Airborne Forces-Headstones

Lance Corporal George William Howe.
14209659,1st (Airborne)Bn.,Border Regiment.
Who died age 25.
On 24 September 1944.
Son of William and Mary Jane Howe.
Remembered with honour.
Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery. 18.B.18.
Also remembered Moresby (St.Bridget) Churchyard Cumbria.

Each September, a member of the Cumbria Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association has been laying a poppy cross at L/Cpl Howe's grave in Oosterbeek Cemetery.

The third photograph in this little series (looking towards the church) seems to have been taken very close to the final resting place of my Granddad. It is also in this part of the churchyard where several of the miners killed in the 1946 Harrington No 10 explosion and the 1947 William Pit, Whitehaven explosion were laid to rest. You probably noticed most of those graves.

 

Each September, a member of the Cumbria Branch of the Parachute Regiment Association has been laying a poppy cross at L/Cpl Howe's grave in Oosterbeek Cemetery.

The third photograph in this little series (looking towards the church) seems to have been taken very close to the final resting place of my Granddad. It is also in this part of the churchyard where several of the miners killed in the 1946 Harrington No 10 explosion and the 1947 William Pit, Whitehaven explosion were laid to rest. You probably noticed most of those graves.


I noticed a Ritson and wondered if it was any relation to you,yes i did notice the section of miners and wondered if it had been an accident.

 

HI Michael,

Thanks again for the above... I have named all the Airborne so far not The Arnhem ones just started that lot up to 5040 so far

Cheers
Tom

 

Private Kervin was a passenger on Glider 60 which crashed into the sea. He was one of three of the occupants that tried to swim to the shore about two miles away - none made it

John

Rupert Kervin is also listed on the Cleator Moor 'Roll of Honour'. Another Frizington fellow with 1st Border at this time, Pte Richard ('Dick') Haley was awarded the George Medal for saving several lives when his glider came down into the sea. Mr Haley later became a POW after Operation Market Garden, which fortunately he survived.

Mr Haley was regularly asked to lay a wreath at the Frizington War Memorial at Remembrance time. He passed away in October 2010.

For anyone interested, this is a link to Mr Haley's obituary with a photograph that appeared in 'The Whitehaven News' in November 2010:

Whitehaven News | News | A fine hero who saved many lives

 

HI Michael,

Thanks again for the above... I have named all the Airborne so far not The Arnhem ones just started that lot up to 5040 so far

Cheers
Tom

Wow go Tom will keep looking out for any for you.

Regards Michael.

 

Wow go Tom will keep looking out for any for you.

Regards Michael.

Pte Hugh McGuinness from Whitehaven, 1st Border Regt (Airborne) was one of the last fellows manning the perimeter outside the Hartenstein Hotel at Oosterbeek. He was then made a POW but eventually made it back home. When Pte McGuinness died he was buried in Whitehaven Cemetery. The headstone mentions he was in the Airborne Division if you want to look out for this.

At the end of 'Market / Garden' everyone else had been withdrawn, had been killed or wounded. Pte McGuinness and his mates were ordered to surrender so the wounded in the Hartenstein Hotel and elsewhere could get treatment.

He took the salute from the German officer who took the British surrender. I think he gets mentioned in the book 'A Bridge Too Far' but not in the subsequent film.

If anyone is interested, the following link will take you to an earlier article I wrote about Pte Hugh McGuinness (including his wedding photograph):

WW2 - The Second World War: A wedding and a happy ending to 1945

 

Private john martin
3601515,army catering corps.
Secondry regiment;kings own scottish borderers.
Secondry unit text;attd.7th bn.
Who died on 11 february 1944.
Remembered with honour
whitehaven cemetery
ward 6.sec.l.grave 680

Deacs,

Private John Martin's N.O.K. (not listed on the CWGC citation) was his wife, Mrs Mary Martin (nee McConvey). They had married at Whitehaven in 1940 and they had one son (born 1943). Private Martin enlisted to the Border Regiment in November 1939 (which is why he has a Border Regiment service number). His death was due to a road accident in Lincolnshire.

The memorial vase - part of which can be seen in the photograph you have posted - remembers two of the McConvey family. One of these is Pte Martin's brother-in-law, Gunner Edward McConvey (Jnr.). He was also a WW2 casualty ("... died at Ipswich from war effects."). If it is of interest, this is Gunner McConvey's CWGC citation:

Casualty Details
Name: McCONVEY, EDWARD
Initials: E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Gunner
Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery
Unit Text: 51 Heavy Regt.
Age: 26
Date of Death: 30/06/1946
Service No: 955571
Additional information: Son of Edward and Bernette McConvey;
Husband of Jean Doreen McConvey, of Ipswich.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Sec. Y. Div. 4. Grave 5.
Cemetery: IPSWICH OLD CEMETERY, Suffolk

Possibly someone living in the Ipswich area may be able to take a photograph of this headstone?

I will contact you in a PM with other details.

 

Hi All,

I'm now looking for the last Arnhem casualties

Belgium
Neuvile-en-Condroz Douglas Wilcombe C.13.10
Leopoldsburg Alexander Butler 11.A.8

France
Lorraine
William Buckley K-14-14
Russell Stephans E.38.31

UK
Leeds Harehills Harold Ward Sec G grave 90

Birmingham
William Green Warstone Sec M

Colin Rolfe Sheffield City Road 11 Grave 24573

Any help would be greatly appreciated to finish my collection

Cheers
Tom

 

Tom

All the images I posted on page 23 of this thread vanished along with my imageshack account. I've sorted the problem and they are all back as they were. Sorry for that mate.

JB

 

Hi Jonathan,

No worries Mate any time I get a photo on this always save them right away... Where are you again ??

Thanks anyway
Tom

 

I'm in Wigan, Tom.

Got this man?

Name: GRANGE, DEREK CHRISTOPHER LINDSAY
Initials: D C L
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Armoured Corps
Secondary Regiment: Devonshire Regiment
Secondary Unit Text: attd. 12th (Airborne) Bn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 06/08/1944
Service No: 277585
Additional information: Son of Thomas Henry and Betty Muriel Grange, of Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: IA. A. 6.
Cemetery: RANVILLE WAR CEMETERY

 

Remembered St Albans War Memorial,Hertfordshire

Serjeant LEONARD BRIM

920824, 2nd Wing, The Glider Pilot Regiment, A.A.C.
who died age 21
on 31 March 1944
Son of Ernest E. Brim and Ada Brim, of St. Albans.
Remembered with honour
HATFIELD ROAD CEMETERY, ST. ALBANS

 

Hi Clive,

Thanks for the above Star Man

Regards
Tom

 

KIRBY, PETER BURROWS

Rank:
Second Lieutenant
Service No:
249556
Date of Death:
25/01/1943
Age:
19
Regiment/Service:
Royal Engineers

2 Parachute Sqn.
Grave Reference
Sec. I. Grave 104.
Cemetery
NEW SOUTHGATE CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Son of Bernard Burrows Kirby and Sylvia Pranz Kirby, of Palmer's Green, Middlesex.

 

Hi Clive,

Thanks and yet another one that looks like its just left....

Cheers
Tom

 

Yes Tom
They have just cleared all the trees and associated debris from many years of growth.

 

EDMONDS, DENNIS PHILIP

Rank:
Lieutenant
Service No:
258718
Date of Death:
13/09/1944
Age:
21
Regiment/Service:
Royal Ulster Rifles

1st (Airborne) Bn.
Grave Reference
Sec. HD. Grave 1214.
Cemetery
SOUTHGATE CEMETERY
Additional Information:
Nephew of P. Vivian Smith, of Palmers Green.

 

Clive
You are a top man, thanks for those recent additions (although there are going to be more!)

Regards

Andy

 

Remembered St Marys Church Abbots Langley,Herts.

plus renewed headstone

LOWE, ERIC HERBERT

Rank:
Staff Serjeant
Service No:
1827673
Date of Death:
04/05/1944
Age:
23
Regiment/Service:
The Glider Pilot Regiment, A.A.C.

2nd
Grave Reference
Plot R. Row F. Grave 2.
Cemetery
ABBOTS LANGLEY (ST. LAWRENCE) CHURCHYARD
Additional Information:
Son of Herbert Ernest and Violet Lowe; husband of Eileen Joyce Lowe, of Neasden, Middlesex.

 

Hi Clive,

Thanks Clive what can we say keep them coming...

Cheers
Tom