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Halse-Hearne, William Edward, son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne, RN stores officer, and Esther, d. of James Alexander Crofton; b. 22 July 1917; adm. Apr. 1931 (A), (B) Jan. 1933; left Dec. 1933; Drummond's Bank; 2nd Lieut. Wilts Regt 1943, transf. Commandos (Capt.); m. 18 June 1940 Margaret Horner; d. of wounds (Burma) Nov. 1944.

William Edward Halse-Hearne was born in North London on the 22nd of July 1917 the only son of William Frederick Halse-Hearne RN, a naval stores officer, and Esther (nee Crofton) Halse-Hearne of 17, King’s Road, Wimbledon in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from April 1931 and up Busby’s from January 1933 to December 1933.
He joined the staff of Drummonds Bank in London in 1934 where he worked as a clerk. He enlisted in the Honourable Artillery Company in 1938 where he served with B Battery and he was mobilised for war service in September 1939.
He was married in Surrey on the 18th of June 1940 to Margaret Gertrude (nee Horner).
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Wiltshire Regiment on the 4th of June 1943 and was later attached to No. 1 Commando where he was appointed to the command of No. 4 Troop.
In November 1944, No 1 Commando was based at Teknaf in the Maungdaw Hills of Burma from where they were carrying out patrols against Japanese troops in the area. On the 11th of November 1944, No. 4 Troop, No. 1 Commando was briefed for a patrol to investigate a report of the presence of Japanese troops in the area of the village of Ywathitke. The patrol was to consist of eighteen other ranks, commanded by William Halse-Hearne, accompanied by Lieutenant Paterson and by an Intelligence Officer. It was to take a route on the outward journey of Nurutlapara –Chiradan West - Ywathitke to Thavengonbaung and return by the same route. The patrol set out at midday and was due to return at 6pm.
They advanced down the main road to a river crossing where they received updated information that enemy troops were in Thavengonbaung and in a another village to the north of it. On receiving this information they split into two groups, one under Lieutenant Paterson and the other under William Halse-Hearne, with one advancing towards through the villages towards Thavengonbaung and the other continuing down the main track where the two groups were to rendezvous. Both groups reached the rendezvous point without incident where they were informed by a native boy that the Japanese were in the village where they were commandeering millet from the locals. They continued their advance towards the village in open order with C Section, under Lieutenant Paterson, on the left and with D Section, under William Halse-Hearne, on the right. They reached the south end of the village where they found the approach to it was across 100 yards of scrub with a further 100 yards of forward slope and then 800 yards of open paddy fields beyond. Having covered the 200 yards to the village they came under fire from an enemy light machine gun and from rifle fire from their right and from snipers on their left. The two sections took cover but William Halse-Hearne had been wounded and was lying on the open ground. He was brought in by his men under heavy fire who were then forced to fall back when they were brought under 2 inch mortar fire. C Section also withdrew having kileld three enemy snipers. William Halse-Hearne was carried to Thavengonbaung and then taken on an improvised stretcher to Chiradan West. He died from his wounds during the journey when the party was approximately a mile from Thavengonbaung.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the Royal Bank of Scotland branch at 36, Andrew Square, Edinburgh
He is buried at Taukkyan War Cemetery Plot 3, Row G, Grave 4.

Graham-Little, Esmond Birch, son of Sir Ernest Gordon Graham-Little MD MP and Sarah Helen, d. of Maurice Kendall; b. 9 Apr. 1915; adm. Sept. 1928 (B); left July 1933; Corpus Christi Coll. Camb., matric. 1933, BA 1936; called to the Bar (Gray's Inn) May 1938; RAFVR 1940-1 (FO); killed on active service 10 June 1942.

Esmond Birch “Bep” Graham-Little was born at Marylebone, London on the 9th of April 1915 the only son of Sir Ernest Gordon Graham-Little MD, FRCP, MRCS MP and Lady Sarah Helen (nee Kendall) Graham–Little of 19, Upper Wimpole Street, Marylebone and of 1, St George’s Gardens, Lynwood Road, Epsom in Surrey. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1928 to July 1933. He was awarded the Goodenough Medal for Modern Languages in 1933. He matriculated for Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1933 where he read Engineering and graduated with a BA in 1936. He later trained as a barrister and was called to the Bar at Gray’s Inn in May 1938.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in May 1939 where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Sergeant (754494) before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 7th of September 1940. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 7th of September 1941.
On the 10th of June 1942, Esmond Graham-Little took off from RAF Castle Camps in Mosquito NF Mk IIF DD603 with his observer, Warrant Officer Wilfrid Arthur Clement Walters, for a night flying exercise. The aircraft had been undertaking Air Indication exercises at around 10,000 feet and when the exercise was completed it turned and went into a shallow dive down through cloud towards the base. The cloud was 10/10ths with tops at between 4,000 and 6,000 feet. It was flying over Stansted Mountfitchet in Essex when it disintegrated in mid air and crashed at Bentfield Bury near Bishops Stortford at 5.05pm, killing both men.
The wreckage was spread over a large area with the aircrafts forward section and starboard engine both catching fire and burning out on the ground.
His funeral took place on the 13th of June 1942.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Grays Inn and on the memorial at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
He is buried at Saffron Walden Cemetery Compt 39, Grave 10.

Ferrers-Guy, John Humphrey, son of George Norman Ferrers-Guy (qv): b. 21 Mar. 1924; adm. Sept. 1937 (B); left July 1941; Midshipman (A) RNVR; killed on active service 16 Sept. 1943.

John Humphrey Ferrers-Guy was born on the 21st of March 1924 the only son of George Norman Ferrers-Guy OW, a company director, and Madeline Alice (nee Lubbock) Ferrers-Guy of 8, Vicarage Gate, Kensington in London, later of 11, Ship Street, Oxford. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1937 to July 1941. He was a member of the Colts Cricket XI in 1938 and of the 1st Cricket XI in 1941.
On leaving school he joined the Royal Navy where he trained as a pilot and was appointed as a Midshipman (A) in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on the 14th of May 1943.
On the 16th of September 1943, John Ferrers-Guy took off from RNAS Yeovilton in Sea Hurricane Mk 1B AE967 for a training exercise. At 1.45pm, he was flying close to Irwerne Minster near Shaftesbury when he attempted a slow roll of the aircraft at a height of 200 feet and it dived into the ground, killing him instantaneously.
His mother received the following letter dated the 17th of September 1943: - “Madam, I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to state that they have been informed that your son Temporary Midshipman (A) John Humphrey Ferrers-Day, RNVR, lost his life on Thursday, 16th September, 1943, as the result of an aircraft accident at Iwerne Minster, near Blandford in Dorset. My Lords desire me to express to you their deep regret at receiving this intelligence and their profound sympathy in the great loss which you have sustained.”
He is buried at Yeovilton Royal Navy Cemetery Row C, Grave 4.

Evers, Gilbert Davey, son of Harold Evers of Bromley; b. 11 Jan. 1912; adm. Sept. 1925 (B), (A) Sept. 1926; left Apr. 1929; RAFVR 1939-45 (Flt Serg., flying instructor); PO Jan. 1945; killed in air operations over Germany 28 Jan. 1945.

Gilbert Davey “Pop” Evers was born at Bromley, Kent on the 11th of January 1912 the younger son of Harold Evers, a chartered secretary, and Rhoda Skene (nee Heathcote) Evers of 6, Haven Green, Ealing in London. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1925 and up Ashburnham from September 1926 to April 1929.
He was granted a short service commission in the Royal Air Force with the rank of Acting Pilot Officer on the 21st of October 1935 and was confirmed in his rank on the 21st of October 1936. He resigned his commission on the 11th of March 1937.
On the outbreak of war he was working as an instrument flying instructor and was lodging at 83, Grand Avenue, Hassocks in Sussex.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1940 where he rose to the rank of Warrant Officer before being commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 16th of January 1945.
On the 28th of January 1945, Bomber Command dispatched 153 Lancasters for an operation on the Gremberg railway marshalling yards at Cologne. The weather was clear and the target was hit but with some bombs overshooting.
Gilbert Evers and his crew took off from RAF Chedburgh at 10.46am on the 27th of January 1945 in Lancaster Mk I PD296 HA-B, as the Squadron’s lead aircraft for the operation. This was to be his 30th operation, the final one of his tour of operations. While the aircraft was in the target area it was hit by anti aircraft fire and crashed at 2pm at Bergisch-Gladbach, 14 kilometres to the east north east of the centre of Cologne, with the loss of all but one of the crew.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Gilbert Davey Evers (Pilot)
Sgt Ernest Noel James Francis (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Frederick J. Norton (2nd Navigator) (Wounded) (POW)
Flight Sergeant Anthony Morris (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant David Charles Allen (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Eric Holland (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Edward Bertram Barradell (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer John Towns DFC (Air Gunner)
Theirs was one of four aircraft which were lost during the operation, one of which crash landed in liberated France.
The navigator, Frederick Norton, was the only member of the crew to survive. He had been wounded by shrapnel in the arm but landed safely by parachute and was captured. Had Gilbert Evers survived the operation he would have been stood down from further operations.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at the Church of Christ the Saviour, Ealing.
He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Plot 31, Row C, Grave 1.

Edwards, John Oswald Valentine, brother of Edward Cecil Theodore Edwards (qv); b. 14 Feb. 1912; adm. Jan. 1926 (A), (B) Sept. 1926; left July 1930; Keble Coll. Oxf., matric. 1930, BA 1933, MA 1937; 2nd Lieut. E. Surrey Regt Jan. 1932, Lieut. Jan. 1935, Capt. Jan. 1940, attached Burma Defence Force; killed in action at Paungde, Burma, 10 Apr. 1942.

John Oswald Valentine Edwards was born at Oxford, Oxfordshire on the 14th of February 1912 the third and youngest son of the Reverend Robert Stephen Edwards, Vicar of Westcote Barton, and Anne Rosalie Tannatt (nee Pryce) Edwards of Westcote Barton, Rectory, later of 25, St Margaret’s Road, Oxford and of 56, Elsham Road, Kensington in London. He was christened at the Church of St Mary and St John, Cowley on the 9th of March 1912. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford from May 1918 to 1919 and returned as a boarder from May 1922 to 1925. He went on to Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from January 1926 and up Busby’s from September 1926 to July 1930. He rowed for his House in 1928, winning House Colours the following year, and was a member of the 1st Rowing VIII in 1930 where he rowed at bow and won his School Colours in the same year. The Elizabethan wrote the following of his 1930 season: - “He carried out the rowing tradition of his family in spirit if not in bulk. He hunched his shoulders and ducked his head coming forward, which is not good for breathing, nor for getting a swift beginning –and his finish tended to be awkward with the same hunch, but he was an effective oar through his good blade work, and his knowledge of how to drive.”
He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1930.
He matriculated for Keble College, Oxford in 1930 and was awarded a BA in 1933 and a MA in 1937. He rowed for his College while he was at Oxford, winning the Challenge Pairs with E.L. Dams in 1932. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant as a University Candidate on the General List on the 7th of July 1931. He was elected as a member of the London Rowing Club in 1932.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant to the East Surrey Regiment from the General List on the 28th of October 1933, with seniority from the 28th of January 1932. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 28th of January 1935. He served in India from 1935 to 1937 and then at Khartoum in the Sudan. He was seconded to the Burma Defence Force and was transferred to the Special Employed List. He served as the second in command of the Myitkyina Battalion, Burma Frontier Force from the 11th of July 1938 and was drafted to Rangoon where large scale riots were taking place that month. He was promoted to Captain on the 28th of January 1940.
Towards the end of 1940, the Regiment was reorganised and he was transferred to Frontier Force 2 (F.F.2), Burma Frontier Force. These were mobile detachments of troops made up of independent columns, which were to engage the enemy until such time as they could be joined by regular forces. F.F.2. was responsible for the defence of the Southern Tenasserim Coast and for special missions up to the border with Thailand. John Edwards was appointed to the command of No. 1 Column. In June 1941 and the unit began looking for a suitable base in the area of the village of Thawbawleik from which to operate. The new camp was constructed and when the men moved into it John Edwards and Captain Booker began a reconnaissance of the area, with John Edwards exploring the area on foot as far as the border with Thailand. In October 1941, the unit was relieved after which it spent its time watching the tracks into Burma in case of hostilities. At this time John Edwards and No. 1 Column were based at Lenya from where they reconnoitred the tracks which ran across the Thailand/Burma border. A short time later No. 1 Column received orders to move to Hnohng Hin where they were to demolish a bridge in the event of a Japanese invasion.
The Japanese invaded Burma on the 8th of December 1941 when John Edwards reported to Headquarters that he had seen unidentified aircraft flying high over the Maw Daung Pass. The following day he received orders to move to investigate reports of Japanese forces at Prachaub Khirikhan but was ordered not to engage with any enemy forces he found there. On the 10th of December the Columns were ordered to implement the destruction of the bridges as they had planned. No. 1 Column continued towards Prachaub Khirikhan and during the night of the 12th of December heavy firing was heard from the direction the Column had taken. A short while after this, two of Edward’s men arrived back at base to report that No. 1 Column had been attacked by a large number of Japanese troops and that there had been heavy casualties amongst the Burmese. By the 15th of December John Edwards and his remaining men were back at the main camp where he reported the loss of his wireless section, along with their messages and ciphers. It was decided to cancel the operation to destroy the bridges. On the 17th of December 1941, F.F.2 left the camp and on the 21st of December a patrol from the unit was sent to investigate reports of enemy landings at Bokpyin.
With the Japanese now arriving in Burma in strength it was decided to evacuate the Burmese troops from Mergui and to concentrate them at Tavoy. F.F.2 was to cover the evacuation. On the 19th of December it was decided that Tavoy was under such a threat from the advancing Japanese that the men would be evacuated to Rangoon instead. F.F.2 was evacuated between the 20th and 22nd of January 1942. When it reached Rangoon it was sent to Pyawbwe to reorganise.
Once they had rested, John Edwards was given command of No. 2 Column which was attached to the 17th Indian Division on the 10th of February where it began its new role as a Divisional Reconnaissance unit. It was to patrol the area between the road from Kyaikto to Thaton and on the coast from Kyaikto to a track running from Theinzeik to Kadaik as far as the Bilin River. It was also to support the coast watching detachments of the Burma Auxiliary Force and of the Burma Military Police and to report immediately of any Japanese landings. John Edwards had three platoons of the Burma Military Police under his command to assist with patrolling and with the general defence of the area.
On the 16th of February 1942, the Japanese began attacking the area of the Bilin River and on the 18th of February John Edwards was ordered to seek out the enemy and to attack them. By the following day the 17th Division had begun a general withdrawal and ordered F.F.2. to protect its northern flank while it did so. At 2.30pm on the 21st of February No. 2 Column was heavily engaged by enemy forces. In spite of reports that his unit had been surrounded, John Edwards managed to extricate his men and lead them towards the Sittang River, engaging enemy troops near Mokpalin on the way during which his Column became scattered. They rejoined the Division at Pegu where the Column commanders reported that their men were totally demoralised. The stragglers arrived at Pegu to rejoin the column over the next several days.
On the 10th of March 1942 he was at Tharawaddy when he and his remaining 90 men were merged with F.F.6. and were attached to the 1st Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment where they were to form a rearguard in defence of the Division’s continuing withdrawal. They followed the 17th Division’s withdrawal themselves during which time they ambushed a number of Japanese troops at Letpadan on the 18th of March causing heavy casualties amongst them. They rejoined the Division on the 30th of March at Prome. John Edwards was killed during a Japanese attack on the town of Paungde, just to the south of Prome.
A friend wrote: - “I always thought that Oswald was a great character and a most entertaining and interesting man, one of the few I really regarded as a friend. How well I remember his decided views on life and the arguments we used to have together!”
His brother, Wing Commander Edward Cecil Theodore Edwards OW, 53 Squadron, Royal Air Force, was killed in action on the 31st of August 1940.
He and his brother are commemorated on a stone in the churchyard at Westcote Barton and on the war memorials at the Dragon School and at Keble College, Oxford. He is also commemorated on the war memorial at the London Rowing Club.
He is commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial Face 13.

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.

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.

Cockin, Maurice Herbert Battle, son of Maurice Stanley Cockin, journalist, of Mortlake, Surrey, and Alys Grace. d. of Philip Gear of Bristol; b. 17 Nov. 1915; adm. Sept. 1929 (B), (A) Sept. 1930; left July 1933; Queens' Coll. Camb., matric. 1934, BA 1937, MA 1941; N. Borneo Admin. Serv­ice; bar student (Middle Temple) 1941; HQ. Intelligence Section 1st Canadian Divn (Capt.); despatches (posth.) Sicily May 1944; killed in action 1944.

Maurice Herbert Battle “Bat” Cockin was born at Mortlake, Surrey on the 17th of November 1915 the only son of Captain Maurice Stanley Cockin, a journalist, and Alice Grace (nee Gear) Cockin of Leyden House, Mortlake. He was christened at St Mary’s Church, Mortlake on the 16th of March 1916. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1929 and up Ashburnham from September 1930 to July 1933. He was a member of the Officers Training Corps where he achieved Certificate A. He went on to the University of Paris to study Arts from 1933 to 1934 and matriculated for Queens’ College, Cambridge in 1934 where he achieved a BA in 1937 and a MA in 1941. On leaving university he accepted a post with the North Borneo Administration Service where he was Private Secretary and Aide de Camp to the Governor of British North Borneo for nine months and was also appointed as a Magistrate. He returned to England where he studied law at the Middle Temple for two years but he enlisted in the army before he complete the course. He was fluent in German, French and Malay. He later moved to Ottawa, Canada where he worked as a civil servant for the British Government for the British Supply Board. He lived at Chateau Laurier, Ottawa.
He attended a medical examination on the 25th of May 1940 where it was recorded that he was six feet tall and that he weighed 158lbs. It was also noted that he had a dark complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He attested for military service on the 27th of May 1940 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards on the 16th of April 1940. He was attached to the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, was promoted to Lieutenant on the 3rd of June 1940 and joined their Depot at Picton on the same day. He left the Depot on the 3rd of February 1941 for overseas service and embarked at Halifax the following day. He disembarked at Gourock, Scotland on the 1st of March 1941. He was promoted to Captain on the 14th of November 1942 and was appointed as an Intelligence Officer 2nd Class on the 5th of February 1943. He was attached to the Intelligence Section of the 1st Canadian Division Headquarters in Italy.
On the morning of the 20th of July 1943, Maurice Cockin and Lieutenant Colonel Bruce Albert Sutcliffe went out together for a reconnaissance of the enemy front lines near Monte Assoro. As the two men crouched in the open they were spotted by the crew of a German 88mm gun which was positioned on the high ground to their front. It fired at them over open sights, killing Bruce Sutcliffe instantly and seriously wounding Maurice Cocklin.
A fellow officer saw him when he was brought back to the Canadian lines and recalled: - “Bat Cockin was still alive when they brought him back. He was in great agony, and he had apparently been asking to see me, as he had something to tell me. He and Bruce Sutcliffe had been staring up at the great peak of Assoro, and the zig-zag road that ran up to the village of that name. Although he was pretty far gone, his speech suddenly came back to him with most remarkable clarity, and he grabbed my wrist and said, "John, for God's sake don't go up that road." I don't think he spoke again.”
He was collected by the 4th Canadian Divisional Field Ambulance which took him to No. 1 Field Dressing Station where he was treated for wounds to the lumbar region of his back and to his left arm. He was also suffering from shock. He died from his wounds at 11.15am the following day.
He was Mentioned in Despatches for “Distinguished and gallant services”, which was announced in the London Gazette of the 25th of March 1944.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Queens’ College, Cambridge and on the memorial at the Middle Temple
He is buried at Agira Canadian War Cemetery Plot C, Row G Grave 348.

Calway, Frank Ferguson, son of Frank Hugh Ferguson Calway, silk throwster, of Duddlestone, Somerset, and Susan Dorothy, d. of Joseph B. Harcombe of Cape Town; b. 3 Feb. 1921; adm. Sept. 1934 (B); left July 1939; RN (Ord. Seaman); d. on active service 31 Aug. 1941.

Frank Ferguson Calway was born at Taunton, Somerset on the 3rd of February 1921 the only son of Frank Hugh Ferguson Calway, director of a silk mill, and Susie Dorothy (nee Harcombe) Calway of “Quoits Field”, Duddlestone in Somerset. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Busby’s from September 1934 to July 1939. He was a member of the 1st Cricket XI from 1937 to 1939 and was Captain in the latter year. He was a member of the 1st Football XI in 1938 and 1939, where he played as goalkeeper. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps, where he was promoted to Lance Corporal in September 1937 and later rose to the rank of Sergeant. He was appointed as Head of House in 1938 and was amember of the Debating Society where he was elected as President in 1938.
On leaving school he travelled to Canada on the 5th of August 1939 where he played cricket for a public schools side but following the outbreak of war, he returned home on board the SS Duchess of Atholl, landing at Liverpool on the 6th of October 1939. On his return he joined his father’s firm for a period of nine months and was one of the first members of the Corfe Home Guard. He played for the Taunton Cricket Club in 1940 and for the Y.M.C.A Football XI in 1939. He enlisted in the Royal Navy and was posted to HMS Quebec, the naval training establishment at Inverary in Argyll. He contracted a pulmonary abscess and died from pneumonia at Drymen Hill Hospital near Loch Lomond.
His funeral took place on the 4th of September 1941 in a service conducted by the Reverend T.L.T. Fisher. A guard of honour was provided by the Corfe Home Guard.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Corfe.
He is buried at St Nicholas’ Church, Corfe Grave 369.