Showing 169 results

People & Organisations
Second World War (1939-1945)

Walker, Ian Patrick Goold, 1914-1944

  • GB-2014-WSA-17509
  • Person
  • 1914-1944

Walker, Ian Patrick Goold, son of Maj. George Goold Walker DSO MC FSA, secretary HAC, and Lilian Sophie, d. of F. C. P. Clarke of St Helier, Jersey; b. 15 Feb. 1914; adm. Sept. 1927 (G); left Apr. 1932; film industry; Northants Yeomanry Dec. 1940, transf. Queen's Bays (Capt.), served El Alamein; d. 6 July 1945 of wounds received in Italy Oct. 1944.

Ian Patrick Goold Walker was born at Kensington, London on the 15th of February 1914 the only son of Major George Goold Walker DSO, MC, FSA, Secretary of the Honourable Artillery Company, and Lilian Sophie (nee Grant) Walker of 29, Westbourne Terrace in London and of L’Etacq, Jersey in the Channel Islands. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from September 1927 to April 1932. On leaving school he entered the film industry and he enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1939, serving with their anti aircraft battery.
He attended an Officer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry on the 7th of December 1940. He was attached to the Queen’s Bays and served with them in the North African campaign from El Alamein to Tunis. He was selected for a Staff training course but refused the offer as his Regiment was under orders to move to Italy.
He was wounded on the 13th October 1944 during the fighting for the Gothic Line and died from his injuries nine months later.
He is commemorated on the Coveney Roll of Honour.
He is buried at Almorah Cemetery, St Helier Grave 22/13F.

Waite, Peter Wilfrid, 1922-1944

  • GB-2014-WSA-17461
  • Person
  • 1922-1944

Waite, Peter Wilfrid, son of Wilfrid Fabian Waite, barrister-at-law, and Dorothy, d. of Edward James Ebden ICS; b. 18 June 1922; adm. Jan. 1936 (H); left. Apr. 1941; Lance-Cpl The Queen's Regt; killed in action (ltaly) 9 Sept. 1944.

Peter Wilfrid Waite was born at Chelsea, London on the 18th of June 1922 the only child of Wifrid Fabian Waite, a barrister at law and Counsel to the Board of Trade, and Dorothy (nee Ebden) Waite of 201, Hood House, Dolphin Square, Westminster in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from January 1936 to April 1941. On leaving school he enlisted as a Private in The Queen’s Royal Regiment (West Surrey) on the 5th of May 1941 and was later promoted to Corporal.
On the afternoon of the 8th of September 1944, the 2/6th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal Regiment was detailed to make an attack on the left of their Brigade to clear the village of Poggio of its German defenders and to capture a hill, codenamed “Soldier” to the west of Gemmano. At the same time, the 2/7th Battalion was to make an attack on the right to capture the village of Gemmano and the adjoining hamlet of Borgo. The 2/7th Battalion moved into the attack at 2.30pm with the 2/6th Battalion following a short time later.
As the 2/6th Battalion climbed the first hill towards their objective they came under very heavy enemy fire from the wooded slopes rising up to Gemmano village. In spite of this C Company captured Poggio, losing their company commander and two other officers in the process. As night fell the Battalion waited in the area around Poggio for news of progress of the 2/7th Battalion. The area was lit up by the light from burning haystacks which enabled enemy snipers to bring them under fire.
After nightfall D Company advanced and captured “Soldier” hill but they too lost their company commander in the attack. The Germans immediately counterattacked with A and B Companies being ordered forward to reinforce the defenders. As they moved up the hill they came under intense enemy fire and were forced to go to ground. D Company held onto its gains throughout the following day and during the fighting they captured forty enemy prisoners and badly mauled a party of enemy troops who were bringing up supplies using mules and wheelbarrows. By the afternoon of the 9th of September, D Company was almost completely surrounded and was ordered to fight its way out and back to the lower slopes. By the end of the night the survivors had rejoined their comrades on the slopes below to the south and east of their objective.
Peter Waite was killed during the fighting: -“The only remaining member of his section, he died attacking a German position, alone in a vital and successful action in which he played an important part.”
He is buried at Coriano Ridge Cemetery Plot XX, Row E, Grave 6.

Wade, Richard Thomas Christopher, 1921-1944

  • GB-2014-WSA-17443
  • Person
  • 1921-1944

Wade, Richard Thomas Christopher, son of Richard Ramsden Wade DM, of Hampstead; b. 24 Oct. 1921; adm. Sept. 1935 (R); left July 1939; PO RAF Regt Dec. 1941, FO Nov. 1942, temp. Flt Lieut. Sept. 1942; d. 27 Aug. 1944 after a road accident on active service.

Richard Thomas Christopher Wade was born in North London on the 24th of October 1921 the younger son of Richard Ramsden Wade, a commercial clerk, and Constance Irene (nee Lord) Wade of Lavender Cottage, Grayshott near Hindhead in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1935 to July 1939. He enlisted as Aircraftman 2nd Class 1154480 in the Royal Air Force Regiment in December 1941 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 20th of March 1942, with seniority from the 24th of December 1941. He was promoted to Flying officer on the 1st of October 1942.
He was killed in a road accident in Italy.
His brother, Officer Cadet Patrick Armigel Wade, Royal Armoured Corps, died on the 29th of July 1940.
He is buried at Biguglia War Cemetery Plot 2, Row C, Grave 1.

Usher, Philip Charles Alexander, 1899-1941

  • GB-2014-WSA-17258
  • Person
  • 1899-1941

Usher, Philip Charles Alexander, son of Thomas Charles Usher, of Melksham, Wilts, by Constance Emma, daughter of Alexander Bell, of Highbury, London; b. March 18, 1899; adm. Sept. 26, 1912 (G); elected to Ch. Ch. Oxon. July 1917, matric. Trin. 1919; B.A. 1922; M.A. 1925; 2nd Lieut. R.G.A. (S.R.) Feb. 25, 1918; served at Salonika 1918-9; ordained 1923; Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Gloucester 1923-4; Chaplain of the Collegiate Church of St. George the Martyr, Jerusalem, 1924-5, of H.M. Legation at Athens 1926-30; domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Gloucester 1930-7; Warden of Liddon House, London, 1937; Sqdn.-Ldr. (Chaplain) R.A.F.V.R. Nov. 12, 1940; d. on active service at Jerusalem June, 1941.

Philip Charles Alexander Usher was born at Trowbridge, Wiltshire on the 18th of March 1899 the only son of Thomas Charles Usher, of the Wiltshire Brewery, and Constance Emma (nee Bell) Usher “Sunny Croft”, Trowbridge, later of Seend Green House, Seend, Melksham in Wiltshire. He was christened in Wiltshire on the 25th of May 1899. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Grant’s from the 26th of September 1912 to July 1917. He was a member of the Debating Society from 1916 and was appointed as a Monitor in January 1917. He had won a place at Christ Church, Oxford but deferred it, instead he attended an Officer Cadet Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery on the 25th of February 1918. He served overseas and relinquished his commission on the 1st of April 1920.
He matriculated for Christ Church, Oxford on a MAM Scholarship in 1919 and was awarded a BA in 1922. He was ordained in 1923, was appointed as Assistant Curate of All Saints Church, Gloucester and also served as Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Gloucester at the same time. He was awarded a MA in 1925. He was appointed as the Chaplain to St George’s Cathedral, Jerusalem in 1924 and, from 1928 to 1930, he served as Chaplain to HM Legation in Athens where he ministered to the British Community there. He was fluent in Greek and could converse with people of: - “every class, occupation and type of culture”. He became a great student of Greek life, its language and of the Greek Orthodox Church.
He invalided home to England in 1930 where, on his recovery, he once again became Domestic Chaplain to the Bishop of Gloucester. He chaired the Committee on Relations with Episcopal Churches and was appointed as an Honorary Secretary to the Council on Foreign Relations in 1932. A short time later he was appointed as Warden of Liddon House, where Orthodox clergy would stay while in London, from where he led large Anglican delegations abroad including to Romania in 1935 and to Bulgaria in 1940. He served as the Editor of the “Church Quarterly Review” for nine years. In 1937, he was appointed as the Chaplain of Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street.
After war broke out in 1939 he worked for the Interior Ministry as an advisor on the Eastern regions. However, having become - “increasingly dissatisfied with staying at home', he joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he had hoped to serve in Greece. He was commissioned as a Squadron Leader in the Chaplains Branch of the Royal Air Force Reserve on the 12th of November 1940 and was posted to Palestine.
He died from a cerebral haemorrhage in a hospital at Jerusalem.
A memorial communion service was held in his memory at the Grosvenor Chapel at 11am on the 13th of June 1941. The Philip Usher Memorial Fund was established in his memory to - “Give others an opportunity of living in an Orthodox country in order to absorb its ideological atmosphere”.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Christ Church, Oxford.
He is buried at Ramleh War Cemetery Row P, Grave 1.

Tyson, Hampson John Philip, 1916-1942

  • GB-2014-WSA-17225
  • Person
  • 1916-1942

Tyson, Hampson John Philip, son of Eric James Tyson (qv); b. 23 Sept. 1916; adm. Sept. 1929 (A); left July 1934; RAFVR 1942 (FO); killed in action 19 Dec. 1942.

Hampson John Phillip Tyson was born at Balham, South London on the 23rd of September 1916 the son of Major Eric James Tyson DSO MC OW, Royal Flying Corps, and Cora Florence Gladys (nee Davies) Tyson of 4, Balham Park Road, Balham, later of “Rosemary”, Ashford Avenue, Worthing in Sussex. He was christened at St Mary’s Church, Balham on the 10th of December 1916. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1929 to July 1931. He joined the Metropolitan Police as Police Constable 125385 on the 30th of March 1937 where he served in B Division (Westminster) and later left the police service to join the armed forces. He was married in Dorset in 1942 to Desiree Yvonne (nee Zunino) and they lived at “Stillwaters”, Chaddesley Green, Canford Cliffs, Bournemouth in Hampshire. They had a child.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of temporary Flight Sergeant before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 4th of January 1942. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 1st of October 1942.
At 7.39am on the 19th of December 1942, Hampson Tyson and Pilot Officer O’Neill were briefed for a flight to the satellite airfield at Souk-el-Arba. They took off at 8.20am. At 4.45pm Pilot Officer O’Neill arrived back at Bone by road and reported that after landing at Souk-el-Arba that morning he was taxiing his aircraft when the oleo of his undercarriage had buckled due to the soft ground and both the propeller and the mainplane of his aircraft had been damaged.
Hampson Tyson had taken off from Souk-el-Arba at 12.30pm in Hurricane Mk IIC HV697 for the return flight to Bone in poor weather conditions. By 5.30pm that afternoon he had still not arrived and it was decided that in view of the weather and of the gathering darkness that a search and rescue flight would not be undertaken that night. The wreckage of his aircraft and his body was found the next day near Morriss. The cause of the crash is not known.
His father, Major Eric James Tyson DSO MC OW, 5 Squadron, Royal Flying Corps, died of wounds on the 12th of March 1918.
He is buried at Bone War Cemetery Collective Grave VIII G 1-13.

Tyrwhitt, Cuthbert, 1912-1942

  • GB-2014-WSA-17213
  • Person
  • 1912-1942

Tyrwhitt, Cuthbert, son of Thomas Tyrwhitt ARIBA, of Fulham, and Dorothy Nina, d. of Reginald Godfrey Marsden, barrister-at-law; b. 11 Apr. 1912; adm. Sept. 1925 (H); left July 1930; 2nd Lieut. Worcs. Regt Jan. 1932, Lieut. Jan. 1935, retd Mar. 1936; regazetted Sept. 1939 (Capt.); m. 23 Mar. 1936 Delia Gurnee, d. of Edward Norman Scott of New York; killed in action (Singapore) 15 Feb. 1942.

Cuthbert Tyrwhitt was born at Hampstead, London on the 11th of April 1912 the younger son of Thomas Tyrwhitt ARIBA, an architect, and Dorothy Nina (nee Marsden) Tyrwhitt of 4, North Court, Great Peter Street in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Homeboarders from September 1925 to July 1930. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Corporal in September 1929. He attended the Royal Military College, Sandhurst from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Worcestershire Regiment on the 28th of January 1932. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 28th of January 1935 and he resigned his commission on the 21st of March 1936.
He was married at the British Consulate at 10, Ma Ta Jen Hutung, Peiping in China on the 23rd of March 1936 to Delia Gurnee (nee Scott later Lane), an author, of Greenwich, Connecticut.
On leaving the army he returned to London where he joined the Diplomatic Service and lived at 4, North Court, Great Peter Street, London SW1.
Following the outbreak of war he was recalled to his Regiment on the 9th of September 1939 with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. In December 1939 he was posted to Singapore where he was attached to the Far East Combined Intelligence Bureau as an Intelligence Officer. He was tasked with creating a card index of security information which was being gathered from intercepted communications between Japanese consular officials and their attachés in Singapore, Hong Kong and their bases in Japan.
Following the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941 and subsequent assault on the island of Singapore in February 1942 Cuthbert Tyrwhitt was reported to have been killed in action and buried at the British Headquarters at Fort Canning on the day that Singapore surrendered.
In October 1947, his wife donated the sum of £150 towards the Westminster School War Memorial Fund in his memory.
He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial Column 67.

Tyler, Eric Douglas, 1917-1941

  • GB-2014-WSA-17202
  • Person
  • 1917-1941

Tyler, Eric Douglas, son of Henry Herbert Tyler, shoe factor, of Leicester, and Agnes Cleopatra, d. of Frederic Sharpe of Sileby, Leics.; b. 30 Mar. 1917; adm. Jan. 1931 (B); left Dec. 1934; dyeing industry; Flt Sgt RAF Bomber Command, killed in action over Germany 8 July 1941.

Eric Douglas Tyler was born at Leicester, Leicestershire on the 30th of March 1917 the son of Henry Herbert Tyler, a shoe factory manager and company director, and Agnes Cleopatra (nee Sharpe) Tyler of “High Barn”, The Broadway, Stoughton Drive, South Oadby in Leicestershire. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from January 1931 to December 1934. On leaving school he worked in the dyeing industry. He was serving a Sergeant in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the outbreak of war and was later promoted to Flight Sergeant.
On the night of the 12th/13th of May 1941, Bomber Command dispatched 42 Wellingtons, 41 Hampdens, 17 Whitley and 4 Manchesters for an operation on Mannheim and Ludwigshaven. It is thought that only 10 aircraft from the attacking force had bombed the two targets with damage being light. 5 people were killed on the ground during the raid with a further 3 injured. 26 aircraft reported that they had bombed alternative targets with Cologne reporting industrial buildings and an army barracks being hit with the death of 92 soldiers at the barracks.
Eric Tyler and his crew took off from RAF Waddington at 10pm on the 12th of May 1941 in Hampden Mk I X2982 KM - for the operation. Having completed their mission they were returning to base the aircraft was diverted to another airfield to the north. During this leg of their journey the aircraft ran out of fuel and the crew were forced to bail out. The aircraft crashed at 6.52am close to Catterick Bridge.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Eric Douglas Tyler (Pilot) (Killed in action 8th July 1941)
Sergeant Charles Forrest Greig (2nd Pilot) (Killed on active service 19th June 1941)
Sergeant Kenneth George Betts (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) (Killed in action 8th July 1941)
Sergeant Campbell (Wireless Operator)
On the night of the 8th/9th of July 1941, Bomber Command dispatched 45 Hampdens and 28 Whitleys for an operation on the railway marshalling yards at Hamm. In the event only 31 aircraft reported to have bombed the target.
Eric Tyler and his crew took off from RAF Waddington at 10pm on the 8th of July 1941 in Hampden Mk I AE153 KM- for the operation. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after takeoff and it is thought to have crashed into the sea with the loss of the entire crew.
The crew was: -
Sergeant Foster Wilson Black (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Douglas Tyler (Pilot)
Sergeant Mortimer Livis RCAF (Observer)
Sergeant Kenneth George Betts (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Theirs was one of seven aircraft which were lost during the operation.
Foster Black’s body found in the sea by the German Patrol Boat 1207 on the 18th of August 1941 and was recovered. After identification, it was recommitted to the sea with full military honours.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 37.

Titcomb, John Abbot, 1910-1945

  • GB-2014-WSA-16914
  • Person
  • 1910-1945

Titcomb, John Abbot, son of Harold Abbot Titcomb, mining engineer, of Farmington, Maine, USA, and Ethel, d. olJames Brignall of Wallington, Surrey; b. 27 Oct. 1910; adm. Jan. 1925 (R); left July 1929; Dartmouth Coll., BA 1932; Yale Univ. 1933-5; a mining engineer; Newmont Mining Corpn New York; US Marine Corps in WW2 (Capt.); rn. 3 Feb. 1940Janet, d. of Arthur Burling Foote of Grass Valley, California; d. I Mar. 1945 of wounds received in action, at Luzon, Philippines.

John Abbott “Jack” Titcomb was born at Newton, Massachusetts on the 27th of October 1910 the elder son of Harold Abbott Titcomb, a mining engineer, and Ethel (nee Brignall) Titcomb of High Street, Farmington, Maine and of 60, Addison Road, Kensington in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1925 to July 1929 and won the Junior Rouse Ball Prize for Mathematics in 1928. He rowed at bow for the 2nd IV in 1928. He went on to Dartmouth College where he studied Mining and Geology and graduated with a BA in 1932. He then studied at the Sheffield Mining School at Yale from 1933 to 1935 and later studied in Yugoslavia. On leaving university he worked for the Newmont Mining Corporation of New York and was an active member of the Ledyard Canoe Club. He was a skiing instructor and a ski racer.
He was married at Emanuel Church, Grass Valley, California on the 3rd of February 1940 to Janet Stanwood (nee Foote, later Micoleau). They had a daughter, Marian, born on the 11th of July 1942 and a son, Peter Abbot, born on the 9th of May 1944.
He was acting as the head of a Marine air-ground liaison party on Luzon in the Philippines when he was shot and killed by a Japanese sniper at San Fernando, La Union. He was awarded a posthumous Silver Star with Gold Star.
His father donated land in his memory for the Titcomb Memorial Ski Slope (now Titcomb Mountain) in Maine, which was named in his honour in 1949.
He is commemorated on a plaque at the base ski lodge at Titcomb Mountain.
He is buried at Manila American Cemetery and Memorial Plot A, Row 9, Grave 164.

Thomas, Hilary Michael Peter, 1917-1943

  • GB-2014-WSA-16767
  • Person
  • 1917-1943

Thomas, Hilary Michael Peter, son of Herbert Samuel Thomas OBE, artist, of Pinner, Middx, and Elizabeth, d. of William LeFroy Bowen of Swansea; b. 26 Jan. 1917; adm. Sept. 1930 (B); left July 1934; a designer and illustrator; enlisted RE Sept. 1939, commissioned The Buffs (Lieut.); killed in a Commando raid (Med.) 29 Jan. 1943.

Hilary Michael Peter Thomas was born in North London on the 26th of January 1917 the son of Herbert Samuel Thomas OBE, an artist, and Elizabeth Florette Gwynne (nee Bowen) Thomas of 9, St Stephens Crescent in London W.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1930 to July 1934. He was a member of the 3rd Rowing VIII in 1932. On leaving school he became a designer and illustrator. He enlisted in the Royal Engineers in 1939 and attended an Officer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) on the 14th of September 1940.
While stationed at Malta with the 4th Battalion of his Regiment he volunteered to take part in a Commando raid on Tunis and was killed during the operation.
He is commemorated on the Medjez-el-Bab Memorial Face 14.

Teed, Denis Theodore, 1907-1941

  • GB-2014-WSA-16688
  • Person
  • 1907-1941

Teed, Denis Theodore, brother of Geoffrey Wilmot Teed (qv); b. 12 May 1907; adm. Jan. 1921 (A); left July 1923; an incorporated accountant; Cpl RAF, killed on active service 24 Feb. 1941 in a workshop accident in Singapore.

Denis Theodore Teed was born at Camberwell, Surrey on the 12th of May 1907 the second son of Harry Williamson Teed, a gas examiner for the London County Council, and Ethel Sinclair (nee Rees) Teed of 158, Camberwell Grove, Camberwell, later of 34, Brodrick Road, Balham in London.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from January 1921 to July 1923. On leaving school he became an incorporated accountant.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force where he rose to the rank of Corporal and was posted to Singapore. He was serving at RAF Seletar when he was killed by an electric shock in an accident at a workshop.
He is buried at Kranji War Cemetery Plot 37, Row D, Grave 3.

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