SPRING, CORDELL FIREBRASS, only son of Cordell Spring, London, and Anne Bird, London; bapt. St. Andrew, Holborn 20 Nov 1739 (IGI); adm. (aged 10) Mar 1751 (as Cawdell Spring); in school list 1754.
Sprigge, Joshua William Squire, son of John Joshua Sprigge, solicitor, of Slough, Bucks, and Kate Ivens, d. of Joseph Spriggs of Foxton, Leics.; b. 28 Jan. 1912; adm. Sept. 1925 (KS); left July 1930; Trin. Coll. Camb., matric. 1930, BA 1933, MA LLB 1944; adm. a solicitor Nov. 1937; Coal Commission 1938-9; enlisted TA Mar. 1938; RA 1940-5 (Maj., GSO2); NCB 1946-51; asst sec. Inst. of Chartered Auctioneers and Estate Agents 1951-5; sec. RICS 1955-71, retd 1971; m. 12 July 1944 Anne Ruth Purnell-Edwards SRN, d. of John Purnell Purnell-Edwards, engineer, of Stroud, Gloucs.; d. 2 Aug. 1974.
SPRAT, THOMAS, only surviving son of Right Rev. Thomas Sprat DD, Bishop of Rochester and Dean of Westminster, and Helen, eldest dau. of Devereux Wolseley, Ravenstone, Staffs.; b. 5 Apr 1679; adm.; KS (Capt. ) 1692; Capt. of the School 1696; elected head to Christ Church, Oxford 1697, matr. 10 Jul 1697, Westminster Student 24 Dec 1697 – void 1707; BA 1701; MA 1704 (incorp. Cambridge 1715); adm. Middle Temple 13 Jun 1700; ordained; Prebendary and Archdeacon of Rochester from 4 Dec 1704; Vicar of Boxley, Kent, from 1704/5; Rector of Stone, Kent, from 1707; Prebendary of Winchester from 18 Nov 1712, and of Westminster from 29 Sep 1713; Chaplain in Ordinary to George I (Chamberlayne 1716); FRS 20 Mar 1711/2; Busby Trustee 19 Feb 1710/1; m. 9 Apr 1716 Frances, fourth dau. of John Horden (qv); d. 10 May 1720. Buried Westminster Abbey, monument in St. Nicholas’s Chapel.
Sprague, Richard Alfonso, brother of Louis Horatio Sprague (qv); b. 27 Oct. 1908; adm. May 1922 (H); left July 1926; RAF Coll. Cranwell, PO July 1928, FO Jan. 1930, Flt Lieut. Aug. 1934, Sqdn Ldr June 1938, temp. Wing Cdr Dec. 1940; DFC Mar. 1941, despatches Sept. 1941; killed on active service (Middle East) Nov. 1942.
Richard Alfonso “Joe” Sprague was born on the 27th of October 1908 the son of Colonel Louis Horatio Sprague, Royal Irish Rifles, and Frances Helena Mary (nee Ross) Sprague of 39, Gloucester Terrace, Paddington in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from May 1922 to July 1926. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Corporal in 1926.
He attended the Royal Air Force College, Cranwell before being granted a permanent commission as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force on the 28th of July 1928. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 28th of January 1930 and to Flight Lieutenant on the 1st of August 1934. He was promoted to Squadron Leader on the 1st of June 1938 and to Wing Commander on the 1st of December 1940. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross when he was serving with 208 Squadron, which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 28th of March 1941. He was Mentioned in Despatches which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 24th of September 1941.
Richard Sprague and his crew took off from Shandur at 8.40am on the 18th of November 1942 in Beaufort Mk I DE118 KU-S for a test flight and for deployment to RAF Gambut. The aircraft had undergone a 40 hour inspection and it was to fly to RAF Shallufa near Port Tefiq in Egypt and then on to RAF Gambut in Libya, if the aircraft’s performance was satisfactory during the first leg of the flight. The aircraft landed safely at RAF Shaluffa and, after being loaded with a torpedo, it took off again at 12.08pm. While it was on the second leg of its journey the aircraft flew into the ground some 50 miles to the south of Sidi Henseih at 12.45pm killing two of the crew.
The crew was: -
Wing Commander Richard Alfonso “Joe” Sprague DFC (Pilot)
Sergeant Alfred Leslie Augustinus RAAF (Observer)
Sergeant J.C.M. Lake RCAF (Wireless Operator) (Survived)
Flying Officer Claude Arthur Henry Collier (Air Gunner) (Survived)
Leading Aircraftman Frederick Douglas Isbell (47 Squadron Photographer) (Survived, slightly injured)
Statements were taken from the surviving members of the crew: -
Statement of Flying Officer Claude Arthur Henry Collier, 47 Squadron: - “I was Air Gunner briefed to fly with Wg. Cdr. Sprague to Gambut on detachment on 18th November 1942, in DE118, 47 Squadron Beaufort Mk I. En route to Gambut, I noticed that we passed over the half-way house at Wadi El Natrun and later LG100. We had been briefed, so I later learned, to fly 2 miles south of the railway, but Wg. Cdr. Sprague informed us that he would bear further to the south and look at the Quattara Depression. We flew along the northern cliff of the Depression for some miles, and when asked for course to steer, presumably for Gambut, I heard the observer give the captain a course of 280 degrees. There was a very heavy sandstorm blowing about 10 miles to starboard at this time, but was clear where we were and also ahead of us. I was under the impression that the wind was blowing from the starboard side, but I heard the observer say that it was a following wind. The crew found it difficult to hear everything that the observer had to say to the pilot, and on two occasions the pilot was heard to ask the observer to move back to the pilot’s side and to bring his maps. Just prior to the crash I heard Wg. Cdr. Sprague remark that the aircraft should be passing a certain track marked on the map in three minutes time, I gathered they were them looking at the map together. We had been flying normally at 800 to 1,000 feet all the time and as far as I can tell the engines were also behaving normally. I felt a change in temperature and noticed that we had lost height to approximately 300 feet. I was in the turret the whole time. When at 200 feet or so, I noted a slight yawing motion of the aircraft but didn’t pay particular heed to it. We continued to lose height in a tail down attitude until we hit the ground. It was then approximately two minutes after I had noticed by the increased temperature that we had lost height. After skidding along rough ground for about 150 yards, the aircraft stopped and I scrambled out through the turret top. The starboard engine was on fire, and the whole aircraft was soon enveloped in flames. I was dazed by a sheet of flame which had scorched my face and hands. Sgt. Lake and LAC Isbell joined me, and we ran clear of the flames when it was we realized that the torpedo would possibly explode, which did occur a few minutes later. There was a very violent explosion which scattered the wreckage, and I assume that the war-head had exploded.”
An investigation into the accident concluded that the primary cause was due to the pilot studying a map while losing height for low flying practise and hitting the ground as a result. Seemingly caught by surprise by the close proximity of the ground he pulled up but had insufficient speed to be able to climb above the high ground in front of the aircraft.
He is buried at El Alamein in War Cemetery Plot XXXI, Row D, Grave 10.
Sprague, Louis Horatio, son of Lieut.-Col. Louis Charles Sprague, Roy. Irish Rifles, and Frances Helena, d. of John Ross of Lurgan, Co. Armagh; b. 8 Feo. 1906; adm. Sept. 1920 (H); left Aug. 1922; an official of the Great Western Railway, later Western Region BR; m. 25 Sept. 1948 Phyllis Mary, d. of Frederick Pilley Coundley of Kingston-on-Thames; d. 7 Sept. 1978.
SPOTSWOOD, ---; b.; in school lists 1656.
SPOONER, WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, eldest son of Lucius Henry Spooner, Elmdon, Warwickshire, and Margaret Skottowe, second dau. of Richard Neville Parker, Passage West, co. Cork; b. 10 Jun 1855; adm. 26 Jan 1867; left Oct 1868; emigrated to Victoria, Australia; m. 27 Jan 1880 Emma Mills Blomfield, South Wootton, Norfolk. [wife probably dau. of Edward Mills Blomfield]