CWGC :: Casualty Details Second Lieutenant JOHN FLETCHER BOUGHEY 124549, Coldstream Guards who died age 21 on 31 August 1940 Son of Sir George Menteth Boughey, 9th Bt., C.B.E., and of Lady Boughey (nee Glass), of Glynde. Remembered with honour SOUTH MALLING (ST. MICHAEL) CHURCHYARD http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/35247/pages/4756/page.pdf Re the Estate of JOHN FLETCHER BOUGHEY, Deceased. Pursuant to the Trustee Act, 1925. NOTICE is hereby given that all creditors and other persons having any claims or demands against the estate of John Fletcher Boughey late of Mailing House, Lewes in the county of Sussex a 2nd Lieutenant in His Majesty's Coldstream Guards who died on the 3ist day of August 1940 and letters of administration (with the Will annexed) to whose estate were granted by the Principal Probate Registry on the 3ist day of July 1941 to the Union Bank of Scotland Limited of no St. Vincent Street Glasgow Scotland the lawful attorney of Robert Hugh Priestley one of the executors named in the said Will are hereby required to send the particulars in writing of their claims and demands to the under- signed the Solicitors for the administrators on or before the 20th day of October .1941 after which date the said administrators will proceed to distribute the assets of the said deceased amongst the persons entitled thereto having regard only to the claims and demands of which they shall then have had notice and will not be liable for the assets of the deceased or any part thereof so distributed to any persons of whose claims or demands they shall not then have had notice.—Dated this i3th day of August 1941. KIMBER BULL and CO., 6, Old Jewry, London, (205) E.C.2, Solicitors to the said Administrators.
Photographs of Forton, Staffordshire, England, UK From the Second World War there is a monument to John Fletcher Boughey, 2nd lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards, killed in action at sea on 31 August 1940 aged 21 Sussex Cricket Archive Full name: John Fletcher Boughey Born: 22nd March 1919, Godstone, Surrey, England Died: 31st August 1940, at sea, England Biography: Second Lieutenant, Coldstream Guards (1940) Relations: Brother: RJ Boughey Teams: Eton College (Miscellaneous: 1936-1938); Sussex Second XI (Miscellaneous: 1939); Eton Ramblers (Miscellaneous: 1939) Eton College Captain: 1938
I can't find any specific reference to his death in the History, just his record of service in the appendices and a general description of what the 2nd Battalion CG was doing post June 1940; nor can I find confirmation that he was actually with 2CG at time of death, apparently in service with them for only 3 weeks when he was Killed at Sea. From The Coldstream Guards, 1020-1946, Howard & Sparrow: page 470 BOUGHEY, John Fletcher, War Emergency Commission, 2/Lieutenant 23/3/1940; 2nd Battalion from 10/8/1940; killed at sea 31/8/1940 page 58: During the Dunkirk campaign the 2nd Bn had no less than 8 Officers and 62 Other Ranks killed, 3 Officers and 92 Other Ranks wounded, and 36 Other Ranks taken prisoner or missing. Thus depleted the battalion started to collect, on 4 June 1940, at the village of Walton, near Wakefield, in Yorkshire. The men had their arms but no transport; but new vehicles soon began to arrive. On the 21st the battalion moved to Grimsby, and the next day to the Lincolnshire beaches. Battalion Headquarters was in the village of North Somercote and the Coldstream were responsible for nine miles of coastline. The 2nd Battalion of the Hampshires were on the right, with the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards in reserve near 1st Guards Brigade Headquarters in Louth. ... On 22nd October 1st Guards Brigade was relieved of its commitments on beach defence and was concentrated in rear as a mobile striking force.
From The Guards and Caterham, Guardroom Publications, page 228: A Dream's Prophecy John Fletcher Boughey was one of the War Poets of WW2. And like Rupert Brooke in WW1, he foresaw his own death in action. Born at Caterham on March 22, 1919, he was educated at Eton and graduated from Magdalen College, Cambridge. Then he came bak to Caterham and was commissioned in the Coldstream Guards. He was just 21 when he was killed in action on August 31, 1940. His verse, Last Night I Dreamed, is included in an Oxford University Press anthology of poetry written by young men from English public schools, who died in the war of 1939-1945. Its title - For Your Tomorrow. Last Night I Dreamed Last night I dreamed that to my bed there came A heavenly vision, calling me by name Who, standing in the moonlight, softly said 'Arise and follow me, for you are dead.' Then in a sudden, timeless flash unfurled Before my eyes, the compass of the world; Before me lay eternity revealed And all the secrets in earth's bosom sealed. Thus, for a space I stood and watched, supreme Wrapt in the matchless splendour of my dream, And, suddenly I knew that time and death Were but the fable on man's lying breath.
Edit: added details from ROH appendix which lists UK casualties by unit. Results of a search using Geoff's Search Engine for Coldstream Guards + between dates 30/08/1940-02/09/1940 (Note all but one, which is for 1st Bn have no battalion allocated in the details) : 001 Link BOOR SA 2663064 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS Regimental Depot Staff 002 Link BOUGHEY JF 124549 - 31/08/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS 2nd Battalion 003 Link JOHNSON J 2653580 1ST BN 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS SEC. B/22. GRAVE 39. 004 Link LISHER SA 2663069 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS 5. B. 6. Regimental Depot Staff 005 Link NOLAN A 2663067 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS SEC. G.4. GRAVE 59. Regimental Depot Staff 006 Link PARKIN WH 2663047 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS GRAVE 5600. Regimental Depot Staff 007 Link SCOTT J 2663055 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS 5. B. 5. Regimental Depot Staff 008 Link WARE C 2662717 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS SEC. 2A. GRAVE 91. Regimental Depot Staff 009 Link WRIGHT GW 2663072 - 01/09/1940 COLDSTREAM GUARDS SEC. W.7G. GRAVE 368. Regimental Depot Staff
Here we go, I knew I had seen it somewhere. Looks like I was wrong about the missing at sea bit. "on 1st Septmeber 2/Lt J.L. Boughey was at sea in H.M.S. Express when she struck a mine - 2/Lt Boughey was killed instantly. Express, although almost cut in half, was succesfully towed back to the Humber." I have records of a few Guarsmen acting as army escourts to convoys, either transferring P.O.W.s or acting in the 'Marine' capacity of providing soldiers for merchant vessels operating in waters where eboat attacks were possible. According to the wiki link this was part of the texel distaster. 2/Lt Boughey was assigned to No.2 Company, 2 CG. *Edit* probs should appologize and give props to Drew for going out of his way to look this one up at TNA... it turned out I already had the answer, but I got home first :p
Sept 1940 was not a good month for the 2ns Bn. A few days later L/Cpl Shewan was killed on the 11th of Sept near saltfleet when he bicyled into a minefield. 2/lt Scott and Sgt Wakefield entered the mines to retrieve him, but set off a mine in doing so, Sgt Wakefield being killed instantly, 2/Lt Scott being wounded (eye). Captain Blacker recieiving the MC for his actions in rescuing Mr Scott. I thought this might be the Scott you were after, but I see the ranks are wrong.
Checked the diary today for you Di-Nothing listed. The Bn diary states it was on the East Coast (Couldn't make out the name of the place but near Grimsby looking at Standing orders etc.) at the time of the incident.
