Showing 1548 results

People & Organisations
Grant's

Smith, Hugh Castle, 1876-1961

  • GB-2014-WSA-15873
  • Person
  • 1876-1961

Smith, Hugh Castle, son of Castle Smith, of London, solicitor, by Georgina, daughter of William Meyrick; b. Sept. 18, 1876; adm. April 24, 1890 (G); left July 1895; enlisted in the C.I.V.; 2nd Lieut. Lancs Fusiliers Sept. 19, 1900; Lieut. June 20, 1903, Suffolk Regt. Feb. 8, 1908; Capt. Jan. 4, 1911; attached Egyptian Army March 3, 1911; Major Sept. 19, 1915; Lieut.-Col. Nov. 30, 1920; retired March 3, 1921; A.D.C. to the Governor of Gibraltar 1906-10; A.D.C. to the King of Egypt 1919-25; served in South African War 1900 and in the Sudan in Great War I; 2nd class Order of the Crown of Rumania, 2nd class Order of Somail, and 3rd class Order of the Nile; m. July 22, 1919, Maud Ellefred, only daughter of Sir Frede­rick Evans, K.C.M.G., K.C.V.O., of Bournemouth, Hants; d. at Las Palmas Feb. 25, 1961.

Smith, George Musgrave Castle (now known as G. M. Castle-Smith), 1885-1969

  • GB-2014-WSA-15860
  • Person
  • 1885-1969

Smith, George Musgrave Castle (now known as G. M. Castle-Smith), brother of Hugh Castle-Smith (q.v.); b. Jan. 8, 1885; adm. May 4, 1899 (G); left Easter 1904; served in Great War I; Lieut. 3rd East African Batt. African Rifles Oct. 28, 1914; on leaving school entered the Merchant Navy and was twice round Cape Horn in sailing ships; in the lumber trade in Mexico 1909-12; Asst. District Commissioner East African Protectorate March 1912; District Commissioner Somaliland Protectorate 1915; Asst. Dist. Commissioner Kenya 1919; 1st grade administrative officer Kenya 1924; retired from the Colonial Service 1932; served in Great War I; Lieut. 3rd East African Batt. African Rifles Oct. 28, 1914; and in Great War II as an Admiralty Marine Superintendent; m. Nov. 4, 1930 Esme Josephine, only daughter of Arthur R. Winch, of Horsham, Surrey; d. 1969.

Barham, Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur, 1899-1941

  • GB-2014-WSA-02633
  • Person
  • 1899-1941

Barham, Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur, son of Cornelius Herbert Barham of Chiswick, Middlesex and Edith Mary Alice; b. Dec. 10, 1899; adm. Jan. 15, 1914 (G); left July 1915; served in the ranks of 28th Batt. London Regt. during Great War I; RAF during WW2; m. Mary Ellen; d. 27 May 1941.

Geoffrey Cornelius Arthur Barham was born at Leytonstone, Essex on the 10th of December 1899 the elder son of Cornelius Herbert Barham, a solicitor, and Edith Mary Alice (nee Long) Barham of 39, Forest Drive East, North Leyton in Essex, later of 29, Waldegrave Road, Upper Norwood, London SE19. He was christened at St Catherine’s Church, Leyton on the 14th of January 1900. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 15th of January 1914 to July 1915 and on leaving school he worked as a clerk.
He enlisted as Private 128277 in the Royal Flying Corps on the 13th of February 1918 and was posted for pilot training but was discharged on the 3rd of May 1918 as being unsuitable. He enlisted as Private 768243 in the 28th (County of London) Battalion (Artists Rifles) on the 5th of June 1918 and served with them until the 8th of February 1919. On the 12th of January 1921 he embarked at London on board the SS Glenapp bound for Yokohama but later returned to enlist in the Royal Air Force.
He enlisted at the RAF Depot, Uxbridge as Aircraftman 2nd Class 351156 in the Royal Air Force on the 31st of January 1922 for a period of eight years with a further four in the Reserve. At a medical examination, which was held on the same day, it was recorded that he was five feet ten and one half inches tall and that he had fair hair, blue eyes and a fresh complexion.
He worked as a storekeeper throughout his service, serving with No. 5 Flying Training School from the 12th of July 1922 and at an Electrical and Wireless School from the 11th of October 1922. On the 1st of February 1923 he transferred to 11 Squadron, based at Andover and four days later he moved to Y Group. He was posted to 45 Squadron based in Iraq on the 15th of September 1923 and was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on the 31st of December 1923. He was promoted to Corporal on the 31st of December 1927 and joined 208 Squadron on the 25th of October 1928. He was posted to the Seaplane Base Depot at Calshot on the 16th of February 1929.
He was married at Gosport, Hampshire in 1939 to Mary Ellen (nee Travers), a children’s nurse, and they lived at 15, High Street, Gosport.
He was appointed as an Assistant Clerk in the Air Service on the 22nd of December 1939 and later served as a Corporal in the Royal Air Force at No. 9 Recruits Training Centre, Technical Training Command based at Blackpool.
He is buried at St Swithin’s Church, Thorley, Isle of Wight.

Bompas, Hugh Steele, 1881-1944

  • GB-2014-WSA-03486
  • Person
  • 1881-1944

Bompas, Hugh Steele, brother of Cecil Henry Bompas (q.v.); b. Dec. 9, 1881; adm. Jan. 17, 1895 (G); left July 1900; Pembroke Coll. Camb., matric. Michaelmas 1900; B.A. 1904; called to the bar at the Inner Temple Nov. 1904; South-Eastern Circuit; Divisional Director, Training Department of the Ministry of Labour 1919-25; Secretary for Education to Dental Board since 1925; served in Great War I, first as Flight-Lieut. R. N. A. S., and afterwards as Capt. R.A.F. in France, Egypt, and Mesopotamia; m. 1st Aug. 13, 1907, Violet Dorothy, eldest daughter of Henry Lupton, of Headingley, Leeds; 2nd Sept. 12, 1938, Dorothy Cathcart-Jones; d. July 19, 1944

Bompas, David Aldersey, 1910-1999

  • GB-2014-WSA-03484
  • Person
  • 1910-1999

Bompas, David Aldersey, son of Hugh Steele Bompas (qv); b. 19 July 1910; adm. May 1924 (G); left July 1929; ICI 1930-1; Aluminium Ltd Group 1931-72; Roy. Bucks Hussars 1939 (Tpr), transf. to Reserve as asst controller Light Metals Control, Min. of Aircraft Production; m. 21 July 1933 Elizabeth Anne, d. of Thomas Douglas of Whitchurch, Oxon; d. 29 Jan. 1999.

Bompas, Cecil Henry, 1868-1956

  • GB-2014-WSA-03483
  • Person
  • 1868-1956

BOMPAS, CECIL HENRY, elder son of Henry Mason Bompas QC, Fairfield, Far Headingley, Leeds, County Court Judge, Bradford district, and Rachel Henrietta, eldest dau. of Rev. Edward White, Tufnell Park, Holloway; b. 31 May 1868; adm. (G) 27 May 1880; exhibitioner 1882; elected to Trinity Coll. Cambridge 1886, adm. pens. 8 Oct 1886, matr. Mich. 1886; President, Cambridge Union Society, 1889; BA 1889; appointed to Indian Civil Service after exam of 1887; arrived in India 15 Nov 1889; Assistant Magistrate and Collector, Bengal; Under Secretary, 1893; Joint Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Apr 1896; Magistrate and Collector, Aug 1900; Deputy Commissioner, Aug 1901; Chairman, Calcutta Improvement Trustees Board, 1912; member, Bengal Legislative Council, 1916; CSI 1918; retd. [check]; translator, Folklore of the Santal Parganas; m. 1st, 28 Apr 1897 Geraldine, dau. of James Banton, civil engineer, Farnderg, Dundalk; m. 2nd, 27 Sep 1911 Nita Frances, dau. of William Goode, Port Pirie, South Australia; d. 22 Jan 1956.

Bompas, Eric Ainsley, 1915-1941

  • GB-2014-WSA-03485
  • Person
  • 1915-1941

Bompas, Eric Ainsley, son of Cecil Henry Bompas (qv); b. 22 Sept. 1915; adm. Sept. 1929 (G); left Dec. 1933; a clerk in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank; 1st Mountain Battery Hong Kong and Singapore RA 1940-1, despatches (posth.) Apr. 1946; killed in action on reconnaissance behind Japanese lines Dec. 1941.

Eric Ainsley Bompas was born at Calcutta, India on the 22nd of September 1915 the younger son of Cecil Henry Bompas OW, Indian Civil Service, and his second wife, Nita Frances (nee Goode) Bompas of 26, West End Avenue, Pinner in Middlesex, later of Rookery Lane, Broughton in Hampshire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1929 to December 1933. He boxed for the school in 1933. He was a member of the 2nd and of the 1st Football XIs in 1933 and was a member of the 2nd Cricket XI in the same year. He was appointed as a School Monitor in 1933. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Sergeant in September 1933.
On the 24th of October 1936 he boarded the RMS Lancastria at Liverpool and sailed to New York where he joined the staff of the Hong Kong Shanghai Bank as a clerk. After a brief return to London in November 1937 he travelled to Hong Kong to work for a branch of the bank in the colony.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on the 12th of February 1940 and was attached to the 1st Mountain Battery, 1st (Hong Kong) Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Artillery.
At 10am on the 7th of December 1941 the 1st (Hong Kong) Regiment received orders to man its war stations following the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong earlier in the day. The 1st Mountain Battery was deployed to the New Territories on the mainland and established its Headquarters at the north end of Waterloo Road. The 1st Mountain Battery, which consisted of four 3.9 inch howitzers based at Customs Pass, was in support of the 5/9th Rajput Regiment. They came into action on the 9th of December when they were called upon to bring fire on a number of small groups of enemy infantry which were advancing to their front. The following the day the defenders began to fall back under the enemy attacks and on the morning of the 11th of December the 2nd Mountain Battery and the 25th Medium Battery were ordered to withdrawn to Hong Kong island. On the morning of the 12th of December 1941, Eric Bompas joined the Battery and immediately went to the Battery observation post near Devils Peak. During the evening an enemy attack was driven off by the Rajputs with supporting artillery fire and that night the order was given to evacuate Devils Peak and fall back to the island. The Regiment had suffered five casualties during the fighting but had lost a large amount of ammunition and equipment.
On the night of the 18th of December 1941 the Japanese began landing on the north shore of Hong Kong Island. That night Eric Bompas and his men were manning a howitzer at a position on a hillside above Island Road near San Wan Fort. The gunners of No. 1 Section, 5th Battery, Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force, who were stationed at the fort itself, had been caught by surprise by the Japanese who had killed their sentries and then attacked the fort. Those who surrendered were executed with bayonets by their captors three hours after capitulating.
Their commanding officer, Captain Bosanquet, and a few of his men fell back from their positions and withdrew down the slope to Island Road where they met Eric Bompas and two of his men who had escaped when their gun position had also been overrun. This small group then moved down Island Road where they gathered more stragglers from their Regiment and spent the night deployed along Island Road in an attempt to stop the Japanese advancing southwards towards Tai Tam Gap.
By the morning of the following day all that stood in the way of the Japanese advance was two 3.7 inch howitzers of the 1st (Hong Kong) Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Artillery and a small number of troops from the Hong Volunteer Defence Force. Eric Bompas was placed in command of the two 3.7 inch howitzers based on a knoll at Gauge Basin. At 5.30am Captain Penn arrived with a force of around thirty men which he deployed around the gun facing Sanatorium Gap, from where the Japanese advance was expected. Later in the morning Captain Penn saw the Japanese advancing along a ridgeline towards Jardine’s Lookout where they were in pursuit of the Allied defenders there who were falling back. At 9.30am the Japanese turned their attentions to the position at Gauge Basin and about 25 to 30 of them brought the area under small arms fire from their position on another knoll, some 400 yards to the rear. The howitzer itself began to come under mortar fire at the same time. During this exchange of fire and having suffered a number of casualties among his gunners, Eric Bompas ordered his men to manhandle their guns into a position to face the enemy threat and brought the Japanese troops under fire over open sights. The Japanese ceased firing at 10.30am. At 11am, with Allied troops falling back around, them the Gauge Basin guns began firing rapidly in anticipation of an order to withdraw and at about the same time a message arrived saying that he and his men were to fall back to new positions at Stanley. The two guns at Gauge Basin were spiked and abandoned.
On the 21st of December 1941, a British counterattack was planned in an attempt to reunite the Eastern and Western Brigades which had been separated by the Japanese advance. The remaining artillery was ordered to fire in support of the attacks on Red Hill and Bridge Hill. When the attack began, the leading Bren gun carriers were approaching the driveway to “Erinsville”, a villa near Turtle Cove, when they came under heavy fire from Red Hill on their right flank. When one of the men in the leading carrier was killed the remaining carriers ground to a halt where the men abandoned them and took cover. The enemy fire was coming from an abandoned British gun position on Red Hill and a party of infantry was assembled under the command of Eric Bompas and Lieutenant William S. Fry, Royal Rifles of Canada, with orders to clear the crest of Red Hill. The patrol moved down the hillside towards “Erinsville” before beginning to move up hill towards the crest of Red Hill with the support of covering fire from Allied machine guns. As they neared the top of the hill both Fry and Eric Bompas were killed. The fighting in the area died down at about 1pm.
He was Mentioned in Despatches: -“In recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the defence of Hong Kong in 1941”, which was announced by the War Office on the 4th of April 1946.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Broughton.
He is buried at Stanley Military Cemetery Plot 6, Row C, Grave 11.

Buckley, Edmund Graham, 1901-1943

  • GB-2014-WSA-04053
  • Person
  • 1901-1943

Buckley, Edmund Graham, son of Edmund Frazer Buckley, of Chelsea, barrister-at-law, by Helen Margaret, daughter of Edward Castle, Q. C., of South Kensington and sister of Reginald Wingfield Castle (q.v.); b. May 5, 1901; adm. Jan. 14, 1915 (G); left July 1919; R. M.C. Sandhurst; 2nd Lieut. 3rd Batt. Rifle Brigade July 14, 1921; Lieut. July 14, 1923; seconded under the Colonial Office to the Iraq Levies May 14, 1923; Capt. 3rd (Assyrian) Batt. Iraq Levies July 4, 1923; mentioned in despatches for services in Iraq April-May 1927; M.B.E. 1933; Major Aug. 1, 1938; served with B. E. F. in Greece and as a liaison officer with Greek troops in Egypt; Gold Cross of Royal Order of George I with Swords 1942; m. Oct. 14, 1933, Margaret Elisabeth, daughter of Frank Bailey, of Chelsea; d. of wounds received in Greece Jan. 21, 1943.

Edmund Graham Buckley was born at Chelsea, London on the 5th of May 1901 the son of Edmund Frazer Buckley, a barrister at law, and Helen Margaret (nee Castle) Buckley of 2, Carlyle Gardens, Cheyne Row, Chelsea in London. He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea on the 2nd of June 1901.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 14th of January 1915 to July 1919. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI in 1918 and of the 2nd Football XI in 1917 and 1918. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Lance Corporal in January 1918. He was appointed as a Monitor in September 1918. On leaving school he attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort’s Own) on the 24th of July 1921. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 14th of July 1923 and was seconded to the Colonial Office for service with the Iraqi Levies on the 14th of May 1923, setting sail for Basrah on board the SS Rotenfels on the following day. He was promoted to Captain on the 4th of July 1923 and was attached to the 3rd (Assyrian) Battalion, Iraqi Levies.
He was Mentioned in Despatches for “distinguished services” during operations in the Penjwin area of Iraq for the period April to May 1927, which was announced by the Air Ministry on the 23rd of March 1928. He was awarded the MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List, which was announced in the London Gazette of the 6th of June 1933. He was promoted to Major on the 1st of August 1938
He was married on the 14th of October 1933 to Margaret Elizabeth (nee Bailey) and they lived at Old Rectory, Boscombe in Wiltshire. He was a member of the Cavendish Club.
During the Second World War he served in Greece and as a Liaison Officer with Greek troops in Egypt for which he was awarded Gold Cross of the Royal Order of George I with Swords (Greece) by King George of the Hellenes shortly before his death.
He was later appointed as the commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment.
He died at the Military Hospital for Head Injuries, St Hugh’s College, Oxford.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Boscombe.
He is commemorated at Oxford Crematorium on the left hand column.

Buttar, Charles Philip, 1902-1942

  • GB-2014-WSA-04264
  • Person
  • 1902-1942

Buttar, Charles Philip, son of Charles Buttar (q.v.); b. Jan. 26, 1902; adm. April 29, 1915 (G); left Dec. 1918; Midshipman R. N. Jan. 8, 1922; Sub-Lieut. Dec. 15, 1923; Lieut. (E) Feb. 15, 1926; Eng.-Lieut.-Cdr. Feb. 15, 1934; Commander June 30, 1938; m. July 17, 1930, Margaret Elaine, daughter of Major William Stanford; lost in the sinking of H. M. S. Dorsetshire by Japanese aircraft in the Bay of Bengal, April 5, 1942.

Charles Philip Buttar was born at Bayswater, London on the 26th of January 1902 the son of Dr Charles Buttar MD OW and Georgianna Isabel (nee Syrett) Buttar of 10, Kensington Square Gardens in London. He was christened at Bayswater on the 7th of April 1902. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 29th of April 1915 to December 1918.
He entered the Royal Navy on a Special Entry Cadetship on the 8th of September 1920 and was appointed as a Midshipman on the 8th of January 1922. He joined the battleship HMS Valiant for engineering training on the 15th of January 1922 and went on to the Royal Naval Engineering College, Keyham for further engineering training on the 4th of May 1922. He was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant on the 15th of December 1923. He was promoted to Acting Lieutenant (E) on the 15th of February 1926 and to Engineer Lieutenant Commander on the 15th of February 1934.
He was married at St Philip’s Church, Kensington on the 17th of July 1930 to Margaret Elaine (Goodfellow, nee Stanford) and they lived at 131, Banbury Road, Oxford. They had a daughter, Susannah, born on the 15th of August 1933. He was serving on board HMS Coventry at the time and was later posted to the heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire (40). He was promoted to Commander (E) on the 30th of June 1938.
At the beginning of April 1942, HMS Dorsetshire, under the command of Captain Augustus Willington Shelton Agar VC, DSO RN, was undergoing a refit at Colombo, Ceylon, in order to increase her anti aircraft armament, when she was ordered to put to sea as British Intelligence had warned her that a Japanese battle fleet was approaching Ceylon from the east.
At 10pm on the evening of the 4th of April 1942, HMS Dorsetshire, and the heavy cruiser HMS Cornwall (56) set sail from Colombo and headed towards the Maldives where they were to rendezvous with other ships at 4pm the following day. At dawn on the 5th of April 1942 they were sailing in waters some 300 miles to the south west of Ceylon when action stations were sounded.
At 1pm a Japanese reconnaissance aircraft was spotted which was followed a short time later by 53 Japanese “Val” dive bombers which had been launched from enemy aircraft carriers and began to attack the ship from out of the sun at 1.40pm. In spite of fierce resistance from the crew, HMS Dorsetshire was struck ten times by 250lbs and 500lbs bombs and had several near missies. Her magazine was struck during the attack and she sank in just eight minutes. HMS Cornwall was also sunk. Captain Agar survived the sinking but Charles Buttar was one of two hundred and twenty-seven of his crew who did not. The survivors of both ships were in the water for some thirty hours before being picked up by the cruiser HMS Enterprise and the destroyers HMS Paladin and HMS Panther.
He is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial Panel 63, Column 1.

Cameron, Frederick John Alistair, 1916-1940

  • GB-2014-WSA-04372
  • Person
  • 1916-1940

Cameron, Frederick John Alistair; b. 15 Oct. 1916; adm. Jan. 1931 (G); left Apr. 1931; PO RAFVR Apr. 1940; d. 19 August 1940.

Frederick John Alastair “Freddy” Cameron was born in London on the 15th of October 1916 the only son of Alastair Cameron and Mary Addison (nee Pudney) Cameron of 2, John Street, Mayfair in London, later of Bourne End in Buckinghamshire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from January 1931 to April 1931. He worked for Phillips & Powis Aircraft Ltd of Reading and gained a Royal Aero Club Certificate (No. 11499) at Phillips & Powis on the 1st of May 1933 while flying a DH Moth. He was married to Helen (nee Curtiss) (before 1939) and they lived at “Wayside”, High Street, Weston-Super-Mare.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Sergeant. He was serving as a pilot with No. 5 Air Observer Navigation School, based at Weston Airport, Weston-Super-Mare in 1939 and was lodging at Quarry Close, Winscombe in Somerset. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 1st of April 1940.
Freddy Cameron and his crew took off on the 19th of August 1940 in Anson Mk I N5132 for a navigational training exercise. At the time he had accumulated 2,634.50 hours of total solo flying time on all aircraft types of which 439.50 were on Anson aircraft. During the flight the starboard engine failed and Frederick Cameron attempted to make a forced landing at Littleton Lane, Wellow, some three miles to the south of Bath. As it came in to land the aircraft hit a tree which ripped off the starboard wing and caused it to swing into some trees and tip headfirst into a stream. It turned over onto its back with the tail plane resting on a tree. All but two of the men on board were killed.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Frederick John Alastair Cameron (Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman Raymond Thomas Howard (Observer Under Training)
Leading Aircraftman Joseph Asquith Hodgson (Observer Under Training)
Leading Aircraftman William Henry Howard (Observer Under Training)
Leading Aircraftman Ian Macinnes (Seriously injured)
Mr H. P. Wigg (Civilian Wireless Operator) (Seriously injured)
The injured were admitted to Bath Royal United Hospital later in the day.
His wife received the following letter dated the 21st of August 1940: - “Madam, I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your husband, Pilot Officer Frederick John Alastair Cameron, Royal Air Force, lost his life as the result of an aircraft accident near Wellow, Bath on 19th of August, 1940. The Air Council desire me to convey their profound sympathy with you in your bereavement.”
He is buried at the Church of St Mary the Less, Chilbolton.

Results 1481 to 1490 of 1548