The following is an alphabetical list of WWll casualties inscribed on the Banstead War Memorial.
Each item is headed by the man's full name if known, followed by his rank and service number where applicable, details of the date of death and any known relatives. Finally each record shows the location of the memorial or cemetery. These basic details are shown by permission of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, as are the pictures of memorials and cemeteries from across the World.
In addition to the basic details, more personal information has been added where available as well as some background to the circumstances in which the casualty was lost.
Wherever possible, details published have been cross checked with different sources. This has not always been possible and in some cases, the casualty is still unidentified.
If you have more information about a casualty, or would like to correct or remove any of the information, please mail the Webmaster.
ARMSTRONG, ROBERT WILLIAM
Captain 66509 25/05/1940 34 Royal Northumberland Fusiliers United Kingdom
ARMSTRONG, RONALD WILLIAM
Flight Lieutenant 77799 16/03/1942 Unknown Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve United Kingdom
ARMSTRONG, ROBERT WHITE
Lieutenant Colonel 20/08/1944 Unknown Royal Canadian Artillery Canadian
ARMSTRONG, ROBERT WILSON
Gunner 1134383 03/04/1945 26 Royal Artillery United Kingdom
ARMSTRONG, REGINALD WALTER
Private NX59184 07/05/1945 26 Australian Army Medical Corps Australian
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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Gunner 926184
Royal Horse Artillery 4 Regt.
Died 12-May-1941 aged 20
Son of Alfred and Amy Louisa Baker, of Burgh Heath, Tadworth, Surrey.
The 4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery was formed at Helmieh in Egypt in May 1939 from three batteries drawn from independent commands in India. It was equipped with the 25 pdr MK VP often recognised as the most versatile British artillery piece of the war. This gun was mounted on an 18 pounder split trail carriage and towed by a tracked tractor called a “Dragon”. The 'P' was used to denote the use of pneumatic tyres on the carriage. This is almost certainly the type weapon that Gunner Baker would have used.
4th Regiment Royal Horse Artillery fired the opening rounds of the campaign in North Africa on 8 December 1940 against the Italians at Sidi Barrani. During this time it was commanded by Lt-Colonel 'Jock' Campbell. As part of 7th Armoured Division, the Regiment was involved in numerous subsequent battles in the desert. These included Bardia, the capture of Tobruk, Beda Fomm, Sidi Rezegh and the withdrawal from Gazala to El Alamein. It the took part in the Battle of El Alamein as part of 1st Armoured Division, later taking part in the battle for the Mareth Line and the capture of Tunisia. With the Germans defeated in North Africa, the Regiment returned to England in November 1943.
Grave Reference: 20. H. 10.
HALFAYA SOLLUM WAR CEMETERY Egypt.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Regiment History from http://www.btinternet.com/~ian.a.paterson/orgartillery.htm#RHA4
Gun details from -Antill, P. (14 January 2004), The 25-pdr Field Gun 1939 - 1972: Part One, http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_25pdr1.html
Carriage detail from http://www.army.mod.uk/4regtra/about_us/brief_history.htm
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Erroneously inscribed on Top panel 8 which should only show WWl casualties.
Second Lieutenant EC/7153
1st Punjab Regiment 6th Bn.
Died 15-February-1942 aged 22
Son of William and Mary Baple, of Banstead, Surrey.
Brother of Muriel Baple of Courtlands Crescent Banstead.
Douglas Roy Baple was known as Roy to his friends.
William Baple, his father was the headmaster of Banstead Hall approved school and along with other boys from the school, Roy attended St Paul's church on Sundays.
In 1942 Roy was in Singapore when on the on 8 February, the Japanese crossed the Johore Straits in strength, landing at the mouth of the Kranji River within two miles of the place where the war cemetery now stands. On the evening of 9 February, they launched an attack between the river and the causeway. During the next few days fierce fighting ensued, in many cases hand to hand, until their greatly superior numbers and air strength necessitated a withdrawal.
Roy's name was inexplicably omitted at the time the casualties of WWll were added to the Banstead War Memorial. His sister Muriel brought this to the attention of the authorities sometime in the 1980's and a mason was despatched to add the name. The memorial however gives no indication that the top panels were used for the casualties of the Great War and the bottom panels related to those of WWll.
The mason found that each of the seven top panels had nine names inscribed on them with one exception which had eight, leaving one convenient space. That space now shows D.R.BAPLE, the only WWll casualty inscribed on the top panels.
This unlikely story is proven by the set of pictures below. The one on the left is a portion of a photograph taken post WWll;The casualties of WWll can clearly be seen inscribed on the lower panel. The picture on the right shows a highly magnified image of the inscriptions. Top panel eight finished with the Gartons, one line higher than top panel seven. At this time the name of D R Baple had not been added. The current picture (far right) shows his name below the Gartons.
Roy's name is also recorded on the Roll of Honour at St Paul's church in Nork. Again, he is the first name on the list by virtue of his surname being the first alphabetically. He is recorded on this list as R.D. Baple, presumably because he was always known as Roy.
Grave Reference: 12. A. 18.
KRANJI WAR CEMETERY Singapore
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Geoffrey Robinson (BHRG)who initially explained the inscription discrepancy.
Photochrom postcard from the Lewis Wood collection.
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KRANJI
War Cemetery
Singapore.
Top panel eight
Banstead War Memorial
November 2006
Acting Sub Lieutenant
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve HMS Tormentor(Combined Operations base, Warsash)
Died 19-August-1942 aged 21
Son of Charles Frederick and Ellen Matilda Barnes of Teviotside, Mellow Close, Banstead, originally from East London.
HMS Tormentor was a minor landing craft operational base including maintenance also an operational training base for craft of Force J Flotilla in Aug 1941. The base was in Hamble, Southampton, located in the Household Brigade Yacht Club. It was commissioned on 12/8/40 to 31/3/46.
Many men from this base took part in the raid on Dieppe and it is very likely that Raymond Barnes was killed during this raid.
Lieutenant Alasdair Forbes Ferguson M.B.E., D.S.C. and Bar, R.N.V.R. described August 19, 1942, as "the worst day of his life" was when he took part in the Dieppe raid. Driven by political necessity, too large for a raid, too small for an invasion, it was imprecise in its objectives, and its operational plan was unworkably complicated.
Due to inadequate naval gunfire support, strong German artillery defences, a loss of surprise and a decision not to bomb the town behind the assault beach, the raid was an expensive disaster.
Like Dunkirk the Dieppe Raid was a military disaster dressed up as a victory. The losses have since been described as akin to those at the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade.
Involved were six thousand troops. These included 5,000 Canadians, the rest being made up of British Commandos, a few Frenchmen, and a token force from the U.S. Ranger battalion. They raided Dieppe on August 19, 1942. The result was a bloody massacre and humiliation for the allied forces.
Nevertheless British archive papers released in 1972 show that Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations, informed the War Cabinet that the raid had gone 'very satisfactorily."
The most accurate summary of Dieppe was actually written by a German PK man who visiting a nearby Luftwaffe station afterwards wrote: "As executed the venture mocked all the rules of military logic and strategy."
In fact 907 Allied troops were killed, 2,460 were wounded, and 1,874 were taken prisoner. Of the 2,210 who did make it back to England only 36 were unhurt despite the fact that 200 had not even made it to the French shore.
During the raid allied air power suffered its biggest single day loss of the war when 106 aircraft were downed. Without a single exception every tank crew became a casualty and overall 60% of the invading force was marked as casualties.
Memorial Reference: Panel 71, Column 1.
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
HMS Tormentor history from : Combinedops.com
Lieutenant Alasdair Forbes Ferguson (1919-2004)- article published in The Times on 21 February 2005.
Edited account of the raid on Dieppe from : Biblebelievers.org
1943-7 phone book shows CF Barnes at Teviotside, Mellow Close, Banstead.
Family History by Barbara Rough:-
Ellen Matilda nee Black was Raymond's mother and she was born in 1887 in Hackney.
The census of 1901 shows her as 14 and an envelope folder.
That same year, Charles was 22 and a wire muzzle maker.
They married in 1908 registered in Bethnal Green so probably Hackney.
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Flying Officer 145326
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 108 Sqrn.
Died 17-April-1944 aged 22
Son of Arthur Edward and Florence Kathleen Barton, of Banstead, Surrey.
On 1 August 1941, No. 108 Squadron reformed at RAF Kabrit in Egypt as a night bomber Squadron. Its Wellingtons began bombing raids on the 22 September, targets being ports on the Libyan coast and in Greece. In November it began to receive Liberators and these supplemented the Wellingtons until June 1942. On the 18 December 1942 the Squadron was reduced to a cadre which was disbanded on 25 December 1942.
On 15 March 1943 No. 108 reformed at Shandur as a night fighter Squadron commanded by New Zealander, Wing Cmdr 'Jasper' Read . Its Beaufighters flew night patrols over Egypt, Libya and Malta. The squadron was very successful and eventually included four pilots who made ace (5+ victories). The invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky) began on July 10th 1943 and on the 13th, to the east of Syracuse, Read shot down a Ju88 and a He111 to become an ace himself. Then over the next seven days he enjoyed an incredible run knocking down a further five German aircraft.
The squadron's Beaufighters were replaced by Mosquitoes NFXII's and NFXIII's in February 1944. The latter were used for convoy patrols until intruder missions commenced in April 1944 from RAF Alghero.
Flying Officer Barton was lost at this time during what was a comparatively quiet period for the Squadron. At the beginning of 1944 the squadron had detachments temporarily based at RAF Luqa on Malta and was equipped with Mosquito Nightfighters.
A. T. Barton is buried on Malta, and it may be that he was lost on operations or possibly in a flying accident while operating from this base.
Grave Reference: Protestant Section (Officers'). Plot E. Coll. grave 23.
MALTA (CAPUCCINI) NAVAL CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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To Barbara Rough 12 Jan 2007
Mark Stanley investigating - 28 Dec 2006. To date we can find no records of A S Barton or a Mosquito attributed to him being lost in this theater of operations on or about 17th April 1944. Unfortunately there is no 108 Sqn association either.
Incorrectly inscribed as J H BAUCH on the Banstead War Memorial.
Captain 132632
Royal Artillery 94 Lt. A.A. Regt.
Born Dec Quarter 1915 (Wandsworth) Died 9-March-1944 aged 28
Son of Joseph William and Elizabeth Hampson Baugh(nee Chalmers)married in 1908 in Wandsworth.
Husband of Mary Kathleen Hampson Baugh, of Lancing, Sussex. Their marriage in the June quarter of 1940 was registered in Bath, and Mary Kathleen's maiden name was BURCH. It is just possible that this may be the cause of the misspelling on the memorial.
Grave Reference: S.E. Corner.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
.................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panelsTo Barbara Rough for further investigation 30 Dec 2006
Nothing contemporary in the phone book but in 1968 there was an MH Baugh in 'Ranworth' Brighton Road, Banstead. This may be Michael Hampson Baugh. The second forename is the same as Elizabeth's second forename.
LW - e mailed Mike Baugh found on the net. 2 Jan 2007- rejected!
LW emailed webmaster http://battlefieldsww2.50megs.com/british_divisions_ww2.htm for info on Division 2 Jan 2007
Flying Officer 151474
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 51 Sqrn.
Died 2-February-1945 aged 22
Son of Thomas Walker Bell, and of Frances Bell, of Twickenham, Middlesex.
51 Squadron was a Halifax Bomber squadron based in Yorkshire . As part of 4 Group Bomber Command, the squadron operated from RAF Snaith, seven miles south of Selby, known locally as Pollington Airfield, from October 1942 right through to the war's end.
By mid 1944 the squadron had re-equipped with the later variant Halifax Mk3, powered by four Bristol Hercules engines and in most respects a better bomber by now than the more famous Avro Lancaster.
Flying Officer Kenneth Bell was lost on operations on a raid on the oil plant at Wanne-Eickel on the night of the 2/3rd Feb 1945.
323 aircraft (277 Halifax, 27 Lancaster, 19 Mosquito) of 4, 6 & 8 Groups attacked the target. 4 Halifaxes were lost. The target was cloud covered and the attack on the refinery was not accurate. Local reports assumed the target was a coal mine. Most of the bombing fell onto open ground around the mine. 21 Houses were hit and 68 people killed.
His aircraft piloted by F/L W R Arnold a New Zealander (RNZAF), took off from RAF Snaith at 20.14hrs and never returned, almost certainly the victim of German nightfighters. F/O Bell is described in the Commonwealth War Grave Commissions records as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, but it is believed he was carrying out the duties of an Air Bomber (bomb aimer). The cause of loss and crash-site were never subsequently established. Those killed, including Kenneth are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.
The aircrew on the fated flight that night were F/L W.R.Arnold RNZAF KIA (Killed in action). Sgt D.W.Farrar KIA. P/O F.D.K.Balflour RNZAF PoW. F/O K.T.Bell KIA. W/O W.Poston KIA. Sgt J.S.Kewell KIA. Sgt W.Osmond KIA.
Pilot Officer F.D.K.Balflour, (also reported as Balfour) the navigator was the only survivor from this aircraft. He was captured and was interned in Camp 13D as a Prisoner of War.
Raids against the Nazi's oil industry were a priority at this time, although the strategy was initially opposed by Arthur Harris, Commander in Chief Bomber Command, who felt that the erradication of German cities was the surer method of ending the war quickly.
51 Squadron were one of the most successful RAF Halifax squadrons, boasting a Halifax 'centurion', LV937 MH-E 'Expensive Babe' notching up her 100th raid against Osnabruck on March 25th 1945. The Squadron participated in 264 bombing raids during the war losing 148 aircraft.
Grave Reference: 14. C. 8.
RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
RAF records researched by Mark Stanley
Handley Page Halifax III (Mk 3) MZ487, coded MH-Z of 51 Squadron. Serial Range MZ447 - MZ495. 49 Halifax Mk.III's. Delivered by the London Aircraft Production Group (Leavesden) between 25th Sep 1944 and 20th Nov 1944.
Crew details from the BC War Diaries (Middlebrook & Everett).
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89
This Banstead Urban District Council file holds documents relating to the upkeep of the Banstead War Memorial.
One document is a letter dated 17 July 1973 from Mrs Frances Bell. Mrs Bell had requested that her son's name be added to the Banstead War Memorial and now provided further details. "I worked in the Residential school in Fir Tree Road (Beechholme). As a widow, I was allowed the priviledge of having my son stay with me. He was there from the age of two until he joined the RAF at 19. He was in the Scouts and Air training Corps at Banstead. He died on the 2nd February 1945."
Mrs Bell even offered to pay any costs. So nearly thirty years after his death, Flying Officer K T Bell's name was added to the memorial as the last name on bottom panel 3.
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Mark Stanley investigating - 28 Dec 2006 -Have further enquiries out with 51 Sqn Association.
RHEINBERG
WAR CEMETERY
The casualties from
MZ487
are all buried together
14. C. 3
AG Sgt J S KEWELL 2209971
14. C. 4
AG Sgt W OSMOND 1851912
14. C. 5
W/Op W/O W POSTON 1204842
14. C. 6
Pilot F/Lt W R ARNOLD 425686
14. C. 7
B/Aim F/O BELL K T 151474
14. C. 8
Able Seaman C/JX 545708
Royal Navy H.M.S. Boadicea
Died 13-June-1944 aged 18
Son of Harold and Lilian Best, of 30 Roundwood Way, Banstead, Surrey.
H.M.S. Boadicea was part of the escort for Convoy EBC 8 to Normandy. The B Class Destroyer was sunk off Portland, England, by a German Torpedo Bomber, on the 13th. of June 1944; there were only 12 survivors.
Geoffrey Robinson another Nork resident and friend, remembers that the photograph of Ronald's smiling face stayed on the family mantlepiece long after all hope of his survival had been given up.
Memorial Reference: 75, 1.
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
http://ahoy.tk-jk.net/Letters/HMSBoadicea-2.html
Publication - War Memorial St Paul's Church Nork, Banstead.
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Last update 13 Jan 2007 (minor wording correction)
Second Lieutenant 172122
Reconnaissance Corps 50th (4th Bn. The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers) Regt.
Died 5-June-1942 aged 31
Son of Robert Cecil and Eliza Emily Beatrice Biles of 39 Warren Road Banstead.
Husband of Joan Biles, of Llandudno, Caernarvonshire.
Also a brother to Frank and Sylvia Biles.
Grave Reference: 10. H. 18.
KNIGHTSBRIDGE WAR CEMETERY, ACROMA, about 25 kilometres west of Tobruk, Libya.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication called 'The War Memorial St Paul's Church Nork, Banstead'.
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Serjeant 6968254
Rifle Brigade 7th (1st Bn. The London Rifle Brigade) Bn.
Died 25-October-1942 aged 23
Son of Henry Leslie and Primrose Botting, of Seaford, Sussex formerly of 125 Nork way Banstead.
Husband of Margaret G. E. Botting, of Hornchurch, Essex.
In 1937 one battalion left the London Regiment and was designated as The London Rifle Brigade, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own).
The battalion was divided as 1st and 2nd LRB in 1939. The 1st became a motorised unit and in 1941 was redesignated as the 7th Battalion, Rifle Brigade. This is the Battalion that Serjeant Eric Botting served with.
Most of the soldiers were British 8th Army, led by General Montgomery.
General Bernard Montgomery took command of the British Commonwealth's Eighth Army following the First Battle of El Alamein, which had stalled the Axis advance. The Second Battle marked a significant turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of World War II.
The second battle lasted from October 23 to November 3, 1942 and is often divided into five phases, consisting of the break-in (October 23-24), the crumbling (October 24-25), the counter (October 26-28), Operation Supercharge (November 1-2) and the breakout (November 3-7). No name is given to the period from October 29 to the 30th when the battle was at a standstill.
Forces were deployed of the eve of Battle. On a calm, clear evening under the bright sky of a full moon, Operation Lightfoot began with 882 field and medium guns firing a barrage of fire that did not stop until five and a half hours later, when each gun had fired about 600 rounds. During that period of time, 125 tons of shells fell on the enemy gun positions. It is said that the noise was so great that the ears of the gunners bled.
There was a reason for the name Operation Lightfoot. The infantry had to attack first. Many of the anti-tank mines would not be tripped by soldiers running over them since they were too light (hence the code-name). As the infantry attacked, engineers had to clear a path for the tanks coming up in the rear. Each stretch of land cleared of mines was to be 24 feet wide, which was just enough to get tanks through in single file. The engineers had to clear a five mile section through the ‘Devil’s Garden’. It was a difficult task and one that essentially failed because of the depth of the Axis minefields.
The Allied plan called for the XIII Corps to make a feint attack to the south, engaging the German 21st Panzer Division and Ariete Divisions which were both tank divisions, while XXX Corps in the north attempted to make the narrow pathway through the German minefield for the armoured divisions of X Corps.
At 10 p.m., the infantry of XXX Corps began to move. The objective was an imaginary line in the desert where the strongest enemy defenses were situated. Once the infantry reached the first minefields, the mine sweepers (sappers) moved in to create a passage for the tanks. Finally, at 2 a.m., the first of the 500 tanks crawled forward. By 4 a.m. the lead tanks were in the minefields, where they stirred up so much dust that there was no visibility at all, and traffic jams developed as the tanks got bogged down.
Eric Botting sadly died on the 25th of October, two days after the start of The Break-In, and is remembered on the Alamein memorial.
Eventual success in the battle turned the tide in the North African Campaign. Allied victory at El Alamein ended German hopes of occupying Egypt, controlling access to the Suez Canal, and gaining access to the Middle Eastern oil fields. The German defeat at El Alamein marked the end of German expansion.
In the end the Allies' victory was all but total. Winston Churchill famously summed up the battle on 10 November 1942 with the words, "Now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." The battle was Montgomery's greatest triumph.
Memorial Reference: Column 73.
ALAMEIN MEMORIAL Alamein,Egypt.
Eric's name is also included on the Roll of Honour in St Paul's Church Nork.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication 'The War Memorial St Paul's Church Nork Banstead'.
Battalion history from http://www.fovantbadges.com/bad_lo.htm
http://www.touregypt.net/britishcemetery.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_El_Alamein
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Mailed the Bottings family site for any details 26 Dec 2006.
Last Update 13th Jan 2007 (2nd battle of El Alamein)
- 560 records for
"J Brown"
on the CWGC site.
Flying Officer Navigator 126874
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 70 Squadron
Died 8-April-1944 aged 24
Born on 5th May 1920 in Brentford Middlesex.
Son of Mr and Mrs James Burr of 83 Nork Way,Banstead. Mr. Burr was one of the earliest residents of Nork and a stalwart of the Nork Association.
On the 21st May 1941 Jeffery started non-commissioned service in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
On the 27th June 1942 he was granted a commission for the emergency as a Pilot Officer on probation in the General Duties branch of the RAFVR.
By the 27th December 1942, he was promoted Flying officer (War Substantive).
70 Squadron had been using Valentias since 1935, and these lumbering aircraft spent the first year of World War II on transport duties around the Middle East until Wellington bombers replaced them in late 1940. Successive versions of the Wellington were used during the North African and Italian campaigns.
Jeffery Burr was killed in a Wellington 10 bomber on April 8 1944. .
Grave Reference: 9A. A. 4.
BELGRADE WAR CEMETERY Yugoslavia
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication 'The War Memorial, St Paul’s Church, Nork, Banstead'.
Related link : RAF History of No. 70 squadron.
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BUTLER, BENJAMIN
Sergeant 627874 28/11/1940 Age Unknown Royal Air Force United Kingdom
BUTLER, BERTRAND WILLIAM
Pilot Officer 403421 18/04/1941 25 Royal New Zealand Air Force New Zealand
BUTLER, BERNARD MCDONALD
Lance Bombardier VX33108 21/05/1941 33 Royal Australian Artillery Australian
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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.
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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
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Sent to Mark Stanley 1 Jan 2007- did not find anything personal but still looking 2/Jan
Inscribed incorrectly on the Banstead War memorial as S M Scull.*.
Trooper 7893618
Royal Armoured Corps 23rd Hussars.
Died 6-August-1944 age Unknown
Son of Maurice Frederick and Grace Cull, of Epsom, Surrey.
Grave Reference: XXVI. F. 17.
BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY Calvados, France.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89
* This Banstead Urban District Council file holds documents relating to the upkeep of the Banstead War Memorial.
In a letter addressed to Reverend F. Schofield, at The Vicarage, Garratts Lane, dated 24 November 1965 the Clerk of the Council writes that "a Commander Wemyss-Gorman of the British Legion has received a complaint from the father of a person whose name appears on the War Memorial. Apparently the name of the deceased is shown as S SCULL, in fact his name was S. CULL. He tells me that the mistake was noticed many years ago and was put right but repairs are again necessary. I have informed Commander Wemyss-Gorman that the matter has been referred to you."
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 as S M SCULL.
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Edna Touzel to try and contact family 11 Jan 2007
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 earlier than WWll. It also suggests that he signed up again.
His death after the end of the war was registered in 1946 at the 'Surrey Mid Eastern Registration District'.
Grave Reference: S.E. Corner.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family history research by Barbara Rough.
TO BE CHECKED - probably the oldest man inscribed on the Banstead War Memorial.
Date of death suggests that Captain F W Cutts may have died from injuries, after the war ended but this has not been confirmed.
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L W - medal record card downloaded. F/up enquiry sent.
Inscribed incorrectly on the Banstead War Memorial as C G DUCE.
Sergeant 1154270
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 144 Sqdn.
Died 7-February-1942 aged 21
Son of Sydney Raymond and Annie Maria Duce, of 129 Winkworth Road, Banstead, Surrey.
The first occasion on which No 144 Squadron flew over the German mainland was the night of 24/25th February 1940, when propaganda leaflets or Nickels were dropped on Hamburg. On 6th March, by which time it had Nickelled several other German towns and by which time also it had flown a number of security patrols, the squadron took part in Bomber Command's first attack on a German land objective - the minelaying-seaplane base at Hornum. Just over two months later (by which time minelaying had been added to its duties) No 144 shared in another notable "first" - the first big bombing attack on the German mainland (the exits of München-Gladbach).
February 7th 1942.
At 11.30am on February 7th 1942, Sergeant Cyril Duce was part of the crew of Handley Page Hampden AD824, PL-?, piloted by Sgt R F Thompson, that took off from RAF North Luffenham for a daylight mine-laying operation (known as 'gardening') in the Mussels Region (Terschelling Gat). These operations were common in the period as the RAF endeavoured to lay mines along the expected sea routes that the German battleships (Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen) were likely to take as they left the Port of Brest for the seawaters off the German Bright (Deutsche Bucht) which gave these ships an open route to German waters.
Their aeroplane was shot down at 15.02pm in the target area, west of Terschelling by a Messerschmitt Bf109 flown by Oberfeldwebel Detlef Lüth of 4./JG 1 (4th Staffel, 2nd Gruppe, Jadgeschwader 1) who was to claim no fewer than three allied aircraft within one hour, the second at 15.09 and the last at 16.04hrs.
Of the crew of five, Sgt R.F.Thompson is buried in Ameland in Nes general Cemetery, while his namesake is buried in Westerschelling General Cemetery on Terschelling. The other crew members have no known graves. The full crew were Sgt R.F.Thompson KIA F/S R.N.Thompson KIA, Sgt C.C.Duce KIA, Sgt R.Rowell KIA Sgt, L.F.Bow KIA.
AD824 was one of two 144 Sqdn Hampdens lost on this operation (and one of three aircraft lost by 144 Squadron on this day). The other, AE392, was also shot down in the target area by Detlef Lüth, of JG1.
The body of Sgt Gibson was buried on Wangerooge; he has been subsequently re-interred in Sage War Cemetery. His four comrades have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The full crew were F/L W.J.W.Kingston KIA Sgt R.C.W.de Courcy* KIA Sgt A.Gibson KIA Sgt J.A.Tobin KIA Sgt A.Fulton KIA.
144's last casualty on Feb 7th 1942, was Hampden AE359, PL-? Airborne from North Luffenham and brief to attack Brest. The aircraft crashed at Cr_ances (Manche), 3 km SW of Lessay, France, cause unknown. Sgt le Queux is buried in Cr_ances Churchyard. Sgt P.L.E.Le Queux KIA Sgt J.K.B.Laing PoW Sgt R.G.Saunders PoW Sgt C.McV Smart PoW Sgt J.K.B.Laing was interned in Camps 8B/L6/L4, PoW No.24754, with Sgt R.G.Saunders, PoW No.24755. Sgt C.McV Smart, was interned in Camps 8B/344/357, PoW No.24762. The three men survived for over 20 hours in a dingy before being taken into captivity.
The Squadron continued to operate with Bomber Command until April 1942, and during this period, in addition to its normal night-bombing attacks and minelaying operations, it occasionally undertook certain other tasks such as daylight bombing against German warships at Brest and night-intruder operations against enemy searchlight installations. One night in November 1941, one of the squadron's Hampdens bombed from a very low level and set on fire a 10,000-ton merchantman - the largest of several vessels in an enemy convoy - off the Frisian Islands. It was learned afterwards that Major-General Felix Varda, the commander of the Western anti-aircraft defences, was on board this ship and was among those killed as a result of the Hampden's attack.
(* An account of the RAF career of Sgt de Courcy can be found on the BBC's 'peoples war stories' web page - http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/38/a4076138.shtml This article also gives additional information about the units, pilots and activities surrounding the air operations on Feb 7th 1942, as well as additional information about the Hampden bombers used by 144 Squadron.)
Memorial Reference: Panel 82.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Squadron research by Mark Stanley.
RAF Mod Website
www.lostbombers.co.uk
Hampden special - Chaz Bowyer 1976
Bomber Sqns of the RAF - Philip Moyes - 1964
BBC's Peoples War Memories - web pages - Donard de Cogan 2005.
Family research by Barbara Rough. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panels
Lieutenant EC/464
19th Hyderabad Regiment 1st Bn.
Died 1-March-1945 aged 27
Ian S Durrad was born in the June quarter of 1917 and was registered in Portsmouth.
Son of Cyril Stephens Durrad and Rita Kathleen Durrad nee Beechcroft, of High Hurstwood, Sussex.
Ian's grandfather was a banker's clerk in 1881 living in Highgate and one of his sons was at Cambridge. Cyril Durrad (father) is missing from the 1901 census; He may have been in India with the Civil service or possibly the army. He is recorded as residing in Banstead in the phone books for 1925-1937 at 'Inyoni' Banstead - no more details. (Inyoni is a place in Zululand linked with the Boer War).
An S Durrad is in the phone book in 1940 at Rose Hill School Farm.
There was a short announcement of Ian's death in The Times dated Mar 17 1945.
DURRAD Wounded in Feb 1945 and died the following day. Captain Ian Stephens Durrad, Hyderabad regiment, only son of Cyril and Rita Durrad of Titty Hill, near Midhurts Sussex.
Grave Reference: 27. E. 22.
TAUKKYAN WAR CEMETERY Myanmar (Burma)
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family research by Barabara Rough.
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Last update : 11 Jan 2007 (Times Notice)
Marine CH/X 104339
Royal Marines H.M.S. Arethusa.
Died 18-November-1942 aged 21
Son of Edwin Brindley Eason and Alice Elizabeth Eason nee Hollett who married in 1915 in Camberwell.
They lived at ‘Polglaze’ Sandersfield Rd Banstead.
In November 1942 HMS Arethusa left Alexandria to form a part of the escort for a convoy to Malta.
On the 18th, 450 miles from port, she was torpedoed by low flying enemy aircraft, the explosion and resulting fire took the lives of 156 men from the ship's complement of approximately 500.
Arethusa was the only casualty of "Operation Stoneage" and the arrival of the 4 merchant ships of convoy MW-13 effectively marked the end of the siege of Malta.
The ship was badly damaged but managed, after a gallant struggle by her crew, to get back to Alexandria. Experts who examined her later in dry dock stated that it was a miracle she didn't sink.
Memorial Reference: 65, 2.
CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Barbara Rough - Telephone Directory search - Edwin B Eason (b 1892) appears in the phone book from 1932 to 1940.
Hms-arethusa.co.ukThis excellent site is dedicated to HMS Arethusa and contains many photographs and personal memories of the ship, as well as official reports relating to the incident on the 18th November 1942 when Dennis was killed.
Photograph - HMS Arethusa (26). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panels
Currently unidentified. No record on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site. It seems likely that the headstone above relates to the K W Eason on the War Memorial but as at 15 Dec 2006 no link has as yet been established, nor any link to D B Eason, also shown on the memorial.
The headstone pictured above is in All Saints Churchyard, Banstead. The grave in the churchyard is definitely Kenneth Walter Eason born in Wandsworth in 1906. His death was registered with Surrey Mid E in 1945 aged 39 which fits. If he had died of injuries sustained he might not be included in the CWGC records..
Name Research by Barbara Rough.
Lance Bombardier 891988
Royal Artillery 64 Field Regt.
Died 19-November-1943 aged 28
Son of Henry Walter Everett, and of Clara Everett, of Banstead, Surrey.
Grave Reference: I, F, 17.
MINTURNO WAR CEMETERY Marina di Minturno (Garigliano),Italy.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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To Barbara Rough 12 Jan 2007
Gunner 1799285
Royal Artillery 433 Bty., 127 H.A.A. Regt.
Died 29-December-1941 aged 19
Son of Albert William and Annie Gertrude Excell, of 16 Tattenham Way, Tadworth near Banstead, previously from Burgh Heath. Albert Excel was a farm worker from Kent; he was injured in an accident and was unable to continue farming. He came to Burgh Heath where he married Annie.
Leonard, or Len as he was known, was one of five brothers, including Reginald, Walter George and Douglas. Prior to joining up, he worked at the Co-op in Rose Hill and was also engaged to be married.
Not long after he joined up, and probably whilst he was still in training, he contracted Spinal Meningitis and was admitted to a hospital in Billericay. He was discharged and returned home but the seriousness of his illness caused him to be admitted to a military hospital in Epsom where he died on the 29th of December 1941.
Grave : South of Church.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Douglas Excell (brother)who still lives locally.
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Pilot Officer 41692
Royal Air Force 222 Squadron
Died 28-March-1940 aged 21
Son of James Olliff Griffits and Irene Stella Griffits of Yew Tree Cottage (now No 2) Yew Tree Bottom Road,Epsom Downs, Surrey
Brother to Patrick Gordon Griffits also killed in action.
James was killed when the Miles "Magister" training aircraft Serial L.5953,he was flying, dived into the ground from on top of a loop at Fowlmere, during a landing and local flying exercise.
Grave Reference: Row C. Grave 3.
WHITTLESFORD (SS. MARY AND ANDREW) CHURCHYARD Whittlesford,Cambridgeshire.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication 'The War Memorial,St Paul’s Church,Nork, Banstead'.
John Benyon - WHO's WHO in the 'War Graves' in Whittlesford Churchyard.
Mark Stanley (BHRG) for correction of plane serial number.
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89
This Banstead Urban District Council file holds documents relating to the upkeep of the Banstead War Memorial.
One document is a letter dated 23rd May 1951 from Mr. J. O.Griffits of Yew Tree Cottage. He gives details of his sons, James and Patrick and requests that their names be added to the Banstead War Memorial.
This was subsequently done and the two brothers' names are inscribed together on the Memorial. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWll panels
Whittlesford.info have kindly agreed to provide local photos.
14 Dec 2006
Flight Sergeant 1385052
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 60 Squadron
Died 2-October-1944 aged 21
Son of James Olliff Griffits and Irene Stella Griffits of Yew Tree Cottage (now No 2) Yew Tree Bottom Road,Epsom Downs, Surrey
Brother to James Olliff Griffits (same name as father), killed in a flying accident.
Patrick was based at Krangia,Singapore, and was killed whilst flying a Hurricane aircraft on sorties against the Japanese.
Memorial Reference: Column 434.
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication 'The War Memorial,St Paul’s Church,Nork, Banstead'.
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89
* This Banstead Urban District Council file holds documents relating to the upkeep of the Banstead War Memorial.
One document is a letter dated 23rd May 1951 from Mr. J. O.Griffits of Yew Tree Cottage. He gives details of his sons, James and Patrick and requests that their names be added to the Banstead War Memorial.
This was subsequently done and the two brothers' names are inscribed together on the Memorial.
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Sergeant 1183176 Wireles Operator and Air Gunner
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 97 Sqdn.
Died 26-July-1942 age Unknown
Reported lost at sea whilst flying in a Lancaster on a bombing Mission to hamburg.
In February 1941 No.97 Squardron re-formed at Waddington in No. 5 Group as a heavy-bomber squadron equipped with Avro Manchesters. The Manchesters were the largest twin engine bomber in the service powered by 2 Rolls Royce vulture engines.
In March 1941 the Squadron moved to Coningsby and during the following month began operations against Fortress Europe. One entry in the Squadron Movement of Aircrew log for September 1941 reads:
1183176 Sgt Wop/Ag E.N.Grimwood posted from 25 OTU Finningley 18.9.41
Avro Manchester Mk Ia in 97 Squadron markings.
Following his new posting Eric Grimwood took part in many bombing raids in a Manchester, serial No. L.7489.
Manchester 1A - L7489 was delivered to 97 Squadron on Sept 14th 1941. 97 Squadron's code letters were 'OF' as shown above, and L7489's individual aircraft code letter was 'T', so the aeroplane in 97 Squadron service would have been OF-T known as 'T' - Tommy.
Some of Sergeant Grimwood's missions in 1941/2 are detailed below. Initially all missions were flown by the same crew namely Flight Lieutenant Coton, Pilot Officer Maltby, Pilot Officer Boddington, Sergeants Watkins, Grimwood, Newell and McMahon.
23/24 October 1941 – Kiel (Ship building yards)
L7489 Up 0058. Down 0550. Target covered by 10/10th low cloud. Bombed on position estimated by heavy flak.
26/27 October 1941 – Hamburg (Main railway station)
L7489 T Bombs seen in buildings south of the Elbe. 1 x 4000lb and 2 x 500lb from 12000 feet.
31 October/1 November 1941 – Hamburg (Blohm & Voss Ship Yards)
L7489 T Bombs dropped in target area. Fires seen. Height 16000 feet.
7/8 November 1941 – Cologne (Railway Communications)
L7489 T Up 1855 Down 0040. Bombs released on east bank of river in region of the target. Large red flames shot up to above 15000 feet at Ostend on return. Bright moon, thick haze, but occasional gaps. Bomb load 1 x 4000, 4 x 500.
In the new year of 1942, the crew members changed
15 January 1942 - Hamburg (Bombs 14 SBC's)
L7489 T P/O Maltby, Sgts Lancey, Smith, Grimwood, Rouse, P/O Kirkwood-Hackett, Legace. Bombs dropped on town, close to another stick of incendiaries. A dummy fire was observed at Gluckstadt.
In early 1942 No.97 Squadron began to convert to Lancasters and in March a move was made to Woodhall Spa.
L 7489 was transferred to 50 Squadron on Feb 12th 1942. On the 8/9th April 1942 , while flying over the Danish coast, the bomb doors jammed. The Manchester managed to climb to 4500 feet but was not able to maintain the altitude even with engines running at full power. The starboard engine and wiring caught fire and it crashed in a field belonging to the “Marienborg” estate with the loss of the Pilot, Sgt Maurice Gruber.
8/9 April 1942 - Gardening ("Rosemary" Area)
R5495 N F/O Maltby, Sgts Lancey, M.R.Smith, Grimwood, Rouse, Humphrey, F/Sgt Legace. Up 2116 Down 0130. Successfully planted vegetables in correct position in Rosemary area, uneventful trip. No cloud, visibility 6 miles. Bomb load 3 ASS 22 2 ORD 1 PDM1.
On the 17th April 1942, in conjunction with No. 44 Squadron, No.97 Squadron made a historic low-level daylight attack on MAN Diesel engine works at Augsburg.
27/28 April 1942 - Tirpitz at Trondheim (alternative Sheer or Prinz Eugen) - Bomb load 1 x 4000lb, 4 x 500lb
R5495N F/O Maltby, F/S Lancey, Sgts M.R.Smith, Grimwood, Rouse, F/S Legace, Sgt Humphrey. Up 2020 Down 0430. Visibility good, dropped 4000lb bomb from 8000 feet. Bomb seen to burst and flash lit up the end of the ship - primary being attacked. Burst assumed between ship and cliff. Released 500lb bombs on island west of target on flak and searchlight, bursts not observed. Trip in and out uneventful.
28/29 April 1942 - Tirpitz at Trondheim (alternative Prinz Eugen and Sheer) - Bomb load 1 x 4000lb, 4 x 500lb
R5495N F/O Maltby, F/S Lancey, Sgts M.R.Smith, Grimwood, Rouse, F/S Legace, Sgt Humphrey. Up 2057 Down 0450. Visibility good, bombed primary. Results not seen owing to smoke screen. Large burst observed. Set course for alternative and dropped bombs across inlet at 8000 feet. Results unobserved. Flak heavier and more accurate. Set course for base.
4/5 May 1942 - Raid on Engineering Factory - Stuttgart (alternative - town of Stuttgart) - Bomb load 14 SBC's
R5553S F/O Maltby, F/S Lancey, Sgts M.R.H.Smith, Grimwood, Rouse, F/S Legace, Sgt Humphrey. Up 2257 Down 0114. Reaching the French coast, undercarriage came down of its own accord, suspected hit by flak, all types of accurate flak coming up when failure occurred. Mission was abandoned, bomb doors failed to open so forced to land with full load without flaps with result that the aircraft overshot and crashed without injury to the crew. Aircraft a complete write-off.
Extract from Bomber Command Losses - 4/5.5.42
Lancaster R5553 OF-S Op: Stuttgart. T/O 2257 Woodhall Spa. Believed hit by flak while crossing the French coast, and returned to base, where a crash-landing was effected at 0141. No injuries reported.
17/18 June 1942 - Gardening "Nectarine" area - Load 6 mines
L7574N P/O W.A.McMurchy, P/O R.Morgan, P/O K.Williams, Sgt E.Grimwood, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts T.A.Grey, R.C.Martin. Up 0141 Down 0501. Six parachutes seen to open by rear gunner as vegetables fell in correctly judged position. Light flak and two searchlights on east end of Ameland. Nothing else of interest.
19/20 June 1942 - Essen (Osnabruck alternative) - Bomb load 1 x 4000lb 8 x SBC 4lb
R5502M P/O W.A.McMurchy, F/S R.H.Morgan, P/O K.J.Williams, Sgt E.Grimwood, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts T.A.Grey, O.Barraclough. Up 2356 Down 0218. Returned early from position 53.58N 0350E with rear turret u/s. Jettisoned eight SBCs twenty miles east of Skegness at 0155 hours, height 5,000 feet.
21/22 June 1942 Gardening "Deodars" area - Load 6 mines
R5487V P/O W.A.McMurchy, F/S R.H.Morgan, P/O K.Williams, Sgt E.Grimwood, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts T.A.Grey, O.Barraclough. Up 2225 Down 0455. Garden located by landfall on Cardouan Island. Lighthouse seen by mid upper gunner when turning into garden. Vegetables planted in correct position. Parachutes seen to open. Visibility 4 miles - good moon. Heavy and light flak on French coast. Not very accurate. Fired at by two ships - also not very accurate.
25/26 June 1942 Bremen - Load 1 x 4000lb 8 x SBC 4lb
R5486W F/O W.A.McMurchy, F/S R.H.Morgan, P/O K.Williams, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, O.Barraclough, T.A.Grey. Up 2352 Down 0435. Returned early - artificial horizon u/s 150 miles out at sea. Planted incendiaries in North Sea.
27/28 June 1942 Bremen - Bomb load 1 x 4000lb 8 x SBC 4lb
R5487V F/O W.A.McMurchy, F/S R.H.Morgan, P/O K.Williams, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, T.A.Grey, O.Barraclough. Up 2345 Down 0405. Bombed primary on TR. 10/10ths cloud at 10,000 feet. Light above cloud. Three enemy aircraft seen, one possibly Me110 came in to attack three times. Evasive action caused him to break off without firing. Considerable flak over target.
29/30 June 1942 Bremen - Bomb load 1 x 4000lb 8 x SBC 4lb
R5487V F/O W.A.McMurchy, F/S R.H.Morgan, P/O K.Williams, F/S J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, T.A.Grey, O.Barraclough. Up 2344 Down 0322. Bombed primary from 13,000 feet. Good visibility above cloud. Fairly heavy flak over target area. During run in to target, dummy fires seen through cloud breaks. Glow seen through cloud as bomb burst.
2/3 July 1942 Bremen - Bomb Load 1 x 4000lb, 8 x SBC 90 x 4lb
R5487V F/O W.A.McMurchy, Sgt R.H.Morgan, P/O K.J.Williams, F/Sgt J.Richardson, Sgts E.N.Grimwood, T.A.Grey, J.Barraclough. Up 2336 Down 0410. Primary bombed from 12,000'. Bend in river clearly seen on run up to target. Visibility excellent over target area in which were numerous fires. Heavy and accurate AA fire around dock area. Numerous flares seen on route, appeared to be dropped by fighters.
8/9 July 1942 Wilhelmshaven Docks - Bomb Load 14 x SBC 4lbs
R5487V F/O W.McMurchy, F/Sgt R.H.Morgan, P/O K.J.Williams, F/Sgt J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, J.Barraclough, T.A.Grey. Up 2356 Down 0422. Flares dropped short of target. Primary bombed from 15,000' by TR and visually by flares. Fires seen burning in what appeared to be target area. Flak was not very heavy and not very accurate.
11/12 July 1942 Danzig - Bomb Load 5 x 1000lb RDX
R5559W F/O W.McMurchy, F/Sgt R.H.Morgan, P/O K.J.Williams, F/Sgt J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, J.Barraclough, T.A.Grey. Up 1640 Down 0239. Kept below cloud on outward journey. Primary bombed from 4,000'. Bombs seen to burst in target area and three fires seen burning. Flak encountered over target and on eastern side of Denmark.
13/14 July 1942 Duisburg - Bomb Load 5 x 2000lb HC
R5559W F/O W.J.McMurchy, F/Sgt R.H.Morgan, P/O K.J.Williams, F/Sgt J.Richardson, Sgts E.Grimwood, T.A.Grey, J.Barraclough. Up 0042 Down 0412. Primary bombed on TR through light cloud. Gunners reported red glow as aircraft left target area. Flares seen to south of town. Dummy fires very effective.
26/27 July 1942 Hamburg
R5487V F/O W.McMurchy, Sgt J.P.Doyle, P/O K.J.Williams, Sgt E.Grimwood, F/Sgt J.Richardson, Sgts T.A.Grey, J.Barraclough. Up 2303 - missing from this operation.
Extract from Bomber Command Losses - 26/27.7.42
Lancaster I R5487 OF-V Op: Hamburg. T/O 2303 from Woodhall Spa. Presumed lost over the sea. One body, that of Sgt Barraclough, was found and he was buried on 12 September 1942, in Klovdal Cemetery, Sweden. Since 1945 his remains have been taken to Kviberg Cemetery. His companions have no known graves. F/O W.A.McMurchy RCAF(+), F/S J.P.Doyle RCAF(+), P/O K.J.Williams(+), Sgt E.N.Grimwood(+), F/S J.G.Richardson(+), Sgt T.A.Grey(+), Sgt O.Barraclough(+).
27.7.41 Very heavy rain. Signal received from AOC Bomber Command "Congratulations on last night's magnificent effort against Hamburg. One of the outstanding successful attacks of the whole war. This operation together with the three highly effective Duisburg-Ruhr attacks completes a week's work in the face of the most difficult weather which the German enemy will long have cause to remember. You will eventually get the Boche down for the count. It is but a question of time and numbers. You may as yet be too few but you are dammed good."
Pilot Officer D. Maltby, later became S/Ldr. D. Maltby DSO DFC. who flew with the famous 617 Dambuster Squadron.
Memorial Reference: Panel 84.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Surrey, England.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Related link : RAF History of No. 97 squadron.
Related link : 97 Squadron association.
Manchester L 7489 Crash report from : Air War over Denmark.
IDENTIFICATION ISSUES - Link to Banstead area not yet established.
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Sergeant 1865865
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 5 O.T.U.
Died 1-June-1945 aged 20
Son of J. L. Hammond and Ethel Hammond, of Banstead, Surrey, England.
Memorial Reference: Panel 4. Column 2.
OTTAWA MEMORIAL Ontario, Canada.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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HART, RONALD JOSEPH Gunner 971303
13/07/1942 22 Royal Artillery United Kingdom Plot B.G. Grave 47. HAYWARDS HEATH (WESTERN ROAD) CEMETERY
HART, RONALD JAMES Able Seaman C/JX 236917
02/10/1942 Unknown Royal Navy United Kingdom 54, 2. CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL
HART, RICHARD JAMES Lance Corporal 4079326
14/08/1944 24 Monmouthshire Regiment United Kingdom V. D. 15. ST. CHARLES DE PERCY WAR CEMETERY
HART, RONALD JOSEPH Gunner
K/66715 29/04/1945 28 Royal Canadian Artillery Canadian XIV. H. 2. GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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Flying Officer 124123
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 58 Sqrn.
Died 12-March-1944 aged 28.
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal.
Son of Edwin and Edith Mary Hayward, of Banstead, Surrey. F.S.M.C., F.B.O.A.
Leslie Hayward is believed to have been lost on operations with 58 Squadron (RAF Coastal Command) flying Handley Page Halifaxes from RAF St Davids in Wales in 1944.
No 58 Squadron re-formed in England in 1924 as a heavy bomber unit and in the years which followed was mainly engaged in routine training. In 1925 Squadron Leader A. T. Harris (who became A.O.C.-in-C. Bomber Command 1942 - 1945 and then Marshal of the Royal Air Force) took command of the squadron, one of his flight commanders during his tour as C.O. being Flight Lieutenant R. H. M. S. Saundby, who became Air Marshal Sir Robert Saundby and was Deputy C.-in-C. Bomber Command from 1943 - 1945.
No. 58 was flying Whitleys from Yorkshire at the outbreak of the Second World War, and first went into action on the night of 3rd/4th September, 1939, when - in conjunction with No. 51 Squadron - it made a leaflet raid over Germany. This was the first occasion on which R.A.F aircraft penetrated into German airspace during the Second World War. A few weeks after this operation No. 58 was ordered to an airfield in South-West England for duty with Coastal Command and until late January, 1940, it was employed on escorting convoys and flying anti-submarine patrols. The squadron returned to Yorkshire in February and from April, 1940 to March, 1942, played a prominent part in the night-bombing offensive. Its targets were of the widest variety, from airfields, road and railway communications, marshalling yards and industrial centres, to the Channel Ports, oil and petrol installations and shipping at sea.
Three highlights of this period were the squadron's participation in the first big attack on the German mainland (München-Gladbach) on 11th/12th May, 1940; the first attack on Italy (primary target Turin) on 11th/12th June, 1940; and the first attack on Berlin, on 25th/26th August, 1940.
In April, 1942, No. 58 Squadron was transferred to Coastal Command, re-equipping with Halifaxes in December. From December 1943 until August 1944 the unit was based at St Davids on the Welsh coast alongside 502 Sqn. The two squadrons were tasked with anti-shipping strikes, anti-submarine patrols and armed reconnaissance sorties. During 1944, 58 and 502 Squadrons lost nine aircraft between them and it is believed that Leslie Hayward was a member of the crew on one of these aircraft.
Memorial Reference: Panel 206.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Surrey, England
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Coastal Support and Spec sqns of the RAF - John D Rawlings 1982
Halifax Squadrons of WW2 - Jon Lake - 1999
Action Station 3 - David J Smith - 1981
www.raf.mod.uk
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Last update 12 Jan 2007 (RAF History)
Halifax of 58 Sqn
--------------
Sergeant 745887
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 37 Sqrn.
Died 16-February-1941 aged 23
Son of John Hobden and of Mary Hobden (nee Lee).
Hsband of Margaret Hobden (nee 1 Thomson), of Uckfield, Sussex.
Shot down over Italy 1941.
Grave Reference: Coll. grave XI. D. 19-21.
BARI WAR CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Memories of Wartime Banstead District- Banstead History Research Group publication.
Personal account from Ted Bond, a cousin of the Hobdens.
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Bari
War Cemetery
Carbonara
Italy
Telegraphist P/JX 166366
Royal Navy - HMS Barham
Died 25-November-1941 aged 18
Son of John and Mary Hobden, of Belmont, Surrey.
Battleship HMS Barham sunk on November 25 1941 with the loss of 841 men.
HMS Barham Explodes (25/11/41) Out of Sollum in position 32.34N 26.24E in the Mediterranean, Kptlt. Hans-Diedrich Freiherr von Tiesenhausen in U-331 (a Type VIIC) came within torpedo range of the 31,100 ton battleship HMS Barham which was on a sortie from Alexandria. Kptlt. Von Tiesenhausen fired a spread of 4 torpedoes towards the group, 3 of which hit HMS Barham's port side causing her to list heavily, and fire spread towards the ammunition stores. Only 2 and a half minutes passed from the torpedo impact until the ship rolled onto her side and the aft magazine exploded, killing over 800 men.
Memorial Reference: Panel 52, Column 3.
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Hampshire, England
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Memories of Wartime Banstead District- Banstead History Research Group publication.
Personal account from Ted Bond, a cousin of the Hobdens.
Related link : HMS Barham Association
Rick Davis WWll images pages
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Portsmouth
Naval
Memorial
( Shown as B A Hobson on the Banstead War Memorial).
Pilot Officer 42566
Royal Air Force
Died 3-October-1940 aged 21
Son of George Colin and Mary Victoria Hobson, of Monxton, Hampshire.
Brother to Olive and Guy Hobson.
P/O C.A.Hobson of No 600 Squadron was killed, along with his two crew, when his Blenheim 1F(BQ-M) L4905 suffered engine failure during a night patrol in heavy rain in the early hours of the 3rd of October 1940.
The aeroplane crashed into trees on high ground at Broadstone Warren, Forest Row at 3.55am. P/O C A Hobson, Sergeant D A Hughes and AC2 C F Cooper, were all killed, and their Blenheim aircraft L4905 was a write off.
A Bristol Blenheim Mk 1F in 600 Squadron markings.
Pilot Officer Colin Anthony Hobson is shown on the Battle of Britain Roll of Honour and was one of ('The Few') 2353 young men from Great Britain and 574 from overseas, pilots and other aircrew, who are officially recognised as having taken part in the Battle of Britain. Each flew at least one authorised operational sortie with an eligible unit of the Royal Air Force or Fleet Air Arm during the period 10 July to 31 October 1940.
544 men including P/O C A Hobson lost their lives during the period of the Battle. A further 791 were killed in action or died in the course of their duties before the war ended.
Colin is buried in Banstead because his father was manager of the Nat West bank and considered All Saints Church to be his local church.
Grave/Memorial Reference: West of Church.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Roll Of Honour information from : RAF Battle of Britain.
Crash details from 'The Battle of Britain Then & Now' - Edited by Winston G Ramsay
Blenheim picture from : RAF 600 Squadron.
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Flying Officer 120020
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 28-April-1943 aged 28
Louis Hoslin lived at Santa Maria, 322 Fir Tree Road, Epsom Downs.
He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Hoslin.
Husband of Kay Hoslin, of Paddington, London.
The Royal Air Force began to use airfields in Dumfries & Galloway in Scotland for flying training in the late 1930's. During the war several major airfields were home to squadrons tasked with the interception of German aircraft attacking Glasgow. Many anti-submarine and air-sea-rescue aircraft were based near the port of Stranraer and further north at the seaplane base in Loch Ryan.
Galloway, and especially Wigtownshire, was a hive of military activity. Airfields sprang up all over the region along with the usual support units such as Air-Sea Rescue, Gunnery and Bombing Ranges. The main areas of activity were the sea plane units on Loch Ryan and the Air Observer School at Baldoon, known officially as RAF Wigtown, which is where Louis Hoslin was based at the time of his death.
Wigtown's role soon became that of a bombing and gunnery school when the war started. However the grass airfield was not fully utilised until 1941, when 1 Air Observation School took up residence equipped with the unreliable Blackburn Botha, later replaced by Avro Ansons.
During the war the number of flying training crashes involving Air-Crew was staggering and the activities at RAF Wigtown were to prove no different. At one stage, so many crews and aircraft were lost during one month that the authorities even considered closing down the station at Wigtown. On analysis it was discovered that the majority of crashes were caused by inexperienced Czechs & Poles. The solution was to insist on greater discipline and within a short period of time the number of crashes fell to an acceptable level.
By 1943, RAF Wigtown (Baldoon), now with concrete runways, was still home to a number of training units, but principally; Number 1 Air Observation School (AOS), which became Number 1 Advanced (Observer), Flying Units (OAFU) - Flights 1-3 and Bombing & Gunnery Schools 2 & 3.
On April 28th 1943, Flying Officer Louis Hoslin took off from RAF Wigtown in Westland Lysander MkIII (converted from a MkII) serial number P9118.
The aircraft crashed during a forced landing at Innerswell and Louis Hoslin was killed. He was 28 years old. The causes of the crash are unclear but it is likely that mechanical (engine) failure or bad weather were contributing factors.
Grave Reference: Sec. H. Grave 560.
EPSOM CEMETERY, Surrey, England
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
GC Books (Wigtown) website
Action Stations 7 (airfields of Scotland) - David J Smith - 1983
Westland Lysander - various reference books.
Surrey History Centre ref 6128/1/89
This Banstead Urban District Council file holds documents relating to the upkeep of the Banstead War Memorial.
This file contains a letter dated 25th May 1951 from Mr Charles A. Hoslin to the Clerk of the Council. He requestes the addition to the memorial of 'my son L C HOSLIN Flying officer RAFVR who lived in Banstead for twenty years at Santa Maria, 322 Fir Tree Road, Epsom Downs.' The name was duly added.
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Last update 12 Jan (RAF history)
Westland Lysander
The two major aircraft types used in training roles were twin-engined Avro Ansons and single engined Westland Lysanders, both being obsolete types by this stage in the war (1943).
---------------
Leading Seaman P/J 16592
Royal Navy H.M. Trawler St. Achilleus
Died 1-June-1940 aged 44
Son of Kate Ives, of Chesham, Buckinghamshire
Husband of Evelyn May Ives.
Bertram Ives had been a postman at Banstead post office which had been emptied almost overnight when many of the postmen got called up. Edna Touzel, whose father Thomas, took over Ives' round remembers her dad coming home and saying " Ives has gone". This news had left the post office staff stunned as he was their first casualty. At that time, it was custom for postmen to record any monetary gifts given to them at Christmas, and all the postmen agreed that half their collections should go to the family of the postman whose round they had taken over.
H.M. Trawler St. Achilleus had been requisitioned for Royal Navy service in August 1939,Pennant: FY 152. It was sunk by a mine on the 31st May 1940 in the Dunkirk area. The reported date of death of Leading Seaman Bertram Ives is the following day.
The following is one entry from the diary of Leonard Deacon from the Coldstream Guards. He was one of many evacuated from Dunkirk and he recorded his diary for the BBC's WW2 People's War:-
Fri-31-May-1940
We were only a very small number and we were bombed and shelled until very few of us left. We had to abandon our positions and run for the boats. On arrival we were shelled and bombed. 2 ships were sunk and no Air Force to stop the German raiders. We were very lucky to get out of there. But we landed at Folkestone safe after 4 bombs had dropped each side of our ship.
Could one of those two ships have been the St Achilleus? - maybe.
Memorial Reference: Panel 38, Column 1.
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
BBC WW2 People's War - The archive can be found at bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar
IDENTIFICATION ISSUES - Link to Banstead area not yet established.
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mailed info@postalheritage.org.uk 12 Jan 2007
Gunner 1641447
Royal Artillery 152 Bty., 51 Lt. A.A. Regt.
Died 16-February-1943 aged 31
Son of George John and Emma Evelyn Jenkins. Mother Emma Warren married George John Jenkins in 1909 and John Edward was born in 1911 in Tottenham. The father's occupation was something to do with making scientific instruments.
Husband of Violet Gertie Jenkins, of Banstead, Surrey.
Grave Reference: 10. H. 4.
MEDJEZ-EL-BAB WAR CEMETERY Tunisia.
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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Barbara Rough research 2 Jan 2007
Don't know his wife's maiden name so can't check through that way. There are several Jenkins in the phone book but non are a definite fit.
Just post war there was a Mrs V Jenkins but in Wallington but with Vera, Violet, Veronica etc so may not be his widow.
1933 Leonard Jenkins was in Tadworth.
1954 H Jenkins was a greengrocer at Tattenham Corner.
1954 John C Jenkins was in Parsonsfield Rd Banstead.
Serjeant 6665016
Gordon Highlanders 1st Bn. The London Scottish
Died 18-October-1946 aged 44
Edward Osbourne Bisset Johnson was born in Solihull in 1902.
Son of Edward Henry and Jeannie Isabella Clark Johnson.
Husband of Dorothy Bissett Johnson, of Banstead.
Grave Reference: S.E. of Church.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
All Saints Church, Banstead, Surrey.
Family research by Barbara Rough - Could only trace birth record.
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Last Update 12 Jan 2007 (Birth details)
Private T/133935
Royal Army Service Corps
Died 17-December-1941 aged 26
Son of Derek and Florence Johnson.
Husband of Gladys Lillian Johnson, of Pallion, Sunderland, Co. Durham.
Grave location: North of Tower.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
All Saints Churchyard, Banstead, Surrey.
IDENTIFICATION ISSUES - Link to Banstead area not yet established.
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With Barbara Rough 10 Jan 2007 - Unable to find any family records.
Lieutenant 183825
General List
Died 4-August-1942 aged 32
Son of Percy James Lawrence and Nellie Emily Mawby Lawrence.
Husband of Dorothy Violet Lawrence, of Banstead, Surrey. P.A.S.I., Chartered Surveyor.
Grave Reference: Square 9. Row 7. Grave 47656.
KENSAL GREEN (ALL SOULS') CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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Flight Lieutenant Pilot 61056
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 85 Sqdn.
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Died 9-July-1943 Probably 21
John Lintott was born in the September Quarter of 1921 and his birth was registered in Bromley. His mother's, surname is recorded as Spence.
The phone directories for the years 1939 to 1948 record a Percival Lintott living at:'Romina'(No. 60) Woodmansterne Lane, Banstead who may have been a close relative who arranged for Lintott's name to be added to the Banstead war memorial.
John Peter Marley Lintott was a Volounteer Reservist which suggests that he was quite experienced by the standards at the time. As a member of the RAFVR he was just that, 'a volunteer' and probably completed his aircrew training sometime after the Battle of Britain, probably in 1941-early 42. He was on the strength of 85 Squadron in late 1942 whilst the squadron were based at RAF Hunsdon in Herts, a satellite airfield of RAF North Weald.
No 85 was one of the oldest and most distinguished units with a history going back to the First World War. It was heavily committed in the Battle of France and in the Battle of Britain. During the latter, it was based at Croydon under the command of S/L Peter Townsend who also oversaw the squadron's conversion to a specialist nightfighter squadron in the winter of 1940/41.
During the Luftwaffe's night offensive which continued sporadically throughout 1941 and 1942, the Squadron experimented with a number of innovations, including 'Turbinlite' Havocs, a twin-engined medium bomber with a searchlight mounted in the nose to illuminate German bombers and with an accompanying Hurricane to shoot them down...!!
After two years at RAF Hunsdon during which the Squadron had equipped with twin-engined deHavilland Mosquito, requiring a pilot and a radar operator/navigator, the squadron were advised in early May 1943 that they were to move to RAF West Malling in Kent within the Biggin Hill sector. The Squadron was by now commanded by one of the most famous RAF nightfighter pilots of the War - Squadron Leader John Cunningham (nick-named 'Cat's Eyes') who had recently arrived from 604 Squadron after 85's own commander had been shot down by 'friendly' anti-aircraft fire. The squadron had not seen much action at the end of 1942 but in the spring and summer of 1943 the Luftwaffe embarked on a renewed night offensive combining the latest generation of it's twin-engined Junkers 88's and 188's and Dornier 217's and also the less effective Heinkel 111's now effectively obsolete. More dangerous were the large number of single engined FW (Focke Wulf) 190 fighter bombers who flew intruder missions into UK airspace.
John Lintott was clearly an experienced pilot at this time and already held the rank of Flight Lieutenant and was almost certainly therefore a squadron Flight Commander - Possibly 'A' Flight. John Cunningham was an extremely demanding commander and when he arrived at 85 Squadron he quickly assessed the abilities of the aircrews. Some were posted out of the squadron and several others were brought in. It is possible that John Lintott and his radar operator P/O GG Gilling-Lax were brought into the squadron by Cunningham either from his old squadron (604) or from another unit where they had enjoyed a good reputation.
In early summer, the Squadron were enjoying considerable success against the German intruders, but in early July the weather broke. On the afternoon of July 9th, with driving rain and low scudding clouds, two experienced crews from 85 Squadron stood at readiness as an 'all-weather' section. 'B' Flight Commander was F/L Geoff Howitt and his radar operator F/O G N Irving were joined by F/L Lintott and P/O Gilling-Lax. They scrambled in the bad weather to intercept a wave of sneak raiders coming up the Medway under cover of the weather. Twenty minutes after taking off, the sounds of air combat could be heard from the airfield, above the cloud and rain, together with the sounds of anti-aircraft fire. The unmistakable sound of cannon fire from a Mosquito was heard together with the rising scream of a descending aircraft cut short by the sound of a ominous 'thump'.
Neither aircraft returned to West Malling and the frustration and concern on the airfield was considerable. After a short while the RAF base at Detling just across the Medway Valley reported that a Dornier 217 had crashed close to the airfield. Local anti-aircraft batteries were claiming the kill but it emerged that the local GCI (Ground controller) had guided Lintott onto this aircraft and he had been tracking and closing on it for seven minutes before it crashed. The controller had followed both blips on his screen but both had disappeared at the same time.
A phone call from RAF Bradwell Bay on the other side of the Thames Estuary brought confirmation that Howitt and Irving had landed safely, flying in under the low cloud having pursued the raiders out to sea. Then finally the news that everyone had been dreading. Lintott's Mosquito was found less than two miles from the wreckage of the Dornier, with both crew dead in the cockpit. Later examination of the Dornier revealed that it was riddled with 20mm cannon rounds and the anti-aircraft gunners sensibly withdrew their claim so that Lintott and Gilling-Lax secured their fourth and final victory (one short of acedom) before they crashed into the ground. It seems that an error of judgement in appalling weather conditions and at very low level, combined with the distraction of an eagerness to shoot down the intruder, cost Lintott and Gilling-Lax their lives.
They were a bitter loss to the squadron; Gilling-Lax had only recently been commissioned, just in time for both himself and his Pilot, John Lintott, to be awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross the week before.
Lintott's and Gilling-Lax's victim was Dornier 217K-1 (4519) (U5+FP) of 6th Staffel KG2 which crashed at Bicknor Court Farm, Detling, Kent at 5.27pm. The aircraft disintegrated upon impact and the crew were all killed; they were Oberlt H. Zink, Uffz W. Bernhardt, Uffz E. Freiermuth and Obergftr E. Stiermann.
This Dornier 217 was one of ten aircraft dispatched by KG2 on July 9th in appallingly bad weather and one was eventually responsible the bombing of East Grinstead Cinema. Banstead villagers believe that this was the one shot down by Lintott but whilst there is a very slim chance that this is so, it seems unlikely. The aircraft had been pursued by Lintott for seven minutes as it looked for targets of opportunity over the Medway area of Kent, it was brought down at Detling in KENT. East Grinstead in SUSSEX is about 30 miles (as the crow flies) South West of Detling, which means that had it dropped it's bombs on East Grinstead it would have been flying North Eastwards (away from it's French base) when Lintott shot it down.
The image shown above comes from a menu from the officer's mess at RAF Hunsdon, signed by the Squadron commissioned aircrew. This was signed in early May 1943 just before the Squadron left for West Malling.
What is fascinating however is that the notation 'Ju88' is written after J.P.M. Lintott's signature in a different hand. It's only speculation but it is very likely that the night before he'd shot down a Junkers Ju88 and one of his colleagues put it down as an 'honour' after his name.
Grave Reference: West of Church.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
All Saints Church, Banstead, Surrey.
Sqn.85 researched by Mark Stanley (BHRG)
Night Fighter - CF Rawnsley 1957,
(85) Fighter Squadron at War - AJ Brookes 1980
Fighter Squadons of the RAF & their aircraft - John Rawlings 1969.
'After the Battle's' - The Blitz, then & now - Ed Winston G Ramsay, 1990
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Last update : 10 Jan 2007 (obituary)
85 Squadron
Mosquito
(1943)
85 Squadron
Roll of Honour
85 Squadron
The 1943 inscriptions from the Roll of Honour, showing Lintott's and Gilling-Lax's DFC's in July 1943.
Signed menu from the officer's mess at RAF Hunsdon.
John Lintott's faint signature is half way down the page on the right hand side.
( see main text )
J.P.M. Lintott DFC
buried at
All Saints Church
Banstead
Surrey.
--------------------
THE TIMES
July 29 1943
Obituary
Flight Lieutenant J.P.M Lintott D.F.C.,a member of a famous night squadron in Fighter Command to whom the award of D.F.C. was announced on July 27, was killed when his aircraft crashed after he helped to shoot down a German raider. The enemy aircraft - a Dornier 217 which was also fired on by anti aircraft guns - was the fourth raider he had brought down this year. Lintott who was 22 and whose home was in Surrey, got all his four victims within 12 weeks this year. His Flight Commander has said of him : "He was an extremely popular member of the squadron; both he and his observer will be greatly missed."
Cadet
Merchant Navy S.S. Almeda Star (London)
Died 17-January-1941 aged 17
The SS ALMEDA STAR a 14,935 ton Blue Star Line passenger liner (Captain H.C. Howard) was sunk by the U-96 (Kptlt. Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock) while en route from Liverpool to the River Platte.
The attack occurred about 250 miles west of the Island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, Scotland. There were no survivors. A total of 166 crew and 194 passengers lost their lives.
The U-96 was later bombed and sunk by US aircraft at Wilhelmshaven.
Memorial Reference: Panel 6.
TOWER HILL MEMORIAL Trinity Square London
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
George Duncan's Historical facts of WWll.
IDENTIFICATION ISSUES - Link to Banstead area not yet established.
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Pilot Officer 117845
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 12 Sqrn.
Died 5-September-1942 aged 31
Son of Arthur Edward and Beatrice Needham.
Husband of Florence Maud Mann Needham, of Toorak, Victoria, Australia.
At the start of World War II, No. 12 Squadron departed for France as part of the Advanced Air Striking Force equipped with Fairey Battles. In May 1940, Fg Off Garland and Sgt Gray, his observer, led a flight of aircraft in an attack on a vital bridge over the Albert Canal. All of the aircraft were shot down by fierce enemy ground fire, but one end of the bridge was destroyed and both Garland and Gray were posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the first of the war for the RAF.
After the British withdrawal from France in June 1940, the Squadron began night attacks on enemy shipping and re-equipped with Wellingtons. After a variety of short deployments within the United Kingdom, Binbrook, Thorney Island, Eastchurch and again Binbrook, the Squadron finally settled in Royal Air Force Binbrook in Lincolnshire, during this time, carrying out night operations against Channel ports. In October 1940, 12 Squadron was re-equipped with the RR Merlin-engined Vickers Wellington Mk II and spent the winter training for night bomber attacks.
The 10th April 1941 saw the first raid, against Emden, the beginning of sustained operations against German industrial targets. The Squadron, now a part of No 1 Group, flew on a variety of missions from attacks on the great capital ships Gniesenau, Scharnhorst and Prinz Eugen, to raids on Berlin. In November 1941 the Squadron's operations record headed the list for all of 1 Group, and a year later 12(B) Squadron took part in the first 1000-bomber raid where it mustered an impressive 28 aircraft.
Between July 1941 and June 1942, thirty five aircraft within Serial Range Z8567 - Z8601, including Z8595, were delivered by Vickers (Weybridge.) By September 1942, 12 Squadron was part of No 1 Group Bomber Command and were preparing to convert to Avro Lancasters.
Pilot Officer Arthur Needham was killed on the night of 4th/5th September 1942 in Vickers Wellington II, Z8595 - PH-? Piloted by Sgt T Smith. The aircraft took off at 00.25hrs from RAF Binbrook in the Lincolnshire Wolds (7 miles from Market Rasen) for a raid on Bremen. Other than the Pilot, Needham was the only commissioned officer within the crew, and it is very likely that he was Navigator on this flight. Failing engines caused the aircraft to turn back at the Dutch coast, but despite jettisoning the bomb load, height could not be maintained and the Wellington ditched at 02.30hrs some 20 miles off Cromer, Norfolk.
The pilot, Sgt Smith, the sole survivor, was picked up by HMS Hambleton after spending three hours in the water and on reaching port he was admitted to Felixstowe Hospital. His crew have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. They were P/O A.S.Needham. KIA Sgt F.Smith KIA. Sgt R.W.L.Mills RCAF KIA. and Sgt W.Anderson KIA.
The raid on Bremen was carried out by 250 aircraft of bomber command, of which 98 were Wellingtons. Four Wellington's were lost and only one of these - Z8595 was from 12 Squadron making it one of the last (if not the last) Wellington casualties on operations, from this Squadron.
On September 25th 1942 the Squadron, newly equipped with Lancasters, moved to RAF Wickenby where it remained for the rest of the war. As a result the main 12 Squadron memorial is located at Wickenby and the Squadron is not principally associated with Binbrook from where it's Wellington operations were flown.
Memorial Reference: Panel 70.
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Vickers Armstrong Wellington - Ken Delve - 1998
RAF Lossiemouth memorial website
Bomber Squadrons of the RAF - Philip Moyes 1964
www.raf.mod.uk
www.lostbombers.co.uk
IDENTIFICATION ISSUES - Link to Banstead area not yet established.
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Pilot Officer 172073 37 Squadron
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 6-May-1944 aged 20
Son of Major and Mrs D V Parkes of Lingfield, formerly of 15 Green Curve, Banstead.
Denys attended Sutton County School between 1936 and 1940.
He died when flying a Wellington 10 out of Tortorella North Africa, on a bombing mission.
Memorial Reference: Panel 13, Column 2.
MALTA MEMORIA
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Publication - 'The War Memorial, St Paul’s Church, Nork, Banstead'.
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Leading Seaman P/JX 166792
Royal Navy HMS COPRA
Died 18-May-1945 aged 20
Son of Albert Edward and Margaret Dorothy Peasley, of Banstead, Surrey.
HMS Copra was an acronym for Combined Operations Pay, Ratings and Accounts. It was a shore based establishment set up to process the pay and allowances of Royal Navy personnel serving in Combined Operations in WWll.
The use of HMS Copra in service records confirms that Edward Peasley was in the Royal Navy and assigned to Combined Operations..... and that he served on and/or was lost from an unknown landing craft.
Grave/Memorial Reference: I. C. 1.
STAGLIENO CEMETERY, GENOA
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
http://www.combinedops.com/COPRA.htm
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Leading Aircraftman 1460296
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died 25-May-1943 aged 35
Son of George Henry and Florence Minnie Plowright, of Banstead, Surrey.
Grave Reference: 5. A. 5.
HELIOPOLIS WAR CEMETERY
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
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Sub-Lieutenant (A)
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Fleet Air Arm H.M.S. Godwit.
Died 2-January-1944 aged 22
Son of Charles Edward and Clara Reeder, of Banstead.
Grave Reference: West of Church.
BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD
Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
All Saints Churchyard, Banstead, Surrey.
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Headstone
All Saints Church
Banstead
Flying Officer 135877
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 100 Sqrn.
Died 30-January-1944 age Unknown
100 Squadron was wiped out early in Jan 1942 but reformed at RAF Waltham (Grimsby) in December of that same year.
The squadron was allocated 16 Lancaster MkIIIs plus two reserves for the inevitable losses. The first operational sortie took place on the 4th of March 1943, with a mine laying (gardening) operation to St. Nazaire. Both of the squadrons reserve aircraft were quickly called upon when the squadron lost its first two aircraft on this raid.
The squadron was one of the stalwarts of RAF bomber Command and by the end of 1943, although losses amongst bomber crews were high, it seemed as if the Royal Air Force were in the ascendancy in the night skies over Germany.
The Commander in Chief Bomber Command, Arthur Harris believed that a sustained campaign principally against the German Capital Berlin would cost Germany the War and he was prepared to suffer the loss of between 400 and 500 of his bomber aircraft to achieve this objective.
The long winter nights afforded the Bombers the protection of darkness for the long round trip to the German Capital and the campaign commenced in November 1943.
The night of January 30th/ 31st 1944
The night of January 30th /31st 1944 was little different from many of the previous sixteen raids on a heavily defended Berlin in the period, a target viewed with some apprehension by the crews briefed to attack it again, most as recently as two nights before. In this, the third raid on Berlin in four nights, 540 aircraft were dispatched in a 'maximum effort' raid, 446 of which were Lancasters. Casualties were heavy (again) and 33 aircraft were lost, 32 Lancasters and a solitary Halifax, with 146 aircrew killed or captured.
In order to maximise the tonnage of bombs carried to the target, the route to Berlin was more direct than on previous nights and was completely direct to home from the target. There was minimal diversionary activity (a raid by a few Mosquitos on Brunswick) and worst of all there was a quarter to half moon in the night sky, a tremendous aid for the German night fighters.
Amongst the aircraft dispatched to Berlin that night by 100Sqn was a brand new Lancaster MkIII - serial ND398, coded HW-B. Flying Officer Maurice Rees was part of the aircrew on this plane.
ND398 had only just been delivered to No.100 Sqdn in January and as it cleared the runway at 17.13hrs on that clear English January evening, few would have predicted that it would be for the first and last time.
Almost certainly the victim of a German Nightfighter, ND398 is believed to have crashed at Karwe, 8 km NNE of Karst_dt. The burials of the six crewmen killed,including F/O M.O.Rees, were reported at Karwe on 4th Feb 1944. They have been subsequently been re-interred in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. F/S Box was on his second tour, having previously served with No.50 Sqdn. His Award of the DFM was Gazetted on Oct 15th 1943. Sgt J.W.Knight survived and was interned in Camps L6/357, Pow No.1168.
ND398, was one of three 100 Squadron Lancasters lost on this Berlin Raid. The Squadron's luck had changed for the worst, for before this raid, 100 Squadron had dispatched 86 aircraft sorties on six consecu