King Edward VII School
King Edward VII School War Memorial listed the names of 108 for former scholars when it was first unveiled, and a further 2 names were added shortly afterwards
KING EDWARD VII SCHOOL
Glossop Rd Sheffield Sheffield South Yorkshire England OS Grid Ref.: SK 336 867 |
STONE CROSS SET ON SQUARE PLINTH. PLINTH BEARS INSCRIPTION. CROSS SURROUNDED BY LOW METAL FENCE. CARVING AT CENTRE OF CROSS HEAD OF PELICAN AND CHICKS. CARVING ON BASE OF LION WITHIN SHIELD.
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1939 SECOND GREAT WAR 1945/ (NAMES)
Allison R
Arnold G N Atty J C Aubrey R J Beardsell W W Beardsell A Beardshaw A K Beech D F Beech E W Belton M W Birdsell G B H Bowmer H A Bowmer J D Browne P W Byrne J G Charlesworth R B Colquhoun T D |
Cook N A
Cooper G E Corner J E D Cotton G H Cox M Crimp P R Crookes F P Dales G S Deakin F H Denman L B Ditcher D Edeson A Edmonds R A Elliott G A Fletcher L W Fretwell W A Fulford J M Fulford D Furzey W R Troops A |
Garrison W R
Gilfillan G R Glover S Green B G Green J R Gunn P Hall E D Haworth M R Haycock R Hodson M A N Hoole C Hooper W R Horner P N Johnson P L Kelsey R R Knott P C Lee G G Lindley A A H |
Lindley K R H
Linton K Maddocks R Marchinton P Marrian P L Marshall R A Mather R V Meldrum I C G Melling J Melling W Milner C L Nixon P D Northend J E Oates A W Ott E G Outram H E S Paget E J Pearson R G |
Ravenhill M
Rayner J H Rogerson J Rollin D A Sadler W E Sanderson D W Shakespeare N J Shardlow R M Sifton C R Skerritt S R Smith J A Smith H M Snape T D Stagg H W Stauber H N Stephenson B N Store G Strange G Stringer E Stevenson H |
Swift G I
Taylor G E Teather J B Tilsey R T C Trueman R V Vickery L R Wainwright K J Waterfall J T Watson C J Wells G A Wesley J M Wigram L Wilkinson P Williams R H D Williams F H Wincott G L Woolass R S |
Additional details
Ralph Allison (160680)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
6 February 1944, aged 26
School magazine - R. Allison, Captain, R.E.M.E., was reported killed in Burma, February, 1944. - Also involved in stopping German reinforcements reaching Normandy were two old boys who were working with the French Resistance and other clandestine forces. Lt. Geoffrey Arnold (1924-28) serving with the Parachute Regiment was blowing up bridges in central France whilst leading a group of irregulars who had all been members of the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Killed in Action in Burma
Geoffrey Norman Arnold (339020)
Royal Air Force
19 August 1941, aged 28
School magazine - Geoffrey N. Arnold (1923-31) was a former Editor of the KESMagazine and was serving as a Sergeant in RAF Intelligence. He had gone to Oriel College, Oxford on a Kitchener Scholarship and as a language tutor had travelled widely in Germany before the war and knew the Third Reich from personal experience. He was in a convoy travelling to a new assignment when they were torpedoed in August 1941. He had been brought up by his mother because his father, Walter Arnold, had been killed in the First World War.
Runnymede Memorial
Was a passenger on the steam passenger ship Aguila. At 04.06 hours on 19 August 1941, U-201 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 west-southwest of Fastnet Rock and observed two detonations on a tanker and two further detonations on two ships beyond her. Schnee claimed three ships sunk with 20,000 grt, but in fact the Ciscar and Aguila were sunk. The Aguila was the ship of the convoy commodore and sank within 90 seconds after being hit by two torpedoes. The commodore, five naval staff members, five gunners, 54 crew members and 88 passengers were lost. The master, five crew members, one naval staff member and two passengers were picked up by HMS Wallflower (K 44) and landed at Gibraltar. Five crew members and one passenger were rescued by the Empire Oak, but five of them were lost when this ship was sunk by U-564 on 22 August. One crew member was picked up by HMS Campanula (K 18), transferred to HMS Velox (D 34) and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August. Among the passengers on board the Aguila were 21 women from the WRNS (Womens Royal Navy Service) who had volunteered for cypher and wireless duties in Gibraltar. None of the Wrens survived the sinking. As a tribute to their memory, a lifeboat named Aguila Wren was built and launched on 28 June 1952 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
John Crawford Atty (14583625)
Royal Artillery - 73 Anti-Tank Regt.
17 June 1944, aged 19
School magazine - J. C. Atty, Gunner, Royal Artillery (Anti-tank Battery), was killed in action on the Western Front in October, 1944. A report from his Commanding Officer said that his tank had just knocked out a German tank, and Atty had climbed out to repair the aerial which had been hit by enemy fire, when a mortar shell burst near him, killing him instantly.
Hottot-Les-Bagues War Cemetery
Killed in action in France. A report from his Commanding Officer said that his tank had just knocked out a German tank, and Atty had climbed out to repair the aerial which had been hit by enemy fire, when a mortar shell burst near him, killing him instantly.
Robert John Aubrey (6108419)
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) - 1/5th Bn.
23 January 1945, aged 20
School magazine - R. J. Aubrey, Pte., Queen's Royal Regiment, was killed in action in North West Europe. He was at King Edward VII School from 1934 to 1939, and afterwards at Rotherham Grammar School and had spent a year studying architecture at Sheffield University. He had been in the Army for about eighteen months and had been serving on the continent since D-day, with the 7th Armoured Division. He took part in the fighting round Caen, and had been twice wounded.
Nederweert War Cemetery
Killed in action in Holland.
Alan Beardsell
Q4 1946, aged 28
probably brother of Norman Wardley Beardsell
Died in Sheffield
Norman Wardley Beardsell (103640)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 484 GCC
21 September 1945, aged 37
School magazine - N. W. Beardsell, Squadron-Leader, R.A.F., was killed in a road accident in Germany on September 21st. He left school in 1924 and had risen to the post of cashier at the Heeley Branch of the Yorkshire Penny Bank. He had been Staff Officer in the Civil Defence Ambulance Service, and joined the R.A.F. in August, 1941, going overseas in August, 1944. He served on ground staff of Radar, and was in charge of an R.A. F. Mobile Radar Station.
Celle War Cemetery
Killed in a road accident in Germany.
Alan Kenneth Beardshaw
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - H.M.S. Fiona.
18 April 1941, aged 25
Plymouth Naval Memorial
HMS Fiona was bombed and sunk near Sidi Barrani, Egypt on 18 April 1941.
Derek Fenton Beech (14838953)
Royal Corps of Signals
4 October 1947, aged 21
School magazine - We have heard with deep regret of the death of D. F. Beech, Wireless Operator, Royal Corps of Signals, at a Military Hospital in Palestine. He left School to be articled to a Chartered Accountant in 1943, was called up in 1944 and posted to the Royal Signals. Taking the place of a sick man on a draft for India in September, 1945, he was posted to the 5th Indian Division in Java, returning to India when British troops were evacuated from Surabaya. Later he was attached to the 9th Infantry Brigade H.Q, in Egypt and Jerusalem. He was taken ill in September of this year, with typhoid fever, and died on October 4th. He was buried in the British War Memorial Cemetery at Sarafond, Palestine, with full military honours.
Ramleh War Cemetery
Died at a Military Hospital in Palestine of typhoid fever.
Edwin Walter Beech (153958)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 59 Sqdn.
3 December 1945, aged 21
School magazine - The sad news reached us only a few days ago of the death of Flight-Lieutenant E. W. Beech, who was co-pilot of the troop-carrying plane which was caught in a thunderstorm on December 3rd, on a homeward-bound flight from Malta, and crashed at Trizay in the Pyrenees. Edwin Beech had partially completed his Oxford career at the Queen's College, of which he was a Hastings Scholar in History. He is remembered here as a fine scholar and sportsman, with character and talents that promised a distinguished future, and his death in these tragic circumstances has come as a great shock to us all.
Rochefort-Sur-Mer Naval Cemetery
Liberator GR mk VI serial number KH125 was hit by lightning in severe turbulence, a wing broke off and the aircraft crashed near Rochefort, France with the loss of all on board, 5 crew and 23 passengers.
Maurice Waterman Belton (14693504)
Royal Armoured Corps - Nottinghamshire Yeomanry
1 April 1945, aged 19
School magazine - Maurice W. Belton, Trooper, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, was killed in action on April 1st, 1945. The tank in which he was a member of the crew was coming into the outskirts of the Dutch town of Lockhem when it was hit at close range by an anti-tank weapon, and he was killed immediately. His grave is in a place at the foot of a wooded hill about two miles south of Lockhem just off the main road from Barchem. His chaplain wrote : " He was a good lad and deservedly well liked amongst us. His quiet friendly ways won for him a number of good friends, perhaps more than he was aware of ; whilst his quiet courage and more than average ability and willingness earned for him the respect of his comrades. He is much missed amongst us and a number of his comrades have asked me to convey their very real sympathy." We remember him at school as a boy of sterling and lovable character ; his death, within so short a time of his leaving school, has been very deeply felt by his contemporaries, who will long cherish the memory of his influence and friendship.
Laren (Barchem) General Cemetery
Was killed in action on April 1st, 1945. The tank in which he was a member of the crew was coming into the outskirts of the Dutch town of Lockhem when it was hit at close range by an anti-tank weapon, and he was killed immediately. His grave is in a place at the foot of a wooded hill about two miles south of Lockhem just off the main road from Barchem.
George Benjamin Holt Birdsell (938323)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 101 Sqdn.
3 April 1941, aged 22
School magazine - George Benjamin Holt Bidsell (1928-33), Sergeant-Observer, Royal Air Force, was killed in action in April, 1941. Aged 22. A member of Lynwood House, Birdsell was a keen and energetic youngster, especially in the junior School, where he was a record-breaker in the Cross Country and a prominent actor in a memorable production of " The Rose and the Ring." After leaving School, and his parents moving to Hipperholme, he was a member of Halifax Rugby Union Football Club and the Old Bodleians R.U.F.C. He joined the R.A.F. in January, 1938, and became acting Pilot Officer, but left the service a few months later, to rejoin on the outbreak of war as a Sergeant Observer. He had taken part in more than twenty raids over Germany.
Warmwell (Holy Trinity) Churchyard
Posted from 17 O.T.U. on 29/1/1941. Blenheim T2439 airborne from West Raynham on a mission to Brest. On return the Blenheim crashed and exploded near Dorchester while trying to locate Boscombe Down. Death registered in Dorchester
Harry Alexander Bowmer (580692)
Royal Air Force - 83 Sqdn.
2 August 1940, aged 21
School magazine - Harry A. Bowmer (1933-1937), Sergt.-Observer, Royal Air Force, died on active service on 2nd August, 1940. Aged 24. Harry Bowmer will be remembered by all his friends at School as a boy who enjoyed life himself and helped others to enjoy it. In the classroom, as a Patrol Leader in the Scouts, and as a member of Lynwood House teams, he was always cheerful and active and his quiet manner hid a keen sense of humour, an independent mind and a sturdy courage which no emergency could disturb. After he left School, Bowmer spent some time in a steel works and then in March, 1939, joined the R.A.F. He reached the rank of Sergeant Observer in January, 1940. After two months' service with an Operational Squadron, he died in hospital from a fracture of the skull caused by a. fall from a building. His School friends will join with his family in grief for the sudden ending of a career of much promise.
Scampton (St. John The Baptist) Churchyard
Died in a fall whilst climbing a drain pipe outside a hotel in Lincoln
Joseph Desmond Bowmer (127844)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 612 Sqdn.
11 February 1944, aged 22
School magazine - J. D. Bowmer (1933-38), Flying Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in air operations, February, 1944.
Runnymede Memorial
Was second pilot on Wellington mk XIV serial number MP758 coded N airborne from Limavady at 16:16 hrs for an anti-submarine patrol. At 21:09 a signal was intercepted by Wellington `B` that `N` was having engine trouble but that was all. Nothing further heard, a position was taken from this signal 60:2 - 14:02 which put them in area of action with U-283 at the Iceland-Faeroes gap so damage by fire from the U-boat. The U-boat reported successfully repulsing an aircraft attack with AA fire, but did not claim the aircraft shot down.
Philip Willoughby Browne (7598743)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps - 4 Ordnance Store Coy.
28 October 1943, aged 23
Three Old Edwardians died in the work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, including: Philip Browne (1931-36) who was a Corporal in the RAOC and worked on the “Death Railway” until he died of dysentery and malnutrition in October of 1943.
Chungkai War Cemetery
Died of dysentery and malnutrition at a Japanese PoW work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore.
John Gordon Byrne (112527)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
28 December 1942, aged 22
School Magazine - John Gordon Byrne (1929-37), Flying Officer, R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service, December, 1942. Aged 22. Previous to his appointment as Flying Instructor at a station in England, lie had had a successful and eventful career in the R.A.F. Having taken part in many night bombing raids on Germany and the Channel ports, lie was transferred to Malta and did much good work over Italy, Sicily and North Africa. He had the honour and good fortune to represent the R.A.F. in an exchange of messages with his family in the Christmas Day broadcast of 1941. At School he was a popular member of Welbeck House and second runner in the team which won the Cross Country in 1936. To his two brothers, as well as to his widow and parents, we offer our very sincere sympathy.
Fulwood (Christ Church) Churchyard
Vickers Wellington BK517 which took off for a 25 minute air test flight from Atherstone-on-Stour, a satellite field of 23 O.T.U. As the flight was described as a medical test flight, Nicholson and the other two non aircrew may have effectively been just passengers on board for the experience. For reasons unknown the bomber, which was piloted by an experienced pilot, J.G. Byrne, hit an elm tree, lost a wing crashed into a valley to the west of Bodicote church. The official aircraft accident form stated that the aircraft had flown into cloud without a wireless operator and had then crashed attempting to make landfall in bad weather.
Richard Brian Charlesworth (1623338)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 70 O.T.U. - Shandhur
17 August 1944, aged 20
School magazine - R. B. Charlesworth, Sergeant Navigator, R.A.F., was killed on August 17th, 1944, when his plane crashed into Bitter Lake, Suez. He had completed his training in South Africa, having entered the R.A.F. from the school squadron of the A.T.C., of which he was one of the original members.
Fayid War Cemetery
He was killed whilst flying in Baltimore, AH114 of No 70 OTU, which crashed into the Great Bitter Lake shortly after take-off for a night bombing practice.
Thomas Dickie Colquhoun (948109)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 17 EFTS
3 February 1943, aged 23
School Magazine - Thomas Dickie Colquhoun (1931-38), Leading Aircraftsman, R.A.F. Killed on active service in February, 1943. Aged 23. His Squadron Leader writes : " During the weeks that lie was on this station, your son showed a keen interest in his duties and was always willing to do a little more than his share. His flying ability and deportment were of a high quality and we could not have wished for a more satisfactory student." He was a keen member of Clumber House and of the School Scout troop : the character given of him above will be more than endorsed by the many friends he made at School. From details, which we are not permitted to quote in full, it appears he must have met instantaneous death in his wrecked aircraft ; his body was buried with military honours at an overseas station.
Windsor Maplewood Cemetery
Killed on Active Service in Canada in an air crash when Fleet Finch II serial 4415 crashed 10 km NE of Stanley, Nova Scotia.
Norman Albert Cook (4346376)
Lincolnshire Regiment - 1st Bn.
2 March 1944, aged 27
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Died in Burma
Geoffrey Elliot Cooper (985149)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 103 MU
1 August 1941, aged 22
Alamein Memorial
Was on loan to 230 Squadron as a radio mechanic, killed when Sunderland serial L2166 shot down whilst attacking the Italian submarine Delfino in the Mediterranean about 14 miles off the coast of Libya.
John Edward Donald Corner (300253)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - 16 Base Workshops
19 September 1945, aged 24
School magazine - J. E. D. Corner, Lieutenant, R.E.M.E., died after a few days' illness at Naples on September 15th, 1945. His excellent record of service to the School, in the Scouts and in many other activities, is well remembered here, and his many friends will not be surprised to learn of the tributes that have been paid to his abilities and character by those under whom he served in the army and at the University of Sheffield, where he was a student of mining and Cadet C.S.M. in the Training Corps. The Commanding Officer of that unit wrote : " He was a fine upstanding figure of a man, absolutely sound and reliable-a true gentleman-and he will always live in my memory as one of the finest young fellows that ever served in the U.T.C. during the many years that I was privileged to command that unit. In his case "serve" was the correct word, and as Cadet C.S.M. he always set a magnificent example. The world is poorer for the loss of such a man." His Colonel describes him as " an extremely popular member of the mess, in addition to being one of my most promising young officers, and was well liked and respected both as a soldier and a friend by all personnel under his control. His death came as a great shock to everybody in the unit and we all felt a personal loss."
Naples War Cemetery
Died after a few days' illness at Naples.
Graham Hardy Cotton (60546)
Royal Air Force - 149 Sqdn.
17 May 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Graham Hardy Cotton (1928-37), Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed on active service in May, 1941. Aged 22. As a boy, Graham Cotton did much for the School, representing his House, Sherwood, in all its teams ; and his work for the Scouts, both as Patrol Leader and Quartermaster, was invaluable. In 1937 he went up to Sheffield University to study Architecture and his work there showed the greatest promise. From childhood he had always been interested in flying, and when he joined the R.A.F. in the summer of 1940, he was chosen for `training as a pilot, being eighth out of his course in his " wings " examination, and gaining his commission as a Pilot Officer in December, 1940. Always quiet and unassuming in manner, he was at the same time full of energy and vigour, and he had besides a natural sensitiveness of outlook for which those who knew him well will best remember him.
Beck Row (St. John) Churchyard
Wellington mk IC serial number R1587 coded OJ-M on a training flight crashed at Low Barn Farm, Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire after a collision with Hurricane serial V7225, which crashed at Lark Farm, Soham Fen. A member of the ROC (Post B3, Soham) plotted four Wellingtons flying E-W at 5,000 ft when the Hurricane dived steeply from cloud above and ahead. It completely severed the tail section of OJ-M, losing part of the port wing before it dived inverted into the ground. Several crewmen from the Wellington jumped but too low for their parachutes to open.
Manassah Cox (1235080)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 295 Sqdn.
16 August 1943, aged -
School magazine - M. Cox (1934-38), Sergeant. Believed killed in action, August, 1943.
Runnymede Memorial
Lost when Halifax mk V serial number DJ994, ditched off Portugal en route to Sale. The aircraft was towing a glider to Sale but it and the glider failed to arrive.
Paul Rayner Crimp
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - H.M.S. Cleopatra.
18 September 1943, aged 31
School magazine - P. R. Crimp, Lieut. R.N.V.R., died in hospital in North Africa, September 18th, 1943
Tripoli War Cemetery
Died of illness in hospital in North Africa
Frank Raymond Crookes (135271)
Royal Army Medical Corps
9 May 1945, aged 39
School magazine - F. R. Crookes (1917-23), Captain, R.A.M.C. Died at home, May, 1945.
Eckington Burial Ground
Death registered in Ruthin, Denbighshire
George Stephenson Dales (258829)
Royal Engineers
3 December 1944, aged 25
School magazine - G. S. DALES, Captain, Royal Engineers, whose death was reported in our last issue, died, we now learn, as the result of wounds received in the battle for the Dutch town of Blerick, near Venlo. He was buried on December 3rd in a military plot of ground at Nederweert. His Colonel described him as " a very fine character and a great leader of men, and very brave and gallant in battle " ; and another officer wrote " He was one of the best officers which the army has ever been blessed with, and none have surpassed him in devotion to duty and unbounded energy. Liked by all and loved by those who had the privilege of knowing him well, he was a very great man, whose loss will be felt most keenly."
Nederweert War Cemetery
Died as the result of wounds received in the battle for the Dutch town of Blerick, near Venlo.
Frank Hawksworth Deakin (1893085)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
23 February 1945, aged 26
School magazine - F. H. Deakin, Craftsman, R.E.M.E., was killed on active service in the Reichswald on February 23rd, 1945. He had been in the army since 1939, and had served with the 8th Army in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and with the B.L.A. in Normandy. At the time of his death he was attached to the 51st Highland Division.
Rheinberg War Cemetery
Killed on active service in the Reichswald
Leslie Brian Denman (140631)
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - 1st Bn.
6 May 1943, aged 23
School magazine - In 1942 Britain’s main contribution to the defeat of Hitler on land was the campaign in North Africa. After the defeat of Rommel’s German-Italian Army at El Alamein had turned into an unstoppable advance across Libya, Montgomery’s Commonwealth forces entered Southern Tunisia after the very difficult battles at the Mareth Line and then Wadi Akarit. At the same time an Anglo-American Army landed in Algeria and advanced towards Tunis from the west. Amongst those British 1st Army troops was a battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, which included Lt. Leslie Denman (1931-38) commanding one of their platoons. He had spent a year at Sheffield University getting First Class Honours in his Intermediate B.A. in Languages before he joined up and was sent to North Africa. For particular bravery on a patrol in March and a platoon frontal attack in April he was awarded the M.C. He wrote home telling his parents of his decoration. His parents received the letter on the same day as they got a War Office Telegram saying that he had been killed in action in the last significant action before the Axis forces surrendered in Tunisia on 13th May 1943. He was 23 years old and had been recently married to a Flight Officer in the WAAF whom he had met at Sheffield University.
Massicault War Cemetery
Killed in action in the last significant action before the Axis forces surrendered in Tunisia on 13th May 1943.
Donald Ditcher (1219493)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
2 February 1943, aged 21
School Magazine - Donald Ditcher (1932-38), Sergt. Pilot Instructor, R.A.F. Killed on active service, February, 1943. Aged 21. Ditcher left school from the Fifth Form in 1938. He graduated in U.S.A., and obtained American Air Force Wings, after which he returned to England and obtained British Wings. He trained as Fighter Pilot Instructor in England and Scotland. His death occurred in this country and his funeral and interment took place in Sheffield.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Master II - DL288 - 7 (P)AFU - flew into ground Bensons Farm, 2½ mile NE of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.
Arnold Edeson (102450)
Intelligence Corps
17 November 1939, aged 53
Sheffield (Crookes) Cemetery
Died at 38 Roslin Road (home)
Ronald Albert Edmonds (656269)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 44 Sqdn.
30 March 1943
Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery
Lancaster mk I serial W4199 code KM-H airborne from Waddington on a mission to Berlin, crashed at Strausberg, Germany
G A Elliott
School magazine - G. A. Elliott (1925-29). Killed in action. Death reported in July 1943 magazine
Leslie Wallace Fletcher (1315919)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 'T' FLT. 21 STS
21 January 1943, aged 21
School magazine - Leslie Wallace Fletcher (1933-40), Acting Sergeant (Cadet) R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service in January, 1943 Aged 21 The name of Leslie Fletcher will bring back to most of us memories of golden cricket seasons from 1937 to 1940, in which he grew from a promising youngster to one of the School's finest cricketers. (In 1939, sixty-six wickets for an average of 7.3 and in 1940 fifty-nine for 6.76, raised the School bowling record to great heights). Football and Fives came as easily to him. But with and above all this success, there remained the same modest reserve, and essential grit, which carried him up the School to the Classical Sixth and to Prefectship, not with any easy brilliance, but with a steady integrity of intellect and character-disguised, perhaps, under a charming light-heartedness of manner. He had a year at Brasenose College, Oxford, and then left for training overseas. His training was retarded a little by a period of illness, and was barely completed at the time of his death.
Bulawayo (Athlone) Cemetery
Killed during pilot training in Southern Rhodesia
Reginald Austin Fretwell (1020907)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 226 Sqdn.
3 February 1943, aged 22
School magazine - R. A. Fretwell (1932-37), Sergeant Observer, R.A.F. Killed on active service, February, 1943.
Wadsley Churchyard
Boston mk III serial Z2261 coded MQ-W on a training flight from Swanton Morley, crashed almost at once killing four crew. Death registered East Dereham, Norfolk
David Fulford (63787)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 611 Sqdn.
2 November 1942, aged 22
School magazine - F/O David Fulford DFC (KES 1928-38) David Fulford was the younger brother of John Fulford and in 1937 he also was the school’s Champion Athlete. He had joined the RAF when he left school and went to Cranwell and was serving as a Spitfire pilot with 64 Squadron at RAF Leconfield, near Beverley, when the Battle of Britain broke out. He moved south to join 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford and took part in the aerial battles of the summer of 1940. In1941 he was awarded the DFC and in a documentary film about the battle called “ The First of the Few”, he flew a captured Heinkel 111, posing as a Luftwaffe pilot, before being posted out to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in January 1942 to meet a possible Japanese threat in the Indian Ocean. He left a vivid record in the school magazine of his Hurricane squadron engaging Zeros and played their part in securing Ceylon from a possible Japanese invasion. Returning to England in September he joined 611 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill, and shortly afterwards, in November 1942, he went down over the Channel after a routine sweep over the French coast
Runnymede Memorial
Rodeo mission over Le Touquet. Spitfire BR622. Base - Biggin Hill
John Michael Fulford (969220)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 150 Sqdn.
8 May 1941, aged 22
School magazine - John Michael Fulford (1927-37), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was reported missing, believed killed in action, in May, 1941. Aged 22. Patrol-Leader in the School Scouts, Champion Athlete for two years in succession, and stalwart of the Cricket and Football XI's, John Fulford was typical of the best of a good generation of lads, from whose ranks already a sadly large number have been lost, as these records show. He left from the Sixth Form to study medicine at Sheffield University, and had been less than a year in the R.A.F. During his University career, he played football for the Corinthians and for the English Universities in a match against the Army at Bramall Lane, also occasionally for Sheffield United. - Sergeant Pilot John Michael Fulford (KES 1927-37) John Fulford was one of the best known sportsmen at KES during the Thirties. Champion Athlete in 1935 and 1936 and Cross Country winner in 1934, he had his colours for Football and Cricket and after leaving school he played for Corinthian Casuals and was the first O.E. to play professional football when he turned out for Sheffield United in 1940 whilst awaiting call up. The son of a former officer who was a pilot in the RFC, he intended to be a doctor and was studying medicine at Sheffield University before he joined up in the RAF in May 1940. By the end of the year he had his pilot’s wings and after several operations across the Channel he was shot down and killed over Brittany in May 1941. He was only 22 years old and was buried by the Germans near Nantes
Nantes (Pont-Du-Cens) Communal Cemetery
Wellington aircraft R1374 lost on an operation to St Nazaire, France from Newton airfield
William Robert Furzey (993605)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 22 Sqdn.
2 December 1941, aged 21
School Magazine - William Robert Furzey (1929-37), Sergeant, R.A.F., was killed on active service in December, 1941. Aged 21. Furzey had enlisted in the R.A.F.V.R. on the outbreak of war, but had to wait until May, 1940 before being called for service. By the following year he was in active service and had a narrow escape in August, 1941 when attacking a tanker off the French coast. His plane was damaged and crashed within four hundred yards of the home coast, and he was rescued after being trapped in the plane. In December he was posted missing from operations, and later information from the International Red Cross, quoting German- sources, reported him as killed. He was a cheerful lad, who took his part in many a School activity with modest readiness, and we can well believe that he brought the same qualities to the service of his country.
Quiberon Communal Cemetery
Beaufort mk I serial number AW216 coded OA-P airborne at 15:35 from St Eval, Cornwall on a mission to attack a timber factory in the Nantes area. The aircraft was intercepted in the Quiberon Bay, and although three crew were known to bail out, their bodies were washed up at Beg Rohu.
Wilfred Reed Garrison (1454822)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 489 (R.N.Z.A.F.) Sqdn.
1 November 1944, aged 21
School magazine - W. R. Garrison, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F. V.R., is now presumed to have lost his life on air operations off the Norwegian coast, from which he was reported missing on November 1st, 1944. After training in America he gained his wings at the U.S. Naval Base, Pensacola, later taking a Navigator's course on Prince Edward Island, Canada. His commanding officer wrote : " Wilfred was an experienced and reliable pilot and with his navigator' Tom Hughes made as fine a crew as any on my Squadron. They were always remarked for their fine aggressive spirit and determination to beat the Hun. They could be relied upon to carry out any operational task with the utmost skill and reliability under any circumstances. Their loss grieves us all."
Runnymede Memorial
Lost in a Beaufighter from Dallachy, Scotland against Norwegian targets
George Ross Gilfillan (1626440)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 103 Sqdn.
14 February 1945
School magazine - Ross Gilfillan, the school Football Captain, who after leaving school spent a short period at Cambridge in 1942 awaiting call up. He qualified as a navigator in Bomber Command and was shot down on the night of 13/14th February 1945, the night of the Dresden raid.
Durnbach War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number LM682 coded PM-O airborne at 21:40 from Elsham Wolds on a mission to Dresden. The aircraft was hit by a flak battery based at Heppenheim in the district of Bergstrasse and came down 200 metres east of Winterkasten at 00:20.
Stanley Glover (1086885)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 150 Sqdn.
10 August 1942, aged 19
School magazine - S. Glover, Sergt.-Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., was reported missing from air operations on August 10th, 1942, and is presumed killed.
Wierden General Cemetery
Wellington mk III serial number BJ608 coded JN-? Airborne at 00:30 from Snaith on a mission to Osnabruck, crashed at Almelo. Claimed by night-fighter flown by Oberstleutnant Herbert Lutje at 04:18.
Bryan George Green (1450549)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 514 Sqdn.
2 May 1944
School magazine - B. G. Green (1932.37), Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, May, 1944.
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
Lancaster mk II serial LL732 coded JI-H2 airborne from Waterbeach at 22:47 on a mission to Chambly to attack railway and stores depot. On the home leg, intercepted and shot down by a night fighter, crashing in a near vertical dive some 3km SW of Chaumont-en-Vexin (Oise) 25 km SW of Beauvais.
J R Green
School magazine - J. R. Green (1917-21), Gunner, R.A. Killed on active service.
P Gunn
School magazine - P. Gunn (1932-37), Killed on active service.
Edgar Denys Hall (89089)
Royal Artillery - 488 Bty., 123 Field Regt.
27 February 1943, aged 24
School magazine - E. D. Hall (1930-35), Captain, R.A. Killed on active service, India; February, 1943.
Kirkee War Cemetery
Died in India
Malcolm Ramsay Haworth (135171)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 208 Sqdn.
7 September 1942, aged 20
School magazine - M. R. Haworth (1933-37), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Killed on active service, Middle East, September, 1942.
Alamein Memorial
Killed on active service in North Africa
Ronald Haycock (2594782)
Royal Corps of Signals - First Army Sigs.
23 February 1943, aged 28
School magazine - R. Haycock, Royal Corps' of Signals, was reported to have been killed on active service in North Africa as a result of dive-bombing by enemy aircraft.
Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery
Died in North Africa
Maurice Albert Nicholas Hodson (170129)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 199 Sqdn.
27 September 1943, aged 21
School magazine - M. A. N. Hodson, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F.V.R., was posted missing in September, 1943, and his death is now unhappily certain. He lost his life in operations over Hanover and his burial place has now been established.
Hanover War Cemetery
Stirling mk III serial number EF118 coded EX-O airborne at 19:45 from Lakenheath on a mission to Hanover. Shot down by a nightfighter and crashed at Ramlingen.
Clifford Hoole (7598753)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps - 4 Ordnance Field Park
21 March 1945, aged 26
School magazine - C. Hoole (1930-34), Lance-Corporal, R.A.O.C. Died as Prisoner of War, Germany, March, 1945.
Dunkirk Memorial
Died as Prisoner of War, Germany.
Wallace Roy Hooper (300106)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - 44th
24 September 1944, aged 28
School magazine - W. Roy Hooper, Lieut., Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in action during the evacuation of Arnhem in September 1944. On leaving School in 1933 he became a reporter on the staff of the Daily Independent, and later became staff representative in Sheffield for the News Chronicle He enlisted in the Royal Tank Regiment in October 1939 and served in Palestine and North Africa. He was one of the first Commandos, and on being commissioned while still abroad was posted to his old unit in Italy. - Roy Hooper had become a journalist on the Sheffield Independent when he left school in 1933, and in 1935 became the Sheffield representative for the News Chronicle before enlisting in the Royal Tank Regiment in October 1939. He moved to 5 Commando in 1940 when the commandoes were a newly formed unit before returning to tanks and serving in North Africa with the 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats). After service in Italy, he returned to England and took part in the invasion of Normandy and the breakout across France. As part of XXX Corps trying to relieve Arnhem in September 1944, his tank was hit and the crew baled out. However, his gunner was still trapped in his Sherman and in trying to free him Roy Hooper was hit and died instantly. He was one of seven Old Edwardians who were killed in action serving in tanks during the war.
Veghel (Eerde) Roman Catholic Churchyard
Killed in action during the evacuation of Arnhem in September 1944. As part of XXX Corps trying to relieve Arnhem in September 1944, his tank was hit and the crew baled out. However, his gunner was still trapped in his Sherman and in trying to free him Roy Hooper was hit and died instantly.
Philip Norman Horner (1886080)
Royal Engineers - 7 Field Sqn.
26 September 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Philip Norman Horner (1928-36), Corporal, Royal Engineers, was killed on active service in September, 1941. Aged 22. A quiet and studious boy at school, Philip Horner had become an articled student in engineering, and had joined the Royal Engineers shortly after the beginning of the war. A minor accident at the port of embarkation in a troopship, in which he was the only casualty, was the unfortunate cause of his death.
Dore (Christ Church) Churchyard
Death registered in Bootle, Lancashire
Peter Lister Johnson (169067)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 169 Sqdn.
4 May 1944
School magazine - P. L. Johnson, Pilot Officer, R.A.F., V.R., was killed on air operations in May, 1944. He had been in the R.A.F. since leaving School in 1939, was trained in Canada, and obtained his commission in 1942. His Commanding Officer writes that he " was held in high esteem by his superior officers and became an excellent pilot and ranked high in his squadron as a night fighter " His body is buried at Champignol, France.
Champignol-Lez-Mondeville Churchyard
Mosquito mk II serial number DD779 coded VL-? Airborne from Little Snoring at 23:33 on a bombing support mission to Camp Mailly - Montdidier, crashed at Champignol-lez-Mondeville, Aube, 11 km SSW of Bar-sur-Aube.
Robert Ronald Kelsey (1069636)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - SS Abosso
29 October 1942, aged 30
School magazine - R. R. Kelsey, L.A.C., R.A.F., was reported missing in October, 1942, and is presumed to have lost his life through enemy action at sea.
Singapore Memorial
At 22.13 hours on 29 Oct 1942, U-575 fired four torpedoes at the unescorted Abosso about 700 miles northwest of the Azores, but only one of them hit. At 22.28 hours, a coup de grâce struck the ship, causing her to sink at 23.05 hours. The master, 150 crew members, 18 gunners and 193 passengers were lost.
Reginald Cooper Knott (1259857)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 115 Sqdn.
11 November 1941, aged 31
school magazine - R. C. Knott (1919-22), Sergeant Air-gunner, R.A.F. Killed on active service, November, 1941.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Wellington Mk III - X3394 - KO-? on a cross country exercise and fuel consumption test. Crashed at 12:03 at Carol House Farm, near Swaffham, Norfolk. Subsequent Board of Enquiry ascertained that the aircraft suffered starboard engine failure in flight as a result of mishandling by the pilot and was unable to maintain Height. Sgt Dutton and crew had survived a few days previously the disastrous attack on Berlin, 4 November 1941.
Geoffrey Goddard Lee (952170)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 82 Sqdn.
30 July 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Geoffrey Goddard Lee (1930-37), Sergt. Observer, Royal Air Force, is reported missing and believed killed in action in July, 1941. Aged 22. All who knew him have been deeply grieved by the news of Geoff. Lee's death. At King Edward's he was one of those boys who, by the many-sidedness of their interests and the -willingness with which they join in every kind of activity, contribute so much to the life of the School. He was a competent scholar ; he represented his House, Haddon, in Cricket, Football and Swimming, and was a member of the Choir and Dramatic Society ; his work for the School Scout Troop was invaluable and, after he left, he kept up his interest in Scouting as a member of the Rover Crew. In 1937 he went up to Sheffield University with a Scholarship to read Law ; while there he became articled to the Town Clerk, and took the degree of LL.B. in 1940. On leaving the University he joined the R.A.F. as an observer and was reported missing after a daylight operation in July, 1941. Always extremely modest about his own achievements, he was one of whom the School may well be proud and his many friends will always remember his unfailing good humour, quiet wit, and his shrewd and balanced judgement in every situation.
Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery
Blenheim mk IV serial number R3803 coded UX-N airborne from Bodney at 12:43 on a mission to attack the Kiel Canal, crashed in the Sea. Probably shot down by Bf 110`s from II. / ZG 76 who on this day claimed five Blenheims between 16:18 and 16:30. Observer Sgt. Geoffrey G. Lee’s body was found on the beach of the island of Mandø on 31 August.
Arthur Alan Hewson Lindley (120181)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
1 August 1942, aged 22
School magazine - A. A. H. Lindley (1931.36), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Killed in action, August, 1942.
Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery
Boston mk II serial number AL725 coded OM-? airborne from Great Massingham at 16:08 on an operation to Vlissingen, crashed at Breskens, Holland
Keith Robert Hewson Lindley (191458)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 12 Sqdn.
26 February 1945, aged 20
School magazine - K. R. Hewson Lindley, F/Sergt. Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., was killed on air service in February, 1945. He was at school from 1935 to 1942, and was the younger brother of another Old Edwardian, A. A. H. Lindley, whose death was reported in August, 1942.
Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number PB243 coded PH-D airborne from Wickenby, crashed to the ground at 14:38 near Straiton le Vale, 5 miles NE of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
Kenneth Linton (41037)
Royal Air Force - 211 Sqdn.
7 February 1942, aged 25
School magazine - K. Linton, Flight Lieut., R.A.F., was killed on active service in February, 1942, in the Far East, and is buried at Palembang, Sumatra. He had served in Albania, Greece, and other parts, having joined the R.A.F. in 1938.
Singapore Memorial
Blenheim Z9659 from Sumatra lost on returning from the 7 February convoy escort duty. One of three aircraft attacked in the course of that duty, to crash near P2 on return. F/Lt Ken Linton RAF (an old 84 Squadron hand from Greece operations) did not survive: recovered from the crash, he died the next day as Flight Mechanic LAC Bob Livesey recorded in his diary. Sgt Offord RAF, the Observer, was rescued badly injured and later evacuated by hospital ship. Sgt RL Crowe RAF WOp/AG baled out and was also rescued slightly injured, later evacuated to Ceylon per Kota Gede.
Raymond Maddocks (1081228)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 615 Sqdn.
25 January 1943, aged 22
He survived an accident 22-4-1942 on Hurricane V6533 flying with 55 OTU
Singapore Memorial
possibly lost in Hurricane mk Iic serial BN784 at Feni
Peter Marchinton (14819066)
Royal Engineers
27 November 1947
School magazine - It is with deep regret that we record the death of Peter Marchinton, aged 22 years (K.E.S. 1933-41, Welbeck House). After leaving school he took a post in industry while awaiting his call-up for military service. Two of his three years of service were spent in India, and he returned home in September last. While awaiting demobilisation he was attacked by an illness from which he died on November 27th in a military hospital.
Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial
Died of illness in a military hospital.
Philip Lyon Marrian
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Penelope
18 February 1944, aged 27
School magazine - P L. Marrian, Lieut., R.N.R., had been reported missing in February 1944. It was some time before definite news could be obtained, but it is now known that he was killed outright while on duty on the bridge of his ship when it was torpedoed in the Mediterranean.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Lost when ship was sunk in the Mediterranean by U-410 whilst on passage to Naples
Robert Anthony Marshall
Merchant Navy - Cadet
30 June 1945
Died as the result of an accident at sea, when he suffered fatal injuries from a fall from the Third Tweet Deck of his ship TSS City of Exeter to the floor of the Bottom Hold. He remained unconscious until he died on the third day after the accident, three hours out of Karachi, where he is buried. He was 19 years of age
Robert Vivian Mather (165682)
Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) - 6th Bn.
13 June 1944, aged 24
School magazine - R. V. Mather, Lieut , The Green Howards, died of wounds in France in June 1944. His Commanding Officer wrote : " Bob particularly distinguished himself during the landings on D-day and afterwards, and I should like you to know how well he did and how very much his Company, the Battalion and I will miss him." Mather gained the degree of LL.B. at Sheffield University in June 1940 and entered the Army the following month, obtaining his commission in December 1940. He was engaged to Miss Barbara Hamer of Sheffield. - Lt. Bob Mather (1929-37) was in the initial assault on Gold Beach on the British right flank. His battalion, the 6th Green Howards, was one of first units of the famous 50th (Northumbrian) Division who struggled ashore at zero hour. At the same time on Juno Beach where the Canadian Army landed, Eric Allsop (1935-40) of the R.E. Assault Engineers, who had performed with such calmness during the Sheffield Blitz, was defusing mines on the underwater obstacles that had been laid out in lines along the beach to impede Allied tanks. Later in the day he would meet up with another Old Edwardian on Juno Beach whom he had not met for years and never saw again. Geoffrey Holroyd (1933-39) was an Official War Artist and, while the mayhem of the landings was going on around him, was calmly sketching a record of the scene. Mather and his battalion forced their way inland, but he was fatally wounded four days later after taking part in some of the heaviest fighting of the whole Normandy campaign. - On leaving school in 1937 Bob Mather studied at Sheffield University and gained his Bachelor of Law degree in 1940. He then entered the army after serving in the University OTC and was commissioned in the Green Howards by the end of 1940. He went out with the 6th Battalion to North Africa as part of the 50th Division and saw action at Alamein and Wadi Akarit before taking part in the invasion of Sicily. Chosen for the initial assault on D-Day, his battalion landed at La Riviere on Gold beach at H (zero) Hour and after taking their beach they moved inland continually involved in heavy fighting. Four days later Bob Mather was seriously wounded and died on the 13th June. He is buried in a British Military Cemetery near Bayeux.
Ryes War Cemetery, Bazenville
Died of wounds in France. Chosen for the initial assault on D-Day, his battalion landed at La Riviere on Gold beach at H (zero) Hour and after taking their beach they moved inland continually involved in heavy fighting. Four days later Bob Mather was seriously wounded and died on the 13th June.
Ian Cedric Granger Meldrum
Merchant Navy - M.V. Clea (London)
13 February 1941, aged 18
Tower Hill Memorial
MV Clea was on the route Curaçao - Loch Ewe - Scapa Flow with a cargo of Admiralty fuel oil. At 15.08 hours on 13 February 1941 the unescorted Clea (Master Leonard Walter George Boyt), a straggler from convoy HX-106, was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-96 about 190 miles south of Iceland. The tanker immediately caught fire and completely broke in two. The U-boat surfaced and sank both halves with a total of 83 rounds from the deck gun, the after part sank at 16.59 hours and the fore part sank at 17.31 hours after further holes were fired into the side with the anti-aircraft gun. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats after the torpedo hit, but no survivors were ever found. The master, 56 crew members and two gunners were lost.
John Melling (301946)
Royal Army Medical Corps
5 July 1945, aged 27
School magazine - J. Melling (1926-29), Died on active service, Italy, July, 1945 - John Melling (1926-29) had died on active service in Italy in July 1945.
Caserta War Cemetery
Died in Italy after VE Day
William Melling (VX38226)
Australian Infantry - A.I.F. 2/22 Bn.
1 July 1942, aged 31
School magazine - W. Melling (1920-27), Australian I.F. Believed died as Prisoner of War in Japanese hands, after July 1st, 1942. - Three Old Edwardians died in the work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, including: William Melling, (1920-27) who had emigrated to Australia in the Thirties and was part of the Australian Division that arrived at Singapore in 1942 in time to become POWs. All that his parents in Handsworth could find out was that he had died somewhere in the jungle after the prisoners had left Singapore Island in July 1942. They had just received word that their other son John Melling (1926-29) had died on active service in Italy in July 1945.
Rabaul Memorial
Died as a Japanese PoW
Charles Luther Milner (1051697)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 166 Sqdn.
1 March 1945, aged 38
School Magazine - C. L. Milner, Sergeant, R.A.F., is now officially presumed to have lost his life on air operations over Germany on March 1st, 1945. He had joined the R.A.F. in 1940, and was previously on the staff of Samuel Osborn & Co.
Durnbach War Cemetery
Lancaster mk I serial number ME447 coded AS-E airborne from Kirmington at 11:40 for a mission to Mannheim, aircraft crashed in the target area.
Percy Dryden Nixon (580671)
Royal Air Force - 44 Sqdn.
20 July 1940
School Magazine - Percy Dryden Nixon (1925-33), was killed on active service on 20th July, 1940, aged 24. Shortly after leaving School, Nixon was articled to a chartered accountant in the City, but in 1939 he chose a more adventurous life with the R.A.F. and in March of that year he joined the Service as an observer, being subsequently given the rank of sergeant. His interest in Scouting, which he had retained from schooldays, was evidenced while in Sheffield by his activity with the School Rover Crew, of which he was an active member for five years. He was made a Rover Mate in 1938 and appointed Treasurer. He did some very good work with the Sheffield Borstal Committee, on which body he was appointed the Crew's representative, and was still interested in the subject after joining the R.A.F. After the outbreak of war he was engaged on many flights over enemy territory, and it was whilst on one of these that he met his untimely end. His unselfish service will long be remembered by the School which nurtured him.
Skagen Cemetery
Hampden I serial L4087 coded KM-C took-off from Waddington for a minelaying operation off Frederikshaven, hit by flak and crashed into the sea at Tannis Bay off Kandestedern, the rear gunner P/O B. Green together with the pilot Sgt. E.L.Farrands swam to shore, both becoming prisoners of war. On the 21st July the body of W/Op/Air/Gnr. Sgt Reginald T.Miller was found on the beach with the body of Observer Sgt Percy D. Nixon being discovered on the 24th July, both were laid to rest in Skagen cemetery.
John Edward Northend (119289)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 61 Sqdn.
13 January 1943, aged 22
School magazine - John Edward Northend (1930-37), Flying Officer, R.A.F.V.R. Believed killed in action, January, 1943. Aged 22. John Northend was reported missing in January after a bombing raid over Germany. "He was a member" (his Wing Commander writes) " of a very fine crew that had carried out many most praiseworthy sorties, including the famous raids on Italy . I feel that we have lost seven exceptionally good men who were welded into the finest of crews. Of John Northend I had the highest opinion ; his work was of the highest standard, and so too was the example he set as an officer, while I admired his inherent cheerfulness. Popular in the Mess and with all ranks in the Squadron, we are going to miss him very much." No news of the fate of his aircraft was heard, but subsequent information was that he and his crew were believed to be buried at Dusseldorf.
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Lancaster mkI serial number W4192 coded QR-E took off at 03:35 Syerston on an operation to Essen. It crashed at Mettman, 14 km ENE of Düsseldorf, where the crew, who were all killed, were initially buried in the Nordfriedhof.
Alec Webster Oates (1059616)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 20 SFTS
13 June 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Alec Webster Oates (1929-38), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed on active service on June 13th, 1941. Aged 20. Oates left from the Transitus Form to study Law, and to continue the good work he had done as a Scout in the School Troop, and afterwards in the Ranmoor Group, in the capacity of Assistant Scoutmaster of St. John's Church Scouts. He met his death in a flying accident during his final operational training in South Africa, within a week of receiving his wings.
Harare (Pioneer) Cemetery
Died in a flying accident during his final operational training in South Africa, within a week of receiving his wings.
Edgar Geoffrey Ott
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Bonaventure
31 March 1941, aged 25
School magazine - Edgar Geoffrey Ott (1928-31), Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve, was killed in action on H.M.S. Bonaventure in March, 1941. Aged 25." Cherry " Ott is chiefly remembered here as an efficient and enthusiastic Scout. He quickly became a First Class Scout and was a Patrol Leader. He was one of the Scout Party which visited Jamaica with Mr. Gaskin in April, 1931, and he also spent some holidays at Mr. Saville's Camp at Winchelsea. Until, the outbreak of war he was serving in the Mercantile Marine.
Plymouth Naval Memorial
HMS Bonaventure was torpedoed and sunk, while escorting convoy GA-8 from Greece to Alexandria, by the Italian submarine Ambra about 100 nautical miles south-south-east of Crete in position 33º20'N, 26º35'E. There were 310 survivors.
Henry Edward Shaw Outram (132558)
Royal Artillery - 2 Field Regt.
13 June 1941, aged 22
Bradfield (St. Nicholas) Churchyard
Death registered in Bakewell, Derbyshire
Ernest John (Jack) Paget (791125)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - RAF Mogadishu
8 February 1943, aged 32
School magazine - Ernest John Paget (1919-26), Corporal (Wireless Operator), R.A.F. Died on active service, May, 1943. Aged 33. E. J. Paget served with the R.A.F. at Nairobi ; he was one of the first to fly into Addis Abbaba, and the last to leave after the British conquest of Abyssinia ; he had been present at the reception of the Emperor and Empress. At the time of his death he was engaged upon a secret mission, and appears to have contracted fever from which he died before he could be flown back to Nairobi. His Commanding Officer writes : " I have never had anything but praise for the way he has performed his duties. He has always been happy and cheerful to serve in the most out-of-the-way spots entirely without supervision, and indeed was that type of person that rendered supervision unnecessary. He left to perform a certain part in an intended operation and was highly commended by an officer of this H.Q. who was concerned with this operation. His loss is keenly felt both by his comrades and by the officers with whom he came in contact."
Nairobi War Cemetery
Died of illness in Africa
Randal George Pearson (1339699)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
23 December 1942, aged 20
School magazine - Randal George Pearson (1938-39), Sergeant Navigator, R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service in December, 1942. Aged 20. Though he had only a short time in which to make friends here, he is remembered as a keen and active lad. Flying was evidently his passion and forte, and an early enthusiasm for " model flying " led on to a promising career in the service. lie was engaged in constructing what he called a " new super sort of night-flying map " with some of his friends, shortly before he met a tragic accidental death.
Kempston Cemetery
Killed when Blenheim L4872 (Mk IV) of 51 OTU (Cranfield) lost height and crashed at Wood End, Marston at 22.10hrs, following engine failure after take-off from Cranfield.
Malcolm Ravenhill (40750)
Royal Air Force - 229 Sqdn.
30 September 1940, aged 27
School magazine - Malcolm Ravenhill (K.E.S. 1922-29), Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force, was killed in action on 30th September, 1940, aged 27. Ravenhill left King Edward's from the Fifth Form and obtained an appointment with Messrs. Woolworth & Co., shortly becoming Assistant Manager of a branch in Glasgow. He joined the R.A.F. in 1938 and spent some time in training in Egypt. He fought at Dunkirk, where he shot down three enemy planes and met his death in an air battle over London. One of his hobbies was sketching and some of his work was recently published in the Services Magazine Blighty. - F/O Malcolm Ravenhill (KES 1922-29) Malcolm Ravenhill left KES after the Fifth Form and worked for Woolworths becoming a branch assistant manager in Glasgow. He joined the RAF before the war and trained in Egypt. He served with 229 Squadron and shot down three enemy planes over Dunkirk during the evacuation. He fought in the Battle of Britain and was forced to bale out himself in the middle of September over Kent. Ten days later in a dog fight over London he was shot down again and this time he did not escape. One of his hobbies was sketching and he had had a recent cartoon printed in Blighty, the services magazine. At 27 he was considerably older than most of the fighter pilots in 1940 and his body was brought back to Sheffield and buried in City Rd. cemetery.
Sheffield (City Road) Cemetery
Died at Ightham Ct, Ightham, Malling; Buried on October 5, 1940
John Harvey Rayner (237582)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - "B" Sqn. 51st (The Leeds Rifles)
22 May 1944, aged 26
School magazine - John H. Rayner, Lieut., Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in May, 1944, in Italy. He had served from the beginning of the war (and in the Territorials before it), and had been in Iceland and Norway with the York and Lancs Regiment before going to North Africa. He was 26 years of age.
Cassino War Cemetery
Died in Italy
Joseph Rogerson (952920)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 153 MU
28 May 1943, aged 28
School magazine - J. Rogerson, L.A.C., R.A.F., has died as a Prisoner of War in a Japanese camp.
Ambon War Cemetery
Died as a Japanese PoW
Donald Albert Rollin (155787)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 44 Sqdn.
16 December 1943, aged 22
School magazine - D. A. Rollin, Pilot Officer, R.A.F.V.R., was killed on air operations over Berlin on December 16th, 1943. This was only a few days after he had been awarded the D.F.C. (as Sergt.-Pilot). " Pilot Officer Rollin has completed very many sorties, involving attacks on a variety of important and well defended targets. He has displayed great skill and determination and his efforts to make every sortie a success have won great praise. P./O. Rollin is a most inspiring captain." Rollin trained in Rhodesia, and was commissioned in May 1943, made his first trip over Essen on May 27th, and has been in the front lines of Bomber Command ever since, having made 23 raids on Germany.
Hanover War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number DV238 coded KM-M airborne from Dunholme Lodge at 16:21 on an operation to Berlin, crashed at Diepholz.
William Ewart Sadler
Merchant Navy - M.V. San Demetrio (London)
5 November 1940, aged 26
School magazine - W. E. Sadler (1924-30), Radio Officer, Merchant Navy. Killed in action, Jervis Bay, November, 1940. - William Sadler (1924-30) was the Radio Officer on the tanker, San Demetrio, which was torpedoed in the Atlantic and its crew abandoned ship. As the fires seemed containable three of the ships life-boats returned to the vessel and managed to get her to Newfoundland. One of the boats, however, was swamped by the heavy seas and her crew were all drowned and William Sadler, who had been in the Merchant Navy for six years after leaving school, was in that boat.
Tower Hill Memorial
Another act of survival and heroism came from the "San Demetrio", she was hit by the Admiral Scheer. The San Demetrio was a tanker carrying 12,000 tons of aviation fuel and had only a top speed of 12 kts, she was owned by the Eagle Oil & Co Ltd, London. The Admiral Scheer had caught her and after four salvos from her guns her upper deck was a mass of flames, her bridge and her poop destroyed, plus she had a gaping hole in her port side. The tanker was now a time bomb waiting to go off, it was a miracle that the explosions and flames had not caused the aviation fuel to explode. The order to abandon ship was given, even while abandoning the ship the Admiral Scheer still firing on her, two boats managed to launch with the crew of 26 in one and 16 in the other. Even when they had pulled away, the Admiral Scheer still fired into the ship, but the ship would not explode. Then suddenly the Admiral Scheer switched off her searchlights and disappeared into the night and carried on chasing the now scattered convoy. All the crew managed to escape, which in itself was a miracle, the two boats were separated during the night and the lifeboat of 26 with the captain were picked up later and taken to Newfoundland. The other crew of 16 rowed away from the tanker before it exploded, by morning the tanker was nowhere to be seen. They drifted until late afternoon, then they spotted a ship, as they came closer they realised it was the San Demetrio, some how it had not exploded and even now it was still on fire. As darkness came they could not make up their mind whether to risk going on board, try to put out the fire, and attempt to sail the ship home, or to risk being drowned or die from exposure in the lifeboat. Once darkness settled they lost sight of the ship and resigned to stay in the boat. At dawn, the 7th November, the San Demetrio was about five miles to leeward. Sail was set and they were again close alongside at about noon. She was still on fire, but no one objected to re-boarding, which was soon successfully accomplished. Once aboard they managed to put out the fire and rig up a steering system, though the bridge was more or less totally destroyed. Without any navigational equipment or charts, they managed to sail the tanker through the U-boat killing grounds to Ireland and then after refusing the assistance of another boat, they then sailed on to the Clyde. They docked there on the 16th Nov, with their battered Red Ensign flying at half-mast. A film was made in 1943 to celebrate the heroic achievement.
Douglas Whitham Sanderson (942817)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
13 January 1943, aged 21
School magazine - D. W. Sanderson (1933-37), Sergeant Pilot, R.A.F. Killed on active service.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Hudson I T9322 of 1 (C)OUT of Silloth Airfield - On final approach to RAF Silloth, while completing a training exercise, the twin engine aircraft crashed in flames short of runway. Died at RAF Station Silloth; Buried on January 20, 1943 (removed from Wigton parish)
Norman John Shakespeare (1216168)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 101 Sqdn.
3 November 1943, aged 22
School magazine - N. J. Shakespeare, Sergt. Observer, R.A.F., was reported missing from a raid on Dusseldorf, November, 1943. The Red Cross reported that the pilot and six others of the crew, unidentified, were known to have been killed, leaving a seventh member unaccounted for.
Rheinberg War Cemetery
Lancaster aircraft LM365 lost on an operation to Dusseldorf, Germany from Ludford Magna airfield
Richard Millson Shardlow (120650)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 47 AS
6 July 1944, aged 23
School magazine - R. M. Shardlow, Flight Lieut , R.A.F.V.R , was killed in a flying accident while on a training course in Africa, in July 1944. He left the University to join the R.A.F. in July 1940, trained as a navigator in S. Africa, and after being commissioned served for a year in Kenya on education and other duties. As Flying Officer he served in the Middle East and later with an Australian Squadron as Flight Lieutenant and Squadron Navigation Officer. He had decided to make a career in the R.A.F and was accepted for a Staff Navigator's Course at Queenstown. His Commanding Officer wrote " Although your son had only been under my command for a short period, he had become extremely popular with all ranks by reason of his outstanding personality, and his loss is keenly felt by all His death, however, is not only a great loss to this station but to the service as a whole "
Queenstown Cemetery, Eastern Cape
Killed when Anson serial 4312 of 47 AS crashed in South Africa.
Charles Robin Sifton (183797)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 10 Sqdn.
5 January 1945, aged 21
School Magazine - Flying Officer C. R. Sifton. The Halifax of which he was Captain and Pilot failed to return from an operation over Hanover on the night of 5th January, 1945, and it was subsequently learned that the machine crashed at Lemgo about forty miles south-west of Hanover, where the crew are buried ; records show that the machine exploded in the air, and there can be little doubt that all the crew were killed outright, although only seven bodies out of the crew of eight are recorded to have been found. Charles Sifton left K.E.S. in March 1941 for a short course at Cambridge. In the following year he trained in South Africa, and served with Coastal Command in 1943 and with Bomber Command in 1944. We have happy memories here of his cheerful participation in musical and dramatic activities, and his many friends will join in deep sympathy for his bereaved family.
Hanover War Cemetery
Halifax mk III serial NA114 coded ZA-K airborne from Oakington at 16:49 on a mission to Hannover, crashed at Lemgo.
Stephen Rivington Skerritt (1106001)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 53 O.T.U.
12 May 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Stephen Rivington Skerritt (1930-37), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force, was killed on active service in May, 1941. Aged 20. Stephen Skerritt and Alec Oates were Scouts together at School and at Ranmoor, and met their deaths in similar circumstances, though Skerritt was in training in England. Their service and sacrifice were commemorated jointly at a Memorial Service at St. John's Church on June 27th, at which the School and School Scouts were represented.
Bradfield (St. Nicholas) Churchyard
53 OTU ORB, May 12th 1941, “Pupil Sergeants A.E. Couper and S.R. Skerritt killed in flying accident.” Master N7451 at Hurstborne Manor, Whitchurch, Hants. Skerritt is registered at Kingsclere, Hampshire.
Hedley Millard Smith (149906)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 10 Sqdn.
16 July 1943, aged 32
School magazine - H. M. Smith (1922-27), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, July, 1943.
Recey-Sur-Ource Communal Cemetery
Halifax mk II serial number JB961 coded ZA-R airborne from Melbourne, Yorkshire at 21:42 on a mission to Montbeliard, crashed at Recey sur Ource about 52 km NNW of Dijon.
John Albert Smith (1430250)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 250 Sqdn.
9 September 1943
School magazine - J. A. Smith, Sergt. Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., after training and receiving his wings in South Africa, was posted immediately to a squadron in Tunisia as fighter pilot, flying a Kittyhawk fighter bomber ; he was reported missing from air operations over South Italy in September, 1943, and no further news has so far been received.
Naples War Cemetery
Kittyhawk Mk.III serial number FR786 crashed on air operations in the south of Italy. Sgt. Smith called on the R.T. to say that his engine temperature was high, that he was north of Nicosia, Sicily heading for west coast.
Thomas David Snape (755873)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 109 Sqdn.
21 November 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Thomas David Snape (1932-37), Sergt. Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed in November, 1941. Aged 20. Snape had been an apprentice at Messrs. Steel, Peech and Tozer, and had joined the R.A.F.V.R. before the outbreak of war. He had seen service in more than one notable action, having been engaged in the attack on the Bismarck, and in the Berlin raid which resulted in the loss of thirty-seven of our planes. His death was the result of an accident and he was buried at home with military honours.
Castleton (St. Edmund) Churchyard
Wellington mk IC serial T2552 crashed on landing back at Oakington after a training flight
Hedley Ward Stagg (14693490)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 9th Bn.
14 January 1945, aged 19
School magazine - Hedley W. Stagg, Pte., Signals Co., Yorks and Lanes Regt., died of wounds received on active service in the Far East in January 1945. The loss of one who was so recently a boy among us here has been very deeply felt. All who knew him admired and respected Hedley Stagg for his character, his scholarly attainments, and his outstanding musical talent. He won an Open Exhibition for English at Jesus College, Cambridge, in December 1943. His platoon commander writes: "As a member of the platoon he 'made every effort to fit in with the lads, and it says a lot for his personality when I say that he became one of the most popular chaps in the signals. He was also one of my star operators and it was his job to help to operate the Control wireless in Battalion H.Q . He was also a brave man. Hedley was good all through." He was severely wounded in the leg and hand, and, though safely conveyed to the base hospital, he died a day or two later after amputation of the leg. - Hedley Stagg serving as a Private in one of the four battalions of the York and Lancs. Regiment that fought in Burma. He was well known to boys still at the school, for he had only left in July 1943 and he had been a prefect, a stalwart member of the school orchestra and had an Open Scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge waiting for him when he returned. He died from his wounds sustained defending his battalion H.Q. against a desperate Japanese attack in January 1945, the only Old Edwardian to be killed in the local regiment in the Second World War.
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Died in Burma
Norman Henry Stauber (1456888)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 97 Sqdn.
22 March 1945, aged 23
School magazine - H. N. Stauber, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F.V.R., was posted missing from operations on March 22nd, 1945, when he took part in an attack on Hanover as wireless operator. His Group Captain wrote : " He was one of our most reliable operators whose skill was largely responsible for the many safe returns of his crew and measure of success they achieved. They were undertaking a leading part in the duties performed by the Squadron in the bombing offensive, and the loss of such an experienced crew is greatly deplored."
Becklingen War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial PB521 coded OF-Q airborne from Coningsby 01:21 to bomb the Deutsche Erdolwerke Refinery in Hamburg's Harburg district. Crashed at 03.55 south of the Elbe at Feldmark Leeswig, Hamburg-Neuenfelde
Barrie Noel Stephenson (1530146)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - (295 Squadron)
16 May 1943, aged 21
Sheffield Crematorium
Handley-Page Halifax Mk V serial number DG390. The Halifax was a glider tug from 295 Squadron RAF and was lost at 12:15 whilst was on a low level ten minute flight from Hurn to Holmsley South when it crashed, due to engine failure. The crash occurred about half way between RAF Hurn and RAF Holmsley South, just north east of the former RAF Radar station at Sopley in Thatchers Lane, north west of Bransgore, It was particularly tragic because it was ferrying back three army glider pilots in addition to its own crew of four.
Gordon Strange
15 November 1940, aged 14
School magazine - Gordon strange (KES 1937-40) In November 1940 whilst helping out as a member of the KES Scouts at the Sheffield War Weapons Week Exhibition in the foyer of the City Hall, Gordon Strange, a 14 year old boy who lived in Firth Park, was fatally injured by a round from an accidental discharge of a Boyes Anti-tank Rifle. A member of Form Va, he had already demonstrated that he was a brilliant scholar and would have gone into the Classical Sixth and probably gained an Oxbridge Scholarship. Although he was neither a serviceman nor been killed by enemy action his name was included on the War Memorial, the youngest Edwardian to be so commemorated in either of the two World Wars. - G. Strange (1937-40), Patrol Leader, School Scout Troop. Accidentally killed on duty at Civic War Exhibition, November, 1940.
Accidentally killed on duty at Civic War Exhibition. Killed whilst helping out as a member of the KES Scouts at the Sheffield War Weapons Week Exhibition in the foyer of the City Hall, Gordon Strange, a 14 year old boy who lived in Firth Park, was fatally injured by a round from an accidental discharge of a Boyes Anti-tank Rifle.
Edward Stringer (P/JX 191393)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Egret
27 August 1943, aged 22
School magazine - Signalman Edward Stringer (1932-37) who had just joined his new ship, HMS Egret, after having been torpedoed in the eastern Mediterranean only two months before. In August 1943 the Egret was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of all 203 hands.E. STRINGER, Signaller, R.N.V.R., lost his life at sea on August 27th, 1943. Joining in 1940, he had served in the Eastern Mediterranean, and returned home, after being torpedoed, in June, 1943. His next ship was sunk in. the Atlantic in August with 203 of her crew
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Lost when the sloop HMS Egret was sunk off the Atlantic coast of Spain. HMS Egret was the first Allied warship to be sunk by a guided missle. 30 nautical miles west of Vigo, Spain she was attacked by a squadron of Dornier aircraft, one of which carried and launched the Henschel Hs-293A guided bomb which hit sank Egret in position 42º10'N, 09º22'W, killing 194 of its crew.
George Leslie Swift (742574)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - Sea Rescue Flt
25 November 1941, aged 27
School magazine - G. L. Swift (1928-31), Sergeant, R.A.F. Killed in action, Middle East, November, 1941.
El Alamein War Cemetery
Killed in action, Middle East
George Eric Taylor (897491)
Royal Artillery - 123 Field Regt.
14 April 1940, aged 20
School magazine - G. E. Taylor (1929-36), Lance Bombardier, R.A. Died at home, April, 1940.
Fulwood (Christ Church) Churchyard
Died at home.
James Brian Teather (1453556)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 164 Sqdn.
7 October 1944, aged 22
School magazine - J. B. Teather, Flight Sergt., R.A.F.V.R, was reported missing in October 1944, and is now known to have been killed in air operations over Belgium. He had been in the R.A.F. since September 1941, having trained in S. Africa. In October 1943, he married Miss Joan Holgate, of Wolverhampton ; a child was born to them shortly before Brian Teather's death.
Brugge General Cemetery
Typhoon serial MN862 lost during Operation Switchback crashing alongside the Schipdonk canal to Damme.
Robert Thomas Crawford Tilsey (6108351)
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) - 1/5th Bn.
9 April 1945, aged 20
Becklingen War Cemetery
KIA in the advance through northern Germany, originally buried in Sudweyhe
Arthur Eric Troops
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Monarch
13 June 1944, aged 39
School magazine - Arthur E. Troops (1917-20), Lieut-Commander R.D., R.N.R. (retired), who lost his life on June 13th, 1944, in the English Channel, while serving as Captain of H.M. Cableship Monarch. He had left school at the age of fifteen to join the Nautical Training Ship Worcester, and so had completed nearly thirty years of naval service.
Sheffield (Crookes) Cemetery
Killed in a friendly fire incident when HM cable ship Monarch was attacked by USS Plunkett whilst off the D-Day beaches.
Ronald Victor Trueman (61969)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 405 Sqdn.
24 July 1941, aged 22
School magazine - R. V. Trueman (1934-36), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Brest, July, 1941.
Runnymede Memorial
Wellington mk IC serial W5537 coded LQ-O airborne from Pocklington at 11:53 on a mission to Brest.
Leslie Reginald Vickery
Merchant Navy - S.S. Clarissa Radcliffe (London)
9 March 1943, aged 34
Tower Hill Memorial
SS Clarissa Radcliffe was on the route Pepel - New York (5 Mar) - Barrow with a cargo of 8450 tons of iron ore. At 15.40 hours on 18 March 1943 the Clarissa Radcliffe (Master Stuart Gordon Finnes), a straggler from convoy SC-122 since a heavy storm in approx. 42°N/62°W on 9 March, was hit by one torpedo from U-663 and sank immediately about 700 miles southwest of Cape Farewell. At 15.35 hours, the ship had been missed with a spread of three torpedoes because Schmid apparently overestimated her speed. There were no survivors: the master, 42 crew members and ten gunners were lost.
Kenneth John Wainwright
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Asturias
3 August 1943, aged 34
shown in Naval history as killed in torpedo attack, but if so why in Belfast Cemetery when torpedo attack was near Freetown
Belfast City Cemetery
Died in UK
John Terence Waterfall (88022)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
24 September 1941, aged 28
School magazine - J. T. Waterfall (1922-29), A/Flying Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Malta, September, 1941.
Malta Memorial
Blenheim serial number Z9599 lost without trace on a shipping sortie from Luqa, Malta
Charles Jeffrey Watson (4747655)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 6th Bn.
15 June 1940, aged 19
Gent City Cemetery
p POW and maybe of wounds
George Albert Wells (2363244)
Royal Corps of Signals - 1st Armd. Bde. Sigs.
14 November 1942, aged 24
School magazine - G. A. Wells, Royal Corps of Signals, after serving for two years in North Africa, was taken prisoner in June, 1942. Shortly afterwards, it appears, he was presumed to have been killed whilst in the Italian Prisoner of War Camp 154, all the members of which are reported to have lost their lives.
Alamein Memorial
After serving for two years in North Africa, was taken prisoner in June, 1942, he was presumed to have been killed whilst in the Italian Prisoner of War Camp 154, all the members of which are reported to have lost their lives.
John Marcus Wesley (152067)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 115 Sqdn.
7 June 1944, aged 21
School magazine - J. M. Wesley, Flying Officer, Royal Air Force, was reported missing in June, 1944, after a bombing raid on Lisieux, Normandy, and his death is now unhappily presumed. Leaving school in 1939 for employment in the National Provincial Bank at Hillsborough, he had joined the Home Guard in its early days as " L.D.V." and afterwards qualified as a pilot in the R.A.F., being commissioned at Saskatoon in April, 1943. He was spoken of as a very capable pilot and captain of aircraft, whom his crew were proud and happy to serve to the best of their ability.
Runnymede Memorial
Lancaster mk III serial LM533 coded KO-T airborne from Witchford at 00:01 on a mission to attack the railway junction and marshaling yard at Lisieux.
Lionel Wigram (37042)
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) - -
3 February 1944, aged 37
School magazine - L. Wigram, Major, Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in Italy in February, 1944. Lionel Wigram joined the School in 1918, and after a very successful career, left in 1925 to go to The Queen's College, Oxford, with a State Scholarship. Becoming a solicitor, he went to London and achieved great success in his profession, serving for some years on the Marylebone Borough Council. His greatest claim to distinction is his connection with the inception of the, system of Battle Drill which is now an essential part of British Infantry training. Inspired and encouraged by General Alexander, Wigram was able to put into practice his ideas of a suitable course of training-tough, exacting and realistic - for modern warfare. His book on the subject became the Official Manual, and he was appointed Commandant of the first G.H.Q. Battle School for the training of instructors. After a visit of observation to Sicily, he went to Italy to give the benefit of his methods to the Irregulars there. It was while leading a party of his Italians in a night attack on a village that he was killed by enemy rifle-fire.
Moro River Canadian War Cemetery
SOE Italy (Wigforce). KIA Pizzoferrato,Italy
Peter Wilkinson (184237)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - 6th
10 June 1942, aged 27
School magazine - P. Wilkinson (1926-30), 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Tank Regiment. Killed on active service, North Africa, June, 1942.
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma
Died in North Africa
Frank Hanson Williams
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Cape Howe
21 June 1940
The first fatality in action was a ship’s surgeon who had been at school in Dr. Hichens’ time. Surgeon-Lieut. Frank Williams R.N. had served in the Navy before the war after being in general practice at Malin Bridge earlier. Ironically, he had already seen some action in China in 1938 when his ship, H.M.S. Cicala, had defied Japanese warnings and sailed 25 miles up the mine-littered Pearl River on a rescue mission. His luck ran out off the French coast when his ship was sunk, and although he was seen to get into one of the lifeboats, bad weather scattered them during the night and only one boat was rescued. For some weeks he was posted as missing, but by August the Admiralty was listing him as presumed drowned and his lifeboat was never found.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
At 8:46 HMS Cape Howe (X 02), disguised as Prunella, was hit on the starboard side near the bridge by one of two torpedoes fired by U-28 about 100 miles west of the Isles of Scilly. The explosion blew open the hatches of number 1 hold, put the Asdic and steering gear out of order and mortally injured two crewmen. The panic party abandoned the now slowly circling ship in two lifeboats but the U-boat did not surface and fired a coup de grâce after about one hour that hit on port side amidships, causing her to slowly settle by the bow until sinking with a list to port at 12:30 hours.
Robert Hugh David Williams (D/JX 196505)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Fearless
24 July 1941, aged 21
School magazine - Robert Hugh David Williams (1929-37), Able Seaman, R.N., was killed in action in July, 1941. Aged 21. Although he had been recommended for a commission, Williams preferred the life of an A.B., and in this rank he had seen service in several theatres of war before taking part in the bombardment of Genoa. In an air attack on his ship, H.M.S. Fearless, he was wounded, with eight others, at his action station and died on the following day. His Commander has described him as a popular seaman and a great sportsman-he held his ship's record as a goal-scorer.
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Killed when the destroyer HMS Fearless was torpedoed and heavily damaged by Italian aircraft while escorting a convoy in the central Mediterranean. She was scuttled by a torpedo from HMS Forester about 50 nautical miles north-north-east of Bone, Algeria in position 37º40'N, 08º20'E.
Gordon Louis Wincott (1101847)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
25 October 1941, aged 19
School magazine - G. L. Wincott (1931-38), Sergeant, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Malta, October, 1941.
Tripoli War Cemetery
Blenheim Z7704 left Malta on road patrol over what is now Libya bombed an Axis petrol dump & then crashed or was shot down.
Ralph Skelton Woolass (102073)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 234 Sqdn.
16 April 1942, aged 24
Runnymede Memorial
Spitfire mk Vb serial number coded AZ-? airborne from Ibsley on a cover patrol for an air sea rescue, shot down by ME109's at 15:10 in the English Channel off Cherbourg.
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
6 February 1944, aged 26
School magazine - R. Allison, Captain, R.E.M.E., was reported killed in Burma, February, 1944. - Also involved in stopping German reinforcements reaching Normandy were two old boys who were working with the French Resistance and other clandestine forces. Lt. Geoffrey Arnold (1924-28) serving with the Parachute Regiment was blowing up bridges in central France whilst leading a group of irregulars who had all been members of the International Brigade during the Spanish Civil War.
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Killed in Action in Burma
Geoffrey Norman Arnold (339020)
Royal Air Force
19 August 1941, aged 28
School magazine - Geoffrey N. Arnold (1923-31) was a former Editor of the KESMagazine and was serving as a Sergeant in RAF Intelligence. He had gone to Oriel College, Oxford on a Kitchener Scholarship and as a language tutor had travelled widely in Germany before the war and knew the Third Reich from personal experience. He was in a convoy travelling to a new assignment when they were torpedoed in August 1941. He had been brought up by his mother because his father, Walter Arnold, had been killed in the First World War.
Runnymede Memorial
Was a passenger on the steam passenger ship Aguila. At 04.06 hours on 19 August 1941, U-201 fired a salvo of four torpedoes at the convoy OG-71 west-southwest of Fastnet Rock and observed two detonations on a tanker and two further detonations on two ships beyond her. Schnee claimed three ships sunk with 20,000 grt, but in fact the Ciscar and Aguila were sunk. The Aguila was the ship of the convoy commodore and sank within 90 seconds after being hit by two torpedoes. The commodore, five naval staff members, five gunners, 54 crew members and 88 passengers were lost. The master, five crew members, one naval staff member and two passengers were picked up by HMS Wallflower (K 44) and landed at Gibraltar. Five crew members and one passenger were rescued by the Empire Oak, but five of them were lost when this ship was sunk by U-564 on 22 August. One crew member was picked up by HMS Campanula (K 18), transferred to HMS Velox (D 34) and landed at Gibraltar on 25 August. Among the passengers on board the Aguila were 21 women from the WRNS (Womens Royal Navy Service) who had volunteered for cypher and wireless duties in Gibraltar. None of the Wrens survived the sinking. As a tribute to their memory, a lifeboat named Aguila Wren was built and launched on 28 June 1952 for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.
John Crawford Atty (14583625)
Royal Artillery - 73 Anti-Tank Regt.
17 June 1944, aged 19
School magazine - J. C. Atty, Gunner, Royal Artillery (Anti-tank Battery), was killed in action on the Western Front in October, 1944. A report from his Commanding Officer said that his tank had just knocked out a German tank, and Atty had climbed out to repair the aerial which had been hit by enemy fire, when a mortar shell burst near him, killing him instantly.
Hottot-Les-Bagues War Cemetery
Killed in action in France. A report from his Commanding Officer said that his tank had just knocked out a German tank, and Atty had climbed out to repair the aerial which had been hit by enemy fire, when a mortar shell burst near him, killing him instantly.
Robert John Aubrey (6108419)
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) - 1/5th Bn.
23 January 1945, aged 20
School magazine - R. J. Aubrey, Pte., Queen's Royal Regiment, was killed in action in North West Europe. He was at King Edward VII School from 1934 to 1939, and afterwards at Rotherham Grammar School and had spent a year studying architecture at Sheffield University. He had been in the Army for about eighteen months and had been serving on the continent since D-day, with the 7th Armoured Division. He took part in the fighting round Caen, and had been twice wounded.
Nederweert War Cemetery
Killed in action in Holland.
Alan Beardsell
Q4 1946, aged 28
probably brother of Norman Wardley Beardsell
Died in Sheffield
Norman Wardley Beardsell (103640)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 484 GCC
21 September 1945, aged 37
School magazine - N. W. Beardsell, Squadron-Leader, R.A.F., was killed in a road accident in Germany on September 21st. He left school in 1924 and had risen to the post of cashier at the Heeley Branch of the Yorkshire Penny Bank. He had been Staff Officer in the Civil Defence Ambulance Service, and joined the R.A.F. in August, 1941, going overseas in August, 1944. He served on ground staff of Radar, and was in charge of an R.A. F. Mobile Radar Station.
Celle War Cemetery
Killed in a road accident in Germany.
Alan Kenneth Beardshaw
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - H.M.S. Fiona.
18 April 1941, aged 25
Plymouth Naval Memorial
HMS Fiona was bombed and sunk near Sidi Barrani, Egypt on 18 April 1941.
Derek Fenton Beech (14838953)
Royal Corps of Signals
4 October 1947, aged 21
School magazine - We have heard with deep regret of the death of D. F. Beech, Wireless Operator, Royal Corps of Signals, at a Military Hospital in Palestine. He left School to be articled to a Chartered Accountant in 1943, was called up in 1944 and posted to the Royal Signals. Taking the place of a sick man on a draft for India in September, 1945, he was posted to the 5th Indian Division in Java, returning to India when British troops were evacuated from Surabaya. Later he was attached to the 9th Infantry Brigade H.Q, in Egypt and Jerusalem. He was taken ill in September of this year, with typhoid fever, and died on October 4th. He was buried in the British War Memorial Cemetery at Sarafond, Palestine, with full military honours.
Ramleh War Cemetery
Died at a Military Hospital in Palestine of typhoid fever.
Edwin Walter Beech (153958)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 59 Sqdn.
3 December 1945, aged 21
School magazine - The sad news reached us only a few days ago of the death of Flight-Lieutenant E. W. Beech, who was co-pilot of the troop-carrying plane which was caught in a thunderstorm on December 3rd, on a homeward-bound flight from Malta, and crashed at Trizay in the Pyrenees. Edwin Beech had partially completed his Oxford career at the Queen's College, of which he was a Hastings Scholar in History. He is remembered here as a fine scholar and sportsman, with character and talents that promised a distinguished future, and his death in these tragic circumstances has come as a great shock to us all.
Rochefort-Sur-Mer Naval Cemetery
Liberator GR mk VI serial number KH125 was hit by lightning in severe turbulence, a wing broke off and the aircraft crashed near Rochefort, France with the loss of all on board, 5 crew and 23 passengers.
Maurice Waterman Belton (14693504)
Royal Armoured Corps - Nottinghamshire Yeomanry
1 April 1945, aged 19
School magazine - Maurice W. Belton, Trooper, Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry, was killed in action on April 1st, 1945. The tank in which he was a member of the crew was coming into the outskirts of the Dutch town of Lockhem when it was hit at close range by an anti-tank weapon, and he was killed immediately. His grave is in a place at the foot of a wooded hill about two miles south of Lockhem just off the main road from Barchem. His chaplain wrote : " He was a good lad and deservedly well liked amongst us. His quiet friendly ways won for him a number of good friends, perhaps more than he was aware of ; whilst his quiet courage and more than average ability and willingness earned for him the respect of his comrades. He is much missed amongst us and a number of his comrades have asked me to convey their very real sympathy." We remember him at school as a boy of sterling and lovable character ; his death, within so short a time of his leaving school, has been very deeply felt by his contemporaries, who will long cherish the memory of his influence and friendship.
Laren (Barchem) General Cemetery
Was killed in action on April 1st, 1945. The tank in which he was a member of the crew was coming into the outskirts of the Dutch town of Lockhem when it was hit at close range by an anti-tank weapon, and he was killed immediately. His grave is in a place at the foot of a wooded hill about two miles south of Lockhem just off the main road from Barchem.
George Benjamin Holt Birdsell (938323)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 101 Sqdn.
3 April 1941, aged 22
School magazine - George Benjamin Holt Bidsell (1928-33), Sergeant-Observer, Royal Air Force, was killed in action in April, 1941. Aged 22. A member of Lynwood House, Birdsell was a keen and energetic youngster, especially in the junior School, where he was a record-breaker in the Cross Country and a prominent actor in a memorable production of " The Rose and the Ring." After leaving School, and his parents moving to Hipperholme, he was a member of Halifax Rugby Union Football Club and the Old Bodleians R.U.F.C. He joined the R.A.F. in January, 1938, and became acting Pilot Officer, but left the service a few months later, to rejoin on the outbreak of war as a Sergeant Observer. He had taken part in more than twenty raids over Germany.
Warmwell (Holy Trinity) Churchyard
Posted from 17 O.T.U. on 29/1/1941. Blenheim T2439 airborne from West Raynham on a mission to Brest. On return the Blenheim crashed and exploded near Dorchester while trying to locate Boscombe Down. Death registered in Dorchester
Harry Alexander Bowmer (580692)
Royal Air Force - 83 Sqdn.
2 August 1940, aged 21
School magazine - Harry A. Bowmer (1933-1937), Sergt.-Observer, Royal Air Force, died on active service on 2nd August, 1940. Aged 24. Harry Bowmer will be remembered by all his friends at School as a boy who enjoyed life himself and helped others to enjoy it. In the classroom, as a Patrol Leader in the Scouts, and as a member of Lynwood House teams, he was always cheerful and active and his quiet manner hid a keen sense of humour, an independent mind and a sturdy courage which no emergency could disturb. After he left School, Bowmer spent some time in a steel works and then in March, 1939, joined the R.A.F. He reached the rank of Sergeant Observer in January, 1940. After two months' service with an Operational Squadron, he died in hospital from a fracture of the skull caused by a. fall from a building. His School friends will join with his family in grief for the sudden ending of a career of much promise.
Scampton (St. John The Baptist) Churchyard
Died in a fall whilst climbing a drain pipe outside a hotel in Lincoln
Joseph Desmond Bowmer (127844)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 612 Sqdn.
11 February 1944, aged 22
School magazine - J. D. Bowmer (1933-38), Flying Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in air operations, February, 1944.
Runnymede Memorial
Was second pilot on Wellington mk XIV serial number MP758 coded N airborne from Limavady at 16:16 hrs for an anti-submarine patrol. At 21:09 a signal was intercepted by Wellington `B` that `N` was having engine trouble but that was all. Nothing further heard, a position was taken from this signal 60:2 - 14:02 which put them in area of action with U-283 at the Iceland-Faeroes gap so damage by fire from the U-boat. The U-boat reported successfully repulsing an aircraft attack with AA fire, but did not claim the aircraft shot down.
Philip Willoughby Browne (7598743)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps - 4 Ordnance Store Coy.
28 October 1943, aged 23
Three Old Edwardians died in the work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, including: Philip Browne (1931-36) who was a Corporal in the RAOC and worked on the “Death Railway” until he died of dysentery and malnutrition in October of 1943.
Chungkai War Cemetery
Died of dysentery and malnutrition at a Japanese PoW work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore.
John Gordon Byrne (112527)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
28 December 1942, aged 22
School Magazine - John Gordon Byrne (1929-37), Flying Officer, R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service, December, 1942. Aged 22. Previous to his appointment as Flying Instructor at a station in England, lie had had a successful and eventful career in the R.A.F. Having taken part in many night bombing raids on Germany and the Channel ports, lie was transferred to Malta and did much good work over Italy, Sicily and North Africa. He had the honour and good fortune to represent the R.A.F. in an exchange of messages with his family in the Christmas Day broadcast of 1941. At School he was a popular member of Welbeck House and second runner in the team which won the Cross Country in 1936. To his two brothers, as well as to his widow and parents, we offer our very sincere sympathy.
Fulwood (Christ Church) Churchyard
Vickers Wellington BK517 which took off for a 25 minute air test flight from Atherstone-on-Stour, a satellite field of 23 O.T.U. As the flight was described as a medical test flight, Nicholson and the other two non aircrew may have effectively been just passengers on board for the experience. For reasons unknown the bomber, which was piloted by an experienced pilot, J.G. Byrne, hit an elm tree, lost a wing crashed into a valley to the west of Bodicote church. The official aircraft accident form stated that the aircraft had flown into cloud without a wireless operator and had then crashed attempting to make landfall in bad weather.
Richard Brian Charlesworth (1623338)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 70 O.T.U. - Shandhur
17 August 1944, aged 20
School magazine - R. B. Charlesworth, Sergeant Navigator, R.A.F., was killed on August 17th, 1944, when his plane crashed into Bitter Lake, Suez. He had completed his training in South Africa, having entered the R.A.F. from the school squadron of the A.T.C., of which he was one of the original members.
Fayid War Cemetery
He was killed whilst flying in Baltimore, AH114 of No 70 OTU, which crashed into the Great Bitter Lake shortly after take-off for a night bombing practice.
Thomas Dickie Colquhoun (948109)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 17 EFTS
3 February 1943, aged 23
School Magazine - Thomas Dickie Colquhoun (1931-38), Leading Aircraftsman, R.A.F. Killed on active service in February, 1943. Aged 23. His Squadron Leader writes : " During the weeks that lie was on this station, your son showed a keen interest in his duties and was always willing to do a little more than his share. His flying ability and deportment were of a high quality and we could not have wished for a more satisfactory student." He was a keen member of Clumber House and of the School Scout troop : the character given of him above will be more than endorsed by the many friends he made at School. From details, which we are not permitted to quote in full, it appears he must have met instantaneous death in his wrecked aircraft ; his body was buried with military honours at an overseas station.
Windsor Maplewood Cemetery
Killed on Active Service in Canada in an air crash when Fleet Finch II serial 4415 crashed 10 km NE of Stanley, Nova Scotia.
Norman Albert Cook (4346376)
Lincolnshire Regiment - 1st Bn.
2 March 1944, aged 27
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Died in Burma
Geoffrey Elliot Cooper (985149)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 103 MU
1 August 1941, aged 22
Alamein Memorial
Was on loan to 230 Squadron as a radio mechanic, killed when Sunderland serial L2166 shot down whilst attacking the Italian submarine Delfino in the Mediterranean about 14 miles off the coast of Libya.
John Edward Donald Corner (300253)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers - 16 Base Workshops
19 September 1945, aged 24
School magazine - J. E. D. Corner, Lieutenant, R.E.M.E., died after a few days' illness at Naples on September 15th, 1945. His excellent record of service to the School, in the Scouts and in many other activities, is well remembered here, and his many friends will not be surprised to learn of the tributes that have been paid to his abilities and character by those under whom he served in the army and at the University of Sheffield, where he was a student of mining and Cadet C.S.M. in the Training Corps. The Commanding Officer of that unit wrote : " He was a fine upstanding figure of a man, absolutely sound and reliable-a true gentleman-and he will always live in my memory as one of the finest young fellows that ever served in the U.T.C. during the many years that I was privileged to command that unit. In his case "serve" was the correct word, and as Cadet C.S.M. he always set a magnificent example. The world is poorer for the loss of such a man." His Colonel describes him as " an extremely popular member of the mess, in addition to being one of my most promising young officers, and was well liked and respected both as a soldier and a friend by all personnel under his control. His death came as a great shock to everybody in the unit and we all felt a personal loss."
Naples War Cemetery
Died after a few days' illness at Naples.
Graham Hardy Cotton (60546)
Royal Air Force - 149 Sqdn.
17 May 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Graham Hardy Cotton (1928-37), Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed on active service in May, 1941. Aged 22. As a boy, Graham Cotton did much for the School, representing his House, Sherwood, in all its teams ; and his work for the Scouts, both as Patrol Leader and Quartermaster, was invaluable. In 1937 he went up to Sheffield University to study Architecture and his work there showed the greatest promise. From childhood he had always been interested in flying, and when he joined the R.A.F. in the summer of 1940, he was chosen for `training as a pilot, being eighth out of his course in his " wings " examination, and gaining his commission as a Pilot Officer in December, 1940. Always quiet and unassuming in manner, he was at the same time full of energy and vigour, and he had besides a natural sensitiveness of outlook for which those who knew him well will best remember him.
Beck Row (St. John) Churchyard
Wellington mk IC serial number R1587 coded OJ-M on a training flight crashed at Low Barn Farm, Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire after a collision with Hurricane serial V7225, which crashed at Lark Farm, Soham Fen. A member of the ROC (Post B3, Soham) plotted four Wellingtons flying E-W at 5,000 ft when the Hurricane dived steeply from cloud above and ahead. It completely severed the tail section of OJ-M, losing part of the port wing before it dived inverted into the ground. Several crewmen from the Wellington jumped but too low for their parachutes to open.
Manassah Cox (1235080)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 295 Sqdn.
16 August 1943, aged -
School magazine - M. Cox (1934-38), Sergeant. Believed killed in action, August, 1943.
Runnymede Memorial
Lost when Halifax mk V serial number DJ994, ditched off Portugal en route to Sale. The aircraft was towing a glider to Sale but it and the glider failed to arrive.
Paul Rayner Crimp
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve - H.M.S. Cleopatra.
18 September 1943, aged 31
School magazine - P. R. Crimp, Lieut. R.N.V.R., died in hospital in North Africa, September 18th, 1943
Tripoli War Cemetery
Died of illness in hospital in North Africa
Frank Raymond Crookes (135271)
Royal Army Medical Corps
9 May 1945, aged 39
School magazine - F. R. Crookes (1917-23), Captain, R.A.M.C. Died at home, May, 1945.
Eckington Burial Ground
Death registered in Ruthin, Denbighshire
George Stephenson Dales (258829)
Royal Engineers
3 December 1944, aged 25
School magazine - G. S. DALES, Captain, Royal Engineers, whose death was reported in our last issue, died, we now learn, as the result of wounds received in the battle for the Dutch town of Blerick, near Venlo. He was buried on December 3rd in a military plot of ground at Nederweert. His Colonel described him as " a very fine character and a great leader of men, and very brave and gallant in battle " ; and another officer wrote " He was one of the best officers which the army has ever been blessed with, and none have surpassed him in devotion to duty and unbounded energy. Liked by all and loved by those who had the privilege of knowing him well, he was a very great man, whose loss will be felt most keenly."
Nederweert War Cemetery
Died as the result of wounds received in the battle for the Dutch town of Blerick, near Venlo.
Frank Hawksworth Deakin (1893085)
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
23 February 1945, aged 26
School magazine - F. H. Deakin, Craftsman, R.E.M.E., was killed on active service in the Reichswald on February 23rd, 1945. He had been in the army since 1939, and had served with the 8th Army in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, and with the B.L.A. in Normandy. At the time of his death he was attached to the 51st Highland Division.
Rheinberg War Cemetery
Killed on active service in the Reichswald
Leslie Brian Denman (140631)
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - 1st Bn.
6 May 1943, aged 23
School magazine - In 1942 Britain’s main contribution to the defeat of Hitler on land was the campaign in North Africa. After the defeat of Rommel’s German-Italian Army at El Alamein had turned into an unstoppable advance across Libya, Montgomery’s Commonwealth forces entered Southern Tunisia after the very difficult battles at the Mareth Line and then Wadi Akarit. At the same time an Anglo-American Army landed in Algeria and advanced towards Tunis from the west. Amongst those British 1st Army troops was a battalion of the Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, which included Lt. Leslie Denman (1931-38) commanding one of their platoons. He had spent a year at Sheffield University getting First Class Honours in his Intermediate B.A. in Languages before he joined up and was sent to North Africa. For particular bravery on a patrol in March and a platoon frontal attack in April he was awarded the M.C. He wrote home telling his parents of his decoration. His parents received the letter on the same day as they got a War Office Telegram saying that he had been killed in action in the last significant action before the Axis forces surrendered in Tunisia on 13th May 1943. He was 23 years old and had been recently married to a Flight Officer in the WAAF whom he had met at Sheffield University.
Massicault War Cemetery
Killed in action in the last significant action before the Axis forces surrendered in Tunisia on 13th May 1943.
Donald Ditcher (1219493)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
2 February 1943, aged 21
School Magazine - Donald Ditcher (1932-38), Sergt. Pilot Instructor, R.A.F. Killed on active service, February, 1943. Aged 21. Ditcher left school from the Fifth Form in 1938. He graduated in U.S.A., and obtained American Air Force Wings, after which he returned to England and obtained British Wings. He trained as Fighter Pilot Instructor in England and Scotland. His death occurred in this country and his funeral and interment took place in Sheffield.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Master II - DL288 - 7 (P)AFU - flew into ground Bensons Farm, 2½ mile NE of Chatteris, Cambridgeshire.
Arnold Edeson (102450)
Intelligence Corps
17 November 1939, aged 53
Sheffield (Crookes) Cemetery
Died at 38 Roslin Road (home)
Ronald Albert Edmonds (656269)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 44 Sqdn.
30 March 1943
Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery
Lancaster mk I serial W4199 code KM-H airborne from Waddington on a mission to Berlin, crashed at Strausberg, Germany
G A Elliott
School magazine - G. A. Elliott (1925-29). Killed in action. Death reported in July 1943 magazine
Leslie Wallace Fletcher (1315919)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 'T' FLT. 21 STS
21 January 1943, aged 21
School magazine - Leslie Wallace Fletcher (1933-40), Acting Sergeant (Cadet) R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service in January, 1943 Aged 21 The name of Leslie Fletcher will bring back to most of us memories of golden cricket seasons from 1937 to 1940, in which he grew from a promising youngster to one of the School's finest cricketers. (In 1939, sixty-six wickets for an average of 7.3 and in 1940 fifty-nine for 6.76, raised the School bowling record to great heights). Football and Fives came as easily to him. But with and above all this success, there remained the same modest reserve, and essential grit, which carried him up the School to the Classical Sixth and to Prefectship, not with any easy brilliance, but with a steady integrity of intellect and character-disguised, perhaps, under a charming light-heartedness of manner. He had a year at Brasenose College, Oxford, and then left for training overseas. His training was retarded a little by a period of illness, and was barely completed at the time of his death.
Bulawayo (Athlone) Cemetery
Killed during pilot training in Southern Rhodesia
Reginald Austin Fretwell (1020907)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 226 Sqdn.
3 February 1943, aged 22
School magazine - R. A. Fretwell (1932-37), Sergeant Observer, R.A.F. Killed on active service, February, 1943.
Wadsley Churchyard
Boston mk III serial Z2261 coded MQ-W on a training flight from Swanton Morley, crashed almost at once killing four crew. Death registered East Dereham, Norfolk
David Fulford (63787)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 611 Sqdn.
2 November 1942, aged 22
School magazine - F/O David Fulford DFC (KES 1928-38) David Fulford was the younger brother of John Fulford and in 1937 he also was the school’s Champion Athlete. He had joined the RAF when he left school and went to Cranwell and was serving as a Spitfire pilot with 64 Squadron at RAF Leconfield, near Beverley, when the Battle of Britain broke out. He moved south to join 19 Squadron at RAF Duxford and took part in the aerial battles of the summer of 1940. In1941 he was awarded the DFC and in a documentary film about the battle called “ The First of the Few”, he flew a captured Heinkel 111, posing as a Luftwaffe pilot, before being posted out to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in January 1942 to meet a possible Japanese threat in the Indian Ocean. He left a vivid record in the school magazine of his Hurricane squadron engaging Zeros and played their part in securing Ceylon from a possible Japanese invasion. Returning to England in September he joined 611 Squadron at RAF Biggin Hill, and shortly afterwards, in November 1942, he went down over the Channel after a routine sweep over the French coast
Runnymede Memorial
Rodeo mission over Le Touquet. Spitfire BR622. Base - Biggin Hill
John Michael Fulford (969220)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 150 Sqdn.
8 May 1941, aged 22
School magazine - John Michael Fulford (1927-37), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was reported missing, believed killed in action, in May, 1941. Aged 22. Patrol-Leader in the School Scouts, Champion Athlete for two years in succession, and stalwart of the Cricket and Football XI's, John Fulford was typical of the best of a good generation of lads, from whose ranks already a sadly large number have been lost, as these records show. He left from the Sixth Form to study medicine at Sheffield University, and had been less than a year in the R.A.F. During his University career, he played football for the Corinthians and for the English Universities in a match against the Army at Bramall Lane, also occasionally for Sheffield United. - Sergeant Pilot John Michael Fulford (KES 1927-37) John Fulford was one of the best known sportsmen at KES during the Thirties. Champion Athlete in 1935 and 1936 and Cross Country winner in 1934, he had his colours for Football and Cricket and after leaving school he played for Corinthian Casuals and was the first O.E. to play professional football when he turned out for Sheffield United in 1940 whilst awaiting call up. The son of a former officer who was a pilot in the RFC, he intended to be a doctor and was studying medicine at Sheffield University before he joined up in the RAF in May 1940. By the end of the year he had his pilot’s wings and after several operations across the Channel he was shot down and killed over Brittany in May 1941. He was only 22 years old and was buried by the Germans near Nantes
Nantes (Pont-Du-Cens) Communal Cemetery
Wellington aircraft R1374 lost on an operation to St Nazaire, France from Newton airfield
William Robert Furzey (993605)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 22 Sqdn.
2 December 1941, aged 21
School Magazine - William Robert Furzey (1929-37), Sergeant, R.A.F., was killed on active service in December, 1941. Aged 21. Furzey had enlisted in the R.A.F.V.R. on the outbreak of war, but had to wait until May, 1940 before being called for service. By the following year he was in active service and had a narrow escape in August, 1941 when attacking a tanker off the French coast. His plane was damaged and crashed within four hundred yards of the home coast, and he was rescued after being trapped in the plane. In December he was posted missing from operations, and later information from the International Red Cross, quoting German- sources, reported him as killed. He was a cheerful lad, who took his part in many a School activity with modest readiness, and we can well believe that he brought the same qualities to the service of his country.
Quiberon Communal Cemetery
Beaufort mk I serial number AW216 coded OA-P airborne at 15:35 from St Eval, Cornwall on a mission to attack a timber factory in the Nantes area. The aircraft was intercepted in the Quiberon Bay, and although three crew were known to bail out, their bodies were washed up at Beg Rohu.
Wilfred Reed Garrison (1454822)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 489 (R.N.Z.A.F.) Sqdn.
1 November 1944, aged 21
School magazine - W. R. Garrison, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F. V.R., is now presumed to have lost his life on air operations off the Norwegian coast, from which he was reported missing on November 1st, 1944. After training in America he gained his wings at the U.S. Naval Base, Pensacola, later taking a Navigator's course on Prince Edward Island, Canada. His commanding officer wrote : " Wilfred was an experienced and reliable pilot and with his navigator' Tom Hughes made as fine a crew as any on my Squadron. They were always remarked for their fine aggressive spirit and determination to beat the Hun. They could be relied upon to carry out any operational task with the utmost skill and reliability under any circumstances. Their loss grieves us all."
Runnymede Memorial
Lost in a Beaufighter from Dallachy, Scotland against Norwegian targets
George Ross Gilfillan (1626440)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 103 Sqdn.
14 February 1945
School magazine - Ross Gilfillan, the school Football Captain, who after leaving school spent a short period at Cambridge in 1942 awaiting call up. He qualified as a navigator in Bomber Command and was shot down on the night of 13/14th February 1945, the night of the Dresden raid.
Durnbach War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number LM682 coded PM-O airborne at 21:40 from Elsham Wolds on a mission to Dresden. The aircraft was hit by a flak battery based at Heppenheim in the district of Bergstrasse and came down 200 metres east of Winterkasten at 00:20.
Stanley Glover (1086885)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 150 Sqdn.
10 August 1942, aged 19
School magazine - S. Glover, Sergt.-Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., was reported missing from air operations on August 10th, 1942, and is presumed killed.
Wierden General Cemetery
Wellington mk III serial number BJ608 coded JN-? Airborne at 00:30 from Snaith on a mission to Osnabruck, crashed at Almelo. Claimed by night-fighter flown by Oberstleutnant Herbert Lutje at 04:18.
Bryan George Green (1450549)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 514 Sqdn.
2 May 1944
School magazine - B. G. Green (1932.37), Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, May, 1944.
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen
Lancaster mk II serial LL732 coded JI-H2 airborne from Waterbeach at 22:47 on a mission to Chambly to attack railway and stores depot. On the home leg, intercepted and shot down by a night fighter, crashing in a near vertical dive some 3km SW of Chaumont-en-Vexin (Oise) 25 km SW of Beauvais.
J R Green
School magazine - J. R. Green (1917-21), Gunner, R.A. Killed on active service.
P Gunn
School magazine - P. Gunn (1932-37), Killed on active service.
Edgar Denys Hall (89089)
Royal Artillery - 488 Bty., 123 Field Regt.
27 February 1943, aged 24
School magazine - E. D. Hall (1930-35), Captain, R.A. Killed on active service, India; February, 1943.
Kirkee War Cemetery
Died in India
Malcolm Ramsay Haworth (135171)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 208 Sqdn.
7 September 1942, aged 20
School magazine - M. R. Haworth (1933-37), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Killed on active service, Middle East, September, 1942.
Alamein Memorial
Killed on active service in North Africa
Ronald Haycock (2594782)
Royal Corps of Signals - First Army Sigs.
23 February 1943, aged 28
School magazine - R. Haycock, Royal Corps' of Signals, was reported to have been killed on active service in North Africa as a result of dive-bombing by enemy aircraft.
Medjez-El-Bab War Cemetery
Died in North Africa
Maurice Albert Nicholas Hodson (170129)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 199 Sqdn.
27 September 1943, aged 21
School magazine - M. A. N. Hodson, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F.V.R., was posted missing in September, 1943, and his death is now unhappily certain. He lost his life in operations over Hanover and his burial place has now been established.
Hanover War Cemetery
Stirling mk III serial number EF118 coded EX-O airborne at 19:45 from Lakenheath on a mission to Hanover. Shot down by a nightfighter and crashed at Ramlingen.
Clifford Hoole (7598753)
Royal Army Ordnance Corps - 4 Ordnance Field Park
21 March 1945, aged 26
School magazine - C. Hoole (1930-34), Lance-Corporal, R.A.O.C. Died as Prisoner of War, Germany, March, 1945.
Dunkirk Memorial
Died as Prisoner of War, Germany.
Wallace Roy Hooper (300106)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - 44th
24 September 1944, aged 28
School magazine - W. Roy Hooper, Lieut., Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in action during the evacuation of Arnhem in September 1944. On leaving School in 1933 he became a reporter on the staff of the Daily Independent, and later became staff representative in Sheffield for the News Chronicle He enlisted in the Royal Tank Regiment in October 1939 and served in Palestine and North Africa. He was one of the first Commandos, and on being commissioned while still abroad was posted to his old unit in Italy. - Roy Hooper had become a journalist on the Sheffield Independent when he left school in 1933, and in 1935 became the Sheffield representative for the News Chronicle before enlisting in the Royal Tank Regiment in October 1939. He moved to 5 Commando in 1940 when the commandoes were a newly formed unit before returning to tanks and serving in North Africa with the 7th Armoured Division (The Desert Rats). After service in Italy, he returned to England and took part in the invasion of Normandy and the breakout across France. As part of XXX Corps trying to relieve Arnhem in September 1944, his tank was hit and the crew baled out. However, his gunner was still trapped in his Sherman and in trying to free him Roy Hooper was hit and died instantly. He was one of seven Old Edwardians who were killed in action serving in tanks during the war.
Veghel (Eerde) Roman Catholic Churchyard
Killed in action during the evacuation of Arnhem in September 1944. As part of XXX Corps trying to relieve Arnhem in September 1944, his tank was hit and the crew baled out. However, his gunner was still trapped in his Sherman and in trying to free him Roy Hooper was hit and died instantly.
Philip Norman Horner (1886080)
Royal Engineers - 7 Field Sqn.
26 September 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Philip Norman Horner (1928-36), Corporal, Royal Engineers, was killed on active service in September, 1941. Aged 22. A quiet and studious boy at school, Philip Horner had become an articled student in engineering, and had joined the Royal Engineers shortly after the beginning of the war. A minor accident at the port of embarkation in a troopship, in which he was the only casualty, was the unfortunate cause of his death.
Dore (Christ Church) Churchyard
Death registered in Bootle, Lancashire
Peter Lister Johnson (169067)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 169 Sqdn.
4 May 1944
School magazine - P. L. Johnson, Pilot Officer, R.A.F., V.R., was killed on air operations in May, 1944. He had been in the R.A.F. since leaving School in 1939, was trained in Canada, and obtained his commission in 1942. His Commanding Officer writes that he " was held in high esteem by his superior officers and became an excellent pilot and ranked high in his squadron as a night fighter " His body is buried at Champignol, France.
Champignol-Lez-Mondeville Churchyard
Mosquito mk II serial number DD779 coded VL-? Airborne from Little Snoring at 23:33 on a bombing support mission to Camp Mailly - Montdidier, crashed at Champignol-lez-Mondeville, Aube, 11 km SSW of Bar-sur-Aube.
Robert Ronald Kelsey (1069636)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - SS Abosso
29 October 1942, aged 30
School magazine - R. R. Kelsey, L.A.C., R.A.F., was reported missing in October, 1942, and is presumed to have lost his life through enemy action at sea.
Singapore Memorial
At 22.13 hours on 29 Oct 1942, U-575 fired four torpedoes at the unescorted Abosso about 700 miles northwest of the Azores, but only one of them hit. At 22.28 hours, a coup de grâce struck the ship, causing her to sink at 23.05 hours. The master, 150 crew members, 18 gunners and 193 passengers were lost.
Reginald Cooper Knott (1259857)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 115 Sqdn.
11 November 1941, aged 31
school magazine - R. C. Knott (1919-22), Sergeant Air-gunner, R.A.F. Killed on active service, November, 1941.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Wellington Mk III - X3394 - KO-? on a cross country exercise and fuel consumption test. Crashed at 12:03 at Carol House Farm, near Swaffham, Norfolk. Subsequent Board of Enquiry ascertained that the aircraft suffered starboard engine failure in flight as a result of mishandling by the pilot and was unable to maintain Height. Sgt Dutton and crew had survived a few days previously the disastrous attack on Berlin, 4 November 1941.
Geoffrey Goddard Lee (952170)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 82 Sqdn.
30 July 1941, aged 22
School magazine - Geoffrey Goddard Lee (1930-37), Sergt. Observer, Royal Air Force, is reported missing and believed killed in action in July, 1941. Aged 22. All who knew him have been deeply grieved by the news of Geoff. Lee's death. At King Edward's he was one of those boys who, by the many-sidedness of their interests and the -willingness with which they join in every kind of activity, contribute so much to the life of the School. He was a competent scholar ; he represented his House, Haddon, in Cricket, Football and Swimming, and was a member of the Choir and Dramatic Society ; his work for the School Scout Troop was invaluable and, after he left, he kept up his interest in Scouting as a member of the Rover Crew. In 1937 he went up to Sheffield University with a Scholarship to read Law ; while there he became articled to the Town Clerk, and took the degree of LL.B. in 1940. On leaving the University he joined the R.A.F. as an observer and was reported missing after a daylight operation in July, 1941. Always extremely modest about his own achievements, he was one of whom the School may well be proud and his many friends will always remember his unfailing good humour, quiet wit, and his shrewd and balanced judgement in every situation.
Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery
Blenheim mk IV serial number R3803 coded UX-N airborne from Bodney at 12:43 on a mission to attack the Kiel Canal, crashed in the Sea. Probably shot down by Bf 110`s from II. / ZG 76 who on this day claimed five Blenheims between 16:18 and 16:30. Observer Sgt. Geoffrey G. Lee’s body was found on the beach of the island of Mandø on 31 August.
Arthur Alan Hewson Lindley (120181)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
1 August 1942, aged 22
School magazine - A. A. H. Lindley (1931.36), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Killed in action, August, 1942.
Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery
Boston mk II serial number AL725 coded OM-? airborne from Great Massingham at 16:08 on an operation to Vlissingen, crashed at Breskens, Holland
Keith Robert Hewson Lindley (191458)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 12 Sqdn.
26 February 1945, aged 20
School magazine - K. R. Hewson Lindley, F/Sergt. Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., was killed on air service in February, 1945. He was at school from 1935 to 1942, and was the younger brother of another Old Edwardian, A. A. H. Lindley, whose death was reported in August, 1942.
Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number PB243 coded PH-D airborne from Wickenby, crashed to the ground at 14:38 near Straiton le Vale, 5 miles NE of Market Rasen, Lincolnshire.
Kenneth Linton (41037)
Royal Air Force - 211 Sqdn.
7 February 1942, aged 25
School magazine - K. Linton, Flight Lieut., R.A.F., was killed on active service in February, 1942, in the Far East, and is buried at Palembang, Sumatra. He had served in Albania, Greece, and other parts, having joined the R.A.F. in 1938.
Singapore Memorial
Blenheim Z9659 from Sumatra lost on returning from the 7 February convoy escort duty. One of three aircraft attacked in the course of that duty, to crash near P2 on return. F/Lt Ken Linton RAF (an old 84 Squadron hand from Greece operations) did not survive: recovered from the crash, he died the next day as Flight Mechanic LAC Bob Livesey recorded in his diary. Sgt Offord RAF, the Observer, was rescued badly injured and later evacuated by hospital ship. Sgt RL Crowe RAF WOp/AG baled out and was also rescued slightly injured, later evacuated to Ceylon per Kota Gede.
Raymond Maddocks (1081228)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 615 Sqdn.
25 January 1943, aged 22
He survived an accident 22-4-1942 on Hurricane V6533 flying with 55 OTU
Singapore Memorial
possibly lost in Hurricane mk Iic serial BN784 at Feni
Peter Marchinton (14819066)
Royal Engineers
27 November 1947
School magazine - It is with deep regret that we record the death of Peter Marchinton, aged 22 years (K.E.S. 1933-41, Welbeck House). After leaving school he took a post in industry while awaiting his call-up for military service. Two of his three years of service were spent in India, and he returned home in September last. While awaiting demobilisation he was attacked by an illness from which he died on November 27th in a military hospital.
Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial
Died of illness in a military hospital.
Philip Lyon Marrian
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Penelope
18 February 1944, aged 27
School magazine - P L. Marrian, Lieut., R.N.R., had been reported missing in February 1944. It was some time before definite news could be obtained, but it is now known that he was killed outright while on duty on the bridge of his ship when it was torpedoed in the Mediterranean.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Lost when ship was sunk in the Mediterranean by U-410 whilst on passage to Naples
Robert Anthony Marshall
Merchant Navy - Cadet
30 June 1945
Died as the result of an accident at sea, when he suffered fatal injuries from a fall from the Third Tweet Deck of his ship TSS City of Exeter to the floor of the Bottom Hold. He remained unconscious until he died on the third day after the accident, three hours out of Karachi, where he is buried. He was 19 years of age
Robert Vivian Mather (165682)
Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment) - 6th Bn.
13 June 1944, aged 24
School magazine - R. V. Mather, Lieut , The Green Howards, died of wounds in France in June 1944. His Commanding Officer wrote : " Bob particularly distinguished himself during the landings on D-day and afterwards, and I should like you to know how well he did and how very much his Company, the Battalion and I will miss him." Mather gained the degree of LL.B. at Sheffield University in June 1940 and entered the Army the following month, obtaining his commission in December 1940. He was engaged to Miss Barbara Hamer of Sheffield. - Lt. Bob Mather (1929-37) was in the initial assault on Gold Beach on the British right flank. His battalion, the 6th Green Howards, was one of first units of the famous 50th (Northumbrian) Division who struggled ashore at zero hour. At the same time on Juno Beach where the Canadian Army landed, Eric Allsop (1935-40) of the R.E. Assault Engineers, who had performed with such calmness during the Sheffield Blitz, was defusing mines on the underwater obstacles that had been laid out in lines along the beach to impede Allied tanks. Later in the day he would meet up with another Old Edwardian on Juno Beach whom he had not met for years and never saw again. Geoffrey Holroyd (1933-39) was an Official War Artist and, while the mayhem of the landings was going on around him, was calmly sketching a record of the scene. Mather and his battalion forced their way inland, but he was fatally wounded four days later after taking part in some of the heaviest fighting of the whole Normandy campaign. - On leaving school in 1937 Bob Mather studied at Sheffield University and gained his Bachelor of Law degree in 1940. He then entered the army after serving in the University OTC and was commissioned in the Green Howards by the end of 1940. He went out with the 6th Battalion to North Africa as part of the 50th Division and saw action at Alamein and Wadi Akarit before taking part in the invasion of Sicily. Chosen for the initial assault on D-Day, his battalion landed at La Riviere on Gold beach at H (zero) Hour and after taking their beach they moved inland continually involved in heavy fighting. Four days later Bob Mather was seriously wounded and died on the 13th June. He is buried in a British Military Cemetery near Bayeux.
Ryes War Cemetery, Bazenville
Died of wounds in France. Chosen for the initial assault on D-Day, his battalion landed at La Riviere on Gold beach at H (zero) Hour and after taking their beach they moved inland continually involved in heavy fighting. Four days later Bob Mather was seriously wounded and died on the 13th June.
Ian Cedric Granger Meldrum
Merchant Navy - M.V. Clea (London)
13 February 1941, aged 18
Tower Hill Memorial
MV Clea was on the route Curaçao - Loch Ewe - Scapa Flow with a cargo of Admiralty fuel oil. At 15.08 hours on 13 February 1941 the unescorted Clea (Master Leonard Walter George Boyt), a straggler from convoy HX-106, was hit on port side amidships by one G7e torpedo from U-96 about 190 miles south of Iceland. The tanker immediately caught fire and completely broke in two. The U-boat surfaced and sank both halves with a total of 83 rounds from the deck gun, the after part sank at 16.59 hours and the fore part sank at 17.31 hours after further holes were fired into the side with the anti-aircraft gun. The Germans had observed how the crew abandoned ship in four lifeboats after the torpedo hit, but no survivors were ever found. The master, 56 crew members and two gunners were lost.
John Melling (301946)
Royal Army Medical Corps
5 July 1945, aged 27
School magazine - J. Melling (1926-29), Died on active service, Italy, July, 1945 - John Melling (1926-29) had died on active service in Italy in July 1945.
Caserta War Cemetery
Died in Italy after VE Day
William Melling (VX38226)
Australian Infantry - A.I.F. 2/22 Bn.
1 July 1942, aged 31
School magazine - W. Melling (1920-27), Australian I.F. Believed died as Prisoner of War in Japanese hands, after July 1st, 1942. - Three Old Edwardians died in the work camps in Thailand after capture at the fall of Singapore in February 1942, including: William Melling, (1920-27) who had emigrated to Australia in the Thirties and was part of the Australian Division that arrived at Singapore in 1942 in time to become POWs. All that his parents in Handsworth could find out was that he had died somewhere in the jungle after the prisoners had left Singapore Island in July 1942. They had just received word that their other son John Melling (1926-29) had died on active service in Italy in July 1945.
Rabaul Memorial
Died as a Japanese PoW
Charles Luther Milner (1051697)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 166 Sqdn.
1 March 1945, aged 38
School Magazine - C. L. Milner, Sergeant, R.A.F., is now officially presumed to have lost his life on air operations over Germany on March 1st, 1945. He had joined the R.A.F. in 1940, and was previously on the staff of Samuel Osborn & Co.
Durnbach War Cemetery
Lancaster mk I serial number ME447 coded AS-E airborne from Kirmington at 11:40 for a mission to Mannheim, aircraft crashed in the target area.
Percy Dryden Nixon (580671)
Royal Air Force - 44 Sqdn.
20 July 1940
School Magazine - Percy Dryden Nixon (1925-33), was killed on active service on 20th July, 1940, aged 24. Shortly after leaving School, Nixon was articled to a chartered accountant in the City, but in 1939 he chose a more adventurous life with the R.A.F. and in March of that year he joined the Service as an observer, being subsequently given the rank of sergeant. His interest in Scouting, which he had retained from schooldays, was evidenced while in Sheffield by his activity with the School Rover Crew, of which he was an active member for five years. He was made a Rover Mate in 1938 and appointed Treasurer. He did some very good work with the Sheffield Borstal Committee, on which body he was appointed the Crew's representative, and was still interested in the subject after joining the R.A.F. After the outbreak of war he was engaged on many flights over enemy territory, and it was whilst on one of these that he met his untimely end. His unselfish service will long be remembered by the School which nurtured him.
Skagen Cemetery
Hampden I serial L4087 coded KM-C took-off from Waddington for a minelaying operation off Frederikshaven, hit by flak and crashed into the sea at Tannis Bay off Kandestedern, the rear gunner P/O B. Green together with the pilot Sgt. E.L.Farrands swam to shore, both becoming prisoners of war. On the 21st July the body of W/Op/Air/Gnr. Sgt Reginald T.Miller was found on the beach with the body of Observer Sgt Percy D. Nixon being discovered on the 24th July, both were laid to rest in Skagen cemetery.
John Edward Northend (119289)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 61 Sqdn.
13 January 1943, aged 22
School magazine - John Edward Northend (1930-37), Flying Officer, R.A.F.V.R. Believed killed in action, January, 1943. Aged 22. John Northend was reported missing in January after a bombing raid over Germany. "He was a member" (his Wing Commander writes) " of a very fine crew that had carried out many most praiseworthy sorties, including the famous raids on Italy . I feel that we have lost seven exceptionally good men who were welded into the finest of crews. Of John Northend I had the highest opinion ; his work was of the highest standard, and so too was the example he set as an officer, while I admired his inherent cheerfulness. Popular in the Mess and with all ranks in the Squadron, we are going to miss him very much." No news of the fate of his aircraft was heard, but subsequent information was that he and his crew were believed to be buried at Dusseldorf.
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery
Lancaster mkI serial number W4192 coded QR-E took off at 03:35 Syerston on an operation to Essen. It crashed at Mettman, 14 km ENE of Düsseldorf, where the crew, who were all killed, were initially buried in the Nordfriedhof.
Alec Webster Oates (1059616)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 20 SFTS
13 June 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Alec Webster Oates (1929-38), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed on active service on June 13th, 1941. Aged 20. Oates left from the Transitus Form to study Law, and to continue the good work he had done as a Scout in the School Troop, and afterwards in the Ranmoor Group, in the capacity of Assistant Scoutmaster of St. John's Church Scouts. He met his death in a flying accident during his final operational training in South Africa, within a week of receiving his wings.
Harare (Pioneer) Cemetery
Died in a flying accident during his final operational training in South Africa, within a week of receiving his wings.
Edgar Geoffrey Ott
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Bonaventure
31 March 1941, aged 25
School magazine - Edgar Geoffrey Ott (1928-31), Lieutenant, Royal Naval Reserve, was killed in action on H.M.S. Bonaventure in March, 1941. Aged 25." Cherry " Ott is chiefly remembered here as an efficient and enthusiastic Scout. He quickly became a First Class Scout and was a Patrol Leader. He was one of the Scout Party which visited Jamaica with Mr. Gaskin in April, 1931, and he also spent some holidays at Mr. Saville's Camp at Winchelsea. Until, the outbreak of war he was serving in the Mercantile Marine.
Plymouth Naval Memorial
HMS Bonaventure was torpedoed and sunk, while escorting convoy GA-8 from Greece to Alexandria, by the Italian submarine Ambra about 100 nautical miles south-south-east of Crete in position 33º20'N, 26º35'E. There were 310 survivors.
Henry Edward Shaw Outram (132558)
Royal Artillery - 2 Field Regt.
13 June 1941, aged 22
Bradfield (St. Nicholas) Churchyard
Death registered in Bakewell, Derbyshire
Ernest John (Jack) Paget (791125)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - RAF Mogadishu
8 February 1943, aged 32
School magazine - Ernest John Paget (1919-26), Corporal (Wireless Operator), R.A.F. Died on active service, May, 1943. Aged 33. E. J. Paget served with the R.A.F. at Nairobi ; he was one of the first to fly into Addis Abbaba, and the last to leave after the British conquest of Abyssinia ; he had been present at the reception of the Emperor and Empress. At the time of his death he was engaged upon a secret mission, and appears to have contracted fever from which he died before he could be flown back to Nairobi. His Commanding Officer writes : " I have never had anything but praise for the way he has performed his duties. He has always been happy and cheerful to serve in the most out-of-the-way spots entirely without supervision, and indeed was that type of person that rendered supervision unnecessary. He left to perform a certain part in an intended operation and was highly commended by an officer of this H.Q. who was concerned with this operation. His loss is keenly felt both by his comrades and by the officers with whom he came in contact."
Nairobi War Cemetery
Died of illness in Africa
Randal George Pearson (1339699)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
23 December 1942, aged 20
School magazine - Randal George Pearson (1938-39), Sergeant Navigator, R.A.F.V.R. Killed on active service in December, 1942. Aged 20. Though he had only a short time in which to make friends here, he is remembered as a keen and active lad. Flying was evidently his passion and forte, and an early enthusiasm for " model flying " led on to a promising career in the service. lie was engaged in constructing what he called a " new super sort of night-flying map " with some of his friends, shortly before he met a tragic accidental death.
Kempston Cemetery
Killed when Blenheim L4872 (Mk IV) of 51 OTU (Cranfield) lost height and crashed at Wood End, Marston at 22.10hrs, following engine failure after take-off from Cranfield.
Malcolm Ravenhill (40750)
Royal Air Force - 229 Sqdn.
30 September 1940, aged 27
School magazine - Malcolm Ravenhill (K.E.S. 1922-29), Pilot Officer, Royal Air Force, was killed in action on 30th September, 1940, aged 27. Ravenhill left King Edward's from the Fifth Form and obtained an appointment with Messrs. Woolworth & Co., shortly becoming Assistant Manager of a branch in Glasgow. He joined the R.A.F. in 1938 and spent some time in training in Egypt. He fought at Dunkirk, where he shot down three enemy planes and met his death in an air battle over London. One of his hobbies was sketching and some of his work was recently published in the Services Magazine Blighty. - F/O Malcolm Ravenhill (KES 1922-29) Malcolm Ravenhill left KES after the Fifth Form and worked for Woolworths becoming a branch assistant manager in Glasgow. He joined the RAF before the war and trained in Egypt. He served with 229 Squadron and shot down three enemy planes over Dunkirk during the evacuation. He fought in the Battle of Britain and was forced to bale out himself in the middle of September over Kent. Ten days later in a dog fight over London he was shot down again and this time he did not escape. One of his hobbies was sketching and he had had a recent cartoon printed in Blighty, the services magazine. At 27 he was considerably older than most of the fighter pilots in 1940 and his body was brought back to Sheffield and buried in City Rd. cemetery.
Sheffield (City Road) Cemetery
Died at Ightham Ct, Ightham, Malling; Buried on October 5, 1940
John Harvey Rayner (237582)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - "B" Sqn. 51st (The Leeds Rifles)
22 May 1944, aged 26
School magazine - John H. Rayner, Lieut., Royal Tank Regiment, was killed in May, 1944, in Italy. He had served from the beginning of the war (and in the Territorials before it), and had been in Iceland and Norway with the York and Lancs Regiment before going to North Africa. He was 26 years of age.
Cassino War Cemetery
Died in Italy
Joseph Rogerson (952920)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 153 MU
28 May 1943, aged 28
School magazine - J. Rogerson, L.A.C., R.A.F., has died as a Prisoner of War in a Japanese camp.
Ambon War Cemetery
Died as a Japanese PoW
Donald Albert Rollin (155787)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 44 Sqdn.
16 December 1943, aged 22
School magazine - D. A. Rollin, Pilot Officer, R.A.F.V.R., was killed on air operations over Berlin on December 16th, 1943. This was only a few days after he had been awarded the D.F.C. (as Sergt.-Pilot). " Pilot Officer Rollin has completed very many sorties, involving attacks on a variety of important and well defended targets. He has displayed great skill and determination and his efforts to make every sortie a success have won great praise. P./O. Rollin is a most inspiring captain." Rollin trained in Rhodesia, and was commissioned in May 1943, made his first trip over Essen on May 27th, and has been in the front lines of Bomber Command ever since, having made 23 raids on Germany.
Hanover War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial number DV238 coded KM-M airborne from Dunholme Lodge at 16:21 on an operation to Berlin, crashed at Diepholz.
William Ewart Sadler
Merchant Navy - M.V. San Demetrio (London)
5 November 1940, aged 26
School magazine - W. E. Sadler (1924-30), Radio Officer, Merchant Navy. Killed in action, Jervis Bay, November, 1940. - William Sadler (1924-30) was the Radio Officer on the tanker, San Demetrio, which was torpedoed in the Atlantic and its crew abandoned ship. As the fires seemed containable three of the ships life-boats returned to the vessel and managed to get her to Newfoundland. One of the boats, however, was swamped by the heavy seas and her crew were all drowned and William Sadler, who had been in the Merchant Navy for six years after leaving school, was in that boat.
Tower Hill Memorial
Another act of survival and heroism came from the "San Demetrio", she was hit by the Admiral Scheer. The San Demetrio was a tanker carrying 12,000 tons of aviation fuel and had only a top speed of 12 kts, she was owned by the Eagle Oil & Co Ltd, London. The Admiral Scheer had caught her and after four salvos from her guns her upper deck was a mass of flames, her bridge and her poop destroyed, plus she had a gaping hole in her port side. The tanker was now a time bomb waiting to go off, it was a miracle that the explosions and flames had not caused the aviation fuel to explode. The order to abandon ship was given, even while abandoning the ship the Admiral Scheer still firing on her, two boats managed to launch with the crew of 26 in one and 16 in the other. Even when they had pulled away, the Admiral Scheer still fired into the ship, but the ship would not explode. Then suddenly the Admiral Scheer switched off her searchlights and disappeared into the night and carried on chasing the now scattered convoy. All the crew managed to escape, which in itself was a miracle, the two boats were separated during the night and the lifeboat of 26 with the captain were picked up later and taken to Newfoundland. The other crew of 16 rowed away from the tanker before it exploded, by morning the tanker was nowhere to be seen. They drifted until late afternoon, then they spotted a ship, as they came closer they realised it was the San Demetrio, some how it had not exploded and even now it was still on fire. As darkness came they could not make up their mind whether to risk going on board, try to put out the fire, and attempt to sail the ship home, or to risk being drowned or die from exposure in the lifeboat. Once darkness settled they lost sight of the ship and resigned to stay in the boat. At dawn, the 7th November, the San Demetrio was about five miles to leeward. Sail was set and they were again close alongside at about noon. She was still on fire, but no one objected to re-boarding, which was soon successfully accomplished. Once aboard they managed to put out the fire and rig up a steering system, though the bridge was more or less totally destroyed. Without any navigational equipment or charts, they managed to sail the tanker through the U-boat killing grounds to Ireland and then after refusing the assistance of another boat, they then sailed on to the Clyde. They docked there on the 16th Nov, with their battered Red Ensign flying at half-mast. A film was made in 1943 to celebrate the heroic achievement.
Douglas Whitham Sanderson (942817)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
13 January 1943, aged 21
School magazine - D. W. Sanderson (1933-37), Sergeant Pilot, R.A.F. Killed on active service.
Sheffield (Abbey Lane) Cemetery
Hudson I T9322 of 1 (C)OUT of Silloth Airfield - On final approach to RAF Silloth, while completing a training exercise, the twin engine aircraft crashed in flames short of runway. Died at RAF Station Silloth; Buried on January 20, 1943 (removed from Wigton parish)
Norman John Shakespeare (1216168)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 101 Sqdn.
3 November 1943, aged 22
School magazine - N. J. Shakespeare, Sergt. Observer, R.A.F., was reported missing from a raid on Dusseldorf, November, 1943. The Red Cross reported that the pilot and six others of the crew, unidentified, were known to have been killed, leaving a seventh member unaccounted for.
Rheinberg War Cemetery
Lancaster aircraft LM365 lost on an operation to Dusseldorf, Germany from Ludford Magna airfield
Richard Millson Shardlow (120650)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 47 AS
6 July 1944, aged 23
School magazine - R. M. Shardlow, Flight Lieut , R.A.F.V.R , was killed in a flying accident while on a training course in Africa, in July 1944. He left the University to join the R.A.F. in July 1940, trained as a navigator in S. Africa, and after being commissioned served for a year in Kenya on education and other duties. As Flying Officer he served in the Middle East and later with an Australian Squadron as Flight Lieutenant and Squadron Navigation Officer. He had decided to make a career in the R.A.F and was accepted for a Staff Navigator's Course at Queenstown. His Commanding Officer wrote " Although your son had only been under my command for a short period, he had become extremely popular with all ranks by reason of his outstanding personality, and his loss is keenly felt by all His death, however, is not only a great loss to this station but to the service as a whole "
Queenstown Cemetery, Eastern Cape
Killed when Anson serial 4312 of 47 AS crashed in South Africa.
Charles Robin Sifton (183797)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 10 Sqdn.
5 January 1945, aged 21
School Magazine - Flying Officer C. R. Sifton. The Halifax of which he was Captain and Pilot failed to return from an operation over Hanover on the night of 5th January, 1945, and it was subsequently learned that the machine crashed at Lemgo about forty miles south-west of Hanover, where the crew are buried ; records show that the machine exploded in the air, and there can be little doubt that all the crew were killed outright, although only seven bodies out of the crew of eight are recorded to have been found. Charles Sifton left K.E.S. in March 1941 for a short course at Cambridge. In the following year he trained in South Africa, and served with Coastal Command in 1943 and with Bomber Command in 1944. We have happy memories here of his cheerful participation in musical and dramatic activities, and his many friends will join in deep sympathy for his bereaved family.
Hanover War Cemetery
Halifax mk III serial NA114 coded ZA-K airborne from Oakington at 16:49 on a mission to Hannover, crashed at Lemgo.
Stephen Rivington Skerritt (1106001)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 53 O.T.U.
12 May 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Stephen Rivington Skerritt (1930-37), Sergeant Pilot, Royal Air Force, was killed on active service in May, 1941. Aged 20. Stephen Skerritt and Alec Oates were Scouts together at School and at Ranmoor, and met their deaths in similar circumstances, though Skerritt was in training in England. Their service and sacrifice were commemorated jointly at a Memorial Service at St. John's Church on June 27th, at which the School and School Scouts were represented.
Bradfield (St. Nicholas) Churchyard
53 OTU ORB, May 12th 1941, “Pupil Sergeants A.E. Couper and S.R. Skerritt killed in flying accident.” Master N7451 at Hurstborne Manor, Whitchurch, Hants. Skerritt is registered at Kingsclere, Hampshire.
Hedley Millard Smith (149906)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 10 Sqdn.
16 July 1943, aged 32
School magazine - H. M. Smith (1922-27), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, July, 1943.
Recey-Sur-Ource Communal Cemetery
Halifax mk II serial number JB961 coded ZA-R airborne from Melbourne, Yorkshire at 21:42 on a mission to Montbeliard, crashed at Recey sur Ource about 52 km NNW of Dijon.
John Albert Smith (1430250)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 250 Sqdn.
9 September 1943
School magazine - J. A. Smith, Sergt. Pilot, R.A.F.V.R., after training and receiving his wings in South Africa, was posted immediately to a squadron in Tunisia as fighter pilot, flying a Kittyhawk fighter bomber ; he was reported missing from air operations over South Italy in September, 1943, and no further news has so far been received.
Naples War Cemetery
Kittyhawk Mk.III serial number FR786 crashed on air operations in the south of Italy. Sgt. Smith called on the R.T. to say that his engine temperature was high, that he was north of Nicosia, Sicily heading for west coast.
Thomas David Snape (755873)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 109 Sqdn.
21 November 1941, aged 20
School magazine - Thomas David Snape (1932-37), Sergt. Air Gunner, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, was killed in November, 1941. Aged 20. Snape had been an apprentice at Messrs. Steel, Peech and Tozer, and had joined the R.A.F.V.R. before the outbreak of war. He had seen service in more than one notable action, having been engaged in the attack on the Bismarck, and in the Berlin raid which resulted in the loss of thirty-seven of our planes. His death was the result of an accident and he was buried at home with military honours.
Castleton (St. Edmund) Churchyard
Wellington mk IC serial T2552 crashed on landing back at Oakington after a training flight
Hedley Ward Stagg (14693490)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 9th Bn.
14 January 1945, aged 19
School magazine - Hedley W. Stagg, Pte., Signals Co., Yorks and Lanes Regt., died of wounds received on active service in the Far East in January 1945. The loss of one who was so recently a boy among us here has been very deeply felt. All who knew him admired and respected Hedley Stagg for his character, his scholarly attainments, and his outstanding musical talent. He won an Open Exhibition for English at Jesus College, Cambridge, in December 1943. His platoon commander writes: "As a member of the platoon he 'made every effort to fit in with the lads, and it says a lot for his personality when I say that he became one of the most popular chaps in the signals. He was also one of my star operators and it was his job to help to operate the Control wireless in Battalion H.Q . He was also a brave man. Hedley was good all through." He was severely wounded in the leg and hand, and, though safely conveyed to the base hospital, he died a day or two later after amputation of the leg. - Hedley Stagg serving as a Private in one of the four battalions of the York and Lancs. Regiment that fought in Burma. He was well known to boys still at the school, for he had only left in July 1943 and he had been a prefect, a stalwart member of the school orchestra and had an Open Scholarship at Jesus College, Cambridge waiting for him when he returned. He died from his wounds sustained defending his battalion H.Q. against a desperate Japanese attack in January 1945, the only Old Edwardian to be killed in the local regiment in the Second World War.
Taukkyan War Cemetery
Died in Burma
Norman Henry Stauber (1456888)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 97 Sqdn.
22 March 1945, aged 23
School magazine - H. N. Stauber, Flight-Sergeant, R.A.F.V.R., was posted missing from operations on March 22nd, 1945, when he took part in an attack on Hanover as wireless operator. His Group Captain wrote : " He was one of our most reliable operators whose skill was largely responsible for the many safe returns of his crew and measure of success they achieved. They were undertaking a leading part in the duties performed by the Squadron in the bombing offensive, and the loss of such an experienced crew is greatly deplored."
Becklingen War Cemetery
Lancaster mk III serial PB521 coded OF-Q airborne from Coningsby 01:21 to bomb the Deutsche Erdolwerke Refinery in Hamburg's Harburg district. Crashed at 03.55 south of the Elbe at Feldmark Leeswig, Hamburg-Neuenfelde
Barrie Noel Stephenson (1530146)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - (295 Squadron)
16 May 1943, aged 21
Sheffield Crematorium
Handley-Page Halifax Mk V serial number DG390. The Halifax was a glider tug from 295 Squadron RAF and was lost at 12:15 whilst was on a low level ten minute flight from Hurn to Holmsley South when it crashed, due to engine failure. The crash occurred about half way between RAF Hurn and RAF Holmsley South, just north east of the former RAF Radar station at Sopley in Thatchers Lane, north west of Bransgore, It was particularly tragic because it was ferrying back three army glider pilots in addition to its own crew of four.
Gordon Strange
15 November 1940, aged 14
School magazine - Gordon strange (KES 1937-40) In November 1940 whilst helping out as a member of the KES Scouts at the Sheffield War Weapons Week Exhibition in the foyer of the City Hall, Gordon Strange, a 14 year old boy who lived in Firth Park, was fatally injured by a round from an accidental discharge of a Boyes Anti-tank Rifle. A member of Form Va, he had already demonstrated that he was a brilliant scholar and would have gone into the Classical Sixth and probably gained an Oxbridge Scholarship. Although he was neither a serviceman nor been killed by enemy action his name was included on the War Memorial, the youngest Edwardian to be so commemorated in either of the two World Wars. - G. Strange (1937-40), Patrol Leader, School Scout Troop. Accidentally killed on duty at Civic War Exhibition, November, 1940.
Accidentally killed on duty at Civic War Exhibition. Killed whilst helping out as a member of the KES Scouts at the Sheffield War Weapons Week Exhibition in the foyer of the City Hall, Gordon Strange, a 14 year old boy who lived in Firth Park, was fatally injured by a round from an accidental discharge of a Boyes Anti-tank Rifle.
Edward Stringer (P/JX 191393)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Egret
27 August 1943, aged 22
School magazine - Signalman Edward Stringer (1932-37) who had just joined his new ship, HMS Egret, after having been torpedoed in the eastern Mediterranean only two months before. In August 1943 the Egret was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of all 203 hands.E. STRINGER, Signaller, R.N.V.R., lost his life at sea on August 27th, 1943. Joining in 1940, he had served in the Eastern Mediterranean, and returned home, after being torpedoed, in June, 1943. His next ship was sunk in. the Atlantic in August with 203 of her crew
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
Lost when the sloop HMS Egret was sunk off the Atlantic coast of Spain. HMS Egret was the first Allied warship to be sunk by a guided missle. 30 nautical miles west of Vigo, Spain she was attacked by a squadron of Dornier aircraft, one of which carried and launched the Henschel Hs-293A guided bomb which hit sank Egret in position 42º10'N, 09º22'W, killing 194 of its crew.
George Leslie Swift (742574)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - Sea Rescue Flt
25 November 1941, aged 27
School magazine - G. L. Swift (1928-31), Sergeant, R.A.F. Killed in action, Middle East, November, 1941.
El Alamein War Cemetery
Killed in action, Middle East
George Eric Taylor (897491)
Royal Artillery - 123 Field Regt.
14 April 1940, aged 20
School magazine - G. E. Taylor (1929-36), Lance Bombardier, R.A. Died at home, April, 1940.
Fulwood (Christ Church) Churchyard
Died at home.
James Brian Teather (1453556)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 164 Sqdn.
7 October 1944, aged 22
School magazine - J. B. Teather, Flight Sergt., R.A.F.V.R, was reported missing in October 1944, and is now known to have been killed in air operations over Belgium. He had been in the R.A.F. since September 1941, having trained in S. Africa. In October 1943, he married Miss Joan Holgate, of Wolverhampton ; a child was born to them shortly before Brian Teather's death.
Brugge General Cemetery
Typhoon serial MN862 lost during Operation Switchback crashing alongside the Schipdonk canal to Damme.
Robert Thomas Crawford Tilsey (6108351)
The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) - 1/5th Bn.
9 April 1945, aged 20
Becklingen War Cemetery
KIA in the advance through northern Germany, originally buried in Sudweyhe
Arthur Eric Troops
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Monarch
13 June 1944, aged 39
School magazine - Arthur E. Troops (1917-20), Lieut-Commander R.D., R.N.R. (retired), who lost his life on June 13th, 1944, in the English Channel, while serving as Captain of H.M. Cableship Monarch. He had left school at the age of fifteen to join the Nautical Training Ship Worcester, and so had completed nearly thirty years of naval service.
Sheffield (Crookes) Cemetery
Killed in a friendly fire incident when HM cable ship Monarch was attacked by USS Plunkett whilst off the D-Day beaches.
Ronald Victor Trueman (61969)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 405 Sqdn.
24 July 1941, aged 22
School magazine - R. V. Trueman (1934-36), Pilot Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Brest, July, 1941.
Runnymede Memorial
Wellington mk IC serial W5537 coded LQ-O airborne from Pocklington at 11:53 on a mission to Brest.
Leslie Reginald Vickery
Merchant Navy - S.S. Clarissa Radcliffe (London)
9 March 1943, aged 34
Tower Hill Memorial
SS Clarissa Radcliffe was on the route Pepel - New York (5 Mar) - Barrow with a cargo of 8450 tons of iron ore. At 15.40 hours on 18 March 1943 the Clarissa Radcliffe (Master Stuart Gordon Finnes), a straggler from convoy SC-122 since a heavy storm in approx. 42°N/62°W on 9 March, was hit by one torpedo from U-663 and sank immediately about 700 miles southwest of Cape Farewell. At 15.35 hours, the ship had been missed with a spread of three torpedoes because Schmid apparently overestimated her speed. There were no survivors: the master, 42 crew members and ten gunners were lost.
Kenneth John Wainwright
Royal Naval Reserve - H.M.S. Asturias
3 August 1943, aged 34
shown in Naval history as killed in torpedo attack, but if so why in Belfast Cemetery when torpedo attack was near Freetown
Belfast City Cemetery
Died in UK
John Terence Waterfall (88022)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
24 September 1941, aged 28
School magazine - J. T. Waterfall (1922-29), A/Flying Officer, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Malta, September, 1941.
Malta Memorial
Blenheim serial number Z9599 lost without trace on a shipping sortie from Luqa, Malta
Charles Jeffrey Watson (4747655)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 6th Bn.
15 June 1940, aged 19
Gent City Cemetery
p POW and maybe of wounds
George Albert Wells (2363244)
Royal Corps of Signals - 1st Armd. Bde. Sigs.
14 November 1942, aged 24
School magazine - G. A. Wells, Royal Corps of Signals, after serving for two years in North Africa, was taken prisoner in June, 1942. Shortly afterwards, it appears, he was presumed to have been killed whilst in the Italian Prisoner of War Camp 154, all the members of which are reported to have lost their lives.
Alamein Memorial
After serving for two years in North Africa, was taken prisoner in June, 1942, he was presumed to have been killed whilst in the Italian Prisoner of War Camp 154, all the members of which are reported to have lost their lives.
John Marcus Wesley (152067)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 115 Sqdn.
7 June 1944, aged 21
School magazine - J. M. Wesley, Flying Officer, Royal Air Force, was reported missing in June, 1944, after a bombing raid on Lisieux, Normandy, and his death is now unhappily presumed. Leaving school in 1939 for employment in the National Provincial Bank at Hillsborough, he had joined the Home Guard in its early days as " L.D.V." and afterwards qualified as a pilot in the R.A.F., being commissioned at Saskatoon in April, 1943. He was spoken of as a very capable pilot and captain of aircraft, whom his crew were proud and happy to serve to the best of their ability.
Runnymede Memorial
Lancaster mk III serial LM533 coded KO-T airborne from Witchford at 00:01 on a mission to attack the railway junction and marshaling yard at Lisieux.
Lionel Wigram (37042)
Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) - -
3 February 1944, aged 37
School magazine - L. Wigram, Major, Royal Fusiliers, was killed in action in Italy in February, 1944. Lionel Wigram joined the School in 1918, and after a very successful career, left in 1925 to go to The Queen's College, Oxford, with a State Scholarship. Becoming a solicitor, he went to London and achieved great success in his profession, serving for some years on the Marylebone Borough Council. His greatest claim to distinction is his connection with the inception of the, system of Battle Drill which is now an essential part of British Infantry training. Inspired and encouraged by General Alexander, Wigram was able to put into practice his ideas of a suitable course of training-tough, exacting and realistic - for modern warfare. His book on the subject became the Official Manual, and he was appointed Commandant of the first G.H.Q. Battle School for the training of instructors. After a visit of observation to Sicily, he went to Italy to give the benefit of his methods to the Irregulars there. It was while leading a party of his Italians in a night attack on a village that he was killed by enemy rifle-fire.
Moro River Canadian War Cemetery
SOE Italy (Wigforce). KIA Pizzoferrato,Italy
Peter Wilkinson (184237)
Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. - 6th
10 June 1942, aged 27
School magazine - P. Wilkinson (1926-30), 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Tank Regiment. Killed on active service, North Africa, June, 1942.
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Acroma
Died in North Africa
Frank Hanson Williams
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Cape Howe
21 June 1940
The first fatality in action was a ship’s surgeon who had been at school in Dr. Hichens’ time. Surgeon-Lieut. Frank Williams R.N. had served in the Navy before the war after being in general practice at Malin Bridge earlier. Ironically, he had already seen some action in China in 1938 when his ship, H.M.S. Cicala, had defied Japanese warnings and sailed 25 miles up the mine-littered Pearl River on a rescue mission. His luck ran out off the French coast when his ship was sunk, and although he was seen to get into one of the lifeboats, bad weather scattered them during the night and only one boat was rescued. For some weeks he was posted as missing, but by August the Admiralty was listing him as presumed drowned and his lifeboat was never found.
Portsmouth Naval Memorial
At 8:46 HMS Cape Howe (X 02), disguised as Prunella, was hit on the starboard side near the bridge by one of two torpedoes fired by U-28 about 100 miles west of the Isles of Scilly. The explosion blew open the hatches of number 1 hold, put the Asdic and steering gear out of order and mortally injured two crewmen. The panic party abandoned the now slowly circling ship in two lifeboats but the U-boat did not surface and fired a coup de grâce after about one hour that hit on port side amidships, causing her to slowly settle by the bow until sinking with a list to port at 12:30 hours.
Robert Hugh David Williams (D/JX 196505)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. Fearless
24 July 1941, aged 21
School magazine - Robert Hugh David Williams (1929-37), Able Seaman, R.N., was killed in action in July, 1941. Aged 21. Although he had been recommended for a commission, Williams preferred the life of an A.B., and in this rank he had seen service in several theatres of war before taking part in the bombardment of Genoa. In an air attack on his ship, H.M.S. Fearless, he was wounded, with eight others, at his action station and died on the following day. His Commander has described him as a popular seaman and a great sportsman-he held his ship's record as a goal-scorer.
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Killed when the destroyer HMS Fearless was torpedoed and heavily damaged by Italian aircraft while escorting a convoy in the central Mediterranean. She was scuttled by a torpedo from HMS Forester about 50 nautical miles north-north-east of Bone, Algeria in position 37º40'N, 08º20'E.
Gordon Louis Wincott (1101847)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 107 Sqdn.
25 October 1941, aged 19
School magazine - G. L. Wincott (1931-38), Sergeant, R.A.F. Believed killed in action, Malta, October, 1941.
Tripoli War Cemetery
Blenheim Z7704 left Malta on road patrol over what is now Libya bombed an Axis petrol dump & then crashed or was shot down.
Ralph Skelton Woolass (102073)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 234 Sqdn.
16 April 1942, aged 24
Runnymede Memorial
Spitfire mk Vb serial number coded AZ-? airborne from Ibsley on a cover patrol for an air sea rescue, shot down by ME109's at 15:10 in the English Channel off Cherbourg.
Information about the memorial includes that given on the IWM War Memorials Register - © IWM (WMA-27521)