Cashell, Geoffrey Thomas Willoughby, son of Alfred Ernest Cashell of Beckenham and Minnie Barbara, d. of Thomas Lyle of Beckenham; b. 2 Sept. 1905; adm. Sept. 1919 (A); left July 1924; King's Coll. Hosp. Med. Sch., MRCS LRCP 1930, MB 1933; Edinburgh Roy. Infirmary, FRCS (Edin.) 1933; FRCS (Eng.) 1952; hon. consult. ophthalmic surgeon Roy. Berks Hosp. 1933-48; surgeon in charge Reading Sch. of Orthoptics 1935-70; ophth. consult. RAF 1942-6 (Wing Cdr); chief ophth. surgeon SEAC; consult. ophth. surgeon Reading & District 1948-70; post grad. clinical tutor Reading 1970-6; Master Worsh. Company of Apothecaries of London 1970; hon. DSc Univ. of Reading 1976; Kt of St John 1978; author of Handbook of Orthoptic Principles 1967; m. 19 Aug. 1933 Hilda Marian Macdonald Kinmont MBE SRN, d. of Patrick Kinmont MD FRCS, of Newark-on-Trent, Notts.; d. 21 Jan. 1994
Casper, Alexander Carl Peter, son of Lieut.-Col. Emil Hans Casper and Una Margaret, d. of Sir Edward Parrott MP LLD, of Edinburgh; b. 23 Aug. 1923; adm. Jan. 1937 (A); left Apr. 1941; RM 1942-5 (Lieut.), 45th Commandos BLA; killed in action at the crossing of the Weser 6 Apr. 1945. Castellain, Geoffrey Charles, son of E. L. F. and Anne Castellain of Chelsea; b. 19 Feb. 1920; adm. Sept. 1933 (KS); left July 1938; Ch. Ch. Oxf., matric. 1938; 2nd Lieut. 16th/5th Lancers 1941, transf. SASR Apr. 1944; killed in action (W. Europe) Oct. 1944.
Alexander Carl Peter Casper was born on the 23rd of August 1923 the son of Lieutenant Colonel Emil Hans “Bill” Casper, Royal Artillery, and Una Margaret (nee Parrott) Casper of 11, Acacia Grove, Dulwich, London SE21. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from January 1937 to April 1941.
On leaving school he was commissioned in the Royal Marines and was posted to No. 45 Royal Marine Commando.
At 4.30am on the morning of the 6th of April 1945, No. 45 Commando assembled at Stolzenau where they were briefed for an assault crossing of the River Weser where they were to pass through a weakly held bridgehead on the far side of the river and were to push on to capture the village of Leese, one and half miles inland. Once they were across the river a bridge was to be constructed across it to allow more British forces to cross the river. At 1.15pm, nine assault landing craft began crossing the river supported by artillery and machine gun fire. Although the landing craft were under continuous enemy fire during the crossing they suffered no casualties. Once they had landed on the far side the Commandos advanced south along the river bank under the cover of its steep banks. The German positions, which were held by the 12th SS Training Battalion, were set back some one hundred yards from the river bank across open ground which made it impossible to make a direct attack on them. After hand to hand fighting the men of D Troop gained a foothold in the enemy trenches nearest to the river after which A Troop passed through them and pressed on against “fanatical” opposition. At the same time, B Troop, with a Section of E Troop, made their way towards the cover of a nearby railway embankment but, by 4pm, the bulk of the Commandos were still pinned down and forward progress was painfully slow. It was decided to recall the men of B and E Troops from their forward position and to consolidate the positions on the river bank to await reinforcements. They came under heavy fire through the evening and into the night when they were told that there would be no fresh troops coming forward to support them. After midnight they received orders to fall back to the bridgehead area but while they were doing this they came under an attack from the SS at 3am which they drove off with heavy casualties among the enemy. They held the bridgehead for the remainder of the 7th of April.
Captain John Day of No. 45 Commando later wrote: - "At one of our brief pauses as we moved along the river bank I found myself crouching beside a young subaltern, Peter Casper, whose men were endeavouring to provide us with some covering fire. During a lull in the firing we heard shouting from the German positions. Peter said "They want to surrender", leapt to his feet, took off his beret, and waved it at the enemy. Two or three bullets cracked at us and Peter Casper fell dead at my feet."
He is buried at Hanover War Cemetery Plot 7, Row K Grave 7.
Cass, William Geoffrey, son of Thomas Beard Cass, of Westminster; b. April 29, 1900; adm. Jan. 14, 1915 (R); left July 1918; R. M.C. Sandhurst; 2nd Lieut. East Kent. Regt. Dec. 17. 1919; Lieut. Dec. 17, 1921; M.B.E.; d. 28 Oct. 1982.
CASS, WILLIAM, son of Michael Cass, and Jane Thickbroom (IGI); b. 30 Nov 1810; adm. 4 Feb 1820; BB 1820; left Whitsun 1828; Guy’s Hospital; subsequently medical student in Dublin; MRCS 1833, LSA 1835; MD Aberdeen 1855; served as medical officer in Royal Navy for five years; became medical practitioner at Cowes, Isle of Wight, in partnership with his brother-in-law, Sir William Carter Hoffmeister; Apothecary in Ordinary to Royal Household at Osborne, 18 Dec 1845; m. --, dau. of Charles William Hoffmeister, Portsea, Hampshire, and sister of Sir William Carter Hoffmeister MD FRCS LRCP; d. 12 Apr 1878.
Publisher
Publisher
CASSON, JOSEPH; b.; in school list 1737; BB 1739-41 (Chapter Muniments 33772-3).