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Dalton, John Michael, son of Sir John Cornelius Dalton Kt. MIEE, barrister, and his first wife Winifred, d. of Charles Robertson; b. 20 Mar. 1924; adm. Sept. 1937 (B); left July 1940; Gonville & Caius Coll. Camb., matric. 1941; read for Bar, Gray’s Inn; 2nd Lieut. RE 1944; accidentally killed on active service with a Parachute Sqdn 7 Oct. 1944.

John Michael Dalton was born in Surrey on the 20th of March 1924 the only son of Sir John Cornelius Dalton MIEE FCIS, a barrister at law, and Lady Winifred (nee Robertson) Dalton of 20, Cheyne Walk, Chelsea in London and of “Little Brook”, North Holmwood in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1937 to July 1940. He matriculated for Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge in 1941 and read for the Bar at Gray’s Inn before enlisting into the army where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on the 23rd of July 1944. He joined the 4th Parachute Squadron based at Bisbrooke Hall, Glaston on the 22nd of August 1944. The unit left Glaston in late August and, being the most junior officer, John Dalton was chosen to remain behind with the Residue Party, which was to gather up spare equipment and to secure the base until the unit returned from operations when it was to move to Wragby. He was billeted at Glaston House.
At 4.30am on the morning of the 7th of October 1944, the officer in charge at Glaston received a telephone call from Leicester to say that John Dalton had been killed in a motor accident.
His funeral took place on the 12th of October 1944.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Gray’s Inn.
He is buried at St Mary Magdalene Church, Holmwood.

Currier, David Fletcher, son of Edward Putnam Currier of New York and Dorothy Fletcher of Melrose, Mass.; b. 9 Aug. 1915; adm. 21 Sept. 1933 (B); left July 1934; Yale Univ., AB 1938; USNR 1941-3 (Lieut.); posth. commendation for outstanding performance of duty; m. 8 Mar. 1941 Margaret Pitkin, d. of Richmond L. Brown of Greenwich, Conn.; killed in action in USS Plymouth 5 Aug. 1943.

David Fletcher Currier was born at Tarrytown, Westchester County, New York on the 9th of August 1914 the son of Edward Putnam Currier, a dealer in investment securities, and Dorothy (nee Fletcher) Currier of Tarrytown, New York. He was educated at Milton Academy, Massachusetts and at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from the 21st of September 1933 to July 1934. He was a member of the 1st VI Lawn Tennis team in 1934. He went on to Yale University where he was a member of the Freshman basketball and baseball teams and was a member of the University Baseball Squad, the Fence Club, Scroll and Key, of the Torch Honor Society and of the Calhoun College touch football team in his Sophomore year. He was a member of the National Reserve Officers Training Corps.
He graduated with a BA in 1938 and went to work for Morgan & Lockwood of 44, Wall Street, New York City. He was employed by American Airlines from April 1939 to July 1940.
He was married at Greenwich, Connecticut on the 8th of March 1941 to Margaret Pitkin (nee Brown); they had two children, Barbara and David Fletcher Jr., born on the 10th of January 1943.
He was a member of the New York Local Defence Force from 1938 and undertook a V-7 training course on board the Midshipman’s training ship USS Prairie State from November 1940 to February 1941. On the 18th of August 1941 he was called up for active duty with the United Stated Navy with the rank of Ensign and was posted to the Naval Reserve Training School at Staten Island. He served on inshore patrol duty from Staten Island from the 18th of August to the 12th of November 1941 and served in the Port Director’s Office in New York City from the 12th of November 1941 to the 23rd of February 1942. From the 23rd of February to the 5th of April 1942 he served at the Instructor training School at Fort Schuyler before being posted to the Naval Training School (Local Defence) based at Boston from the 5th of April to September 1942.
He was promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade on the 15th of June 1942 and trained at the Sound School at Key West, Florida from the 2nd to the 16th of September 1942. He went on to the Submarine Chaser Training Center at Miami, Florida from the 16th of September to the 29th of October 1942. On the 31st of October 1942 he was appointed as Executive Officer and Navigator on a gunboat and was appointed as its commanding officer on the 8th of February 1943. On the 18th of June 1943 he was posted as Navigator to the patrol gunboat USS Plymouth (PG-57) and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st of July 1943.
The USS Plymouth, under the command of Lieutenant Ormsby M. Mitchel Jr. USN, set sail from New York on the 4th of August 1943 as part of an escort for a coastal convoy which was bound for Key West.
At 9.37pm on the 5th of August 1943, the USS Plymouth was sailing some 90 miles off the coast of Elizabeth City, North Carolina when she picked up a contact on her sonar. As she swung to port to bear on the contact she was struck by a torpedo which had been fired by the U Boat U-566, under the command of Kapitänleutnant Hans Hornkohl. She had been struck just behind the bridge and the explosion forced her to roll to starboard before taking a heavy list to port. Her entire port side forward of the bridge was engulfed in flames and she sank two minutes later with the loss of 95 men from her crew of 179 officers and men. The survivors were picked up by the coast guard cutter USS Calypso and landed at Norfolk, Virginia the following day.
He received a posthumous Citation from the Secretary of the Navy for outstanding performance of his duty.
He is commemorated on the East Coast Memorial, Battery Park, New York.

Cumberland, Bentinck Howard, son of Walter Bertie Cumberland, GPO engineer, of Hendon, and Edith Howard, d. of Edmund Rawles of Hampstead; b. 6 Sept. 1917; adm. Apr. 1931 (R); left July 1936; The Loyal Regt 1940-3 (Capt.); killed in action (N. Africa) 30 Apr. 1943.

Bentinck Howard “Benty” Cumberland was born at Hampstead, London on the 6th of September 1917 the only son of Walter Bertie Cumberland, an engineer for the General Post Office, and Edith Howard (nee Rawles) Cumberland of 26, Shirehall Lane, Hendon in Middlesex. He was christened at St Mark’s Church, Marylebone on the 20th of October 1917. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from April 1931 to July 1936. He was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in 1935 and 1936 where he rowed at No. 6. On leaving school he was articled to a firm of chartered accountants. He was elected as a member of the London Rowing Club in 1936.
He attended the 163rd Officer Cadet Training Unit (Artists Rifles) before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) on the 3rd of August 1940 where he was later appointed as Battalion Transport Officer.
On the 29th of April 1943 the 1st Battalion, The Loyal Regiment was near Djebel Rhaouas in Tunisia where they had been involved in heavy fighting the previous day and were preparing to renew their attack. At 6am that morning 14 enemy tanks passed through the Gabgab gap towards the Battalion but soon came under British artillery fire and withdrew at 8am. Later than morning B Company was ordered to join C Company to reinforce 117 Metre Hill where enemy tanks had been seen. At 1.30pm 20 enemy tanks managed to infiltrate a gap in the British positions and established themselves on a nearby ridge where they dominated the approaches to 117 Metre Hill. As soon as this move had been completed a further 20 enemy tanks, supported by infantry, advanced through the Gabgab Gap and headed towards The Loyals’ positions on 117 Metre Hill. C Company called down artillery fire on the enemy force but this did not deter them and they continued to advance. At 2.30pm, tanks of the 145th Royal Tank Regiment began moving forward to attack the enemy tanks but they lost six of their number in a short space of time and so they took up static positions some two miles from 117 Metre Hill where they fired in support of the infantry but this was largely ineffective.
The German force closed and overran the The Loyals’ Support Company on the western side of the hill, and destroyed most of the Battalion’s transport. The Battalion had also lost all of its anti tank guns. Having suffered very heavy casualties, the survivors formed into small groups on the perimeter of their position while the German tanks dug in where they were and continued firing on the British positions for the rest of the day. Just before dawn, rations were brought up to the forward British troops and it was at this time that Bentinck Cumberland was killed by mortar fire.
At dawn on the 30th of April 1943, the Germans began withdrawing through the Gabgab Gap and new anti tank guns were brought forward to defend the gap should they return.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the London Rowing Club.
He is buried at Massicault War Cemetery Plot V, Row M Grave 3.

Crook, Philip John Lancaster, son of Edward Arnold Crook, glove manufacturer, of Gt Malvern, Worcs, and Mary Clare Broad, d. of Lieut.-Col. John Lancaster IMS; b. 29 May 1920; adm. May 1934 (B); left July 1938; Univ. of Birmingham; Roy. Tank Regt 1941-3 (Lieut.); killed in action (N. Africa) Apr. 1943.

Philip John Lancaster Crook was born at Streatham, London on the 29th of May 1920 the only son of Edward Arnold Crook, a glove manufacturer, and Mary Clare Broad (nee Lancaster) Crook, later of 5, Heathcroft, Hampstead, London NW11. He was the twin of his sister Elizabeth Lorna.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from May 1934 to July 1938. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1937. He was articled to a firm of solicitors before going on to the University of Birmingham from where he graduated LLb.
He attended an Officer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Tank Regiment on the 8th of March 1941.
On the 1st of April 1943, Philip Crook was with A Squadron, 50th Royal Tank Regiment which was resting in camp at Djorf. During the day a party from the Squadron was organised to visit the scene of a battle in which they had been involved at the Mareth Line on the 22nd of March 1943 against the German 15th Panzer Division. They were to try to learn the lessons of the fighting there and to salvage equipment from the area. They had been warned that the area had been heavily booby trapped and mined by the Germans before they had retreated and were instructed to take extreme care. During the trip, for reasons which are not known, Philip Crook left the track which had been swept and found to be clear of mines. Following the explosion of a German “S” anti personnel mine he was found lying on the ground badly wounded by shrapnel. He was evacuated to an Advanced Dressing Station where he died of his wounds a few hours later.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Malvern and on the memorial at the University of Birmingham.
He is buried at Sfax War Cemetery Plot X Row D, Grave 20.

Cragg-Hamilton, Derek, son of Sydney Charles Cragg-Hamilton and Edith, d. of Abel Simner of Friog, Merioneth; b. 3 Apr. 1909; adm. Sept. 1922 (A); left July 1927; adm. a solicitor Nov. 1932, practised in London; 2nd Lieut. 92 Bde RA (TA) Sept. 1927, Lieut. Sept. 1930, Capt. May 1934, temp. Maj. Jan. 1939; killed in action Dunkirk May 1940.

Derek Cragg-Hamilton was born at Ravenscourt Park, London on the 3rd of April 1909 the only son of Sydney Charles Cragg-Hamilton, an actor, and Edith Emily Marguerite (nee Simner) Cragg-Hamilton of 77, Hamlet Gardens, South Hammersmith, later of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire. He was christened at St Peter’s Church, Hammersmith on the 12th of June 1909. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1922 to July 1927 where he was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Lance Corporal in 1926. He was appointed as a Monitor in April 1926 and as Head of Ashburnham in September 1926. On leaving school he studied law and he qualified as a solicitor in November 1932. He practised at Temple Chambers, Temple Avenue, London. He served as Hon. Secretary of The Old Westminster Boat Club in 1929 and 1930 and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Old Westminsters in 1932.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 92 (5th London) Field Brigade in the Territorial Army on the 25th of September 1927 and was promoted to Lieutenant on the 25th of September 1930. He was promoted to Captain on the 10th of May 1934 and to Major in January 1939. He was appointed as the commanding officer of 365 Battery.
On the 31st of May 1940, 92 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was positioned to the west of Bulskamp where it was defending the perimeter of the evacuation area around Dunkirk when German counter battery fire began falling on the Headquarters of 365 Battery. Derek Cragg-Hamilton and four gunners were killed during the exchange of fire.
The Middlesex Chronicle wrote: - “Many of the older residents will remember the cherry, happy personality of this fine, upstanding soldier who was 6ft 6 1/2 ins. in height.”
The Elizabethan wrote: - “The death of Major Derek Cragg-Hamilton, R.A., T.A., during the retirement to Dunkirk, has brought sadness to many, for he had many friends. In the law, which he chose as his profession, in the Territorials, which he joined as a recreation and a duty, and among Westminsters of all ages who shared with him a common affection for the School he was equally popular, and the directness and simplicity of his character won him general respect. Derek Cragg-Hamilton was the son of the late Sydney Charles Cragg-Hamilton. He was born on 3rd April, 1909, and in 1922 entered Westminster as a day boy up Ashburnham. Although his subsequent career showed that he had good critical abilities and the power of mastering detail, he travelled up the School but slowly. He was never one to whom success came easily. Success came because he worked for it, and it was a tribute to the solid qualities of his character when, in his last year at Westminster, he was appointed head of his house, although still only in the Shell. He left in 1927, and for the next five years underwent the arduous and sometimes dreary training necessary to become a solicitor. Most of his Westminster friends and contemporaries had gone to either Oxford or Cambridge, and he may perhaps have felt some natural regret that he was no longer with them, sharing their fresh interests and pleasures. If he did, he kept his feelings to himself and he threw himself wholeheartedly into his new work. At this time also began the connexion with the Territorials, which in the end took him to France early last September and last May to Belgium. He was gazetted 2nd Lieut., 92nd Brigade, R.A., T.A., in 1927, and was promoted Lieutenant in 1930. Captain in 1934, and Major last year. He was an enthusiastic soldier, and he was always keen to get any boys who had recently left the School into his battery, with the result that the foundress was toasted last November 17th in at least one mess in northern France. His ability as a lawyer received a tribute in a notice in The Times, and this is not the place to recapitulate it. While his Westminster friends realized that he was efficient at his job, they did not perhaps realize how much his judgment was respected and how much he might have achieved had not his career been suddenly cut short. But no one who came in contact with him could have remained unaware for long of his enthusiasm for the School and his devotion to its interests. His work on the War Memorial Committee and on successive Committees of the Westminster Ball brought him into touch with a very large number of Old Westminsters; and because some of the masters were privileged to count him as their friend, his views on the School did not remain static as the point which they had reached when he ceased to be a member of it, but moved forward with every phase of its development. He was, indeed, one of the very few people to whom one could "talk Westminster" with the complete assurance that his opinion would be based not only on sympathy and understanding, but also on knowledge of where the School's true interests lay. To Watermen of the last twelve years he was a familiar figure. Although never a first-class oar himself, he was an immensely hard worker in a boat and a good judge of a crew. He followed the fortunes of the School eight with keenness, and his appearances at Putney or at Henley were welcomed with delight. It was characteristic of him that when, a few years ago, he had followed a School eight down to Westminster in the launch and a minor crisis had occurred because one of the crew had been taken ill, he should have stepped into the boat and, although quite untrained, should have rowed back to Putney. It was characteristic, too, that when home on leave for a short time last December, one of his first actions should have been to come round to Westminster to find out how the School was getting on in exile, and in particular what chances there were of carrying on rowing at Lancing. In him Westminster loses a loyal friend, and his mother, to whom we offer our deep sympathy, a devoted son.”
He is buried at Veurne Communal Cemetery Extension Row C, Grave 5.

Cracknell, Charles George Raphael, only son of Charles Collins, of Pimlico, by Annie Letitia, daughter of George Turner, of London; b. May 5, 1888; adm. Sept. 25, 1902 (G); assumed the surname of Cracknell in lieu of Collins by deed poll June 21, 1915, but was known by the name of Cracknell before leaving school; left Easter 1906; articled to a London firm of accountants; joined the H. A. C. on the outbreak of the war Aug. 4, 1914; went out to the western front with the 1st Batt. Sept. 17, 1914; 2nd Lieut. 24th (Co. of London) Batt. the London Regt. July 3, 1915; Lieut. Nov. 3, 1915; served in France 1914-7; joined the British Expeditionary Force to Palestine in Oct. 1917; d. at Tel-el-Brit. Dec. 29, 1917, of wounds received in the defence of Jerusalem, Dec. 27, 1917; unm.

Cozens-Brooke, John Gilbert Somerset, only son of Ernest Brooke Cozens-Brooke, of Earl's Court, London, by Mabel Emily Florence, daughter of Capt. John William Clayton, of Marylebone; b. Nov. 26, 1893; adm. Jan. 16, 1908 (R); left July 1910; 2nd Lieut. 3rd Batt. (Spec. Res.) Royal Scots Fusiliers April 1, 1912; Lieut. Aug. 15, 1914, attached 1st Batt. on taking out draft from depot to the western front in Sept. 1914; killed whilst scouting near Lille Oct. 18, 1914.