Balby War Memorial

Hi All

Bit of an unusual request - Balby (South Yorkshire) has a War Memorial for WW1 Casualties but as yet nothing at all for casualties of WW2.

I have found a few names for WW2 including:-

Thomas Arthur Ellis - SS Roxby, Merchant Navy.
Ernest Kenneth Gilvray - Royal Armoured Corps.
George Maw - HMS Phoebe, Royal Navy.
Edward Pinkney - West Yorkshire Regiment.
Cyril Homes - Royal Artillery.
Walter Edward Garrod - Pilot, RAF

Can anyone please advise how I can add to this list - SDGW is fine for WW1 but does anything exist for WW2?

Please Advise

Regards

John

 

If you contact the Commonwealth War Graves Commission they may be able to run an advanced search of their database for you - worth a try

 

Certainly worth a try - will keep you advised.

Regards

John

 

John
Try your local paper for there archives, the local libraryand the local history/geneolical group.
Also try the local schools and see if they have any info on old boys or memorials
even the local council may be able to help.

Good luck with the search.

 

LINK

 

Hi Oldman

Not a pleasant opening? - thanks for the suggestions, a number of old Balby schools have already closed, including my first school - I have contacted the remaining ones, the local library, churches, History Groups all say - Wonderful Idea, but no information - Balby is one of the areas of Doncaster on the decline, very few old residents left - I have even contacted Old Folks Homes but no joy there either.

This project may take more time than I thought......

Regards

John

 

001 , AIRD, ARC, 574456, - , 19/02/1946, ROYAL AIR FORCE
002 , ANSLOW, H, D/MX 54846, HMS MAIDSTONE , 31/10/1943, ROYAL NAVY
003 , ARMIT, JS, D/SSX 35800, HM MGB 637 , 12/09/1944, ROYAL NAVY
004 , BAKER, AF, 4690779, 157 BTY, 53 LT AA REGT , 23/03/1943, ROYAL ARTILLERY
005 , BALE, F, 4616957, 1ST BN , 05/04/1945, WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (PRINCE OF WALES'S OWN)
006 , BANKS, S, 4746291, 2ND BN , 25/05/1941, YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT
007 , BARR, C, 1014834, - , 13/11/1940, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
008 , BONSOR, JA, 14371337, 1ST BN , 10/08/1945, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGIMENT
009 , BOYD, JR, 1984018, - , 03/05/1945, ROYAL ENGINEERS
010 , BOYER, JH, C/MX 96735, HMS ASSEGAI , 26/01/1943, ROYAL NAVY
011 , BRAY, C, 1461297, 221 BTY, 91 HAA REGT , 27/05/1941, ROYAL ARTILLERY
012 , BRISTOW, W, P/MX 70724, HMS MEDWAY , 30/06/1942, ROYAL NAVY
013 , CHAPMAN, AS, 1434611, 50 SQDN , 10/08/1944, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
014 , CLAYTON, JM, 4592961, 1ST BN , 14/07/1943, KING'S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY
015 , CLOVER, A, 1458798, 170 BY, 57 LT AA REGT , 02/02/1942 - - 20/05/1942, ROYAL ARTILLERY
016 , COCKHILL, H, P/JX 137762, HMS EXPRESS , 01/09/1940, ROYAL NAVY
017 , COLLINGWOOD, CN, 1595173, 428 SQDN , 05/12/1944, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
018 , DAVIES, LE, 5620311, 12TH AIRBORNE BN , 24/08/1944, DEVONSHIRE REGIMENT
019 , DAVIS, EK, 318456, 'B' SQN QUEEN'S OWN YORKSHIRE DRAGOONS , 06/11/1942, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
020 , DIXON, CJ, 1106166, - , 13/07/1941, ROYAL AIR FORCE
021 , EARNSHAW, A, 319301, 3RD COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY SHARPSHOOTERS , 17/07/1943, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
022 , ELLIS, TA, -, SS ROXBY WEST HARTLEPOOL , 07/11/1942, MERCHANT NAVY
023 , FIELDING, HNW, 265866, 1ST BN , 31/01/1944, DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S (WEST RIDING REGIMENT)
024 , FRENCH, PH, 173135, 619 SQDN , 21/04/1944, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
025 , GANNON, CW, 1982538, - , 09/12/1942, ROYAL ENGINEERS
026 , GARROD, WE, 181569, - , 01/02/1946, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
027 , GILLVRAY, EK, 14367612, 4TH REGT , 12/07/1944, RECONNAISSANCE CORPS, R.A.C.
028 , GLASSWELL, FW, 3325093, 5/7TH BN , 05/11/1944, GORDON HIGHLANDERS
029 , GRADY, J, 1076548, 115 SQDN , 23/03/1944, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
030 , GREAVES, CR, 2764302, 1ST BN , 08/08/1944, BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)
031 , HADMAN, E, 4547462, 1ST LOTHIANS AND BORDER HORSE , 21/11/1944, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
032 , HALLAM, W, 14637277, 9TH THE QUEEN'S OWN YORKSHIRE DRAGOONS BN , 18/05/1944, KING'S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY
033 , HARESIGN, H, 14546078, 6TH BN , 18/06/1944, DUKE OF WELLINGTON'S (WEST RIDING REGIMENT)
034 , HATLIFF, J, P/MX 77888, HMML 916 , 08/11/1944, ROYAL NAVY
035 , HOLMES, C, 1732009, 89 BTY, 35 LT AA REGT , 03/03/1943, ROYAL ARTILLERY
036 , HOUSLEY, TW, 4544407, 2ND BN , 19/07/1942, WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (PRINCE OF WALES'S OWN)
037 , HOWE, K, 4748936, 6TH BN , 13/10/1944, YORK AND LANCASTER REGIMENT
038 , JACKSON, A, 318397, 'B' COY QUEEN'S OWN YORKSHIRE DRAGOONS , 02/11/1942, ROYAL ARMOURED CORPS
039 , JAMESON, GW, 1458006, 157 BTY, 53 LT AA REGT , 23/03/1943, ROYAL ARTILLERY
040 , JEWELL, RA, D/MX 56854, HMS VALIANT , 28/07/1940, ROYAL NAVY
041 , JOHNSON, S, 7392407, - , 29/04/1945, PIONEER CORPS
042 , JONES, J, 656792, 104 SQDN , 09/05/1943, ROYAL AIR FORCE
043 , LOUGHLAND, RH, P/JX 207165, HMS ALYNBANK , 11/09/1943, ROYAL NAVY
044 , MAIDENS, C, 14677297, 5TH BN , 03/08/1944, DORSETSHIRE REGIMENT
045 , MARRIOTT, W, D/SSX 17621, HMS MAHRATTA , 25/02/1944, ROYAL NAVY
046 , MAW, G, C/JX 319969, HMS PHOEBE , 23/10/1942, ROYAL NAVY
047 , MELLOR, W, 14240695, 931 CONSTR AND REPAIR COY , 31/10/1945, ROYAL ENGINEERS
048 , MIDDLETON, FG, 3532803, 2ND BN , 22/05/1940, MANCHESTER REGIMENT
049 , MULLINS, FWK, D/MX 75350, HMS BENBOW , 15/08/1943, ROYAL NAVY
050 , NEEDHAM, RFC, T/10703179, 18 WATER TANK COY , 07/01/1943, ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS
051 , NORTROP, A, -, - , 09/05/1941, CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
052 , NORTROP, A, -, - , 09/05/1941, CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
053 , O'DOWD, MG, 229508, 154 RLY OPERATING COY , 16/01/1944, ROYAL ENGINEERS
054 , PACEY, A, 10602231, 2/4TH BN , 09/09/1943, KING'S OWN YORKSHIRE LIGHT INFANTRY
055 , PARKER, JD, -, SS DAFILA LIVERPOOL , 18/03/1943, MERCHANT NAVY
056 , PETTIT, GW, 7934531, 5TH , 21/08/1944, ROYAL TANK REGIMENT, R.A.C.
057 , PINKNEY, E, 4538228, 2ND BN , 09/06/1942, WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT (PRINCE OF WALES'S OWN)
058 , PRICE, J, 331173, 1ST BN , 24/03/1945, BLACK WATCH (ROYAL HIGHLANDERS)
059 , PROUDMAN, AL, 163553, - , 09/12/1947, ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORPS
060 , ROBINSON, LH, 1590995, - , 20/01/1944, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
061 , SANDERSON, L, P/KX 155993, HMS QUORN , 03/08/1944, ROYAL NAVY
062 , SCOTT, R, 86339, - , 05/05/1941, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
063 , SHIMMIN, WE, 14355305, 2ND BN , 24/04/1944, DURHAM LIGHT INFANTRY
064 , SHIMWELL, HB, 2204168, 428 RCAF SQDN , 03/11/1943, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
065 , SOUTH, A, P/K 126811, HM SUBMARINE P615 , 18/04/1943, ROYAL NAVY
066 , TEBBS, G, 2123838, 1014 PORT OPERATING COY , 09/04/1945, ROYAL ENGINEERS
067 , TERRY, GH, 1571233, 5TH BN , 20/04/1945, KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS
068 , THOMPSON, G, 4690817, HQ 53 LT AA REGT , 27/05/1940 - - 02/06/1940, ROYAL ARTILLERY
069 , TYLER, G, 4398652, 6TH BN , 13/01/1943, ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS
070 , WILKINSON, WJC, -, SS EAST WALES CARDIFF , 16/12/1942, MERCHANT NAVY
071 , WILLIAMS, W, 4757737, 1ST BN , 04/05/1944, LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT
072 , WOODS, J, 940148, 9 SQDN , 28/09/1940, ROYAL AIR FORCE VOLUNTEER RESERVE
073 , WRIGHT, A, P/JX 363674, HMS VALKYRIE , 06/10/1942, ROYAL NAVY

 

Thanks Phil

This is amazing - the time and effort is mind blowing - Thank you so much.
If Ok with you I will present these names to the incumbent at St John's - this amount of work deserves a proper ending - and a Memorial for WW2 casualties needs to be created.

How did you do this? - I am really stunned but very very grateful.

Regards

John

 

LINK

John, Geoff posted the link to his wonderful search engine in one of the earlier posts. from there simply put 'Balby' in the 'including' section and off you go.

Phil

ps, this will only include casualties for whom the CWGC recorded the next of Kin details for, and wont be all of the casualties. For eg. Geoff's search engine revealed 228 casualties for my home town. This rose to 298 when adding those from the local main cenotaph, and is now at 377 after researching various school war memorials and works memorials as well as searching through the local newspaper archives.

 

Hi Phil

Thanks for your reply - easy when you know how - all I have to do now is find out how to "create" a War Memorial to commemorate these men. I have written to the British Legion as a starting point - do you agree this is my best option?

Incidentally the War Memorial, WW1 only, in Balby was unveilled by George H Wyatt VC, later a Doncaster Policeman.

 

John
Glad you are on your way, nice of England Phil to do a run on Geoffs search engine for you, the hard work now starts in getting all details together.
You may want to insert a few lines in your local paper/free newspaper asking information and also broaching the idea of a WW11 war memorial, see what this turns up.
Start talking to your Local council representative about what you are doing and seek his help in getting the idea moving.

 

First on Phils list.....

Sgt. Alan Ronald Cameron Aird
CWGC :: Casualty Details

19 February 1946
54 OTU
Mosquito NF30 NT558

The aircraft was on a cross country navigation sortie from its base at East Moor, routed to Daventry, Ely, Driffield and the returning to East Moor. It was seen at 1500 feet having broken cloud and then it reentered cloud while banked at a steep angle. It spun out of cloud and crashed 300 yards north of Pitsford Church, Northhants after the pilot lost control when he could not regain a normal flying attitude in cloud.

The navigator - F/S. William Arthur Graves was also killed in this crash.CWGC :: Casualty Details

'Final Landing' - Colin Cummings

 

Thanks Peter

Very much appreciated, this is the very first of 73 stories of Balby in World War 2.
Lets see where this takes us...

Thanks again

John

 

Hi Oldman

I have a meeting on 06 December 2010 to discuss the very same

Will post outcome

Regards

John

 

John
Let us know how you get on with your meeting

 

Meeting postponed - albeit at short notice - to next Wednesday at 19:30

Again will keep all informed

Regards

John

 

Hi All

After a delayed meeting with Father Brian - we have a plan of action - and there is space to add names on either side of the existing War Memorial - What I need to do and I should have done this already - is check for other Memorials within the Parish - there are 2 other churches St Peters (Warmsworth) and St James - there is also a cemetery on Guest Lane which I didn't know existed. Once I have checked to make sure we have no duplications a Faculty has to be applied for - funding and grants to be applied for which is the exiting bit - But things are now moving forward - will keep you updated.

John

 

UPDATE

St Peter's in Warmsworth/Balby - No Memorials at all.
St James' - Balby - WW1 Memorial only - nothing again for WW2

What is going on?