Swindon Scouts Memorial.

Swindon Scouts Memorial.

Frank Hobbs. 4th Swindon

Name:HOBBS, FRANK Initials:F Nationality: United KingdomRank: Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.)Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 51 Sqdn.Age: 21 Date of Death:31/03/1944 Service No:1314314 Additional information: Son of Ray and Winifred Gibson Hobbs, of Swindon, Wiltshire. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 4. D. 19-21. Cemetery:DURNBACH WAR CEMETERY

30-31 March 1944.

51 Squadron.

Halifax III LV777 NH-F2

Op: Nuremberg

Took off at 2217 hrs from RAF Snaith. Homebound, believed to have been hit by flak and crashed with great force at Bietigheim a town on the necker, some 18 km NNW of Stuttgart.

BCL Vol.5 W R. Chorley

 

Walter Burgess. 2nd Swindon

BURGESS, WALTER ARTHUR Initials:W A Nationality:United Kingdom Rank:Sergeant (Obs.)Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 20 Date of Death:24/08/1943 Service No:1338219 Additional information:Son of William George and Ada Florence Burgess, of Swindon, Wiltshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War DeadGrave/Memorial Reference:5. J. 5. Cemetery:HELIOPOLIS WAR CEMETERY


Wellington II W5430 of the British Airways Repair Unit collided with Wellington II Z8425 of the same unit at Cairo West landing ground.

W5430 - Crew:
AUS413754 F/Sgt.J F FLANAGAN RAAF (Pilot) +
1338219 Sgt.W A BURGESS (Obs) +
AUS414971 F/Sgt. P TRACEY RAAF.
AUS410430 F/Sgt. J T ARMSTRONG RAAF (W.Op./Ag.) +
1294276 Sgt. F R SOAMES (AG) Dangerously injured.
34244 W/C. C H MITCHELL (Pass) + (HQME)


Thanks to Amrit, Alan and Col

 

Ronald Hunter. 12th Swindon.

Name: HUNTER, RONALD WALLACE Initials:R W Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Leading Aircraftman Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Age:21 Date of Death:17/06/1940 Service No:760014 Additional information: Son of Ralph and Ethel G. Hunter, of Swindon, Wiltshire. Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 23. Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Lost on the SS Lancastria 17 June 1940.


Thanks to Col

 

Lawrence Ernest Bevington. 1st Rodbourne Cheney.

Name: BEVINGTON, LAURENCE ERNEST Initials: L E Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Acting Sub Lieutenant (E) Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Reserve Unit Text: H.M.S. Rawalpindi Age: 23 Date of Death: 23/11/1939 Additional information: Son of Ernest and Rhoda Bevington, of Swindon, Wiltshire. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 3, Column 1. Memorial: LIVERPOOL NAVAL MEMORIAL


RAWALPINDI (November 23, 1939)

P&O liner on the London, Bombay and Far East routes. At the outbreak of World War II the ship was taken over and converted to an armed merchant cruiser. While on patrol between Iceland and the Faroes she was attacked by the German battle cruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau. Hopelessly outmatched she attempted to escape into a nearby fog bank. With her bridge and wireless-room destroyed and completely at the mercy of the enemy ships it was decided to abandon the vessel. The casualties on board the Rawalpindi amounted to 275 dead including her commander Captain Kennedy and 39 other officers. Twenty-two crewmembers were taken prisoner by the German warships. The blazing Rawalpindi drifted for three hours before sinking.

 

Rowland Williams 4th Swindon

Name: WILLIAMS, ROWLAND ARTHUR Initials: R A Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 9 Sqdn. Date of Death: 23/09/1943 Service No: 1604637 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 21. A. 19-22. Cemetery: RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY

I can't be 100% sure this is the right Rowland Williams as the NOK is not given, having said that the other R Williams' listed on the CWGC site had NOK.

23-24 Sep 1943 9 Sqn Lancaster III JA852 WS-L Op: Manheim

Sgt R C Ord +
Sgt G Palmer +
F/O E R Davies +
Sgt T E B Graham +
Sgt J Wilson +
Sgt R A Williams +
Sgt G C Fowler +

T/O 1909 Bardney. Crashed at Gerolsheim, 7 km WNW of Frankenthal. All were laid to rest at Gerolsheim, but since the end of the war their bodies have been taken to Rheinberg War Cemetery.

BCL Vol 4 W R Chorley

 

Name: DOWDESWELL, RAMSEY DONALD
Initials: R D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Collingwood.
Age: 18
Date of Death: 18/06/1943
Service No: P/JX 518569
Additional information: Son of Frederick Walter and Florence Kate Dowdeswell, of Swindon, Wiltshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: E. 63. 16.
Cemetery: HASLAR ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY

HMS Collingwood was a wartime training establishment and I have discovered that the above was killed with others in an accident involving the loading of munitions. Unfortunately I cannot find any further details of the accident.

 

Douglas John Gray. 16th Swindon.

Name:GRAY, DOUGLAS JOHN Initials J D Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Ordinary Signalman Regiment/Service: Royal NavyUnit Text: H.M.S. Itchen Age: 21 Date of Death: 23/09/1943 Service No D/JX 424119 Additional information: Son of Alfred John and Nellie Mary Gray, of Swindon, Wiltshire.Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference:Panel 80, Column 3. Memorial: PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Frigate HMS Itchen of the River class - Allied Warships of WWII - uboat.net

 

Michael Stacey Clare Smith 16th Swindon

Name: SMITH, MICHAEL STACEY CLARE Initials: M S C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Flying Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 524 Sqdn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 04/10/1944 Service No: 152886 Additional information: Son of Cedric Clare and Ruth Margaret Smith of Swindon; husband of Dilys Smith (nee Jones). Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 209. Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL


I think 524 Sqn were a Coastal Command Sqn, I'm sure Peter will be able to provide more info.

Nick

 

Name: DOWDESWELL, RAMSEY DONALD
Initials: R D
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Ordinary Seaman
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Collingwood.
Age: 18
Date of Death: 18/06/1943
Service No: P/JX 518569
Additional information: Son of Frederick Walter and Florence Kate Dowdeswell, of Swindon, Wiltshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: E. 63. 16.
Cemetery: HASLAR ROYAL NAVAL CEMETERY

HMS Collingwood was a wartime training establishment and I have discovered that the above was killed with others in an accident involving the loading of munitions. Unfortunately I cannot find any further details of the accident.

Having not found any further details, I decided to check the Cemetery lists and discovered 13 other casualties who all died at HMS Collingwood on the same date and in their memory, I list them on this thread along with their comrade above. The sad thing is their ages.

Bell, Thomas Stanley, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Blackburn, Robert James, 33, Ordinary Seaman
Carrano, Andrew Edward, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Chitty, Thomas Joseph, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Clifton, George C, 18, Ordinary Seaman
Dixon, John David, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Hills, Peter Francis, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Howard, Leonard Arthur, 18, Ordinary Seaman
Jarvis, Cyril Tarrant, 18, Ordinary Seaman
Jones, Ronald Charles, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Sherrington, Henry Victor, 17, Ordinary Seaman
Smee, Edwin John, 18, Ordinary Seaman
Wright, Donald, 18, Ordinary Seaman

I have this morning found the name of another casualty, who is Thomas Edward Green, Age 35, Ordinary Seaman who is buried in his local cemetery at Foncett in Norfolk. If others were also taken home for burial, the final toll of this accident won't be known unless further research is carried out.

I also found a possible reference to this event on the Wartime Memories Project and have e-mailed the daughter-in-law of a rating who may have been there when this incident happened. Her father in law was trying to find where his former comrades were buried and wanted to pay his respects. As this post is undated, I don't know how old the enquiry is.

 

Name:HENLY, ROBERT WILLIAM
Initials:R W
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Pilot Officer (Nav.)
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text:7 Sqdn.
Age:20
Date of Death:21/12/1942
Service No:132073
Additional information:Son of Henry James Henly and Ada Mary Henly, of Swindon, Wiltshire.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:Grave 5.
Cemetery:JUSSECOURT-MINECOURT CHURCHYARD

Could not find him under the spelling of Henley, but found this gent. Hopefully Peter C or other RAF experts can provide details of the mission when he was killed.

 

Patrick Anthony Hall

No one on CWGC by that exact name, but there are 2 Patrick Hall's listed. One comes from New Milton, Hampshire, the other has no details.

Further investigation required.

 

Name:HAYNES, RICHARD ANTHONY
Initials:R A
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Gunner
Regiment/Service:Royal Artillery
Unit Text:263 Bty., 84 H.A.A.
Regt.Age:18
Date of Death:25/08/1940
Service No:916991Additional information:Son of Frederick and Florence Victoria Haynes, of Swindon.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:Sec. F. Grave 414.
Cemetery:SWINDON (WHITWORTH ROAD) CEMETERY

There are 2 Richard Haynes listed. The other chap is from Essex, so the above candidate, as a Swindon lad looks to be the correct one. Further checks may be required.

A link to 84 H.A.A. showing 263 Bty was indeed part of it. They were UK based at the time he was killed.

RA 1939-45 84 HAA Rgt

 

Name:HOLLOWAY, FREDERICK MARILLIER
Initials:F M
Nationality:Indian
Rank:Captain
Regiment/Service:Indian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Age:25
Date of Death:03/04/1945
Service No:EC/12828
Additional information:Son of Capt. F. A. Holloway, Royal Engineers, and Mrs. R. M. Holloway, of Swindon, Wiltshire.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:1. A. 7.
Cemetery:RAWALPINDI WAR CEMETERY

There are 5 Frederick Holloway's listed on CWGC. This is the only Swindon related one. Further checks required.

 

Name:PARRETT, DONALD WILLIAM
Initials W
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Leading Aircraftman
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force
Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text:238 Sqdn.
Age:26
Date of Death:14/12/1941
Service No:904199
Additional information:Son of William and Alice Mary Parrett, of Brixham, Devon.
Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:8. O. 6.Cemetery:
TOBRUK WAR CEMETERY

The only Donald Parrett on CWGC. Details of his death unknown, so maybe one of our RAF experts can help on this one.

 

Hendrik De Veer

Can't find anything on this gent, despite trying several variations.

 

Name:HENLY, ROBERT WILLIAM
Initials:R W
Nationality:United Kingdom
Rank:Pilot Officer (Nav.)
Regiment/Service:Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text:7 Sqdn.
Age:20
Date of Death:21/12/1942
Service No:132073
Additional information:Son of Henry James Henly and Ada Mary Henly, of Swindon, Wiltshire.Casualty Type:Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference:Grave 5.
Cemetery:JUSSECOURT-MINECOURT CHURCHYARD

Could not find him under the spelling of Henley, but found this gent. Hopefully Peter C or other RAF experts can provide details of the mission when he was killed.


21-22 December 1942

No.7 Squadron

Stirling I W7632

Op; Munich.

Took off at 1706 hrs from RAF Oakington. Crashed at Jussecourt-Minecourt (Marne) 16 km NE of Vitry-le-Francois, France.

Crew.
F/O. J Davies DFM +
Sgt. J J Dixon +
P/O. R W Henley +
Sgt. L D Enright RNZAF +
Sgt. B L Paterson RNZAF +
Sgt. J Ellis RNZAF +
Sgt. F A O'Dwyer +

BCL Vol.3 W R. Chorley.


The Munich raid of 21-22 December 1942.

137 aircraft of 1 and 5 Groups and a Pathfinder Force -119 Lancaster's, 9 Stirling's, 9 Wellingtons. 12 aircraft - 8 Lancaster's, 3 Stirling's , 1 Wellington lost.

110 aircraft claimed to have bombed Munich and started fires but their photographs showed that all or most of the bombs fell in open country, possibly attracted by a decoy site.

Bomber Command War Diaries - Middlebrook / Everitt

 

Michael Stacey Clare Smith 16th Swindon

Name: SMITH, MICHAEL STACEY CLARE Initials: M S C Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Flying Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 524 Sqdn. Age: 21 Date of Death: 04/10/1944 Service No: 152886 Additional information: Son of Cedric Clare and Ruth Margaret Smith of Swindon; husband of Dilys Smith (nee Jones). Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 209. Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL


I think 524 Sqn were a Coastal Command Sqn, I'm sure Peter will be able to provide more info.

Nick


Wellington XIII MF319

Believed to have been shot down by night-fighter off the Dutch coast during a reconnaissance sortie.

Crew of Wellington XIII MF319 (no crew position known):

Pilot Officer Robert McCLOY (Canadian)
Flight Lieutenant John Richard MURRAY (Canadian)
Pilot Officer Gordon Ernest PRATT (Canadian)
Flight Lieutenant Robert Harry RIDGWAY (Canadian)
Pilot Officer George Arthur SLATER (Canadian)
Flying Officer Michael Stacey CLARE SMITH
Pilot Officer Floyd Alexander STEELS (Canadian)