Showing 393 results

People & Organisations
GB-2014-WSA-08604 · Person · 1868-1918

HANMER, LAMBERT ALFRED GRAHAM, elder son of Rear-Adm. John Graham Job Hanmer, Royal Navy, Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, and Mary Caroline, dau. of Rev. John Cobbold Aldrich, Incumbent of St. Lawrence, Ipswich; b. 21 Oct 1868; adm. 4 Apr 1882 (G); left Dec 1885; RMA Sandhurst Dec 1887; 2nd Lieut., West Riding Regt., 23 Mar 1889; Lieut., Indian Staff Corps 29 Oct 1890; Squadron Officer and Adjutant, 1st Punjab Cavalry 29 Oct 1894; Capt., 23 Mar 1900; ADC to Lieut. -Gov., Punjab 5 Jan 1900 – 16 Oct 1901; Squadron-Commander, 21st Prince Albert Victor’s Own Cavalry 6 Apr 1905; Maj., 23 Mar 1907; Lieut. -Col., 23 Mar 1915; DSO 7 Feb 1918; served in Waziristan expedition 1894-5, on North-West Frontier 1897-8 and in First World War; m. 17 Dec 1901 Ethel Elizabeth, youngest dau. of Col. Thomas Heaton Lovett, Belmont, Shropshire; d. 29 Apr 1918, of wounds received in action.

Hare, John Edward, 1919-1942
GB-2014-WSA-08674 · Person · 1919-1942

Hare, John Edward, son of Lieut.-Col. John Hare OBE RAMC FRCS, ENT specialist, and Kathleen Dora, d. of Edward Rowe of Cape Town; b. 30 Dec. 1919; adm. Sept. 1933 (A); left July 1938; Univ. of London; MN radio officer in WW2; d. 1942 of exposure after his ship was torpedoed.

John Edward Hare was born at Simonstown, South Africa on the 30th of December 1919 the eldest son of Lieutenant Colonel John Hare OBE FRCS, Royal Army Medical Corps, and Kathleen Dora (nee Rowe) Hare of 22, Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea in London, later of “Ormidale”, Clevedon in Somerset. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1933 to July 1938. He was a noted pianist while he was at school. He went on to the University of London.
In March 1941, the 3,767 ton cargo steamer SS Umona, under the command of Master Frederick Arthur Baden Peckham, set sail from Durban bound for London carrying a cargo of 1,549 tons of maize, 50 tons of pulses and 47 tons of jam. She was also carrying 14 passengers, of which 7 were sailors who had survived pervious sinkings. She called at Walvis Bay on the 20th of March before setting sail alone for Freetown in Sierra Leone where she was to join a convoy.
At 11.01pm on the 30th of March 1941, the SS Umona was sailing some 90 nautical miles to the southwest of Freetown when she was struck underneath the aft mast on the port side by a G7e “Gnat” torpedo which had been fired by the U Boat U-124, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Georg-Wilhelm Schultz. She was hit by a second torpedo two minutes later and sank six minutes after that. During that time John Hare, the radio officer on duty at the time, stayed at his post transmitting distress messages before jumping into the sea. Only one lifeboat of the six on board, had managed to launch before she sank. The lifeboat was commanded by Fourth Officer Edwin Clarke who was captured when U-124 surfaced and took him on board before submerging again. He was never seen again. John Hare managed to pull himself on board a small life raft which was also carrying a badly wounded naval gunner, E.G. Elliot RN and a passenger, Frank Brothers. After drifting for four days they spotted a U Boat on the surface which they managed to signal to by using the reflection of a tobacco tin. The submarine came alongside and gave them fresh water before sailing away. The next day the weather worsened and John Hare died from exposure during the afternoon. The two remaining men were picked up by the cargo ship SS Lorca on the 12th of April and were landed at Freetown. Three other survivors had been picked up by the destroyer HMS Foxhound (H69) on the 7th of April but the other 101 passengers and crew had perished when the ship had gone down.
His date of death is given as the date of the sinking of the ship but a number of other sources record that he died on board the life raft a few days later.
He was posthumously awarded the King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct, which was announced by St James’s Palace on the 28th of April 1942.
He is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial, Panel 113.

GB-2014-WSA-08779 · Person · 1883-1918

Harrison, Francis lnglehy, son of the Rev. JohnJames Harrison, R. N., of Highgate, Chaplain and Naval Instructor, by Louisa Edith, daughter of the Rev. Frederick William Darwall, Vicar of Sholden, Kent; b. April 27, 1883; adm. as Q.S. Sept. 30, 1897; elected to an exhibition at Ch. Ch. Oxon. July 1902; matric. Michaelmas 1902; left the Univ. in 1904 to read for the Civil Service; went to Ceylon, where he was engaged as a tea planter, and subsequently to the Malay States, where he managed a rubber property; returned to England in 1915 and joined the O. T. C.; 2nd Lieut. 3rd Batt. (Reserve) the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regt. Nov. 3, 1915; Lieut. 1917; went out to the western front in Aug. 1916; was transferred to Italy in Dec. 1917, but returned to France in April 1918; d. at Aire May 8, 1918, of wounds received the same day in the front line trenches there; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-08816 · Person · 1920-1943

Harston, Michael George Sirdefield, son of Maj. Sir Ernest Sirdefield Harston CBE, Chairman Brit. Commonwealth Ex-Service League, and Ruth Barbara, d. of Sir George Shirtcliffe KBE, of Wellington, NZ; b. l 2Jan. 1920; adm. Sept. 1932 (A); left July 1938; Peterhouse, Camb., matric. 1938; RNVR 1940-3 (Lieut.), lost in HMS Beverley (Atlantic) 11 Apr. 1943.

Michael George Sirdefield Harston was born at Wellington, New Zealand on the 12th of January 1920 the only son of Major Ernest Sirdefield Harston CBE, Chairman of the British and Commonwealth Ex Service League, and Ruth Barbara (nee Shirtcliffe) Harston of 12, Wyndham Place in London W1. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1932 to July 1938 and was a distinguished athlete while he was at the school. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps where he achieved Certificate A in November 1936 and was promoted to Corporal in September 1937. He matriculated for Peterhouse College, Cambridge in 1938 but did not graduate as he left the College for military service.
Following the outbreak of war he enlisted in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant on the 12th of January 1940. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 12th of July 1942. He was posted to the destroyer HMS Beverley (D64), under the command of Lieutenant Commander Rodney Athelstan Price RN.
On the 4th of February 1943, HMS Beverley and the destroyer HMS Vimy (D33) were escorting Convoy SC118 on route to Londonderry, when they attacked the U Boat U-187, under the command of Oberleutnant zur See Ralph Münnich. They sank her with depth charges and t The U Boat sank with the loss of nine men from her crew of fifty four; her Captain was among the dead.
At 6pm on the 1st of April 1943, HMS Beverley was sailing off Rankin Island, County Antrim when she joined the convoy ON-176, which consisted of forty one merchant ships. She was to act as one of its escorts on its journey to Canada and on to the United States. At 10.10pm on the 9th of April, she was seriously damaged in a collision with the British steam merchant SS Cairnvalona while in fog. She was holed in the forward starboard side and took station at the rear of the convoy while the damage was being repaired.
At 5.49am on the morning of the 11th of April 1943, the German submarine U-188, under the command of Korvettenkapitän Siegfried Ludden, fired a torpedo at the convoy, which was to the southwest of Iceland at the time. He observed a hit on a tanker after 1 minute 34 seconds, which finally sank 45 minutes later with a broken back. At 5.50am, two more torpedoes were fired at the convoy and after 1 minute 58 seconds and 2 minutes 11 seconds hits on two ships were heard. At 5.52am two more torpedoes were fired which, after 1 minute 58 seconds, hit a fourth ship which began to settle by the bow. However, Allied records later indicated that only HMS Beverley was actually hit, between the forward and aft boiler rooms. The explosion on board the destroyer was followed by a complete power failure and a severe lurch to port, after which the ship sank by the stern about a minute later at the position of 52º19'N, 40º28'W. As she slipped beneath the surface there was a large underwater explosion. She was lost with one hundred and fifty one of her crew from a ship's complement of one hundred and fifty five officers and men. Michael Harston was among the dead. Although seven of her crew were picked up over the next hour, three of these were either already dead, or died a short time later.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Peterhouse College, Cambridge.
He is commemorated on the Portsmouth naval Memorial Panel 81, Column 1.

GB-2014-WSA-08977 · Person · 1918-1941

Head, Jervis Alston, son of Raymond Evelyn Head MC, of Balsham, Cambs, and Margaret Lloyd, d. of Rev. Frederick Clements Williamson, Vicar of Ashford, Middx; b. 7 Mar. 1918; adm. Sept. 1931 (KS); left July 1936; Merton Coll. Oxf., matric. 1936; RA 1939-41 (Lieut.); d. from an accident on active service 15 Mar. 1941.

Jervis Alston Head was born at Cork, Ireland on the 7th of March 1918 the son of Richard Evelyn Head MC and Margaret Lloyd (nee Williamson) of 26b, Golders Way, Golders Green in London and of Balsham in Cambridgeshire. He was educated at Tormore School, Deal and at Westminster School where he was admitted as a King’s Scholar on a Mathematics Scholarship from September 1931 to July 1936. He played the part of Dromo in the school production of “Epilogus in Andriam” in 1935. He matriculated for Merton College, Oxford in 1936 where he was an Officer Cadet in the Oxford University Officer Training Corps.
Shortly after coming down from Oxford he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 2nd of August 1939. He was posted to 137 Field Regiment, based at Blackpool and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 2nd of February 1941. By March 1941 the Regiment had moved to Larkhill and he was posted to 501 Battery on the 4th of March 1941.
On the 15th of March 1941, Jervis Head was driving in his Morgan three wheeler car when it struck a road island at Ferndown, at the junction of the Bournemouth and Poole roads to Ringwood in Hampshire. The vehicle overturned and he was seriously injured. He was admitted to the Royal Victoria & West Hampstead Hospital, Boscombe where he died from his injuries at 7pm the same day
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Merton College, Oxford.
He is buried at Durrington Cemetery, Grave 723.

GB-2014-WSA-09001 · Person · 1895-1916

Heath, John Oswald, only son of John Edgar Heath, of Lee, Kent, by Nora Mary, daughter of Oswald Lofthouse, of Warrington, Lancs; b. May 24, 1895; adm. Sept. 22, 1910 (A); left July 1912; entered the pottery and glass manufacturing business; joined the Hon. Artillery Co. in 1913, and went out to the western front Sept. 18, 1914; after serving nine months came back to take a commission; 2nd Lieut. 11th (Service) Batt. the Queen's Own (Royal West Kent) Regt. June 28, 1915; Lieut. Feb. 7, 1916; returned to the western front as Batt. Bombing Officer May 1, 1916; killed in action at Le Sars Oct. 7, 1916; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-09021 · Person · 1915-1942

Hebblethwaite, Edwin Charles Long, son of Bernard Robinson Hebblethwaite FRIBA, of King­ston Lyle, Berks, and Margaret Austin, d. of George Austin-Hyslop of Glasgow; b. 19 Sept. 1915; adm. Sept. 1929 (B); left Apr. 1934; a journalist; RAFVR 1941-2 (FO), killed in action in a bombing raid over Hamburg May 1942.

Edwin Charles Long “Peter” Hebblethwaite was born at Dublin, Ireland on the 19th of September 1915 the only child of Bernard Robinson Hebblethwaite FRIBA, an architect, and Margaret Austin (nee Hyslop) Hebblethwaite, of Gaston Manor, Tisbury near Salisbury in Wiltshire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1929 to April 1934. He was a member of the Colts Cricket XI in 1930 and 1931 and was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1932. He was a member of the Football XI in 1932, 1933 and 1934 where he played at outside left. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1932/33 season: - “A clever dribbler and good at the short passing game, but his left foot is not yet strong enough, and he is very weak with his head. Position play good, but often fails to make the most of an opening through hesitation.”
He was appointed as a member of the Monitorial Council in 1933.
On leaving school he became a journalist and a sub editor and worked in Grimsby.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as an observer and rose to the rank of Sergeant before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 9th of December 1941. He was promoted to Flying Officer in March 1942.
On the night of the 3rd/4th of May 1942, Bomber Command dispatched 43 Wellingtons, 20 Halifaxes, 13 Stirlings and 5 Hampdens for an operation on Hamburg. When the formation arrived at Hamburg it was found that the target was completely covered by cloud and only 54 of the aircraft bombed the target by estimating its position. 113 fires were started in the city of which 57 were classified as large. A large entertainment palace in the Reeperbahn was completely destroyed, as were a cinema and a theatre. A warehouse in the dockside area which contained vehicles and other goods was also destroyed. A 4,000lb bomb landed at a road junction in the historic residential area which caused 11 blocks of flats to collapse; another 11 buildings were severely damaged and 352 were slightly damaged. 77 people were killed on the ground with 243 injured and 1,624 people were bombed out of their homes.
Edwin Hebblethwaite and his crew took off from RAF Croft at 11.05pm on the 3rd of May 1942 in Halifax Mk II R9391 EY- for the operation. While in the target area the aircraft was coned by searchlights and was shot down by a night fighter flown by Feldwebel Hans Berschwinger of 4./NJG2 and crashed into the North Sea, some twenty kilometres to the north of Juist at 2.31am with the loss of the entire crew. This was Hans Berschwinger’s third victory of an eventual twelve before he was killed in action on the 15th of February 1944.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Thomas Percy Willoughby Davis (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Gilbert Murray Edwards (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Edwin Charles Long Hebblethwaite (Observer)
Pilot Officer John Robert “Jack” Kennedy RCAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Ross Mills (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Eric Charles Smith (2nd Pilot)
Squadron Leader Albert John Drake Snow (Pilot)
Theirs was one of five aircraft lost during the raid.
His father received the following telegram dated the 31st of August 1942: - “Deeply regret to advise you that following information from the International Red Cross Committee and Germans sources that your son Flying Officer Edwin Charles Long Hebblethwaite is reported to have lost his life as the result of air operations on 3rd May 1942. Letter confirming this telegram follows. The Air Council express their profound sympathy.”
Edwin Hebblethwaite’s body was washed ashore on the Island of Sylt on the 16th of June 1942 and was buried at Buesum Cemetery, Westerland on the 18th of June 1942. His body was exhumed by No. 4 Missing and Research Unit, Royal Air Force on the 9th of July 1947 and was moved to its present location. John Kennedy’s body was washed ashore on the 10th of June 1942 and Eric Smith’s body was recovered from the sea by a boat on the 9th of May 1942.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Tisbury.
He is buried at Kiel War Cemetery Plot 3, Row E, Grave 14.

GB-2014-WSA-09034 · Person · 1897-1918

Heigham-Plumptre, Leslie Grantham, son of John Vallis Nicholl Plumptre, of London, solicitor, by Mary Ling; b. Oct. 9, 1897; adm. Sept. 26, 1907 (A); migrated up Grant's; left Easter 1913; H. M. S. Worcester training ship; R. M.C. Sandhurst 1917; 2nd Lieut. 3rd Batt. Beds. Regt. Sept. 12, 1917, attached R. F. C. Dec. 1917; went out to the western front March 11, 1918, and was wounded on March 22 and invalided home; returned to the western front May 19; d. at Riquier, near Abbeville, France, June 4, 1918, of injuries acci­dentally received when starting on a bombing raid on June 2.

GB-2014-WSA-09039 · Person · 1896-1916

Helsdon, Harold Leofric, eldest son of Horace John Helsdon, F.R.I.B.A., of Regent's Park, by Flora, eldest daughter of W. Franklin Dickson, of Hendon, Middlesex; b. Nov. 18, 1896; adm. as exhibitioner Sept. 22, 1910 (A); left Easter 1915; entered the Inns of Court O. T. C.; 2nd Lieut. 3rd Batt. (Reserve) Dorsetshire Regt. July 28, 1915; was attached to 1/7th Batt. Royal Warwickshire Regt., and went out to the western front in June 1916; acted first as bombing officer, and afterwards as intelligence officer; killed in night patrol work near Butte de Warlencourt Nov. 25-6, 1916; unm.

Hepburn, George, 1888-1918
GB-2014-WSA-09092 · Person · 1888-1918

Hepburn, George, brother of Jonathan King Hepburn (q.v.); b. March 3, 1888; adm. Sept. 24, 1903 (R); left July 1905; readm. Jan. 1906; left July 1906; passed into the Technical Coll., South Kensington, 1906; took B.Sc., and won a nomination to the R.E. at Chatham for one year 1909; obtained an appointment at Rosyth 1910; entered the Indian Public Works Dept. as asst. engineer 1911; returned to England May 1916; 2nd Lieut. R.E. July 1916; Lieut. Jan. 1, 1918; went out to the western front Feb. 1917, and served with the 98th Field Co.; killed in action at Driencourt, near Peronne, France, March 22, 1918; umm.