British aristocracy losses in WW2

WELLESLEY, Lady PATRICIA MARY ANNE




Rank:

Wren

Service No:

28598

Date of Death:

28/08/1944

Regiment/Service:

Women's Royal Naval Service



H.M.S. Victory III.

Grave Reference:

Square 81. Grave 42399.

Cemetery:

HIGHGATE CEMETERY

Additional Information:

Daughter of Mae Josephine, The Countess Cowley, of Rushington, Sussex.

 

Sir ROBERT DALRYMPL ARBUTHNOT - 6th Baronet of Edinburgh, cr. 1823, Succeeded father 31.03.1941.

Eldest son (with one brother) of Brig.­Gen. Sir Dalrymple Arbuthnot, 5th Bt, CMG, DSO (1867-1941), and Alice Maude Arbuthnot (1880-1969). Brother of Capt. Sir Hugh Fitzgerald Arbuthnot, 7th Bt.

http://www.thepeerage.com/p12477.htm#i124768

He gained the rank of Major in the service of the 24th Lancers, and after the loss of the former head of "B" squadron 24th L, led "B" squadron 24th L briefly in June 1944, up to his death on 30th June 1944, despite serving in the 24th L he was commissioned into 9th Queen's Royal lancers and actually remained listed under the 9th Queen's Royal lancers on his grave: http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2336693/ARBUTHNOT,%20Sir%20ROBERT%20DALRYMPLE

http://www.unithistories.com/officers/Army_officers_ARB.html

Also, by the way there's a listing of some of the British Peerage that served in WW2 here: http://www.thepeerage.com/index_battle_WW2.htm

 

Potentially buried as an unknown grenadier guards lieutenant at Ryes War cemetery . Only two Grenadier Giards officers are missing in Normandy. Both killed July 18 1944. The officer at Ryes was found near Caen at the end of August . I'd add a photo but it's too large

 

Captain BOLES, SIR GERALD FORTESCUE


Service Number 18630


Died 09/04/1945


Aged 44


17th/21st Lancers - Royal Armoured Corps


2nd Bt. Son of Lt.-Col. Sir Dennis Fortescue Boles, C.B.E., D.L., J.P., 1st Bt., and Lady (Beatrice Ringrose) Boles, of Bishop's Lydeard, Somerset; husband of Lady (Violet Blanche Hall) Boles, of Kingston, Somerset. His brother Hastings Fortescue Boles fell in the 1914-1918 War.


Casualty

 

MajorSAYERS, HERBERT JAMES MICHAEL
Service Number 49920

Died 06/12/1943

Aged 32

Royal Artillery

Son of Sir Frederick Sayers, C.I.E., and of Lady Sayers (nee Boyan), of Newtown, Co. Waterford, Irish Republic; husband of Sheilah Joan Sayers.


INSCRIPTION
AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

 

Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) MACROBERT, SIR RODERICK ALAN
Service Number 40731

Died 21/05/1941

Aged 26

94 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force

3rd Bt. Son of Sir Alexander MacRobert, K.B.E., LL.D., V.D., 1st Bt., and of Lady MacRobert, B.Sc., J.P., F.G.S. (nee Workman), of Tarland, Aberdeenshire. His brother Sir Iain Workman MacRobert also fell.


INSCRIPTION
THE DAY ENDS HERE THE NIGHT COMES ON, BUT SUNSET HERE IS ELSEWHERE DAWN." W.H.
Buried at MOSUL WAR CEMETERY

Location: Iraq
Number of casualties: 152

Cemetery/memorial reference: 1. B. 10.


Pilot OfficerMACROBERT, SIR IAIN WORKMAN
Service Number 87425

Died 30/06/1941

Aged 24

608 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Son of Sir Alexander MacRobert, Bt., and Lady MacRobert, of Tarland, Aberdeenshire. B.A. (Cantab.).His brother Sir Roderick Alan MacRobert also fell.
Commemorated at RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 20288

Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 33.

 

The MacRoberts - a very unfortunate family. Prior to the above two wartime deaths the eldest brother had been killed in a civilian flying accident. After her third son's death their mother, Lady MacRobert, made a donation of £25,000 to buy a Stirling bomber which was called 'MacRobert's Reply'. She later made a further donation of £20,000 to sponsor the purchase of four Hurricanes, three of which were named after her sons. The MacRobert Trust continues to this day.
History of The MacRobert Trust
Tim

 

My dear friend who died a few months ago , this was her father , lovely to see here ! I’ve a few things of hers she gave me regarding her father . He died so young !

 

Remembered St Michaels,St Albans,Herts


Squadron Leader GRIMSTON, THE HON. BRIAN
Service Number 84667

Died 04/04/1943

Aged 29

156 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

D F C

Son of James Walter Grimston, fourth Earl of Verulam, and Violet Constance Maitland Grimston (nee Brabazon), Countess of Verulam. B.A., Hons. (Cantab.).
Commemorated at RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 20275

Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 118.

 

Remembered St Michaels,St Albans,Herts

Flight Lieutenant GRIMSTON, THE HON. BRUCE DAVID
Service Number 80850

Died 13/07/1944

Aged 28

524 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

D F C

Son of James Walter Grimston, fourth Earl of Verulam, and Violet Constance Maitland Grimston (nee Brabazon), Countess of Verulam.
Commemorated at RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 20275

Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 202.

 

Found this chap in Jakarta on 1 of my trips

Flight LieutenantBULL, SIR STEPHEN JOHN
Service Number 87153

Died 11/03/1942

Aged 37

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Mentioned in Despatches

2nd Bt. Son of the Rt. Hon. Sir William Bull P.C., J.P., F.S.A. and Lady Bull of Chelsea, London. M.A. (Oxon.).

 

This RAF officer was the son & heir of Sir Grey Skipwith (1884-1950) 11th Baronet of Prestwould (cr 1622)

Flying Officer (Air Gunner) SKIPWITH, GREY D'ESTOTVILLE TOWNSEND
Service Number 82194

Died 31/05/1942

158 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Early in the war he was in the Royal Navy, serving in Patrol Boats, but transfered to the RAF, and was killed on a bombing raid to Berlin. I came across him while reading the autobiography of his wife Princess Sofka Skipwith, a russian princess, who was interned in France in WW2, and learned of his death while in the internment camp at Vittel, France. Later honoured by the British & Israeli governments for trying to save Jews in the camp.
Sofka Skipwith - Wikipedia

 

Flying OfficerHOSKYNS, SIR CHANDOS WREN
Service Number 152074

Died 03/04/1945

Aged 21

190 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

14th Bart. Son of the Revd. Canon Sir Edwyn Clement Hoskyns, Bt., and Lady Hoskyns, of Cambridge.

Commemorated at RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Location: Surrey, United Kingdom
Number of casualties: 20275

Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 267.

 

BL_0001578_19430508_033.pdf

 

Iver War Memorial,Iver, Buckinghamshire


AIR COMMODORE GEORGE EDWARD ALEXANDER EDMUND WINDSOR
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Air Force (Auxiliary Air Force)

Date of Death
Died 25 August 1942

Age 39 years old

Buried or commemorated at
FROGMORE ROYAL BURIAL GROUND



United Kingdom

• Country of ServiceUnited Kingdom
• AwardsKnight of the Garter, Knight of the Thistle, Knight Grand Commander of St. Michael and St. George, Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order
• Additional InfoDuke of Kent. Fourth son of His Majesty King George V and Her Majesty Queen Mary; husband of H.R.H. The Duchess of Kent.

 

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/f...-details/2213108/the-hon-anthony-edmund-winn/

Captain The Honourable Anthony Edmund Winn | Christ Church, Oxford University

Regimental-Histories_1936-1945 Bright_0165.jpg - The Royal Lancers Museum at Derby

 

Featured on Digging for Britain
Accident Bristol Beaufort Mk I AW271,

FLIGHT LIEUTENANT RICHARD WILLIAM GILBERT HOLDSWORTH
Service Number: 74352
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

502 Sqdn.

Date of Death
Died 30 April 1942

Age 31 years old

Buried or commemorated at
WOLVERCOTE CEMETERY

Sec. H.2. Grave 176.

United Kingdom

• Awards Mentioned in Despatches
• Additional Info Son of Sir William Searle Holdsworth, O.M., K.C.B. and of Lady Holdsworth (nee Wood) of Oxford; husband of Mary Holdsworth (nee Zvegintzov), of Oxford. M.A. (Oxon.). Stowell Civil Law Fellow and Dean, University College.
• Personal Inscription WHATSOEVER THINGS ARE BEAUTIFUL, THINK ON THESE THINGS
• 

 

009 COLVILLE CA - HMS HESPERIDES 14/03/1945 ROYAL NAVY

Having lived on Terceira as a child 50+ years ago I recently found the Lajes War Cemetery. I was shocked. I was a big WWII reader during 5th and 6th grade and would have visited 10-12 times since it is right on the bus line, instead of zero since I never knew it was there.

Here is a bit more info from the 5th Viscount, Lord Charles Colville, House of Lords.

Dear Mark
I can only tell you what my father and uncle told me.

My grandfather was head of a secret naval station (AHA! While I had not known it's purpose I visited the presumptive bunker they used. It is on Seven Sisters, a mountain, and perhaps close to the crash site.) passing signals between US and the allies. Portugal was neutral so it had to be kept secret.

At the end of the war he was given the choice of joining the married men on the faster passage home on the plane or the naval cruiser, which was arriving in a few days, to take the rest of the team home.

Unfortunately the plane crashed into the mountainside at Terceira killing all on board. However the ship departed with the rest of the team and never arrived in the UK. It was presumed to have been torpedoed on the way back.

My father and uncle have visited the graveyard and say it is a spectacular location and a very moving spot.

I am afraid I know nothing more about the episode. But I wish you luck in your researches.

Best wishes
Charles Colville

Commander Colville fairly leaps off the War Graves Commission list for the LWC. First, 19 men, good and true, died in that crash, and the cemetery currently (the Americans were repatriated. I doubt there were more than 5 anyway.) only has 47. It more than doubled in one day, sadly. Second he was RN, AND ranked COMMANDER, interred with many 20-30 year old Flight Sergeants and Flight Officers. It's like seeing a GENERAL interred in any enlisted men's small grave site holding 50 or less people. Very odd. He is also 20 years older than the 2 men in their 30s.

He joined the RN at 16 in 1904. He was a Lt. at the time of the Battle of Jutland in 1915, and was Mentioned In Dispatches.
At the time of the crash he was in his 41st year of his career, and my research does not mention it, but clearly, in the next few years the RN, the military, and government spending were all coming down, so I presume his arrival home was to make a particular milestone of 41, 42 years, and retire at 58 or younger. A fine pension, that of a RN Commander, 41 or 42 years service, teen sons, devoted husband, he was right on the edge of a dramatic wonderful change in life, and perhaps taken a seat in the House of Lords. His son and grandson did join the House of Lords, so he should have as well.