Showing 393 results

People & Organisations
GB-2014-WSA-13268 · Person · 1889-1918

Orriss, Walter Gerald, only son of Walter Felix Orriss, of St. Johns Wood, by Amelia, daughter of Joseph Powell, of Liverpool; b. March 19, 1889; adm. Jan. 14, 1904 (H); left July 1905; Lieut. 5th (Res.) Batt. Grenadier Guards July 15, 1915; served in France in 3rd Batt., where he was twice wounded; went out for the third time March 8, 1918; d. in hospital at Doullens March 29, 1918, of wounds received at Arras the previous day; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-13237 · Person · 1910-1940

O'Malley, Derek Keppel Coleridge, son of Barrett Leonard Albemarle O'Malley, barrister-at­ law, of Richmond, Surrey, and Lorna Josephine, d. of John Coleridge of Snettisham, Norfolk; b. 7 Nov. 1910; adm. Sept. 1923 (G), non-res. KS 1925; left July 1929; Ch. Ch. Oxf., matric. 1929, BA 1932; called to the Bar (Inner Temple) Jan. 1933; PO RAFVR Nov. 1938, FO May 1940; m. 21 Oct. 1939 Rachel, d. of Andrew MacDonald of Hilton House, Inverness; killed in action Sept. 1940.

Derek Keppel Coleridge O’Malley was born at 14A, Northcote Avenue, Ealing on the 7th of November 1910 the only child of Barrett Lennard Albemarle O’Malley, a barrister at law and a correspondent for the Morning Post, and Lorna Josephine (nee Coleridge) O’Malley later of 24, Montague Road, Richmond in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1923 and was a non resident King’s Scholar from 1925 to July 1929. He was appointed as a Monitor in 1928. He was a member of the 2nd Rowing VIII in 1927, where he rowed at bow, and was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in 1928 where he rowed at No. 3 and won School Colours in the same year. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1928 season: - “Another oarsman who improved during practice. He is beginning to use his leg drive effectively, but the blade work must become more accurate. At present rather liable to lose the rhythm in rowing, and to lose his steadiness forward. The only cure for this is to get the feet on the stretcher at the recovery, and to keep them there by not letting the knees rise too easily at any time on the swing forward.”
He was away from the school for a period of time due to illness and when he returned he was a member of the 2nd Rowing VIII in 1929, where he rowed at stroke. He was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in the same year where he rowed at No. 4. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1929 season: - “With only two days to in the boat before the race at Henley, he settled quickly into the swing of the crew, although he was not as fit as the others, after a long absence from the School, and only six days’ rowing in the Second Eight. He has lengthened his swing, and acquired more control and spring, and is likely to improve into a sound oarsman.”
He matriculated for Christ Church, Oxford in 1929 on a Westminster Scholarship where he read History and rowed for the College boat. He was a member of the Oxford University Air Squadron from 1929 to 1932. He was awarded a BA in 1932. On leaving university he studied for the Bar examinations and was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in January 1933. He worked from chambers at 5, Paper Buildings, Temple.
He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 1st of November 1938, trained as a pilot and was mobilised for active service on the 18th of September 1939.
He was married at Henley-on-Thames on the 21st of October 1939 to Rachel Mary Genevieve (nee Macdonald) of Wharfe House, Henley-on-Thames; they had a son, Stephen Keppel, born on the 21st of July 1940.
He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 1st of May 1940 and was posted to 264 Squadron on the 22nd of May 1940.
At 4pm on the 24th of August 1940 Derek O’Malley was taxiing his aircraft, Defiant Mk I L6996 at RAF Hornchurch for a Squadron scramble during an enemy air raid. A bomb burst close to the aircraft and the dust cloud obscured his vision. In the confusion his aircraft collided with Defiant Mk I L7006. He was unhurt but his air gunner, Pilot Officer Anthony O’Connell, was slightly injured.
On the night of the 4th of September 1940, 264 Squadron was scrambled due to a report of an enemy aircraft in the area. Derek O’Malley took off from RAF Kirton-in- Lindsey at 10pm in Defiant Mk I N1628 PS- with his air gunner, Sergeant Lauritz Andrew Woodney Rasmussen RNZAF, for the night interception patrol. After takeoff the aircraft remained at a very low level before crashing near Northorpe, some three miles to the west of the airfield at 10.05pm, killing both men.
His mother received the following telegram dated the 5th of September 1940: -“Deeply regret to inform you that your son Flying Officer Derek Keppel Coleridge O’Malley is reported as having lost his life as the result of air operations on Sept 4th /40. Letter follows. The Air Council express their profound sympathy. His wife not informed. Address not available. Repeat not informed.”
His funeral took place on the 8th of September 1940.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Christ Church, Oxford.
He is buried at Kirton-in-Lindsey Cemetery Block A, Grave 181.

GB-2014-WSA-13185 · Person · 1885-1916

O'Flynn, D'Arcy Algernon Cuthbert Dillon, brother of Albert John Gladstone Dillon O'Flynn (q.v.); b. Nov. 12, 1885; adm. Sept. 28, 1899 (A); left July 1902; went to Canada Dec. 1906, and became a farmer; enlisted in 47th Batt. Canadian Infantry May 1915; Sgt. Dec. 1915; went out to the western front July 1916; d. Nov. 11, 1916, of wounds received in action the previous day at Courcellette, Somme, France; unrn.

GB-2014-WSA-13177 · Person · 1921-1945

O'Brien, Michael William, son of Capt. George William O'Brien MC, The Border Regt, of Grange-over-Sands, Lancs; b. 13 Nov. 1921; adm. Jan. 1935 (KS); Capt. of the school 1939; left July 1940; elected to Ch. Ch. Oxf., but did not matriculate; RAFVR 1941-5 (Sqdn Ldr), DFC Oct. 1944; killed in action 22 Mar. 1945.

Michael William O’Brien was born at Hyderabad, India on the 13th of November 1921 the eldest son of Lieutenant George William O’Brien MC, 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, and Enid Mary (nee Perry) O’Brien of 31, Mayfield Road, Sutton Coldfield in Warwickshire. He was educated at St Dunstan’s School, Burnham-on-Sea and at Westminster School where he was admitted as a King’s Scholar from January 1935 to July 1940. He was elected as Captain of Chess and was appointed as an Assistant Librarian in 1938. He represented the School at Squash in 1938 and 1939 and at Lawn Tennis in 1939. He was appointed as Captain of School in 1939 and was appointed as Joint Editor of the Elizabethan from September 1939 to July 1940. He won a Scholarship to Christ Church, Oxford in 1940 but did not matriculate, instead he volunteered for military service.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 12th of August 1940 where he rose to the rank of Leading Aircraftman before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 26th of June 1941. He was posted to No. 14 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Twinwood Farm on the 26th June. 1941 and was posted to No. 2 School of Air Navigation based at RAF Cranage on the 5th of July. The following month he was posted to No. 9 Service Flying Training School based at RAF Hullavington and he was posted to No. 2 Advanced Flying Unit based at Brize Norton on the 30th of March 1942. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 26th of June 1942. On the 21st of July 1942 he transferred to No. 3 Glider Training School based at RAF Stoke Orchard and in November 1942 he was posted to No. 1 Glider Training School based at RAF Croughton.
From the 18th of February 1943, he was based at HQ No. 51 Group based at Moorfield House, Leeds and at the end of June he moved to the Headquarters of Flight Training Command at Shinfield Park, Reading. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 26th of June 1943. By late in October 1943, he was flying Mosquitoes with 139 Squadron based at RAF Wyton.
He joined 192 Squadron, based at RAF Foulsham in January 1944 and while he was serving with them he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 13th of October 1944. In August 1944 he transferred to 1692 Bomber Support Training Unit, based at RAF Great Massingham, as an instructor. He returned to operations when he joined 23 Squadron based at RAF Little Snoring on the 5th of February 1945 and was appointed as the commanding officer of B Flight.
Michael O’Brien took off from RAF Little Snoring at 7.35pm on the 22nd of March 1945 with his navigator, Flight Lieutenant Philip Allan Disney, in Mosquito FB Mk VI RS577 YP-T for an intruder operation over the enemy airfield at Handorf and Münster. During the operation the aircraft crashed onto the airfield and both men were killed.
They were buried in the Waldfriedhof Lauheide at Handorf but were later exhumed and moved to their present location.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Christ Church, Oxford.
He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 18, Row E, Grave 17.

GB-2014-WSA-13123 · Person · 1896-1917

Nowell, Wilfrid James, only son of Arthur Trevethin Nowell, of Kensington, by Lucy Helen, daughter of James Daniel, of Biggleswade, Beds; b. Oct. 28, 1896; adm. April 28, 1910 (G); left Dec. 1912; enlisted in the Artists' Rifles Sept. 10, 1914; 2nd Lieut. R.F.A. (Spec. Res.) July 1, 1915; went out to Egypt Nov. 1915, was transferred to the western front March 1916; killed in action at Arras, France, April 9, 1917; unm.

GB-2014-WSA-13104 · Person · 1910-1944

Northcott, Richard Henry, son of Walter Wynne Northcott of Edinburgh and Maude Elsie, d. of Maj.-Gen. Arthur Hill; b. 26 Apr. 1910; adm. Sept. 1923 (R); left Dec. 1927; 2nd Lieut. The Welsh Regt Jan. 1932, Lieut. Jan. 1935, Capt. Jan. 1940, temp. Maj.; m. 7 Apr. 1941 Elizabeth Hope, d. of George Douglas Budge and sister-in-law of George Edric Nee (qv); killed in action (Nor­mandy) July 1944.

Richard Henry Northcott was born at Paddington, London on the 26th of April 1910 the only son of Walter Wynne Northcott and Maude Elsie (nee Hill) Northcott of 27, Craven Road, Paddington, later of Rochester House School, Edinburgh. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1923 to December 1927. He was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in 1927 where he rowed at stroke. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1927 season: - “Rather short in the swing, but otherwise an excellent stroke, showing good judgement and an ability to rally his crew.” He served as a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1927.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment in the Territorial Army on the 29th of March 1930 before being commissioned with the same rank in the 1st Battalion, Welch Regiment in the regular army on 30th of January 1932. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 30th of January 1935 and to Captain in January 1940. He was married at Kensington on the 7th of April 1941 to Elizabeth Hope (nee Budge).
He was promoted to temporary Major on the 5th of February 1943 and joined the 1/5th Battalion of his Regiment as a company commander on the 29th of July 1943.
On the 16th of June 1944, an advance party from the Battalion left their base at Herne Bay and travelled by road to Canning Town. They were joined there by the main party and entrained for their marshalling area at Lingfield in Surrey. The main group began embarking at Newhaven at 2pm on the 24th of June and landed at the Jig Beach section of Gold Beach in Normandy at 1.30pm on the 26th of June 1944.
By the morning of the 21st of July 1944, the 1/5th Battalion, Welch Regiment was at the town of Baron. At 3pm that afternoon, enemy smoke and high explosive shells began landing in the Battalion positions with A Company, on the right of the line, soon reporting that they were under attack by four tanks accompanied by infantry. At 4pm a Platoon from B Company, which was positioned on the left of the Battalion and was on a line which ran along the Croie de Filandriers to Le Bon Repos road, was overrun by four enemy tanks supported by infantry. At 7pm two Squadrons of British tanks moved along the Battalion’s left flank in an attempt to bring the Germans under enfilade fire but this failed. At 8pm, A Company reported that the enemy tanks were now within 50 yards of their positions and by 9.30pm they were reported to be within 10 yards, after which there was no further communication from them. At 9.30pm C Company reported that the enemy force attacking them consisted of four Mk IV tanks with infantry and that they had knocked out two of the tanks, one with a PIAT and one with a six pounder anti tank gun. The Company was engaged in heavy fighting throughout the night, during which they were cut off and, with the enemy force within 50 yards of their position, they were ordered to withdraw at 6.30am the following morning.
C Company had suffered casualties of 25 men during the fighting while A Company was assumed to have been wiped out. Richard Northcott was among the dead.
He is commemorated on the Bayeux Memorial Panel 15, Column 3.

GB-2014-WSA-13065 · Person · 1886-1916

Noble, Archibald Francis, only son of Joseph Horace Noble, of Ham, Surrey, solicitor, by Sarah, daughter of Thomas Sturgess, of Penshurst Park, Kent; b. July 4, 1886; adm. Sept. 22, 1898 (G); left July 1904; adm. a solicitor Oct. 1908, firm, Bayley, Adams, Hawker, and Noble, Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey; 2nd Lieut. 10th (Serv.) Batt. Cheshire Regt. Sept. 12, 1914; Adjt. Sept. 28, 1914; temp. Capt. Dec. 9, 1914; went out to the western front Sept. 1915; mentioned in despatches; killed in action at Vimy Ridge, in France, May 21, 1916: unm.

GB-2014-WSA-12972 · Person · 1901-1945

Newman, John Windrush, son of Frederick John Newman, of the Temple, barrister-at-law, by Margaret Levonia, daughter of William Stewart Mackenzie, of Killiecrankie, Perthshire: b. Oct. 23, 1901; adm. Sept. 23, 1915 (A); left March 1918; served in the R.A.F. in Great War I; in the employment of Harrisons and Crosfield, East India Merchants, Quilon, South India; Lieut. Royal Army Ordnance Corps Dec. 21, 1939; Major; served in France to the evacuation of Dunkirk, and in Egypt and Syria; mentioned in despatches (France and Flanders) L.G. Dec. 20, 1940; m. Sept. 1, 1941, Ethel Joan, daughter of Capt. James Mould, D.S.O., M.C., of Dudley, Worcestershire; d. while awaiting demobilisation July 23, 1945.

John Windrush Newman was born in London on the 23rd of October 1900 the son of Frederick John Newman KC, a merchant and barrister at law, and Margaret Levonia (nee Mackenzie) Newman of The Bungalow, Harlow in Essex. He was christened at St Andrew’s Church, Hammersmith on the 27th of July 1902. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from the 23rd of September 1915 to March 1918.
On leaving school he enlisted in the Royal Air Force at a Cadet Distribution Depot on the 2nd of May 1918. On leaving the Royal Air Force he joined the firm of Harrisons & Crosfield, East India Merchants of Quilon in South India. He became a company director and lived at 1, Harcourt Buildings, Temple in London and later at 2, Temple Gardens, in London. He was granted a Patent (No. 349,617) on the 1st of March 1930 for “Improvements in the signs and the like”.
He gained a Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 18075) at Brooklands Flying Club on the 6th of May 1936 while flying a Tiger Moth aircraft.
Following the outbreak of war he was mobilised and was appointed as a Lieutenant in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps on the 21st of December 1939. He served during the Battle of France in 1940 from where he was evacuated from Dunkirk. He also served in Egypt and Syria during his service.
He was married at Westminster on the 1st of September 1941 to Ethel Joan (nee Mould) of Kensington.
On the 22nd of July 1945, John Newman asked his commanding officer, Major Wilfred Sinclair, if he could borrow a Sten gun from the armoury. He was last seen on the following day by Warrant Officer Fenly Curtis, walking along a footpath towards Sileby, Leicestershire. He did not return to to his barracks and when his room was searched his suitcase was found to have been packed as he was due to be demobilised a short time later. Also found were three letters, one of which was addressed to Major Sinclair. A search party was formed which searched the area until 4am but returned without finding him. His body was later found in a field at Sileby with the Sten gun next to it and with two empty cartridges on the ground beside him.
An iquiry into his death was convened at Loughborough where the Coroner called several witnesses who testified that John Newman had been suffering from deafness which had led to him suffering from poor mental health for some time. The Coroner recorded a vedict of: - “Death from a self inflicted gunshot wound while the balance of his mind was disturbed.”
He was Mentioned in Despatches.
He is commemorated at Mortlake Crematorium, Panel 9.

GB-2014-WSA-12968 · Person · 1921-1941

Newman, Charles Edward, son of Kenneth Edward Newman (qv); b. 7 Sept. 1921; adm. Sept. 1935 (G); left July 1938; Sgt RAFVR, killed in action (Libya) 7 Dec. 1941.

Charles Edward Newman was born at Shanghai, China on the 7th of September 1921 the son of Kenneth Edward Newman, a solicitor, and Phyllis Louise (nee Budd) Newman of 593-11, Amherst Avenue, Shanghai, China and of 9, Maxwell Road, Northwood in Middlesex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1935 to July 1938.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a wireless operator/air gunner and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
Charles Newman and his crew took off from Kabrit on the 9th of December 1941 in Wellington Mk II Z8333 to bomb enemy motor transport at Derna Landing Ground in Libya. The aircraft failed to return from the raid.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Hyman Freeman (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Derek Lahee Skinner DFC (Pilot)
Sergeant Norman Maddox (Observer)
Sergeant James Marsland (2nd Pilot)
Sergeant Charles Edward Newman (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Richard Malcolm Douglas McLeod (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Hyman Freeman’s body was found on a beach between Derna and Mrassa Wells, some seven miles from Tobruk in February 1942. He was buried there but the grave site was subsequently lost.
He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial Column 243.

GB-2014-WSA-12926 · Person · 1886-1914

Ness, Gordon Stuart, youngest son of Patrick Ness, of Braco Castle, Perthshire, by Charlotte Jane Wells, daughter of Stephen Powell; b. Nov. 14, 1886; adm. Sept. 27, 1900 (G); left July 1902; Clare Coll. Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1904; 2nd Lieut. 4th (Volunteer) Batt. the Black Watch May 28, 1904, 3rd Batt. Royal Scots Fusiliers April 7, 1906; Lieut. Dec. 9, 1909; attached 1st Batt.; went out to the western front Sept. 11, 1914; m. Gladys, daughter of C. E. Gwynne Harrison; killed in action at Ypres, Flanders, Nov. 10, 1914.