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Scull S.M. (See S. M. Cull) Source :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 the 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. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels

SEAL, LEON HAROLD Sergeant 1325688 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 78 Sqdn. Died 20-June-1942 aged 27 Son of William Thomas Seal and Minnie Seal, of Kingswood, Surrey. Prior to this, the family lived at 102 Wilmot Way Banstead. In the Summer of 1937, No 78 squadron began converting to Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys, and following the outbreak of World War II, was tasked with the training of newly formed crews prior to posting on to operational squadrons. The unit joined the front line bomber force in July of 1940, taking up night bomber duties until re-equipping with Halifaxes in March 1942 based at RAF Croft in Co Durham and from there in June to RAF Middleton St George also in Co Durham. It was with these new aircraft that the Squadron participated in the historic 1,000 bomber raid on Cologne on the night of May 30/31st 1942. Barely three weeks later on the night of June 20th/21st 1942, Halifax MkII, BB200, EY-? Took off from Middleton St George at 23.43hrs for a raid on Emden. Leon Seal was part of the crew on this last ill-fated flight. The aircraft never returned and the cause of its loss has never been established. What is known is that it crashed into the North Sea, probably SW of Denmark. Two bodies were washed ashore; Sgt Morgan was buried on Sept 5th 1942 at Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery, while Sgt Frankland is buried in Kiel War Cemetery. The others have no known graves. At 41, Sgt Smith was well above the average age for operational aircrew. He had served in the RAF since the early 1920's. The full crew were F/S M.M.Crowe KIA, Sgt D.Smith BEM KIA, Sgt R.K.Frankland KIA, Sgt R.W.Morgan KIA, Sgt E.K.Davies KIA, Sgt L.H.Seal KIA, Sgt J.R.Williams KIA. Although Leon Seal is remembered on the Runnymede memorial, there is a memorial to the aircrew of No. 78 Sqn who lost their lives in WW2 in the churchyard at Bubwith, near RAF Breighton, which is where the Squadron were based for most of the war. Memorial Reference: Panel 93. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Englefield Green, Surrey, England Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission. RAF history by Mark Stanley Bomber Squadrons of the RAF - Philip Moyes 1964 Bases of Bomber Command – Roger A Freeman - 2001 www.raf.mod.uk www.lostbombers.co.uk www.oldairfields.fotopic.net Old Banstead address from London L-Z directory for 1945 Last update 4 Nov 2007 - Banstead address found. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels Last update 12 Jan 2007 (RAF history)

Runnymede memorial Panel 93 Bubwith Church Memorial to Group 4 No. 78 Squadron

STANLEY, LESLIE ALBERT Private 6092173 Royal Pioneer Corps Died 8-May-1947 aged 28 Son of Albert Edward and Selina E. K. Stanley, of 19a Nork Way, Nork, Banstead. Memorial Reference: N.W. Corner. BANSTEAD (ALL SAINTS) CHURCHYARD Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission. All Saints Church, Banstead, Surrey. Publication - 'The War Memorial, St Paul’s Church, Nork, Banstead'. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels Enquiry sent to http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/contact.htm 16 March 2007

Stemp Albert Edward. Albert Edward Stemp was born between April and June 1901 and was just three weeks old when the census was taken that year. The census shows no first name. His parents were Jesse and Eliza Emma Stemp nee Hurlock married in 1888. In 1901 they were recorded as living in Winkworth Cottage located at the western end of Banstead High Street. Also living there were three of Albert's older siblings, Charles(12) Eliza (7) and Emily (2) as well as Eliza'a niece, Amelia A Hurlock (16) working as a general domestic. The two postcards below show the exterior and interior of Winworth Cottage at around 1935. The 1911 census shows the family had moved to Wingfield Cottages and Albert aged 10 had three other siblings recorded as Beatrice, Ivy and Ernest. The Electoral roll for 1938 shows the Stemp family including Albert living at Wilmot Cottage in Park Road. We presume that shortly afterwards, Albert was called up, or volunteered to fight in WWll The records suggest that in 1927 Abert married Edith H Brooks however records for following years do not show them living at the same address. The 1939 register Albert was married and living with his family at 4 Wilmot Cottages, Park Road, and working as a builder’s labourer. The original Ancestry records incorrectly showed the family recorded as 'Kemp'. The wife is not present but the register does show an Edith Hilda Stemp acting as a domestic servant at Rose Cottage, Withybed Corner (by the pond in Walton on the Hill, next to The Bell). The gardener at the same property is one Thomas Brooks (ie Edith's maiden name) and in 1929 the two are recorded as living together at 21 Banstead Cottages, so Thomas is likely to be Edith's father (to be confirmed). This particular story ends here as the only mention of Albert Edward Stemp during or after WWll is when his name appears on the Banstead War Memorial. It is inscribed as the tenth name of fourteen on Bottom Panel two, suggesting that it was added with all the rest in 1946 or 1947. The death of an Albert Edward Stemp aged 46 was recorded on the 26th June 1947 at 302 High Street Sutton. The informant was E H Stemp widow of the deceased. Albert who is redcorded as a builder's labourer died of Pernicious Anemia. This all seems to fit the A E Stemp born 1901 above but to date we are yet to find a reason for him to be recorded on the memorial. No other A E Stemp death has been found during the war years. If you know any further details do please get in touch by contacting the BHRG webmaster. Sources : Commonwealth War Graves Commission No matching entry. Electoral rolss and 1939 register on Ancestry.co.uk Jean Wheaton,who has completed much research on Stemp family members Updated 19 Aug 2020 Attempting to trace descendants. .................................................................................................................................................................................................. Back to WWII panels

SUTEHALL, PETER UPDATE Aug 2020: We have just been made aware of a treasure trove of archive material from the Sutehall family now held by Rob Stevens, who was a lodger with Peter Sutehall’s younger brother Roger. A full biopic is currently under preparation and we hope to add more to this story in the coming weeks. Flight Lieutenant 100076 Mentioned in Dispatches in 1942. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 236 Sqdn. Died 17-January-1945 aged 23. Son of Mr and Mrs A. Sutehall of 11 Green Curve, Banstead. Peter attended Sutton County School between 1930 and 1936. He left the school to join the labs of the Distillers Company. Peter married Phoebe Pauline Bethell in Kensington in 1942. Peter volunteered for Flying Training with the RAF soon after the outbreak of war, joining up on 13/08/1940.     Much of his war was spent training and once operational in early 1942, he spent a tour of duty with 206 Squadron flying long-range anti-submarine patrol in Lockheed Hudsons. On one occasion he caught a U-boat on the surface and attacked it but with no visible effect. He was ‘mentioned in dispatches’ for pulling aircrew out of a crashed and burning aeroplane. Although we haven’t yet identified the location of this Act of Bravery, it might have been when he was serving at RAF Thornaby in Yorkshire as an instructor with Number 6 OTU (Operational Training Unit). The January 1943 issue of THE SUTTONIAN reported the following: Peter Sutehall Flying Officer RAF Mentioned in Despatches Brief news has just reached us of the mention in despatches of Peter Sutehall (1930-36) for rescue of members of the crew from a blazing plane, and we extend to him the congratulations of the Association on such a noble job of work. Peter met and married Phoebe Pauline Bethell (known as ‘Pat’) in 1942. Sadly they would only have a short time together. Beaufighter-MkX-RAF-236Sqn-MBT-LZ293-IWM-CH18538 (Courtesy of The Imperial War Museum) In the summer of 1943, Peter converted onto the Bristol Beaufighter, then RAF Coastal Command’s principle anti-shipping aircraft. He completed a Long-range Fighter course at RAF Aldergrove and was posted to 236 Squadron on March 26th 1944. There he teamed up with his Navigator, 22 year old Ken Holvey. 236 Squadron was based at RAF North Coates in Lincolnshire as part of the North Coates Strike Wing. Originally comprising of three, but later two squadrons (254 and 236 Squadrons) the Wing was tasked with anti-shipping strikes off the Dutch coast. By the end of the war, the methodology of these attacks was well proven and established.   In open waters, 254 Squadron specialised in dropping torpedoes, but in more confined locations (harbours, docks) the Strike wing used 25lb solid-head rockets, which punched holes into the hulls of the ships below the waterline if aimed well. In addition the 4 X 20mm cannons in the belly of each Beaufighter were used to rake the ships and neutralise the Flak (anti-aircraft) gunners. In January 1945, a German convoy was spotted heading for Den Helder. Comprised of Minesweepers, Flak ships and tugs, the main reason for the convoy was to tow the newly built hull of a large Merchant Ship (known as the Crostafels) to the safety of German ports. During the night of 16th/17th January, the convoy headed for the comparative safety of a natural harbour ‘The Marsdiep’ between Den Helder and the Frisian Island of Texel. Anchored here, the ships were covered by the Flak batteries of both locations, in addition to the guns on the ships. On the following day, the North Coates Strike Wing, escorted by two squadrons of bomb-carrying Spitfires (whose job it was to bomb the Flak batteries in Den Helder itself before escorting the incoming Beaufighters) were tasked to attack the convoy. The details of this raid and indeed Peter Sutehall’s story, are to be a subject of a future publication by the History Group, to be written by Mark Stanley; but the strike was to prove costly both for the RAF and to the German seamen involved, in what was the last large-scale attack off Den Helder and so close to the end of the war. Peter Sutehall and Ken Holvey, did not survive the attack, their aircraft being shot down by the Flak defences and ploughing into the sea at low level. Ken Holvey’s body was washed ashore some days later and he is buried in Holland. Peter is listed as ‘Missing in Action, presumed killed’ and although the location of his death is known approximately, his mortal remains will never be recovered. Memorial Reference: Panel 266. RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL Source : Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Publication - 'The War Memorial, St Paul's Church,Nork, Banstead'. The Suttonian magazine from Sutton Grammer School's archives. Photograph from Rob Stevens 's Sutehall family archives. Related link : RAF History of No. 236 squadron. Last updated : 24 Aug 2020 ........................................................................................ Back to WWII panels