EASON, DENNIS BERTRAM

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.

Dennis followed in his father's footsteps and worked as a draughtsman (sanitation and heating).

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.uk This 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.

1939 register for occupation. Last updated: 15 August 2020.

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The Kenneth Walter Eason buried at All Saints died at 15 Fiddicroft Avenue (per AS burial register and probate).

Kenneth died on 24th November 1945 aged 39. The address shown on his death certificate is 56 Cheam Road, Sutton, and he was a motor engineer.

He died of cerebral glioblastoma (an aggressive brain tumour). The death was reported by his brother, G.A. Eason, of 12 Camden Gardens, Sutton.

He is the same Kenneth W Eason (born 1906) who in 1939 was living at 47 Summerville Gardens, Sutton, with his widowed mother, Ada.

He was single (he married Dorothy Crabb a year later) and was a garage proprietor.

The London Gazette (11th Oct 1946) and probate records give his address as 56 Cheam Road, Sutton, and LG states he was a company director.

Kenneth was the son of Walter Henry Eason, a sanitary engineer's salesman. Walter's brother was Edwin John Dennis Eason, a sanitary engineer, so presumably they were in business together.

Edwin had a son (cousin to Kenneth), Edwin Brindley Eason, a sanitation and heating engineer and he was Dennis Bertram Eason's father, making D B Eason and K W Eason second cousins.
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UPDATE 25 January 2007 -

John Eason (see below) has been in touch and has confirmed that the photograph does indeed show his father's headstone, however he was not aware of the K W Eason name on the memorial and does not think that it refers to his father. John is researching his family tree and will keep us updated.

Re the sketches, John says "That was my uncle Reg who was very good at etching, but also did pen and ink with watercolour. Although I don't have a copy, his etching of the village forge was above the bar in the Woolpack when I last went in there back in the '70s."
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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 have been included in the CWGC records..
A Mr Eason is mentioned several times in a local magazine as providing prizes for local events normally sketches/pictures. A local historian, Edna Touzel believes he also did a well known image of the local Forge.

LW trying to contact John Eason via the Francis Frith Site - 15 Jan 2007.
John left a 'memories message' on the site and mentions the image of the Forge.

Name Research by Barbara Rough.

Last Update Aug 2020 following further research by James Crouch

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EVERETT, ARTHUR HENRY

Lance Bombardier 891988

Royal Artillery 64 Field Regt.

Died 19-November-1943 aged 28.

Arthur Henry Everett was born in the June Quarter of 1915 and his birth was registered in Wandsworth.

Son of Henry Walter Everett, and of Clara Everett (nee Lawrence), of Banstead, Surrey. Their marriage was registered in Greenwich in the March Quarter of 1914.

Grave Reference: I, F, 17.

MINTURNO WAR CEMETERY Marina di Minturno (Garigliano),Italy.

Source :

Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Family history by Barabara Rough.

Last update 16 Jan 07 (family history)
Barbara Rough notes Jan 07 - no sign of HW in Banstead in the phone books. Have found an AS in Burgh Wood & an AR in Harbourfield Road, both in 1955

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EXCELL, LEONARD WILLIAM


Gunner 1799285

Royal Artillery 433 Bty., 127 Heavy Anti Aircraft Regt.

Died 29-December-1941 aged 19 just two days before his 20th birthday.

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 married Annie at Burgh Heath Surrey and in later years moved there.

Leonard, or Len as he was known, was one of five brothers, including Albert, Reginald, Walter George and Douglas. Len was born in the parish of Maidstone in Kent on the 31st December 1921, the same year that the Banstead War Memorial was unveiled. Prior to joining the Royal Artillery, he worked as a shop assistant at the Co-op in Rose Hill and was also engaged to be married.


Leonard William Excell enlisted in Youvil on the 8th August 1941.

His Soldier's Service and Pay Book records Len as five feet four and one half inches tall weighing one hundred and twenty six pounds. He had a fresh complexion with brown hair and the same colour eyes.

Like most servicemen, Len kept a few small papers in the folder at the back of his service book. The one shown on the left records the sizes for his clothing issue.

All Saints Church Banstead          

Not long after he joined up, and probably whilst he was still in training, he contracted Spinal Meningitis and was admitted to the Billericay Isolation hospital.

Len was so ill that a message was sent to Mr Excell via the Metropolitan police advising that "..his son 1799285 Leonard William EXCELL is seriously ill. Would he please attend."

Len was eventually discharged and returned home but the seriousness of his illness caused him to be admitted to Horton Hospital in Epsom where he died on the 29th of December 1941.

To this day, the telegram dated 29th December, advising the Excells of their son's death is kept along with his medal and Service book by his brother Douglas, who still lives at the same address. The image below shows the first of four pages.

Grave : South of Church next to a Yew tree.

BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD

Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Douglas Excell (brother)who still lives locally kindly provided the photograph and other documents.
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