At the moment this young lady is not recorded on CWGG records. In my opinion she should be, after all, if it was peacetime no guard would be required on the Post Office. Evelyn Mary Brotherton May 16th 1921 - 16th Dec 1939. Daughter of Herbert Henry and Evelyn Clara (second wife) Brotherton. No idea of location of grave at the moment. Reported in Daily Mirror 18th Dec 1939. Two years earlier she was mentioned in the LG. 6240 THE LONDON GAZETTE, 8 OCTOBER, 1937 WITHOUT COMPETITION. Telephonists, Betty Violet Addison (Leicester), May Violet Allen (St. Albans), Stella Aired (Bradford), Joan Hilda Andrews (Walton-on-Thames and Weybridge), Nancy Maud Atkin (Leeds), Kathleen Bertha Bethell (Tunbridge Wells), Gladys Constance Brittenden (Sittingbourne), Evelyn Mary Brotherton (Harpenden, St. Albans), Marie Irene Bryden (Harpenden, St. Albans), If Evelyn was accepted by the CWGC , would it make her the first civilian causality of WW2? 30th April 1940. Frederick Gill and his wife Dorothy became the first civilian fatal casualties of the war in England, when a Heinkel bomber crash landed on their house, No. 25 Victoria Road, Clacton-on-Sea. Moments later there was an enormous explosion. The plane had been circling over Clacton-on-Sea in Essex for about half an hour before it came down, and many people looking out of the windows were injured in the blast. Over 160 people were injured, 34 of them classified as serious. 67 houses were seriously damaged and many more had tiles blown off and windows broken. Yet Air Raid Precaution officials were able to point out that an air raid shelter close to the explosion had remained intact. In this case no Air Raid warning had been given. In fact Clacton had not been the victim of an air raid aimed at civilians but of an accident.
Hi Burial here with pics http://www.hertsburialsandmemorials.org.uk/show_burial_record.php?cemetery=hatfield_road_a_b_c&folder=hatfield_road_a_b_c_27_28&serial=1193 Regards Graeme
First civilian casualties for WW2 were on the SS Athenia on 3rd Sep 1939. I will have a look at this one when I get back home so you will get some sort of answer tomorrow morning. Chris
Evening All, This one fits the bill as it is a death through a military accident. RCG would you like to contact me by PM & we will get the job sorted. Chris
Thanks to Chrisharley9's sterling work, Evelyn is now on the CWGC books. http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/75452669/BROTHERTON, EVELYN MARY BROTHERTON, EVELYN MARY Rank:Civilian Date of Death:16/12/1939 Age:18 Regiment/Service:Civilian War Dead Reporting Authority:ST. ALBANS, RURAL DISTRICT Additional Information:Of 103 Sandridge Road, St. Albans. Daughter of Henry Herbert Brotherton. Died at Harpenden Telephone Exchange.
