Portsmouth Naval Memorial Panels 33-95

RN Memorials at Plymouth, Portsmouth and Chatham commemorate those buried at sea or with no known grave. Commander Devlin's body must have been recovered as he has a grave.
Tim

 

Thanks Tricky and TimUK. You can see why I was pulling my hair out with this lot.

Brigadier Vogel is buried in the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK. (Photo 2 Attached)

Captain Wadham is "buried" in the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, UK.?? He is listed under Peters on the Memorial

Captain Peters is listed on panel 61 of the Portsmouth Naval Memorial as stated however I cannot confirm it was 61??

Commander Devlin is buried in the Plymouth (Weston Hill) Cemetery, UK. (Photo 1 Attached)

Sgt Cordrey was cremated at the Camberwell (Honor Oak) Crematorium. UK. (So we can assume he was found however I am unable to find anything further on him)

The photo showing Captain Peters states it was a 79sq RAF aircraft when it was an Australian 10sq RAAF Sunderland (W6054) with all the (10) Australian RAAF crew surviving although one seriously injured and one slightly injured.

 

Just to throw another spanner in the works is the headstone of Brigadier Vogel a CWGC headstone?? The wording and set out seem unusual.

 

Even here it states RAF 79 Sqn which was a fighter squadron in India/Far East.

Naval History.net have this also:
DEVLIN, Rupert R, Commander, Rtd, Vernon, passenger in RAF 79 Sqn aircraft, 13 November 1942, MPK (Missing presumed killed)
PETERS, Frederick T, Act/Captain, Excellent, (passenger in RAF 79 Sqn aircraft), 13 November 1942, MPK, awarded Victoria Cross
WADHAM, Geoffrey W, Captain, St Angelo, 13 November 1942, passenger in RAF 79 Sqn aircraft, killed

Brigadier Vogel was given his OBE in the 1940 honours list when still a Major in the Royal Artillery.

 

[/QUOTE] Should he not be mentioned on the memorial plaque as in CL1's post no 16 ????????

TD[/QUOTE]

Hi Tricky,

Yes he is on there. I was looking for the full size plaque on this thread and what is listed as 61 line 3 is not. Unless I am blind!! The number is not identifiable to me.

 

England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966, 1973-1995
Name: Ryall Edward Cordrey
Death Date: 13 Nov 1942
Death Place: London, England
Probate Date: 12 Mar 1943
Registry: Llandudno



England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2005
Name: Ryall E Cordrey
Mother's Maiden Surname: Willison
Date of Registration: Apr-May-Jun 1918
Registration district: Lewisham
Inferred County: Greater London
Volume Number: 1d
Page Number: 1499

I can say that he had a brother:
Name: Anthony H Cordrey
Mother's Maiden Name: Willison
Registration Year: 1914
Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration district: Lewisham
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 2261

Nothing more than that though at the moment

TD

Added
Silly me - probate was paid to his brother presumably known as Harold

 

Thanks TD.

Cheers

Geoff

 

CWGC have him as buried at Sandhurst so body was found
The headstone is standard shape I have emailed CWGC to confirm it is a commission headstone and not a private look alike.
Brigadier VOGEL, FRANK WILLIAM
Died 13/11/1942

Aged 40

Royal Artillery

O B E

Son of Harry Benjamin and Elsa Jessie Geraldine Vogel; husband of Jean Vogel.
Buried at SANDHURST ROYAL MILITARY ACADEMY CEMETERY

Location: Berkshire, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 21

Cemetery/memorial reference: Grave 474.

Devlin buried at Plymouth weston cemetery body was found
DEVLIN, RUPERT RICHARD
Died 13/11/1942

Aged 53

H.M.S. Vernon
Royal Navy

Son of John Joseph and Hannah Elizabeth Devlin; husband of Minnie Devlin, of Croydon, Surrey.


INSCRIPTION
A SILENT GRIEF BUT A PROUD AND LIVING MEMORY OF OUR LOVED ONE. "UNTIL WE MEET"
Buried at PLYMOUTH (WESTON MILL) CEMETERY

Location: Devon, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 983

Cemetery/memorial reference: Sec. C. Cons. Grave 3586.

 

From the below the pilot found Peters alive in the water and tried to swim to shore but realising Peters had died let him go.Peters body was not recovered hence his inclusion on the Portsmouth memorial



Tragically, three days later, on Friday, November 13, 1942 he died when the Sunderland flying boat transporting him from Gibraltar back to England encountered fierce headwinds and then heavy fog and instrument failure that resulted in the plane crashing into Plymouth Sound, flipping over and splitting apart. The 11 Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) crew members miraculously all survived the crash, but Peters and the four other VIP passengers died, either from the impact of the crash or from exposure in the water. Unhurt in the crash, the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Wynton Thorpe, found Peters still alive in the water and valiantly tried to drag him to safety as he swam to a breakwater, giving up in exhaustion after about an hour when it was obvious that Peters was dead.A rescue boat from shore arrived about half an hour later to pick up survivors. For his part in the action at Oran, Algeria Frederic Peters posthumously received both the Victoria Cross and the U.S. Distinguished Service Cross,the highest honour the Americans bestowed on foreigners. Sam McBride writes,You might be interested in these scans of the notifications my great-grandmother Bertha Peters received of death of her son F.T. Peters. These link the story of Fritz Peters with the story of the flying boat crash pretty well.


Capt.Frederick Thornton Peters. VC - Submerged

 

Sunderland Aircraft (W6054)
A Sunderland II flying boat (W 6054) crashed on landing in Plymouth Sound in thick fog on 13 November 1942 at approximately 9pm(2). The aeroplane from 10 squadron Royal Australian Air Force was on a flight from Gibraltar to Plymouth piloted by Flight Lieutenant Wynton Thorpe with a crew of 11 and 5 passengers. With only 15 minutes of fuel left the pilot attempted a blind landing, but with the altimeter still reading 600ft the Sunderland ploughed into the sea. The aircraft flipped on its back, split in half and the pilot was thrown into the sea. The eleven crew were left in the sea for 90 minutes before rescue, none of the passengers survived (3).

'During the first part of the sortie, lightning, hail, sleet and very poor and bumpy flying conditions were encountered with headwinds of 35 to 40 knots. Seven and a half hours later, with strong headwinds still prevailing, Thorpe sent a message to base: 'May force land outside breakwater'. A further message was transmitted at 19.50 hours stating that there was only enough fuel remaining for fifteen minutes flying. Six minutes later the Sunderland approached the flare path near Mount Batten but overshot in the heavy fog and had to climb and circle to starboard before attempting another approach. The Sunderland continued to starboard and as it made a second approach in almost zero visibility suddenly crashed into the sea approximately one and a half miles from the breakwater lighthouse. The aircraft hit the water with the starboard wing down causing it to turn on its back and break-up' (6).

The remains of this Sunderland were found spread over a wide area on the north side of the breakwater between the Fort and the lighthouse. The propeller and reduction gear was recovered in 1985 and shipped to the RAAF Museum near Perth.

Crew :
RAAF 407014 PO Thorpe, W P Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 407895 PO Gray R P (1st Pilot), Injured
RAAF 407901 FO Lees, F J (2nd Pilot), Seriously injured
RAAF 296813 PO Moore, W S (Navigator)
RAAF 33244 Cpl D E Bennington, (2nd Fitter)
RAAF 16858 Cpl D L Graham, (Rigger)
RAAF 34000 Sgt R B Wilkinson, (1st Wireless Operator)
RAAF 405615 Sgt S J Smith, (2nd Wireless Operator)
RAAF 21903 LAC P Stanton, (Armourer)
RAAF 41449 Sgt D G Keating, (Tail Gunner)

Passengers :
Royal Army Brigadier F W Vogel, Killed
Royal Navy Captain G W Wadham, Killed
Royal Navy Captain R N Peters, Killed
Royal Navy Commander R R Devlin, Killed
RAF Sgt R E Cordrey (Ait Gunner), Killed




Sunderland (W6054)

 

Thanks Clive, re post #31, I have seen that exact crew list from the AWM (Alan Storr) which he lists 10 crew as does this previous one but they call it as 11 crew for some reason?

I have now seen a cropped panel.

I found the photo of Vogels Grave and also Devlins early in the piece.

Thank you for the email to CWGC re the headstone of Vogel - Will be good to know that result.

In the final analysis only two bodies were not found (Wadham and Peters). Maybe????

Cheers for the info!

Geoff

 

Vogel,Devlin and Cordrey bodies found

Peters and Wadham not found

Cordrey panel below
Burial:
Cremated, Ashes given to family or friend.
Specifically: Cremated at HONOR OAK CREMATORIUM. Ashes removed by father

Sergeant ( Air Gnr. ) Ryall Edward Cordrey ( - 1942) - Find A Grave Memorial

Sergeant (Air Gunner)CORDREY, RYALL EDWARD
Service Number 906587

Died 13/11/1942

10 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Buried at CAMBERWELL (HONOR OAK) CREMATORIUM

Location: London, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 56

Cemetery/memorial reference: Screen wall. Panel 4.

 

Thanks Clive - Well done.

I knew he was cremated there and looked at find a grave details but missed this.

Cheers

Geoff

 

good show mate glad i found it i was going to pop down there next week to check but it saved me a journey

 

Thanks for the extra info Harkness!

 

Hi Harkness,
I must admit I thought this woman had Quadruplets until I looked more carefully at the left hand side of the page.

Cheers
Geoff

 

Hi TD,

Last piece to the puzzle I cannot find!! The parents names for Cordrey to put to death listing. CWGC have no NOK.
I can find a marriage for Cordrey,Edward in Lewisham in June 1910 (a guess as Ryalls second name is Edward his birth Lewisham) however no spouse names are listed before 1912.
Doing the reverse for his wife maiden name "Willison" nothing matches? Any ideas.

Geoff

 

Spidge

England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1837-1915
Name: Edward Cordrey
Registration Year: 1910
Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun
Registration district: Lewisham
Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District
Inferred County: London
Volume: 1d
Page: 1518
Records on Page:
Name
Edward Cordrey
Ellen Greene
Mabel Mary Weatherley

As you will no Willison - however there is this one
London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1931
Name: Lizzie Willison
Gender: Female
Marriage Age: 24
Record Type: Marriage
Birth Date: abt 1885
Marriage Date: 8 Sep 1909
Marriage Place: St John, Deptford, Lewisham, England
Father: Alphonse Willison
Spouse: Harold Cordrey
Register Type: Parish Register

He may have passed on his name to his son Anthony H ??

TD