If you have more information about a name or would like to
correct or remove any of the information please mail the Webmaster.
All photographs or electronic scans remain the copyright © of the Banstead History Research Group or the specific contributors and cannot be reproduced by either digital, electronic, electrostatic or lithographic or by any other means without expressed permission from the originator of the web site or its contributors.
| WWII | ||
 |
C |
 |
Private 6104785
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) 1/6th Bn.
Died 3-August-1944 aged 22
Son of Frank and Phoebe Olive Ethel Clark, of Epsom, Surrey.
John Edward Clark was born in 1922 and was registered at Epsom (Mother's maiden name - Luxford) His parents, Frank Clark and Olive E Luxford were married in 1920, again registered at Epsom.
F Clark is recorded as living at 75 Chapel Way, Great Tattenhams, Epsom between 1945 and 1966.
Grave Reference: XXVI. D. 14.
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family history by Barbara Rough BMD and phone directory records.
................................................................................................ Back to WWII panels
2nd enquiry to Barbara Rough 12 Jan 07.
Sergeant 1323586
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 142 Sqdn.
Died 4-July-1943 probably 21.
James F Croxall was born in 1921 and his birth is registered in Hertford (Sept Quarter). His mother's surname is recorded as Symms.
His parents marriage was registered at Barnstaple in 1916 and shows Albert G Croxall married Ethel B Symons. (Note the discrepancy in the spelling of Mrs Croxall's maiden name.)
During the years 1939-1946 Albert G Croxall is shown in the phone book as living at 1 Wilmot Way, Banstead.
In the early months of the Second World War No. 142 Squadron served with the Advanced Air Striking Force in France and on 10th May 1940, the day the Germans invaded the Low Countries, it gained the distinction of being the first AASF unit to bomb the advancing enemy. Later that month No. 142 was one of the Fairey Battle squadrons which attacked the Meuse bridges in a further attempt to stem the German advance. The squadron was withdrawn to England in June 1940, and by the end of the year was converting to Wellingtons prior to engaging in the strategic night-bombing offensive.
Operating from RAF Binbrook, the squadron operated as part of bomber command's main force for the next two years. Victory in North Africa at El Alamein however, resulted in the allies capturing new airfields and so in December 1942 the Wellingtons of 150 and 142 Squadrons were transferred to this theatre.
142 Squadron moved to North Africa, initially based at Blida in Algeria, under MAC (Mediterranean Air Command) and subsequently took part in the Tunisian, Sicilian and Italian campaigns.
The major air effort in the Middle East in 1943 was in support of allied operations in Tunisia involving no fewer than 10 Wellington Squadrons, with ports and airfields constituting the priority targets.
In May 1943, 142 and 150 Squadrons were brought together as '330 Wing , 205 Group' British North African Air Force, under Grp Capt J Powell. The two Squadrons were known as known as “Cuty” and “Jane” - a play on their fuselage squadron markings JN for 150 and QT for 142. Although still based at Blida, Powell, pressed for a move to a forward base at Fontaine Chaude, Algeria enabling the wing to attack Palermo twice, and Naples, Cagliari, Marsala and Trapani once each . By June 1943 the squadron was based at RAF Kairouan, Tunisia with a heavy schedule of bombing missions against Sicily and Mainland Italy. In June 373 sorties were flown and 1.5 million lbs of bombs dropped - an example of the increasing effectiveness of the Wing.
It was during this period that Sergeant James Frederick Croxall lost his life.
Lost on operations in a Wellington of 142 Sqn, he has no known grave and is one of 2,298 airmen commemorated on the Malta Memorial. The Malta Memorial commemorates airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa, Yugoslavia and Gibraltar.
Memorial Reference: Panel 8, Column 1.
MALTA MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family research by Barbara Rough.
142 Squadron research by Mark Stanley. 142 Squadron "Cuty" name from http://www.lancaster-archive.com/Wimpies.htm
Memorial photo supplied by the Shranz family.
.............................................................................................. Back to WWII panels
Last udated 22 March 2008 with memorial photos.
Inscribed incorrectly on the Banstead War memorial as S M Scull.*.
Trooper 7893618
Royal Armoured Corps 23rd Hussars.
Died 6-August-1944 age 22
Stanley, the son of Maurice Frederick and Grace Cull, of Epsom, Surrey, was born in Poole and his birth was registered in the first quarter of 1922. His parents' marriage was registered in the first quarter of 1918 in Brentford Middlesex and his mother’s maiden name was Fish.
Stanley was ginger-haired and liked fighting recalls Noel Phillips who went to school with him. Noel liked him because he stood up for the boys who were the subject of bullying.
Stanley had one brother, Ronald, and two sisters Pat and Dorothy.
Every member of the Cull family other than mother Grace, was involved in the war effort. In an article published in a book called Memories of Wartime Banstead District, Pat Cull says "My father, Freddie Cull, was in charge of the Home Guard Unit and my younger brother Ronald, was a Private until he was called up to serve in the Navy. My elder brother Stanley was in the Army (Tank Corps). My sister Dorothy was in the WAAFs doing hush hush work for radar. As for myself, Pat, I was in the Women's Land Amy and later in the WAAFs."
The photograph shows Ronald (left) and Stanley (right) at the back. In front are Pat, father Freddie, mother Grace, and Dorothy.
Stanley served with the 23rd Hussars which was part of the 29th Armoured Brigade of the 11th Armoured Div.
The 11th Armoured Division landed in France in June 1944, taking heavy casualties as part of the Battle of Normandy. By late July, following Operation Goodwood, losses of armour were so high that the regiment had absorbed the remnants of the 24th Lancers, a regiment of 8th Armoured Brigade.
Trooper Stanley Cull died on the 6th August 1944. Based on this date, it is likely that Stanley was killed in action around the time of Operation Bluecoat.
General G.P.B. Roberts had reformed his division into two Assault Brigade Groups. The second group, the 29th Assault Brigade Group was made up of the 23rd Hussars (Stanley Cull's unit), the 3rd Battalion, Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), the 8th Battalion, Rifle Brigade and the Monmouths.
The Division started to attack on July 30th; it progressed quickly towards the south, seized Martin-Saint-des-Besaces then spotted an intact bridge on Souleuvre river, which enabled it to drive through and get behind the Germans. In what became the famous “charge of the bull” the division liberated Le Bény-Bocage on August 1st, then progressed quickly southward. Although severely weakened at that time, the enemy remained present and dangerous: along with units of the Guards Armoured Division and 15th (Scottish) Division, the 11th Armoured had to push back a counter-attack of 9th SS-Panzer Division from August 5th. Two days later, around Chênedollé, one single Tiger managed to destroy 14 tanks of the 23rd Hussars.
Operation Bluecoat drew substantial forces away from the projected German counter-attack at Avranches, and contributed substantially to the later encirclement of the German forces at the Falaise Pocket.
Trooper Cull's inscription on the Banstead War Memorial shows S.Scull instead of S.Cull. The error was noticed early on and was put right, however in a letter dated 24 November 1965, addressed to the Vicar, Reverend F. Schofield, the Clerk of the Council writes that Commander Wemyss-Gorman of the British Legion had received a complaint from Mr F Cull regarding the incorrect spelling of his son's name on the War Memorial. The mistake had been put right once but "repairs are again necessary".
Reverend Schofield replied on th 26th November 1965 - "The alteration to the name on the War Memorial shall be attended to." There is no further correspondence on the matter but sadly the memorial still clearly shows the incorrect name.
Grave Reference: XXVI. F. 17.
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY Calvados, France.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89 - The letter from Mr Cull is held with other documentation relating to the War Memorial in the files of the Banstead Urban District Council.
Operation Bluecoat details from armchairgeneral.com
Tank photograph courtesy of the Imperial War Museum.
Family photo from 'Memories of Wartime Banstead District' by E Bond,. A Banstead History Research Group publication.
.................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels
last updated 20 March 2008 with family photo and Operation Bluecoat details.
Captain 116480
Royal Artillery 3 A.A. Tractor Bty.
Awarded the Military Cross.
Died 19-November-1946 aged 57
Son of John and Sarah Ann Cutts.
Husband of Rose Ellen Cutts, of Epsom Downs.
Frederick William Cutts was born in the June Quarter of 1889 and his birth is registered in Woolwich.
The 1891 census shows him living in Plumstead. At that time his father was 61 years old and is recorded as a Grocer Master.
In the 1935/6 phone book, Frederick W Cutts is listed as living at 69 Ferndale Rd Banstead.
Three years later, his entry is listed as Captain Frederick W Cutts MC, 136 Great Tattenhams, indicating that his Military Cross was awarded in WWI. It also suggests that he signed up again.
Captain Cutts was well known in Banstead, serving on various local committees and being very active in promoting boys' clubs. He was devoted to his children, twins John and Margot and with his army background was strict on discipline. This made him ideal for one of his roles where he was a Gym instructor at Beechholme residential school. Donald Luff, Margot's husband, clearly remembers how the Captain could not stand his son having a lay in.
His death after the end of the war was registered in 1946 at the 'Surrey Mid Eastern Registration District'. Captain Cutts is the oldest man on the Banstead War Memorial and the only one to have served in both World Wars. He died unexpectedly in November 1946 when he suffered a heart attack whilst boarding a bus at Tattenham corner. The manner and date of his death raises a puzzling question - Why is Captain Cutts on the memorial? His family were not aware that his name was on the memorial and are unable to explain why it is present. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission have him included in their casualty list and have also erected his headstone at All Saints churchyard Banstead. We have written to them with this enquiry.
Grave Reference: S.E. Corner.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family history research by Barbara Rough.
Personal details from Donald Luff.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels
L W - medal record card downloaded. last updated 13 Oct 2008 - awaiting photograph