Showing 393 results

People & Organisations
GB-2014-WSA-08343 · Person · 1921-1945

Groves, Louis Grimble, son of Keith Grimble Groves, barrister-at-law, and Dorothy, d. of Louis Herbert Moore; b. 1 Apr. 1921; adm. Jan. 1935 (R); left Dec. 1938; Univ. of Glasgow; RAF in WW2 (Serg. Met. Air Observer); killed on operational duties 10 Sept. 1945.

Louis Grimble Groves was born at Chelsea, London on the 1st of April 1921 the only child of Major Keith Grimble Groves, a barrister at law, and Dorothy (nee Moore) Groves of 4, York House, Kensington in London, later of “The Varrey”, Kirk Maughold on the Isle of Man. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1935 to December 1938. He went on to the University of Liverpool where he was studying naval architecture when the war broke out.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, trained in Canada and rose to the rank of Sergeant. On his return to the UK he was based at the Metrological Office at RAF Brawdy.
Louis Groves and his crew took off from RAF Brawdy on the 10th of September 1945 in Halifax B (Met) Mk III RG380 X9-N on an “Epicure” sortie, to gather information on the weather over the North Atlantic. On their return to base, they were diverted to RAF Weston Zoyland due to bad weather. There was fog over Weston Zoyland when they arrived there and the aircraft was seen to pass over the airfield but, due to radio interference, communications were poor and it turned away. The aircraft was flying at a height of 1,000 feet when it crashed in dense fog into an escarpment in the Quantock Hills above Crowcombe Hall, to the south west of Williton in Somerset at 7.54pm, killing all on board.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Keith Gordon Proverbs (Pilot)
Flying Officer John Joseph Frederick Hobden
Flying Officer Lindsay George McMillan
Flying Officer Patrick Alfred Bee
Warrant Officer Roy Donald Cartwright
Flight Sergeant Dennis Norman Everett
Sergeant Louis Grimble Groves (Metrological Observer)
Sergeant John Macilrick Bryce Gordon (Metrological Observer)
Flight Sergeant Robert William Vinton
His funeral took place on the 15th of September 1945.
A Correspondent wrote of him: - “Louis Grimble Groves was a fine young man, a fine sportsman and extremely popular with all who knew him. He spent all his holidays in the Isle of Man and his many friends here and elsewhere will deeply regret his untimely death.”
The L. G. Groves Award was established in his memory by his parents in September 1946. The award is made to recognise those who work to improve safety in the aviation industry. A memorial was placed at the crash site in 2016.
He is buried at St Maughold’s Church.

GB-2014-WSA-08361 · Person · 1885-1916

Gundry, Horace Montague, son of Horace Gundry, of Paddington, by Marion Jane, daughter of George Barker, of Hyde Park; b. Aug. 31, 1885; adm. Sept. 22, 1898 (H); left July 1901; entered an architect's office, and in 1908 emigrated to Canada; enlisted in the 7th Canadian Batt. early in 1915; killed in action Sept. 26, 1916; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-08382 · Person · 1858-1940

GWILT, CHARLES EVELYN, eldest son of Charles Gwilt, Icklingham, Suffolk, solicitor, and Frances, dau. of Edward Thompson; b. 12 Oct 1858; adm. 23 Sep 1871 (G); left Aug 1875; adm. solicitor Apr 1882; practised in London; m. 15 Jun 1904 Florence Fraser, youngest dau. of George Pimm, Wandsworth, Surrey, miller; d. 25 Oct 1940.

Charles Evelyn Gwilt was born at Chelsea, London on the 12th of October 1858 the eldest son of Charles Gwilt, a solicitor, and Frances (nee Thompson) Gwilt of 18, Markham Street, Chelsea and of Ickenham in Suffolk. He was christened at the Church of St Mary’s Le Strand on the 4th of December 1859.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 23rd of September 1871 to August 1875. He qualified as a solicitor in April 1882 and practiced in London. He was initiated as a Freemason and as a member of the Old Westminster’s Lodge on the 1st of February 1893. He was married at St Luke’s Church, Battersea on the 15th of June 1904 to Florence Fraser (nee Pimm) and they lived at 39, Dryburgh Road Putney and later at 42, Park Hill Road, Wallington in Surrey. He was killed when his house was hit by a bomb during an air raid.
His place of burial is not known.

GB-2014-WSA-08414 · Person · 1889-1918

Hadden, Archibald Robert, elder son of the Rev. Robert Henry Hadden, Vicar of St. Mark, North Audley Street, London, Chaplain in Ordinary to Queen Victoria and Hon. Chaplain to Edward VII, by Eva Prudence, second daughter of John Carbery Evans, of Hatley Park, Cambs; b. Oct. 22, 1889; adm. Sept. 25, 1902 (A); left July 1907; Ch. Ch. Oxford, matric. Michaelmas 1907; 2nd Lieut. 9th Batt. London Regt. (Queen Victoria's Rifles) 1909; Lieut. March 27, 1911; Capt. Sept. 23, 1914; served on the staff of the 3rd London Infantry Brigade under Gen. Monck Aug. 1914 - Jan. 1917; went out lo the western front in Jan. 1917, where he joined his regiment; m. May 6, 1915, Evelyn Forster, only daughter of Edwin Thomas Morse Tunnicliffe, M.R.C.S., of North Finchley, Middlesex; killed in action at Hangard Wood. April 25, 1918.

GB-2014-WSA-08415 · Person · 1891-1916

Hadden, Eustace Walter Russell, brother of Archibald Robert Hadden (q.v.); b. Jan. 20, 1891; adm. Sept. 24, 1903 (A); left July 1908; Ch. Ch. Oxon., matric. Michaelmas 1908; called to the bar at the Inner Temple Nov. 18, 1912; held a legal appointment under the Siamese Government 1913-4; returned to England in June 1914; 2nd Lieut. 4th (Terr.) Batt. Oxford and Bucks L. I. Sept. 1911; Lieut. Jan. 1, 1912; Capt. Sept. 2, 1914; went out to the western front in March 1915; temp. Major April 15, 1916; was in temporary command of his Batt. during the last six weeks of his life; d. June 11, 1916, at Abbeville; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-08514 · Person · 1891-1918

Hallward, Basil Murray, only son of William Lambard Hallward, of Kensington, by Grace, daughter of William Murray, of Dereham, Norfolk; b. Nov. 17, 1891; adm. Sept. 27, 1906 (H); left Easter 1911; was engaged in the study of music at the outbreak of Great War I; 2nd Lieut. 10th (Service) Batt. Royal Warwickshire Regt. Sept. 14, 1914; Lieut. Feb. 12, 1915, R. F. A. Sept. 9, 1915; went out to the western front in Dec. 1915; killed in action near Arras April 10, 1918.

GB-2014-WSA-08516 · Person · 1920-1942

Halsall, David Richard, son of Leslie Albiston Halsall, East India merchant, of Bombay, and Gwynedd May, d. of William Llewellyn Preece; b. 30 Oct. 1920; adm. Sept. 1934 (KS); left Dec. 1938; RMA Woolwich; RE 1940-2 (Lieut.); killed in a bomb disposal accident (Middle East) Sept. 1942.

David Richard Halsall was born at Bombay, India on the 30th of October 1920 the only child of Leslie Albiston Halsall, an East India merchant, and Gwynedd May (nee Preece) Halsall of Bombay, later of “Gwyn”, Rances Lane, Wokingham in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School, where he was admitted as a King’s Scholar, from September 1934 to December 1938. He was a member of the Photographic Society and won its First Prize in 1938.
He left school early when he accepted a place at the Royal Military College, Woolwich from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on the 18th of February 1940. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 18th of August 1941. He worked in bomb disposal in the UK but by January 1942 he had been posted to the 4th Field Squadron, Royal Engineers in the Middle East.
He was killed in a bomb disposal accident in Egypt.
He is buried at El Alamein War Cemetery Plot XXVII, Row G, Grave 6.

GB-2014-WSA-08518 · Person · 1917-1944

Halse-Hearne, William Edward, son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne, RN stores officer, and Esther, d. of James Alexander Crofton; b. 22 July 1917; adm. Apr. 1931 (A), (B) Jan. 1933; left Dec. 1933; Drummond's Bank; 2nd Lieut. Wilts Regt 1943, transf. Commandos (Capt.); m. 18 June 1940 Margaret Horner; d. of wounds (Burma) Nov. 1944.

William Edward Halse-Hearne was born in North London on the 22nd of July 1917 the only son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne RN, a naval stores officer, and Esther (nee Crofton) Halse-Hearne of 17, King’s Road, Wimbledon in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from April 1931 and up Busby’s from January 1933 to December 1933.
He joined the staff of Drummonds Bank in London in 1934 where he worked as a clerk. He enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1938 where he served with B Battery and he was mobilised for war service in September 1939.
He was married in Surrey on the 18th of June 1940 to Margaret Gertrude (nee Horner).
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Wiltshire Regiment on the 4th of June 1943 and was later attached to No. 1 Commando where he was appointed to the command of No. 4 Troop.
In November 1944, No 1 Commando was based at Teknaf in the Maungdaw Hills of Burma from where they were carrying out patrols against Japanese troops in the area. On the 11th of November 1944, No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando was briefed for a patrol to investigate a report of the presence of Japanese troops in the area of the village of Ywathitke. The patrol was to consist of eighteen other ranks, commanded by William Halse-Hearne, accompanied by Lieutenant Paterson and by an Intelligence Officer. It was to take a route on the outward journey of Nurutlapara –Chiradan West - Ywathitke to Thavengonbaung and return by the same route. The patrol set out at midday and was due to return at 6pm.
They advanced down the main road to a river crossing where they received updated information that enemy troops were in Thavengonbaung and in a another village to the north of it. On receiving this information they split into two groups, one under Lieutenant Paterson and the other under William Halse-Hearne, with one advancing towards through the villages towards Thavengonbaung and the other continuing down the main track where the two groups were to rendezvous. Both groups reached the rendezvous point without incident where they were informed by a native boy that the Japanese were in the village where they were commandeering millet from the locals. They continued their advance towards the village in open order with C Section, under Lieutenant Paterson, on the left and with D Section, under William Halse-Hearne, on the right. They reached the south end of the village where they found the approach to it was across 100 yards of scrub with a further 100 yards of forward slope and then 800 yards of open paddy fields beyond. Having covered the 200 yards to the village they came under fire from an enemy light machine gun and from rifle fire from their right and from snipers on their left. The two sections took cover but William Halse-Hearne had been wounded and was lying on the open ground. He was brought in by his men under heavy fire who were then forced to fall back when they were brought under 2 inch mortar fire. C Section also withdrew having kileld three enemy snipers. William Halse-Hearne was carried to Thavengonbaung and then taken on an improvised stretcher to Chiradan West. He died from his wounds during the journey when the party was approximately a mile from Thavengonbaung.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch at 36, Andrew Square, Edinburgh
He is buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery Plot 3, Row G, Grave 4.

GB-2014-WSA-08558 · Person · 1889-1916

Hamilton-Johnston, Douglas Charles, eldest son of Augustus Hamilton:Johnston, of Chelsea, by Bessie, daughter of Major-Gen. Patrick Robertson-Ross, C. B., of Glenmoidart, Inverness-shire; b. May 20, 1889; adm. from Charterhouse Sept. 22, 1904 (G); left July 1906; matric. at London Univ. and afterwards went to Frankfurt; R. M.C. Sandhurst 1908; 2nd Lieut. 2nd Batt. the Black Watch (the Royal Highlanders) Feb. 24, 1909; Lieut. Feb. 14, 1912; Capt. Feb. 25, 1915; temp. Major Jan. 7, 1916; arrived with his batt. from India at the western front in Oct. 1914; wounded in Dec. 1914, and again in May 1915; was invalided home after the second casualty; returned to the western front in Nov. following, and at the end of the month went with his batt. to Mesopotamia; mentioned in despatches L. G. Dec. 1, 1916; killed in action at El Shaad, Mesopotamia, while leading his batt. against the Turks Jan. 21, 1916; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-08563 · Person · 1846-1916

HAMMANS, ARTHUR WILLIAM; b. (Marcham, Berks. ) 31 Aug 1846; adm. 28 Sep 1860 (James'); left Aug 1864; Ensign, 32nd Foot 18 Dec 1866; Lieut., 25 Sep 1869; Capt., 32nd (Duke of Cornwall’s) Light Infantry 29 Jun 1881; Maj., 14 Dec 1887; retd. 31 Aug 1894; served Burma 1892-3; re-employed as Recruiting Officer, Bletchley District, in First World War; m. 23 Oct 1889 Mary Josephine, eldest dau. of John Wagner, Stormont, St. Kilda, Melbourne, Australia; d. 13 Jun 1916, from effects of overwork as Recruiting Officer. [evidently kin to Robert Hammans, Marcham, Berks., maltster, will proved PCC 23 Apr 1856]