Taylor, F. L. H. 
Frederick Leslie Hicks Taylor, 7260877, was a Corporal in the RAMC. On 7 October 1940, at the age of 28, he died at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital, following a road accident at Leighton Buzzard. He is buried at Luton Church Burial Ground, Section 9, Row B, Grave 2. His coffin was draped with the Union Flag, and was borne by six men from his unit. The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment provided the firing party, and a bugler sounded the Last Post and the Reveille. 50 officers and men from his unit attended, as did men from the RAF   

Frederick was an old Charlton school boy, and had worked on the ferry boats before the war began. He was the son of Frederick and Edith Taylor, from 15 Matthews Place, Dover. and the "dearest beloved husband" and "very dearly loved husband" of Violet Louisa Taylor, from 6 Lascelles Road. The wreath she laid on his grave read, ""His ever loving and broken-hearted Wife, Violet"

"Loved by all Brothers and Sisters. Always in our thoughts"
"Until we meet again"

The call was sudden, the blow severe To part with one we loved so dear Only those who have lost can tell The bitter parting without farewell From Mum and Dad Without farewell he fell asleep With only memories to keep Sleep on, dear brother, God knows best On earth there's strife; in heaven rest Sadly missed but not forgotten, from Brothers and Sisters We often sit and think of him When we are all alone For memory is the only friend That grief can call its own Our thoughts are with you always. Sister Edith (London) and Will

Teasdale, C. W.
Cecil Walker Teasdale, 138982, was a Captain in the Royal Artillery (152 (The Ayrshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment). He was 24 when he died on 26 February 1943, and is buried in the Medjez-El-Bar War Cemetery, Tunisia. 5 C 16

He was the son of Lt Col. H. W. Teasdale, R.A. and Edith Teasdale from of Rugby, Warwickshire

Thubron, J.
John Thubron or Thubbron, C/K 67318, was a 1st Class Stoker, Royal Navy serving with HM Drifter Maida. He died on 16 March 1940, one of the six crew who lost their lives, when the drifter was sunk off the coast of the UK. He is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, panel 38.3.

Born on 12 October 1894, John was the son of John, a colliery blacksmith, and Louisa, from County Durham. In 1911 he was working on the belts at a colliery. He may have come south for colliery work; on 4 January 1920 he married Florence May Lillo, born 1895, at St Andrews, Buckland, and his occupation then appears to be miner. In 1931 he was working at Tilmanstone Colliery, being presented on 16 July that year at the Custom House, Dover, with a Royal Naval Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.

The couple had three children; in 1921 Lily M, in 1925, John, and in 1928 Joan Elizabeth. Sadly Joan died at the age of 13 months, when the family were living at 28 Bridge Street. She is buried at Charlton.

Mrs Thubbron remarried in 1940 in the Fulham area to Michael George W McCarthy. A sheetbender and fixer in 1939, when he was living at 22 Twynholme Mansions, Fulham, he had been born in Dover in 1902 and may have been present at Joan's funeral. He may have been father to Michael G A McCarthy, born in 1930. Florence McCarthy probably died in the Fulham area in 1958, aged 62. Her husband died in 1973.

In loving memory of my dear father, John Thubron, who lost his life in the mine-sweeping service, March 18th 1940. From his loving daughter, Lillie

Tickner, W. J.
William John Tickner was Chief Cook aboard the Cable Ship Alert, Merchant Navy. He died on 24 February 1941, when he was 51. He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London, panel 5

Born on 25 February 1893, he was the son of Thomas Charles Tickner, born in Portsmouth and his wife Elizabeth, née Everall, born at Ramsgate, who had married at Holy Trinity, Broadstairs on 28 December 1878. Mr Tickner was then a coastguard; his wife the daughter of a coastguard. Their daughter, Agnes Ellen, was born on 15 January 1880, and christened at Broadstairs on 21 March 1880. Elizabeth Ann was born on 28 August 1881 and christened on 20 November, also at Broadstairs.

By 1891 Mr Tickner had become an able seaman and was also a Royal Naval pensioner and was aboard the Empress at Dover; his family were on 6 September 1891, when their son Charles Edward was christened, at 30 Clarendon Place, Dover. William John was christened at the same church on 7 May 1893, when the family had moved to 3(?) Clarendon Place.

By 1901 the family were living at 22 Clarendon Road, Dover, with Mr Tickner still working as a seaman. Agnes had become an assistant school mistress, and Elizabeth a school teacher. Their brothers were still at school.

Mr Tickner died on 1 June 1905, aged 55, at 22 Selborne Terrace. In 1911 Mrs Tickner and her family were still there. Both daughters were assistant mistresses, Agnes at the Charlton Church of England school, and Elizabeth at Christchurch school. Agnes had been voted a salary increase of £5 a year in 1907, taking her salary then to £75. Charles was an architect's clerk for Messrs Jenkins and Duthoit, and William had become a steward for the Orient company.

On 30 October 1911, William joined the Royal Navy for a period of 12 years. He was then described as 5'6½" tall, with black hair and grey eyes. He had a dot tattooed on his right little finger. He began at HMS Pembroke as a 2nd cook's mate, eventually becoming cook. His conduct was always very good, and his ability increased from satisfactory to superior. He served throughout the Great War on a vessel Tyne or Lyme (transcription uncertain). He

On 16 February 1918 at St James' church, Leith, Scotland William married Rosetta Heaver, born 16 March 1883, whose late parents were from Kingsdown, Sevenoaks. A daughter, Ella M R, was born in Dover on 7 August 1919. On 23 June 1926, William was invalided from the Royal Naval hospital at Chatham with chronic bronchitis.

On 7 January 1930 Mrs Elizabeth Tickner "passed peacefully away in her 76th year" at Fern Bank, 30 Selborne Terrace, Dover. In 1939 William and Rosetta were living at 29 Clarendon Road or Place with Ella. William was working as an assistant steward on the Alert. At number 30 were his sisters, both school teachers.

William's sister Elizabeth died in 1970, and Agnes in 1974. William's daughter Ella died in Dover in 1976, as did her mother a few weeks before.

Notes on Alert

Treadwell, A. H.
Alfred Henry Arthur Treadwell ("Rob"), 124245, was a Flying Officer (Observation) in the RAFVR, 236 Squadron. He was posted as missing from air operations, and later assumed  to have died on 4 February 1943. He is buried in the Bergen (Mollendal) Church Cemetery, Norway. Grave C 6

He was an old Dover County (now Grammar) School boy. He was married to Aimee Treadwell (née King), and was the eldest son of QM Sgt and Mrs B R A Treadwell, late of Dover. He had a brother and sisters.

Trumper, D.W.
Douglas William Trumper. Believed to be Mr Trumper of 23 Alfred Road, who was a retired Chief Engineer from the SR Cross-Channel boats. He had served during the Great War, and during the second had become a member of the Civil Defence in 1939, serving until his death on 14 (or 19) March 1945, aged 71

He was buried at Charlton, with the first part of his service taking place at the Methodist church. Wardens Buckly, Frankland, King, and Pettit acted as bearers. Mourners included his sons and daughters-in-law and his daughter, with two grandsons and his brother-in-law. Also present were members of the Civil Defence, officers and brothers from Military Jubilee Lodge, and members of the Royal Navy Old Comrades Association. His widow, Emma, née Rayner, whom he had married in 1900, was unable to attend, being indisposed

He was a past member of the board of management of the Dover Co-operative District Society and the Allotment Gardeners Association

1946.- "Treasured memories of a loving husband and dad"

with thanks to Joyce Banks

The picture above is from 1916, of Sub-Lieutenant Trumper, when serving on H.M.S. Empress. He had been on the cross-channel service, and was then serving in Egypt

Right is O Trumper, possibly Oliver, born in 1884 In Dover. He was a Private in the Royal Munster Fusiliers, and had also worked on the cross-channel boats and the tugs

Turmaine, E. E.
Ernest Edward Turmaine was a Greaser on the SS Maid of Kent, Merchant Navy. He died on 21 May 1940 at the age of 56. He was the son of William and Ann Turmaine.

Mr Turmaine is com-memorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, London. Panel 66

His wife was Eliza Ethel Turmaine, formerly Stroud, and they lived at 17 Paul's Place. The couple had married at Charlton church in 1907.

The "In Memoriam" announcements are from May 1941. More are here

picture by courtesy of Roger Turmaine

Note: The Maid of Kent was one of the cross channel ferries, converted to a hospital ship.
See also:
"Luftwaffe Destruction of the Maid of Kent" by Richard Thwaites (.pdf)
and "Notes on the Hospital Carrier Maid of Kent"

Little Jack Turmaine, then aged 5, had the misfortune  of falling off a sofa and breaking his arm on Christmas Day, 1924.

Vosper, J.
Jack Vosper, 1360578, was a Sergeant in the RAFVR, 144 Squadron. He was 27 when he died on 13 December 1942, and is commemorated at the (left)Runnymede Memorial, panel 95

He was the son of William Henry and Florence Mary Vosper, and the husband of Sylvia Maud Vosper, from Snowdown, Kent

The In Memoriam announcements on the right were from 1943, and in 1948 the announcements below were made:

In loving memory of Jack Vosper, our dear son and brother, killed during operations, R.A.F. Coastal Command, on 13 December 1942. His loving Mum and Dad, also brother Harry and children

In memory of a beloved husband and daddy Sergeant Jack Vosper, killed whilst on operations 13^th December 1942. From Sylvia and Susan, also Mum, Maurice, Kath and Bob

Voss, L. C. 
Born in Bristol in 1891 to Charles Voss and Caroline, née Hawkins, Lionel Cuthbert Voss enlisted on Boxing Day 1914, and served throughout the Great War. As 70325 he was in the Royal Engineers, a telephone linesman. He was noted as fully skilled in instrument repairs, and became an acting 2nd Corporal.

 He lost his life at the end of World War II. He was serving as a civilian GPO engineer, aboard the HMTS (His Majesty's Telegraph Ship) 'Cable Ship' Alert when she was lost on 24 February 1945 

with thanks to Charlie Voss

Notes on Alert