TADCASTER WW2
ASHTON to GRAYSON
MARINE GEORGE ASHTON
PLY/X 101938 Royal Marines Group M.N BDO (2) 03/11/1943 Aged 28. Son of Francis Duncan Hall and Harriet Cotton. Husband of Irene Elizabeth Gardiner Married 1940 Tadcaster. Laid to Rest Syracuse War Cemetery Scicily.
LEADING AIRMAN PHILLIP WILLIAM McLEAN ATKINSON
FAA/FX.86809 Royal Navy H.M.S Ukassa 24/08/1944 Aged Unknown. CWGC States: Son of Charles and Amy Atkinson Phillip served in the Fleet Air Arm which supported ground troops by air reconnaissance operating from aircraft carriers. Remembered Lee on Solent Memorial.
PRIVATE THOMAS BELL
14333771 1st Bn West Yorkshire Regiment 20/03/1945 Aged 20.I believe this to be the T. Bell shown on the Tadcaster Memorials, on searching the Army Roll of Honour 1939-45 there are only Two T. Bell's born and residing in Yorkshire. The other man is a Thomas Frederick Bell married in Bedale. Thomas lost his life in Mandalay on the day it was captured from the japanese by the West Yorkshire Regiment which were attached to the 19th Indian Division. Laid to Rest Taukkyan War Cemetery Burma.
PRIVATE STANLEY BURTON.
14565906 61 Company Pioneer Corps 01/11/1944 Aged 20. Born Tadcaster 1924.CWGC Son of Albert H and Mary Barber Married 1918 Tadcaster. Laid to Rest Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery Holland.
CORPORAL JOHN SMITH CONSTABLE.
564134 Royal Air Force 22/07/1940 Aged 26. CWGC States: Son of George and Emma E of Tadcaster. Cliff Phillips Royal Air Force Association Tadcaster Branch gives the following information regarding John: "John Constable was a 21st entry Aircraft Apprentice who joined in 1930 he would have been 16 then. Margaret remembers there being a Constable family in the early 40's who ran a sweet shop in Kirkgate, possibly where the Chinese is now. If you come across any RAF with numbers between 550000 and 559999 they would be pre war "Boy Entrants"
Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery
STOKER 1st CLASS CLARENCE ARTHUR DAVIS.
/C/KX 671566 Royal Navy HMS Bullen 06/12/1944 Aged 16 ?. Geraldine Lowe has left a message in the Guestbook giving details of Clarence he was the son of Clifford and Mary Berry and had a brother Charlie and a sister Judy. Geraldine believed he was aged around 16 when he gave his life and his ship was torpedoed outside Liverpool. "Thank You to Geraldine Lowe for helping find this young man and help record his details"
H.M.S Bullen which was launched on the 7th August 1943 at Bethlehem Shipyard Massachusetts, U.S.A. She was leased to the Royal Navy and was never commisioned into the US Navy. H.M.S Bullen was torpedoed and sunk by the German U Boat U755 due west off Strathy Point, Scotland in position 58º30'N, 05º03'W. Of the 168 crewmembers on board 71 went down with the ship. U Boat U755 was built in early January 1943 and sank three ships, she Surrendered at Trondheim, Norway on 8 May, 1945, and was Sunk on 8th December 1945 as part of Operation Deadlight at Loch Ryan Scotland along with a further 114 other U Boats. Remembered Chatham Naval Memorial.
7954058 B Squadron 17th/21st Lancers Royal Armoured Corps 23/04/1943 Aged 33. Born Newton Kyme 1909.CWGC Husband of Kathleen Fisher. CWGC gives the following details:"Axis forces defeated at El Alamein were withdrawing into Tunisia along the coast through Libya, pursued by the Allied Eighth Army. By mid April 1943, the combined Axis force was hemmed into a small corner of north-eastern Tunisia and the Allies were grouped for their final offensive. Many of those buried at Massicault War Cemetery died in the preparation for the final drive to Tunis in April 1943 and in that advance at the beginning of May." Laid to Rest Massicault War Cemetery Tunisia.
GUNNER FREDERICK WILLIAM FRANKLIN.
1532802 Royal Artillery 09/07/1940 Aged 22. Born 1917. CWGC Son of Mark and Annie May Josephine Owens Married Parish Church Tadcaster 24/09/1914. His family Resided at Fairfield Villas Tadcaster. Fredericks Father Mark served in the West Yorkshire Regiment 11634 and Enlisted in 31/08/1914. He was a Brewers Clerk reached rank of Serjeant was discharged for being medically unfit in 1916. Mark never saw active service abroad.
"AT HOME AT REST"
Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery
AIRCRAFTSMAN 1ST CLASS SIDNEY GAWTHROUP
1064089 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 01/11/1941 Aged 25. CWGC Son of Frederick Charles and Elizabeth Ann of Tadcaster. Sidney passed away at the City Hospital Newcastle Upon Tyne and was laid to rest in Tadcaster on the 6th November 1941.
"PEACE PERFECT PEACE"
Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery.
CRAFTSMAN ALFRED REGINALD GOODRICK.
2122409 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Royal Ulster Rifles Attached 2nd Bn London Rifles 12/06/1944 Aged 35. Born Terrington nr Malton 1909. CWGC Son of John and Minnie Smith Married Terrington 1908. Husband of Ida Mary Hanby Married 1941 Wokingham Residing Tadcaster when Alfred gave his life. Arthur took part in the D Day landings of June the 6th 1944 on Sword Beach either in the Oboe or Peter sector, where he lost his life. Laid to Rest La Deelivrande War Cemetery Douvres France.
845216 3rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery 12/06/1942 Aged 24. Born 1913 Wetherby. Son of Emma Spelt Maurice in St Marys Church Tadcaster. Morris was part of the Eighth Army which on the 5th of June 1942 launched a counter-attack against the Afrika Korps. This operation codenamed 'Aberdeen', went wrong from the start, with an infantry tank brigade being destroyed in minefields and an Indian infantry brigade attacking the wrong positions. The remainder of the force the 22nd Armoured Brigade was repulsed easily by the untouched German defences. British losses for this operation were 150 tanks, 133 guns and 6,000 troops. At this point in the battle, the British forces in the northern part of the Gazala line (1st South African and the remainder of the British 50th Division), were still in a strong position and so General Auchinleck and Lieutenant General Ritchie decided to hold the line facing south from the Knightsbridge defensive box to El Adem with the remainder of their infantry and tank forces and wait for Rommel's next move. On the 12th of June 1942 Rommel although his tanks were outnumbered two to one attacked the British positions between Knightsbridge and El Adem, trapping much of the British armour. Maurice lost his life during this time period, Knightsbridge was a key British position and when this fell a couple of days later the Eighth Army withdrew into Egypt and Rommel captured Tobruk. Laid to Rest Knightsbridge War Cemetery Acroma Lybia.
HARLAND TO JAKEMAN
11055450 Royal Artillery 171 Indep. A.A. "Z" Battery 10/12/1943 Aged 38. CWGC Son of Matthew and Mary Harland of Tadcaster. Husband of Elizabeth Ann Slack Married Tadcaster 1927. CWGC of Billingham-on-Tees Co. Durham. Arthur passed away in Kent and was laid to rest on the 15th January 1943. Arthurs Brother's John and Thomas Mathew are remembered on the Tadcaster WW1 Memorial in Tadcaster.
"IN LOVING MEMORY OF A DEAR HUSBAND AND FATHER"
"TILL WE MEET AGAIN"
Laid to Rest Tadcaster.
469864 1st Airbourne Bn Border Regiment 09/07/1943 Aged 20. CWGC Born 1922 Tadcaster. Son of Charles and Eleanor Holdsworth. Maurice gave his life on the evening of the 9th June 1943 taking part in Operation 'Husky', a joint venture with the US 82nd and the British 1st Airborne Divisions making the first landings on Sicily at night. Due to navigational errors, hundreds of paratroopers were dropped in the sea and drowned, this may explain why Maurice was never found. Remembered Cassino Memorial Italy.
4866542 5th Bn Infantry East Yorkshire Regiment 04/08/1943 Aged 20. CWGC Son of Squire 1911 Brewers Labourer Church Street and Jessie Berry Married 1920 Tadcaster. Henry landed in Sicily on the 10/07/1943 after serving in North Africa, it most likely Henry gave his life near the town of Catania which was captured on the 05/08/1943. Laid to Rest Catania War Cemetery Sicily.
SERJEANT AIR GUNNER LAURENCE JAKEMAN
1505659 100 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 28/04/1944 Aged 22. Son of George William ?? Edith Jakeman of Tadcaster Yorkshire. Husband of Ruth Anne Thompson Married 1941 Tadcaster. Laurence was Laid to Rest at Cethey-Sous-Mountfort Churchyard France 35 Km North West of Epinal France with the 5 other crew members who gave their lives on the 28th April 1944 they are:
Flying Officer Edward Bashi Born Iraq.
Pilot Officer William John Bell of Newbury,
Serjeant William Leonard Evans of Glamorgan.
Flight Serjeant Kenneth Stanley Keeping of Exeter
Flight Serjeant Gordon William McLean of New South Wales Australia.
Laurence is shown as Born 1922 Mothers Maiden Name Henderson. Edith Married George William Jakeman in 1904 and he was KIA in 1916 being remembered on the Tadcaster WW1 Memorial. All records show George was KIA however this places in doubt if this did indeed occur and can find no trace of his death. Did Edith Marry Again ? and Laurence fought under her previous married name. CAN YOU HELP.
819123 1 Battery Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Corps 25/12/1941 Aged 27. Born 1913 Tadcaster. Son of Arthur and Annie Hawkins Married 1891 Tadcaster. On the 25th of December 1941 after short but intense fighting the Japenese captured Hong Kong. Remembered Sai Wan Memorial Hong Kong China. Loyds Brother Arthur is Remembered on Tadcaster WW1 Memorial.
METCALFE to RICHARDSON
H. METCALFE Can You Help.
SERJEANT AIR BOMBER JOHN DOUGLAS CLIFFORD NOONAN
1622261 178 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 08/08/1944 Aged 21. Born Knaresborough 1923. CWGC Son of John and Minnie Wood Married Knaresborough 1921 CWGC of Thorp Arch Yorkshire. Laid to Rest Budapest War Cemetery Hungary.
LANCE CORPORAL THOMAS ARTHUR OXTOBY
313505085 4/5th Bn Royal Scots Fusiliers 06/04/1945 Aged 24. CWGC Son of William and Annie Reynolds Married 1916 Suffolk CWGC of Hazelwood. Laid to Rest Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Germany.
21519416 BSRU Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 07/11/1944 Aged 40. CWGC Son of Benjamin and Anne Lowcock Married Leeds 1896. Husband of Hilda Sarah Marguerite Evans Married 1935 St Aidens Leeds.
Benjamin lost his life on board His Majestys Landing Ship Tank 420 which was carrying R.A.F personnel and was struck by a mine outside the port of Oostende Belgium. Benjamin was taking part in the The Battle For Walcharen Island which had begun on the 1st of November 1944. (Click Here) Hitler had declared this island a bastion, which means that his men were forbidden to surrender,and would fight to the last man, the island was used for launching V1 rockets, and was of stratigic importance.General Patton was quoted a saying that the capture of Walcharan Island would considrably shorten the war. The Germans surrendered on the 8th of November 1944 and the British and Canadian casualties numbered 8.000. Laid to Rest Blankenberge Town Cemetery Belgium.
4540425 6th Bn Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment 18/06/1944 Aged 24. Born 1919 Tadcaster CWGC Son of Samuel and Agnes Ethel Howdill Married 1907 Tadcaster. Remembered Bayeux Memorial France.
SERJEANT JAMES GRAHAM RICHARDSON
407317 Royal Tank Regiment 16/08/1944 Aged 29. Born Liverpool. Son of James Henry and Ada Mary Graham Married 1905 Prescot. CWGC Husband of Rosina Evelyn of Colchester Essex. On checking Army Roll of Honour 1939-45 records James was a resident in the York District when he enlisted. James gave his life fighting in the Falaise Gap Campaign around Caen France. Laid to Rest Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery France. Brother Richard Remembered Below.
SERJEANT AIR GUNNER RICHARD RICHARDSON
159083 61 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Service 15/01/1945 Aged 19. Born Lancaster 1925. Husband of Hilda Holt Married 1944 Tadcaster. Passed away Salthouses Holt Norfolk. Laid to Rest 20/01/1945 Tadcaster Cemetery. Brother of James Graham Remembered Above.
4537558 1/5th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Prince of Wales Own 13/02/1942 Aged 23. CWGC Son of George and Alice Husband of Edith Hudson Married 1938 Tadcaster. CWGC Clifford Yorkshire. Remembered Brookwood Memorial.
979386 51st Heavy Field Artillery Royal Artillery 24/02/1945 Aged 32. CWGC Son of George and Mary Sparling. Husband of Elizabeth Souther Married 1938 Knaresborough. Laid to Rest Riechswald Forest War Cemetery Germany.
4537057 1/5th Bn West Yorkshire Regiment Prince of Wales Own KIA Iceland and Faroes 13/02/1942 Aged 24. Born Tadcaster 1917. CWGC Son of George and Anne Robinson CWGC Tadcaster Yorkshire. Remembered Brookwood Memorial. Brother of Bernard details above.
WARRENT OFFICER CLASS II WALTER STUART STARR (CSM)
4610154 10th Bn Duke of Wellingtons West Riding Regiment DIED Northern Ireland 18/01/1944 Aged 35. Born 1908 Tadcaster. Son of George Herbert and Elizabeth Macauley Married 1905 Tadcaster. 1911 Wilkinson Terrace Stutton. Husband of Edith Mary Kershaw Married 1938 Halifax. Daughter Evelyun Born Halifax. When Enlisted Residence York. Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery
LIEUTENANT FRED WRAY STROTHARD
253977 16th Bn Durham Light Infantry 03/12/1943 Aged 25. Born 1918 Tadcaster. Son of Joseph William Formally Flight Serjeant Royal Air Force and Annie Wray married 1911 Doncaster. Laid to Rest Minturno War Cemetery Italy
14644792 7th Bn South Staffordshire Regiment 10/07/1944 Aged 19. CWGC Son of Frank and S. Emma Thompson, Stepson of Frank Tillett Tadcaster Yorkshire. Laid to Rest Ryes War Cemetery Bazenville France.
7687767 54 Divisional Provost Company Corps of Military Police 24/04/1941 Aged 27. Son of Crozier Died Tadcaster 1941 and Alice Roberts Married 1895 Chester. 1911, 10 Victoria Terrace York Road. Husband of Harriett Wilson of Tadcaster His wife Harriett Resided at "Wilmay" Marlborough Drive Tadcaster when George passed away. Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery.
SERJEANT AIR GUNNER and WIRELESS OPERATOR JAMES EDWARD WILSON
1100861 Royal Air Force Volunteer Service 28/12/1941 Aged 21. Son of Charles Ernest and Jane Matilda Harrison Married 1918 Tadcaster. James Passed away in Kings Lynn and was Laid to Rest 02/01/1941 Tadcaster Cemetery
PRIVATE THOMAS WILLIAM WHITEHEAD
13027594 Pioneer Corps 29/05/1944 Aged 35. Born 1908 Tadcaster. Son of Thomas and Ellen Lyons Died 1922 Married 1905. CWGC Nephew of Mary Bradley Tadcaster. Laid to Rest Beach Head War Cemetery Anzio
The following men are not remembered on the Tadcaster WW2 War memorial. They have been added as the CWGC as indicated that they or their families were related to Tadcaster at the time of their death, or they Lie at peace in Tadcaster Cemetery. If you have any details that confirms or denies their or their families connection to Tadcaster this may assist if their names should be forwarded to be placed on the Memorial.
FLIGHT LIEUTENANT DOUGLAS ALLONBY. NOT WW2
325044 Royal Navy HMS Fulmar Born Swinton Yorkshire 30/11/1929 DIED 06/01/1955 Aged 25. Douglas passed away at the Royal Naval Air Station Lossiemouth Scotland, he was laid to rest on the 10th February 1955. Remembered Armed Forces Memorial Nr Lichfield Staffordshire.
Laid to Rest Tadcaster
4698303 5th Bn Coldstream Guards 19/04/1945 Aged 23. Born Tadcaster 1922. Son of John William and Eleanor Cook Married 1908 York CWGC of Tadcaster Yorkshire. Laid to Rest Becklingen War Cemetery Germany.
Thank You to the CWGC for the following information: "The site of Becklingen War Cemetery was chosen for the position on a hillside overlooking Luneburg Heath, where Field-Marshal Montgomery accepted the German surrender from Admiral Doenitz on 4 May 1945. Burials were brought into the cemetery from isolated sites in the countryside, small German cemeteries and prisoner of war camps cemeteries, including the Fallingbostel cemetery, within a radius of about 80 kilometres. Most of those buried in the cemetery died during the last two months of the war."
T/14421130 712 General Transport Compay Royal Army Service Corps 15/01/1946 Aged 20. CWGC Son of Henry Samuel and Violet Canham of Tadcaster. A Patricia was Born Tadcaster 1946 to Harry Canham Mothers Maiden Name Thackray. Laid to Rest Mazargues War Cemetery Marseilles France.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL MARSHALL EDWARD HARDING CHURTON
127106 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 07/10/1945 Aged 45. Born Leeds. Son of Thomas Harding Born Erith Kent 1866 and Ethel Blanche Nicholson Born Middleton Leeds 1869. Husband of Mary Angela Briscoe. Married 1923 St Georges Hannover Square London. Husband of Mary Angela Churton, of Tadcaster. CWGC States: Son of T. R. H. Churton and of E. B. Churton (nee Nicholson). Laid to Rest Fulford Cemetery York.
89362 65 Field Regiment Royal Artillery 24/02/1944 Aged 30. Born Braintree Essex 1913. Son of Major Guy Gilbey Gold and Maud Mary Brunner Married 1904 London. CWGC Shalford Essex. Husband of Rosemary Nickols Married Wetherby 1939. Rosemary Re Married in 1947 to Anthony Yates Barkston Ash. Laid to Rest Beach Head War Cemetery Anzio Italy.
GUNNER FREDERICK WILLIAM FRANKLIN.
1532802 Royal Artillery 09/07/1940 Aged 22. Born 1918 Tadcaster Son of Mark and Annie M J Owens Married 1914 Tadcaster.
"AT HOME AT REST"
Laid to Rest Tadcaster.
INGHAM BROTHERS
SQUADRON LEADER EDWARD CUNLIFFE INGHAM
26201 Royal Air Force DIED RAF Gunnery School Warmwell Dorchester 02/07/1940 Aged 30. Son of Major Joshua Lister and Violet Warburton Lee Married 1909 Mirfield CWGC of Tadcaster. Husband of Pamela Mary B Chance Married 1937 Chippenham CWGC Minety Wiltshire. Remembered Weymouth Crematorium Dorset.
SECOND LIEUTENANT PHILIP LISTER INGHAM
95495 1st Bn Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry 22/05/1940 Aged 20. CWGC Son of Major Joshua Lister Ingham and of Violet Warburton Lee Married 1909 Whitchurch CWGC of Tadcaster.Thank You for the CWGC for the following piece of information: All but one of the men buried in Bruyelle War Cemetery died in May 1940, during the battle on the line of the river Scheldt (Escaut) before the final withdrawal to Dunkirk ahead of the German advance. Laid to Rest Bruyelle War Cemetery Belgium.
FLYING OFFICER OSWALD HUMPHREY SIMMONS
17125 2781 Squadron 2781 Armoured Squadron RAF Regiment 07/04/1945 Aged 33. CWGC Son of Murray and Ethel Georgina Garrett Married 1906 Paddington St Augustine. Husband of Kathleen Vera Jackson Married 1938 Tadcaster.
Thank You to Brian Atkinson for the following: Oswald was part of a reconnaissance and escort patrol which was escorting 2 officers from the Air Technical Intelligence (ATI) Branch of 83 Group of the2nd Tactical Air Force (2TAF). These officers had orders to locate an airfield in the Osnabruck area. At 09.30 hours on 07/04/1945 the patrol, which consisted of another RAF Regiment officer, his driver and a RAF Regiment gunner in a recce armoured car in the lead, the 2 officers from ATI in a jeep, followed by Oswald with an armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) and crew bringing up the rear, left base. The patrol reached Osnabruck at about 13.30 hours. Exhaustive enquiries made in the town revealed that the nearest airfield was in the Achmer area north north west of OsnabrucK. The patrol proceeded to this area to recce the airfield. At about 14.45 while they were doing this, the RAF Regiment officer in the lead armoured car saw 2 burnt out lorries ahead of them. He went forward cautiously and discovered that their vehicles could not get past the lorries. Just as he was signalling the other vehicles to withdraw small arms fire began to come from a nearby wood. This was immediately followed by mortar fire from the same direction. The jeep and Oswald's AFV had begun to withdraw during this attack. The lead vehicle which had gone forward also began to withdraw answering fire with it's Bren gun on the turret. During the withdrawal a mortar bomb exploded 50 yards away from the lead vehicle and, at the same time another mortar fell on Oswald's AFV killing him instantly. The RAF Regiment officer leading the patrol withdrew to Wallenhorst and handed the body of Oswald to the officer commanding 174 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps who arranged for Oswald to be buried at Wallenhorst. After the war the remains of Oswald were moved to the British Military Cemetery at Rheinberg.
Courtesy Brian Atkinson
Laid to Rest Rheinberg War Cemetery Germany.
2654902 6th Bn Corps of Military Police 28/06/1941 Aged ? Son of Robert and Emily. 9Family fitting description Tadcaster 1911) Husband of Evelyn Grace Married 1938 Pontefract. Evelyn Re Married in 1947 Durham to Richard O'Hara CWGC of Guiseley. Laid to Rest Tadcaster Cemetery.
W/305078 Auxiliary Territorial Service 24/08/1946 Aged 19. Born 1928 Ashton Daughter of Charles Burley and Frances Agnes Taylor Married 1914 Ashton CWGC of Tadcaster. Laid to Rest Heliopolis War Cemetery Cairo Egypt.