan Amies |
Captain (Pilot)
|
aged 21 |
Flight Sergeant
Ernest Thomas Jones |
Pilot
|
aged 24 |
Sergeant Donald
Jack Wilson |
Flight Engineer |
age unknown |
Flight Sergeant
Reginald Kenneth Watson |
Navigator - RAAF
|
aged 26 |
Flight Sergeant
Gavin John Cronk |
Bomb Aimer - RCAF |
aged 29 |
Sergeant Herbert
Samuel Baker |
Navigator |
age unknown |
Sergeant John
Whittaker |
Air Gunner - RCAF |
aged 20 |
Sergeant John
Desmond Cairns |
Air Gunner |
aged 20 |
Notes:
Flight Sergeant Jones was an extra crew member on
operational experience
Sergeant Wilson was the son of John and Lily Wilson, of
Cape Town, South Africa
Flight Sergeant Watson was from Queensland, Australia
Flight Sergeant Cronk was from Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada
Sergeant Whittaker was the son of Harry and Hilda Mary
Whittaker, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
1949- "In loving memory of our dearest son and
brother ... and his crew" from Mum, Dad, Eddie and June
RAF
information with
thanks to Dean Sumner |
*Cant, P. W. Possibly Percy
Augustus Cant, who was an Assistant Steward on the
Merchant Navy Cable Ship Alert. Born on 6 April 1882, he was 62 when he died
on 24 February 1945. He had been in service for only two
months. He is commemorated on the Tower
Hill Memorial in London. Panel 4. He
was the son of Evans Cant and his wife Mary. In 1891
they were living at 37 Howson Road, Lewisham, and with
them were Percy, his younger brother Stanley, 6, and
their sister, Mabel 2. She was named as Percy's
next-of-kin; she lived at 19 Anson Road, London and had
married George New in 1921.
Notes on Alert |
Carter, J. A. J. Joseph Albert
John Carter, 156320, was born in Dover in 1912. He was
the "dearly beloved and only son" of Ellen and Joseph
Carter; Mr Carter was a boot and shoe repairer, with a
shop in the centre of Dover. They lived at 28 Church
Street
He married Edith Annie Brookman, and
they had two children - Michael, who was born in 1939,
and Jeanette, born 1941
Joseph became a Lance Bombardier in
the Royal Artillery, 33 Battery, 11 (City of London
Yeomanry) Lt A A Regiment. He died of wounds at the age of 32 on
18 January 1943, and is buried in the Medjez-El-Bab War
Cemetery, Tunisia. 16 G 1
with thanks to John
Brookman
John, please
contact us |
Carteret, H. G.
Harvey George de Carteret, 200235, was a Lieutenant in
the 71 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery, gazetted
as 2nd on 19 August 1941. Mentioned
in Dispatches and with two bars, he was 27 when he died
on 8 January 1945. He is buried in the Hotton War
Cemetery, Belgium. I D 6. He is said to have met an old
school friend, John Bushell, in Normandy ten days after
the landings. One night in September John saw Harvey
brought into a Field Ambulance, badly wounded. Harvey
received emergency treatment, but later died in a Field
Hospital.
Harvey attended the County (now
Grammar) School between 1930 and 1934. On 1 August
1930 he was reported as gaining honours in the
preparatory exams for pianoforte playing. In form VB in
December 1932, he wrote a short history of The Pharos,
which appeared in the school magazine. On 28 August 1934,
Harvey was best man for his brother Philip when he married Eileen T N
Foster at Chelsea Old Church.
In civilian life Harvey was an actor,
beginning his career early. In 1928 he played Puck in a
performance by scholars of "A Midsummer Night's Dream"
in a prize-giving for Godwynhurst College at St Mary's Hall.
In 1938 he was said to be "making rapid
progress as an actor", appearing with the M'Master
International Players in the Alhambra at Dundee and scheduled to go to
India with them. That year he gave a residence
address also of the Hillside Hotel, Duppas Hill Road,
Croydon.
With Anew M'Master, Harvey in June 1938
was in the melodramatic
play "Trilby". He gave a "fine performance", making "a
romantic and appealing figure of Trilby's true love". He
also appeared that month in the curtain-raising one-act play "King René's
Daughter", supporting "more than capably". Giuliano
de Medici, the younger brother of "The Cardinal",
was "well portrayed" by Harvey, contrasting "his
light-hearted moments with highly emotional passages".
July 1938 brought several
appearances, with parts in "The Last of Mrs Cheyney"
and in "Romance". In the comedy "David Garrick",
which included extracts from "Romeo and Juliet", Harvey
played the apothecary, and was said to be "completely
unrecognisable" with "emaciated frame and hands like
skinless claws". He also appeared in Noel Coward's "Hay
Fever", playing Simon Bliss, and was reviewed as one of
the "clever and attractive young people". A further part
was as the daughter's beau in "Mr Wu", described as giving "a sympathetic
rendering of Basil Gregory, the rather craven lover, who
lacks, until too late, a full appreciation of the
Oriental outlook". The following month he acted in
"A School for Scandal" in Dundee, and, "keeping
faithfully in character", as Richard in "East Lynne". He
also appeared in "Othello".
Further appearances were in March
1939, again at the Alhambra in Dundee, in J B Priestley's "Eden End",
where he was said to be "excellently cast as brother
Wilfred", playing "in a most attractive manner". The "scene where he and his brother-in-law
philosophise in their cups is a joy". He reprised
his role in "The Cardinal", making "an attractive figure of Giuliano, the Cardinal's wronged
brother", with "the impetuous young lover"
"splendidly played".
By June 1939 he was with the
Forbes-Russell players at Brighton Palace Pier, playing
in "The Breadwinner" and "Anthony and Anna". The next
month he was at Shanklin in the
comedy "Ma's Bit of Brass" directed by Ronald Russell -
this also was in the Winter Gardens in Lancashire in
August 1939. In the plot,
"Ma" wins £500 on the pools. She buys a cottage, wants
to run a tearoom, get a garage for her son Joe to run,
and maybe a farm for her husband. This involves them in
a number of misadventures, from battles with the Lady of
the Manor to having a daughter nearly eloping with a
belted earl. Harvey played Gerald Maydew, "the lovesick baronet" and
the Stage reviewed him as one of those "prominent in the
large cast". His Gerald Maydew in Eastbourne the
same month was considered "a breezy manly
portrait", and in September 1939 in Gloucestershire
the play was recommended as a cure
for "the black-out blues". He was described as
an actor in the 1939 register, then staying at 101 Park
West, Paddington. In December at Coventry he appeared at
the Opera House, Coventry, in "Worth a Million", where
he stepped "into the limelight with an
efficient representation of the promoter's son". In
the Grammar School magazine he was also said to have
appeared in a Tommy Trinder film.
Perhaps Harvey was building on a
family inheritance. His father was Major Forbes de
Carteret, born in Jersey. In 1905 he sang Sullivan's "A Sailor's Grave" with "fine feeling"
and earned himself "hearty applause" , in a
fund-raising concert for the Union Jack Club in Jersey.
Mr de Carteret had married in 1906,
to Nellie Wells. Philip Royal Forbes was born in 1907.
In 1911 the family were living at 71 Cleve Road,
Gillingham, in 1911 when Mr Forbes was an engineer
clerk, quartermaster sergeant, for the Royal Engineers. Born on 25 August 1917, Harvey was the second son to
bear that name; the child born the year before sadly
died in infancy. The family later moved to "Byways" at Guston
and in 1939 Major Forbes became head warden for the ARP
in the Guston area. He died on 10 December 1949.
The inscription on Harvey's grave in
Belgium reads,
"A dearly loved and loving son, a true
friend to all his companions" |
Cassingham, J.
Jack Cassingham, was born on 9th April 1905. With ten
years service, he was a Third Engineer Officer in the
Merchant Navy, Cable Ship Alert. Born on 9 April 1905, he was 39 when he died
on 24 February 1945, and is commemorated on the Tower
Hill Memorial, London. Panel 4
He was the son of John Odion and Kate
Cassingham from 10 Monins Road, Dover. In 1911 they were
living at 51 Monins Road, with Mr Cassingham working as
a marine engineer for the South East Kent railway. Jack,
aged 6, was with them. He was the husband of Violet Cassingham,
from Folkestone, and his effects were sent to George
Edward Harrow, the chief clerk of the Navy, Army, and
Air Force institutes.
Notes on Alert |
Castle, R. V.
Ronald
Victor Castle, was a Fourth Engineer Officer in the
Merchant Navy Steamship "Empire Crossbill". He was 22 when
he died on 11 September 1941, and is commemorated on the
Tower Hill Memorial, London. Panel 39
His parents were Sydney Ernest and
Bertha Harriet Jane
Castle, from River, Dover, who had married in Dover in
1911. They probably had five children, Sydney, born
1912, Harold, 1915, Ronald, 1919, Bertha, 1921, and
Leonard, 1925. Ronald's address was given as 10
Salisbury Road for probate, and his effects were sent to
his father, a scrap metal merchant. |
Castle, T. A.
Thomas Alfred Castle, 10547175, was a Private in the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was 22 when he died on 3
April 1943, and is buried in the Tripoli War Cemetery,
Libya. 6 C 10
He was the third son of John W. and
Ellen M. Castle, of 21 Pilgrim's Way, late of 11 Military
Road, Dover. Their second son, Albert George, serving
with The Buffs, was reported missing in November 1943.
Two months later they heard that he was a Prisoner of
War in Germany.
There were probably ten children born
to the family, the first-born son John, in 1915 dying
soon after birth. Amongst the children was
Ellen Miriam
Sydenham. |
Chapman, E. C. W.
Edward Charles William. Chapman, 6287784, was
a Private in the 4th battalion of The Buffs, attached to
the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was 21 when he died as
the result of enemy air action over Olympia in London on
7 September 1940, just after he had finished a week's
leave at Dover. He is buried at St Mary's Cemetery,
Dover, and the first part of his funeral service was
held at Christchurch, Folkestone Road. Section YHX Grave
27
Known as Teddie,
he was an old St Martin's schoolboy. He was a keen
cricketer and footballer, and a member of the Dover
Football Supporters' Club. Until a week before the
outbreak of war he worked at Barwick's, the builders,
but was then called up with the Dover Company of the
Buffs Territorials. He went to France and became
attached to the RAOC
He was the "dearly loved only son" of
Albert Edward and Harriett Chapman, from 116 Clarendon
Street, Dover, who laid a wreath "In affectionate
remembrance of our dear one". He had a "loving
sweetheart", Marjorie, who came from Canterbury
"Ever in our thoughts"
"He did his duty bravely and died beloved by all" |
Charlwood, H. S.
Harold Sydney Charlwood, T/17104,was a Serjeant in the
308 Reserve MT Company, Royal Army Service Corps. He was
reported missing, and later as presumed killed, on 26/27
April 1941, when he was 39. He is commemorated on the
Athens Memorial, Greece. Face 8
His parents were Cecil Oliver and
Laura Charlwood, and in 1911 they were living in 26
Queen's Gardens, Dover, with six children; Leonard, 19,
an apprentice to a whitesmith, Frederick, 16, a drapers'
assistant, Edmund, 13, Harold, 9, and twins Rosin and
Doreen, 4. Mr Charlwood was working as a process server
for Dover County Court. He was married
in 1935 to Kitty Gillmore,
of Denver, late of 10 Maxton Road, Dover. The couple had
a son, Peter, born in 1939. Mrs Charlwood wife asked
the friends and members of the Congregational church to
note that he was reported as presumed killed |
Cheeseman, H. M.
Harold Montague Cheeseman, 62825910, was a Lance
Corporal in The Buffs, 1st battalion. He died on 15
August 1941 and is buried at El Alamein War Cemetery, Egypt, XXX F 24.
He was the son of George and Elizabeth Cheeseman, from
Reading, Berkshire.
|
Chell, A. C.
Alfred Charles Chell (under "Clell" in Book of
Remembrance), 2617566, was a Guardsman in the
Grenadier Guards, 5th battalion. He was 27 when he died
on 26 February 1944. He is buried at the Anzio War
Cemetery, Italy. IV F 8
He was an old County (now Grammar) school boy,
between 1920 and 1932, and was married to Emma Foster
Chell, of Glasgow |
Clarke, A. T.
Alfred
Thomas Clarke, 175596, was the son of Henry Clarke and
his wife Eveline
Matilda, née King, from 6 Lowther Road, Dover. An old St
Bart's schoolboy, he was employed before the war by the
East Kent Road Car Co, and was one of the earliest
members of ATC, Dover. He was the secretary of the
sports club, which he had formed
As a Pilot
Officer in the RAFVR, No 76 Squadron, he took off on 22 June 1944
from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire, at
23.07 hours, in a Handley Page Halifax, LW620 MP-G, on a
raid to bomb railway yards at Laon, France
At some point
during the flight, Halifax LW620 was assumed to have
been attacked and badly damaged by a Luftwaffe
night-fighter. As the crippled Halifax returned to land
at its home base something on the port-inner engine
failed causing the propeller to shear off.
Wildly spinning,
it
cut into the cockpit and presumably
killed the
Pilot. The stricken Halifax
went out of control and crashed in the early hours of 23
June at 03:21 hours, about 10 miles south-west of
Beverley in Yorkshire. All the crew
were killed
Alfred's body was recovered, and he is
buried at Charlton Cemetery, Dover. Section 3T, Grave 14, his
coffin draped for the service with the RAF Ensign.
Mourners included his parents, Mr H W Clarke, his
brother, and Mr and Mrs Hingston, brother-in-law and
sister. There were over fifty floral tributes
A total of 100
Halifax bombers took part in the raid on Laon,
and 4 were lost including LW620
The crew were:
Squadron Leader
Robert George West - RCAF |
Captain (Pilot)
|
aged 25 |
Pilot Officer Alfred
Thomas Clarke |
Flight engineer |
aged 20 |
Flight Lieutenant
Peter Scott Milliken - RCAF |
Navigator
|
aged 27 |
Flight Sergeant James
Johnson |
Bomb aimer |
aged 22 |
Pilot Officer Wilfred
Jim Lowe |
Wireless operator
|
aged 24 |
Pilot Officer Leslie
James Barnard |
Air gunner
|
aged 21 |
Flight Sergeant
Thomas Glen |
Air gunner |
age unknown |
Squadron
Leader West
was the son of Walter and Florence Jane West, of
Moose Jaw,
Saskatchewan,
Canada. Flight Lieutenant
Milliken was the son of George Watson Milliken and
Mary Belle Milliken, of
Sinclair,
Manitoba,
Canada
with thanks to
Dean Sumner
Alfred Clarke was the
nephew of Edward
Thomas King, who died in 1918. Petty Officer
King was the brother of Alfred's mother. Mrs
Clarke had worked as a bottle labeller in a brewer's
factory in Dover before her marriage in 1912. Alfred
was also the nephew-in-law of
Frank Booth, who was
married to Mary, Eveline Clarke's sister. |
Cock, C. E.
Charles Edward Cock, 6191167, was a
Serjeant in the 4th Battalion of The Buffs. He died on
23/24 October 1943, with the Eclipse. He was 43, his
birthday being 8 August. He is commemorated on the
Athens Memorial, Greece. Face 4
His wife was Clara
Sophia Cock, from Dover, and he was born at 3 Woolcomber
Lane, Dover. Others lost with HMS
Eclipse were Alfred
Ward,
Robert Patrick Bean, and
Percy
Macdonnell. |
Cole, T. C.
Thomas Charles Cole, 2612948, was a Guardsman in the 2nd
Grenadier Guards. He had joined the Army from the Duke
of York's school, and had served in France at the
beginning of the war, being evacuated from Dunkirk. He was 27 when he died at Nijmegen on 20
September 1944, and is buried at the Jonkerbos War
Cemetery, Netherlands. 22 B 3 He was
the fourth son of Captain and Mrs W S Cole.
"In ever loving memory of our dear daddy and my brother"
- 1949 - from Brian, Tommy, Teddy and his sister Gladys. |
Coles, P. E.
Peter Ernest Coles, 1389953, was a Leading Aircraftman (Observer
under training) in the RAFVR, having previously attended Sandhurst
and having been educated at the Boys' Grammar. There he
was in the cadets and also active in sport.
Peter,
then of RAF Jurby, Isle of Man, was 24 when he died on 31 October
1941, and was buried with full service honours at the Killead
(St Catherine) Church of Ireland Churchyard, Ireland,
Section 23, Grave 4.
Born on 1 April 1917, he was the son of Ernest James Coles
and Alice Maud Coles, née Paul, who had married in
Dover in 1912. He was the twin brother of Paul Charles
Coles, also a Leading Aircraftman in the RAFVR. Their
elder sister was Mary
Davies, from Ninham House, Digswell,
Welwyn, Herfordshire. Mrs Davies was amongst the mourners,
accompanied by Mr Dennis Taylor, who was her brother's
friend and colleague, and who represented the Special
Branch of the CID, Scotland Yard, in which Peter had
been working before he volunteered for service. Peter's effects were
sent to Mrs Davies.
Mrs
Coles died in a nursing home in Purley on 9 November
1936. Her home address had been 116 Folkestone Road. Mr
Coles died on 15 March 1927; he is buried at Hougham.
St Patrick's Church, Jurby, is near the airfield.
In the churchyard are buried a number of men who served
at RAF Jurby. A window in the church has the
inscription, left. The men would have attended services
on the airfield, rather than at the church, except on
special occasions. Visible from the graveyard is a
pillbox.
pictures: Killead (St
Catherine) Church of Ireland Churchyard, with thanks to
Bob Carson
Jurby airfield
window of Jurby church |
Collier, W.W.
William Willis Collier, 400970, was a Corporal in the
Royal Armoured Corps, Royal Dragoons. He was 33 when he
died on 28 December 1941. He is commemorated on the Alamein
Memorial, Egypt. Column 15
His parents were John and Kathleen
Collier, and his wife was Eveline G Collier (née Crascall), from Elvington, formerly from 6 Whittington
Terrace, Shepherdswell 
left: William and Eveline on
their wedding day, 24 August 1937. They were married
at St Andrews, Shepherdswell.

January1943 |
Note: Eveline was first cousin to
Maggie S-K's grandfather
|
Cook, D. H.
Douglas Henry Cook, 6297406, was a
Gunner in the 4th battery of the 2nd Maritime Regiment
of the Royal Artillery. He died, aged 40, on 22
May 1945 at Sumatra, while a POW. He is buried in the
Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia. 4 A 10
He was the son of Henry and Rose
Edith Cook, from Dover, and lived at 30 Heathfield
Avenue. His effects were sent to his mother.
1949 - Treasured and happy memories of our dear son and
brother" From his loving Mum, Dad, Connie, Kath and Bill |
Cornwell, W. F.
William Frederick Cornwell was born on 29 September
1914. With 7 years service he was a Seaman Cable Hand, Merchant Navy on the Cable Ship Alert.
Born on 29 September 1914, he died on
24 February 1945, when he was 30. He is commemorated on
the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Panel 4
His parents were William John and
Ellen Susan Cornwell, from Dover, and his wife, married
in 1935, was Olive
Cornwell, née Gillmore, from 6 The Grove, Dover
Notes on Alert |
Cox, C. C.
Cecil Charles Cox, 7594509, was a Private at the 1 Base
Ordnance Depot in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. He was
24 when he died on 17 June 1940, and is commemorated on
the Dunkirk Memorial, France. Column 145
His address was 39 Liverpool Street, Dover, and his
effects were sent to his widow, Hazel. |
Cox, F. H.
Frank Herbert Cox, C/KX 84647, was a Petty Officer
Stoker aboard HMS Suffolk. He was
26 when he was accidentally killed on 3 June 1942. He is buried in the
Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery. Grave K
14480
He was the youngest son of Alfred James Thomas and Alice
Elizabeth Cox, from Felderland Lane, Worth, Kent, and the husband of
Marjorie Cox, from St Margaret's-at-Cliffe, Kent

1943 |
 |
|
Crepin, F. T. G.
Frederick Thomas George Crepin, 629113, was a Trooper in
the Royal Armoured Corps, with the Yorkshire Hussars. He
was 29 when he died from wounds on 14 March 1944. He is buried in
the Cassino War Cemetery, Italy. VII E 14.
Born in 1914,
Frederick was the son of George Henry Crepin and his
wife Alice Susan, née Coghlan or Coughlan. Both
from 18 Odo Road, the couple had married on 5 June 1911
at St Bartholomew's, Charlton. George Henry, then a
miller, was the son of Eliza Jane, née Ballard, and
George Town Crepin, a sailor, who in turn was the son of
Charles Town Crepin and his wife Mary. Alice was the
daughter of Thomas Coughlan, also a sailor.
There were at least ten children in the family: Alice E
S, born in 1912, followed by Frederick, then Gladys M,
1915, Margaret L L, 1917, Violet E, 1919, Lily or Lilian
Matilda, 1921, who sadly died aged one year and eight
months, George H, 1924, Ida K, 1927, Rose D, 1928, and
William E, 1930. The family address was 65 Wyndham Road.
Frederick's father, George
Henry, was the brother of Matilda, the wife of
Barrington Bradish.
Note: Alice Crepin lost her little
brother George at the age three in 1913 of when his
nightshirt caught alight.
Eliza Jane Crepin died at the age of 74 on 20 January
1934. George Henry Crepin died in 1973, aged 71. Alice
Susan Crepin, born 18 December 1887, died in 1973.
|
Crighton-Pascoe, W. J. C.
William Thomas.Crighton-Pascoe, 220937,
was a Captain in the Reconnaissance Corps, RAC. He was
mentioned in dispatches. He died from wounds on 20
January 1946, Military Hospital, Shaftesbury. He was 27.
He is buried at St Mary's, Dover. G H 7, on 26 January from 47 Astley
Avenue
He was the son of Chief Engineer
Officer in the Merchant Navy Norman Cecil Pascoe and Ellen Rocina Pascoe, of Dover,
and was engaged to be married to Margaret (Lanark,
Scotland) |
*Cronin, H. G.
H. G. Cronin - this could possibly be Henry Treverton
Cronin, who was a Purser, Merchant Navy, aboard
the Cable Ship Alert. He died when he was 35, on
24 February 1945, and is commemorated on the Tower Hill
Memorial, London. Panel 5 Born on 29 September 1909,
Henry was the son of
David Treverton Cronin and Eliza Priscilla, née Creed. He was
married to Doris, née Hutchings, of 18 East Cliff, Dover, and
the couple had a son, Michael. When he died, Henry's
address was given as 103 Glenview Abbey Wood, London.
Notes on Alert |
Curran, P.
Patrick Curran, 2034993, was in the
468 battery of the 20th Searchlight Regiment of the
Royal Artillery. He died at the age of 21 on 19 August
1940. He had been returning to his unit after 24 hours
leave, and was killed by entering a restricted area
which had been mined
His death was
witnessed by Second Lieutenant Charles Digby Crumpton,
who was in charge of a working party, and by Private
Alfred George Bird in that party. Private Bird had
called to Gunner Curran, warning him not to go over a
wire into the restricted area. Gunner Curran had
replied, "There's a footpath, and I'm going
through." Approximately two minutes later there
was an explosion so large it threw forward the two
witnesses in their truck. 2nd Lt Crumpton rushed towards
the wire, and saw half of Gunner Curran's body in the
field
The Coroner returned a verdict of
death by misadventure, and a strong warning was issued
over the dangers of disobeying military notices. This
was the second death within a fortnight from the same
cause. The Coroner expressed his sympathy to the
regiment and to the relatives, while 2nd Lt Pain
expressed to the relatives the sympathy of the CO,
officers, and men of the Battery
Gunnar Curran was
buried at St James Cemetery, Dover, Row E, Joint Grave
2, with full military honours. He was the son of Hetty
Curran, from 66 Manor Road, Maxton, Dover, and she laid
a floral tribute, "To one of the best, with all my love,
from his heartbroken Mum"
In 1944 an in memoriam notice in the Dover Express read:
Curran - Treasured memories of our dear son and
brother Patrick Curran, accidentally killed 19
August 1940. From his loving Mum, Sisters and
Brother (Normandy)
from Joyce Banks |
Curtis, G. A. J.
Gilbert Alfred John Curtis, 178241, was a
Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force, serving with the
431 "Iroquois" RCAF Squadron. He was the son of Alfred Ernest and
Amy Afra Curtis, and the husband of Margaret Ellen
Curtis, of Dagenham, Essex
On a raid to bomb railway targets at
Versailles, France, he took off from Croft, Yorkshire, on
7 June 1944, at 23.54 hours, in a Handley
Page
Halifax MZ602 SE-U. The
Halifax crashed in unknown circumstances
during the early hours of 8 June at Blevy
about 11 miles south-west of Dreux in
France. All of the crew were killed
and are buried at Blevy Communal Cemetery, France, in a Collective Grave
A force comprising
almost 340 RAF bombers attacked various railway targets
in France on the
night of 7/8 June, and 28 were lost including MZ602
The crew were:
Pilot Officer John Peter
ARTYNIUK - RCAF |
Captain (Pilot)
|
aged 23 |
Sergeant William TEAPE |
Flight engineer
|
aged 20 |
Flying Officer Hugh Allan
MORRISON - RCAF |
Navigator |
aged 29 |
Flying Officer Peter
Joseph GANDY - RCAF |
Bomb aimer |
aged 21 |
Flight Sergeant Donald
Angus FLETT |
Wireless operator/Air
gunner |
age unknown |
Pilot Officer Gilbert
Alfred John CURTIS |
Air gunner |
aged 21 |
Pilot Officer Gordon
Beverley JOSE - RCAF |
Bomb aimer |
aged 20 |
Sergeant William Dakin
MULLIN - RCAF |
Air gunner |
age unknown |
Pilot Officer Gilbert Curtis is recorded as holding
the rank of Flight Sergeant when he was killed and
was thus posthumously commissioned
Pilot Officer Artyniuk was the son of Pete
and Rosie Artyniuk, of Onoway, Alberu, Canada
Flying Officer Morrison was the son of Joseph H.
Morrison and Mary Ellen Morrison, Canada
Flying Officer Gandy was the son of Agnes
Gandy, and stepson of Joseph Skoez, New Westminster,
British Columbia
Pilot Officer Jose was an additional crew member on
air experience. He was the son of John Sidney Jose,
and of Mary Jane Jose, of New Westminster, British
Columbia, Canada
Sergeant Mullin was the son of William
N. Mullin and Catherine May Mullin, of Brighton, Digby
Co., Nova Scotia, Canada
1949 - "Silent thoughts and treasured memories of
our dear one ... and to all his crew" from loving
wife Peggy and Little Son, Mother and Brothers
with thanks to Dean Sumner
The memorials above are at Burn, North Yorkshire. On
the right is the memorial for "All who served in 431
Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force, Burn,
1942-1943". The memorial on the left is for "All who
served in 578 Squadron, Royal Air Force, Burn,
1944-1945". 431 Squadron was formed in 1942 at Burn,
then in 1943 went to Tholthorpe, and then to Croft. |
|