Cockermouth Cemetery, Cumbria: War Graves

Michael:

In case you do not already have a photograph of Lt. Stanley Thompson Park's headstone I have attached one below.

In addition, if you look at his CWGC certificate on the CWGC website, Lt. Park's headstone is in the middle of the accompanying photograph they use for Wreay Cemetery. His was the only service burial in that cemetery from either World War.

Attached photograph:

Headstone of Lt. Stanley Thompson PARK, Border Regiment.
[Commemorated on the Cockermouth War Memorial]

This is the CWGC citation for Lt. Stanley Thompson PARK:

Name: PARK, STANLEY THOMPSON
Rank: Lieutenant
Service No: 72565
Date of Death: 03/06/1947
Age: 29
Regiment/Service: Border Regiment
Grave Reference: Third row from East wall.
Cemetery: WREAY (ST. MARY) CHURCH CEMETERY, ST. CUTHBERT WITHOUT, Carlisle, Cumberland.

Additional Information:
Son of Mr. and Mrs. William Thomas Park;
Husband of Nancy Lena Park, of Carlisle
....................

Link to the Wreay Cemetery photograph on the CWGC website:

CWGC - Cemetery Details

 

Hi Jos i do have a copy of the photo but it as bird shite on it . Could you send me a copy of yours please.

Regards Michael.

 

Hi Jos i do have a copy of the photo but it as bird shite on it . Could you send me a copy of yours please.

Regards Michael.

I have e-mailed a copy of the photograph to you.

When I was visiting the cemetery a number of RAF planes passed overhead. They had frightened off all the birds!

 

Don't no why but i seem to have forgoten to post this chap.

HUDDART, JOSEPH

Rank:Private
Service No:240698
Date of Death:26/04/1921
Age:35
Regiment/Service:Border Regiment1st/5th Bn.
Grave Reference B1. CE. 30.
Cemetery COCKERMOUTH CEMETERY

Additional Information:

Son of William Huddart; husband of Sarah Jane Huddart, of The Goat, Cockermouth.

 

SANDERSON, FRANK
Rank:Ordinary Seaman
Service No:P/JX 517391
Date of Death:18/02/1944
Regiment/Service:Royal Navy H.M.S. Penelope
Panel Reference Panel 84, Column 1.
Memorial PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Also remembered with Honour
Cockermouth Cemetery.

On 18 February 1944, Penelope, under the command of Captain G D Belben, was leaving Naples to return to the Anzio area when she was torpedoed at

40.55°N 13.25°E by German submarine U-410 under the command of Horst-Arno Fenski. A torpedo struck her in the after engine room and was followed sixteen minutes later by another torpedo that hit in the after boiler room, causing her immediate sinking. 415 of the crew, including the captain, went down with the ship; 206 survived.

 

STARKIE, JOHN


Rank: Corporal
Service No: 3599612
Date of Death: 24/06/1944
Age: 22
Regiment/Service: Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C.
43rd (2/5th Bn. Gloucestershire Regt.) Regt.
Panel Reference: Panel 3.
Memorial: BAYEUX MEMORIAL




Remembered in Cockermouth Cemetery

 

STARKIE, JOHN

Bayeux Memorial Panel 3

 

LAWSON, WILLIAM

Rank:Gunner
Service No:9166
Date of Death:23/02/1916
Age:25
Regiment/Service:Royal Field Artillery "D" Bty. 71st Bde.
Grave Reference: II. G. 3.
Cemetery:FOSSE 7 MILITARY CEMETERY (QUALITY STREET), MAZINGARBE
Additional Information: Son of Daniel and Mary Elizabeth Lawson, of 81A, Horsman St., Cockermouth, Cumberland. Native of Bowness, Cumberland.



From the Wigton Advertiser.

 

Duplicate.

 

TIFFIN, JOSEPH

Rank:Private
Service No:15829
Date of Death:22/02/1915
Age:28
Regiment/Service:Border Regiment 8th Bn.
Grave Reference: 3. 485.
Cemetery:SALISBURY (DEVIZES ROAD) CEMETERY
Additional Information: Son of William N. Tiffin, of 6, Derwent St., Cockermouth, Cumberland.

 

Civilian Robert Swanston, aged 43. Died 18th January 1944.
39 Henry Street, Cockermouth. Married to Mabel Swanston.

Killed in an accident at the Broughton Moor Royal Navy Armaments Depot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNAD_Broughton_Moor
An explosion occurred at RNAD Broughton Moor on 18 January 1944 which resulted in the death of 11 people and left 70 people injured. The coroners hearing was reported in the Cumberland Evening Star in February 1944. The explosion appears to have occurred in one of the traverse laboratories, photos showing the aftermath include a 2 ft 6 in(762 mm) gauge box van No. 267.

Call for memorial to victims of Broughton Moor explosion

Unfortunately Robert and his wife Mabel (who died in 1975) have no headstone, they are buried in Section Q No.145.



View attachment SKMBT.pdf

 

These civilian casualties are not commemorated by the CWGC. The ones at Broughton Moor 'dump' were not killed by enemy action and no Armed Forces personnel died in the accident in which the 11 casualties lost their lives. There were a number of civilian casualties who died as the result of accidents at establishments such as ordnance factories and are not on the CWGC register (discussed a few times on this forum).

However, there is nothing to stop casualties being commeomrated on local war memoroials (e.g. the ones who came from Broughton Moor are listed on the village memorial). Tou may remember there was a call for all 11 who died in this explosion to be remembered on one memorial but I have not heard this has come to fruition yet.

Link to 'Times & Star' article about remembering the Broughton Moor accident (2011):
http://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/people/call-for-memorial-to-victims-of-broughton-moor-explosion-1.803547

 

Could those who died in this accident (doing War work) be considered for the "In from the Cold" project inclusion to the CWGC database?

Geoff

Edit: eg: No armed Forces personnel died in these accidents.

http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/58187-new-cwgc-commemorations-1st-july-2015/?p=675513

 

HUNTER Jonathan 1823000 Royal Artillery attestation from 1941
discharged 30/3/44

 

A few years ago I contacted the CWGC about the WW2 civilian war dead for the county of Cumberland. There were several who were accidentally killed while doing armaments work (such as Mr Swanston who is buried in Cockermouth Cemetery) but the Commission will not commemorate them. Good luck to anyone else who wishes to make further contact with the Commission but I feel they will be 'flogging a dead horse'.

 

Thank you Guy for adding Jonathan's attestation document it is much appreciated.

Cheers Mike.

 

Joseph it was while I was researching Broughton Moors war memorial that I came across Robert's name in the newspaper that you posted which I also posted. So I made a phone call to Uncle Rob to see where he was buried so I could go and take a photo but as you can see unfortunately he doesn't have an headstone.
Unlike the 2 ladies who were killed in the same accident from Broughton Moor who are remembered on the memorial poor Robert isn't remembered any where,
so at least this way he will be remembered.

Regards Mike.

 

Yes Mike he will be Remembered

 

To date, despite the previously referred to request in 2011, nothing has happened about having a memorial for all 11 who died in the Broughton Moor explosion in which Mr Swanston died. Is his name being added to the Cockermouth War Memorial?

You may remember that for the Cleator Moor 'Roll of Honour' I included two civilians (engaged to be married to each other) who died as the result of an accident at Drigg R.O.F. In some respects the circumstances were similar to the Broughton Moor incident and neither of them are commemorated by the CWGC.

Is Robert Swanston related to the family of David (Chiggy) Swanston?

 

Gunner Joseph Johnston
25907, 74th bty Royal Field Artillery.
Died 8th February 1902.
Aged 22.

Joseph died of Tubercle of the lung.

He signed up in the 74th bty Royal Field Artillery 3rd Feb 1898.
Was posted to India on the 23rd Feb 1899 to 18th April 1900 into the 15th field Royal Field Artillery.
Posted back home 19th April 1900 to 19th March 1901 due to being medically unfit Tubercle of the lung.
And sadly passed away on the 8th Feb 1902 at Netley military hospital.
And buried in Netley cemetery.

Joseph has no headstone in Netley cemetery but is remembered in Cockermouth cemetery with his grandparents.

FACE 1: Sacred/To The Memory/of/Sarah Jane wife of/John Johnston, who died May 14th/1916, aged 54 years./ FACE 2: Sacred/To The Memory/of/Joseph Johnston/who died July 19th 1883, aged 55 years/Agnes his wife/who died Jan. 9th 1892, aged 68 years./Also their grandson Joseph Johnstone/of the 15th Royal Field Artillery who died at/Netley Hospital Feb 6th 1902 aged 23 years/Interred at Netley/"



A big thanks to Julie Green who sent me his service records from http://www.netley-military-cemetery.co.uk/