Showing 1032 results

People & Organisations
Ashburnham

Benson, James Gillies, 1914-1987

  • GB-2014-WSA-03075
  • Person
  • 1914-1987

Benson, James Gillies, brother of John Arthur Gillies Benson (qv); b. I 7 July 1914; adm. May 1928 (A); left Dec. 1930; a chartered surveyor, ACIS 1937; RAFVR 1940-5 (Wing Cdr); a distin­guished fighter pilot, with many successes against German night fighters and flying bombs; DFC 1942, bar 1944; DSO 1945; div. dir. Esso Petroleum Co., retd 1974; FCIS 1970; m. 7 May 1943 Jean Muriel, d. of P. J. Roy Waugh, of Kenley, Surrey; d. 12 July 1987.

Benson, John Arthur Gillies, 1912-1974

  • GB-2014-WSA-03076
  • Person
  • 1912-1974

Benson, John Arthur Gillies, son of Alfred Barker Benson and Isobel, d. of Duncan John Gillies of Achnahoish, Argyllshire; b. 2 Dec. 1912; adm. Jan. 1927 (A); left Apr. 1930; asst Superintend­ent of Customs, Sarawak 1935, Superintendent 1946, dep. Commissioner 1956; escaped from Sarawak during WW2 and joined RAAF; Intell. Corps 1945 (Capt.); d. 23 Jan. 1974.

Bentwich, Joseph Solomon, 1902-1982

  • GB-2014-WSA-03105
  • Person
  • 1902-1982

Bentwich, Joseph Solomon, son of Herbert Bentwich, of Fountain Court, Temple, barrister­at-law, by Susannah, daughter of Joseph Solomon, of Maida Vale, London; b. Feb. 3, 1902; adm. as a non-resident K.S. Sept. 24, 1914 (A); elected to Trin. Coll. Camb. (with Samwaies) July 1920, having previously obtained an open scholarship there for science, matric. Michaelmas 1920; senior scholar 1921; 1st class Math. Trip., part 1, 1921; Wrangler, part 2, 1923; Stewart of Rannock Scholar (Hebrew) 1922; B.A. 1923; M.A. 1928; teacher, Gymnasium, Tel-Aviv, Palestine, 1925; district inspector, Jewish schools, Palestine, 1928; senior inspector 1937; asst. director 1944; Headmaster, Reali Secondary School, Haifa, 1948; Lecturer in Education, Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem 1955; senior inspector, Ministry of Education, since 1960; m. Sept. 11, 1924, Sarah, daughter of Hilleh Yofe, of Haifa; d. 1982.

Beranger, Stewart Charles Walsh, 1917-1944

  • GB-2014-WSA-03108
  • Person
  • 1917-1944

Béranger, Stewart Charles Walsh, son of Henri Lucien Béranger of Paris, and Marguerite Louisa Minnie, d. of Lionel George Lawrence Walsh; b. 19 June 1917; adm. Sept. 1930 (A); left Apr. 1935; enlisted in 206th Infantry Regt, French Army; p.o.w.; killed while attempting to escape 21 May 1944.

Stewart Charles Walsh Béranger was born at Kensington, London on the 19th of June 1917 the only son of Henri Lucien “Harry” Béranger, an architect, and Marguerite Louisa Minnie (nee Walsh) Béranger of 62, Philbeach Gardens, Earls Court in London. He was christened at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton on the 30th of July 1917. He was educated at Westminster School on an Exhibition where he was up Ashburnham from September 1930 to April 1935. He played of part of Sidney Gibson in the farce “The Private Secretary” at the Westminster Theatre on the 29th of July 1933. He was a member of the Chess team and of the 1st Football XI from 1932 to 1935, where he played as goalkeeper and continued to play in the same position for the Old Westminsters XI. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1932/33 football season: - “Emerged from obscurity and from his very first game showed high promise of becoming a great goalkeeper. He has a fine sense of position, good hands and is very reliable. Does not yet punt the ball very well.”
On leaving school he moved to Paris as a student and lived at 89, Rue de Lille.
On the outbreak of war, he enlisted in the 206th Infantry Regiment, French Army in 1939 and was captured at the fall of France in June 1940.
He was interned in a labour camp at Bruck sur la Mur where he was shot and killed while attempting to escape.
His father donated £100 towards the Westminster School war memorial appeal in his memory.
His place of burial is unknown.

BeuteII, Robert Gerard, 1918-1945

  • GB-2014-WSA-03206
  • Person
  • 1918-1945

BeuteII, Robert Gerard, son of Alfred William Beutell MIEE, of Streatham, and Ida Augusta, d. of Augustus Combe Locke; b. 1 Mar. 1918; adm. Sept. 1931 (A); left July 1934; a lighting engi­neer; RAFVR 1943 (Flt Lieut.), met. branch; lost on air operations (N. Atlantic) 21 Jan. 1945.

Robert Gerard Beuttell was born in London on the 1st of March 1918 the younger son of Alfred William Beuttell MIEE, an electrical engineer and inventor, and Ida Augusta (nee Locke) Beuttell of 42, Prince of Wales Mansions, Battersea Park in London and of Malmesbury in Wiltshire. He was christened at St Paul’s Church, Chiswick on the 11th of May 1918.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Ashburnham from September 1931 to July 1934. He won the Junior Toplady Prize for Scripture in 1932.
On leaving school he attended the Royal College of Science where he gained a degree in 1937 after which he went to work as a lighting engineer.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and by September 1941 he was serving as a Corporal based at the Meteorological Office at RAF Dishforth.
He wrote the following in a letter to his father on a flight he had taken in a Whitley aircraft: - "Had a wonderful flip the other day in the front turret of a Whitley, you get a wonderful view from there. Across the Pennines to the Isle of Man, up to Prestwick in Scotland and home, a 3.5 hour trip. I don't envy the AG his job, sitting in one position for hours on end, and next time I shall put on two pairs of undies, it was a bit draughty. It was a wonderful trip all the same, the high spot being when we "shot up" the beach at Prestwick. Of course it's strictly forbidden, but having experienced the thrill and irresistible amusement of it, I'd really have to forgive any culprit. Of course you are connected to all the crew the whole time by the intercommunication system, by which everybody speaks to everybody else. For the fun of coming along the shore at about 1000 ft, stuck right in the nose of the machine, then swooping to about 150 ft off the sands, then soaring up again, with the wit and cross-chat of the crew thrown in, a switch-back just doesn't compare. Then round again, "We might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb. - Just one more", nose down, the sands streaking up to meet you, people gaping, scattering, ducking, - scooting along at about 50 ft, then pressed into your seat with the climb, almost aching with laughter, it was grand. Then the rather chilly trip home, though mostly in bright sunshine."
He transferred to the High Altitude Flight at Boscombe Down later the same year and collaborated with A.W. Brewer in inventing the integrating nephelometer.
He was accepted as a Metrological Observer and was commissioned with the rank of Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 6th of March 1943, which was followed by two months of training. He was appointed as Meteorological Air Observer Leader and served briefly with 517 Squadron before being attached to the 25th Bomb Group at RAF Watton. He then joined 518 Squadron, based at RAF Tiree in Scotland and was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on the 20th of January 1944.
Robert Beutell and his crew took off from RAF Tiree at 11.53pm on the 20th of January 1945 in Halifax Mk V LL123 517/C for a long range “Bismuth” meteorological mission. Wing Commander Norman Morris, the Squadron commanding officer, was to fly as 2nd pilot and had personally selected the crew for the mission. The aircraft was to fly a triangular route to the north of RAF Tiree in order to find the depth of a deep depression. Having taken off, the aircraft flew at a height of 1,800 feet until it reached a position some 250 nautical miles to the west of Tiree where it took its first meteorological observation at 3.28am and reported its findings at 4.44am. Having flown another 350 nautical miles further out to sea, the aircraft climbed to 18,000 feet and turned to the northeast.
Due to poor reception, nothing further was received until 7.12am when the next transmission reported that the aircraft was flying at 10,500 feet and that there was a problem with the starboard engine. At 8.08am a SOS message came in from the aircraft followed by another at 8.18am, which ended suddenly after which nothing further was heard. The aircraft crashed into the sea with the loss of the entire crew.
The crew was: -
Wing Commander Norman Foster Morris (2nd Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Arthur John Bacon (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Robert Gerard Beuttell (Meteorological Observer)
Flight Sergeant William Douglas Stone (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Robert Kiddle (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Rennie Arthur Loader (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Albert Howard Andrews (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Anton David Anderson RAAF (Navigator/Air Bomber)

Although the wireless operator had been transmitting for ten minutes before the aircraft crashed, he did not report its position. A fix was obtained on the position where the aircraft was likely to have ditched as being approximately 59N 11-13 W. Aircraft were dispatched by 281 Squadron who searched the area for the next three days in the hope of finding survivors but, with the weather conditions being very poor, the search was abandoned at 11.14am on the 24th of January.
Robert Beuttell had written a letter to his father shortly before he was killed in which he said that he did not expect to survive the war.
A friend wrote of him: - “Gerard was an extremely gifted scientist whose important work on instruments of visual range was posthumously recognised and published. His death was a serious blow to his father, who never quite recovered his formidable drive and energy afterwards”.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Malmesbury.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 265.

Beveridge, Harold William, 1881-?

  • GB-2014-WSA-03212
  • Person
  • 1881-?

Beveridge, Harold William, son of Andrew Beveridge, of Clapham Common, Surrey, solicitor and parliamentary agent, by Catherine, daughter of Robert Twentyman Lightfoot, M. D., of Newcastle-upon-Tyne; b. Feb. 20, 1881; adm. Sept. 27, 1894 (A); left Dec. 1898; Ch. Ch. Oxon., matric.; B.A. 1902; called to the bar at the Inner Temple June 24, 1903; parliamentary draftsman; N. E. Circuit; played golf for Oxford against Cambridge 1900, 1901, and 1902, for Scotland v. England 1908, and for the Amateurs v. the Professionals in the Coronation Foursomes June 24, 1911; Capt. R. A. S. C. Feb. 27, 1917; demob. Feb. 1919; m. March 23, 1912, Marion, daughter of Frederick Bailey, of Mileham, Norfolk.

Binyon, Denis Edmund Fynes-Clinton, 1905-1970

  • GB-2014-WSA-03273
  • Person
  • 1905-1970

Binyon, Denis Edmund Fynes-Clinton, son of John Frederick Binyon, solicitor, of Grange­-over-Sands, Lancs, and Mabel, d. of Rev. Osbert Fynes-Clinton, Vicar of Didsbury, Lancs; b. 29 May 1905; adm. Sept. 1919 (A), KS 1920; left July 1924; Merton Coll. Oxf., matric. 1924, BA 1928 (1st class hons Classical Mods); asst lecturer in Latin, Univ. of Leeds, 1928, sen. lecturer 1950; m. 25 Mar. 1933 Nancy, d. of John Emmerson of Harrogate, Yorks; d. 11 Apr. 1970.

Bird, Alan Curtis, 1910-1945

  • GB-2014-WSA-03283
  • Person
  • 1910-1945

Bird, Alan Curtis, brother of John Henry Benbow Bird (qv); b. 20 Jan. 1910; adm. Jan. 1924 (A); left Apr. 1928; Roy. Ulster Rifles 1939-45 (Maj.); MC 5 Apr. 1945; killed in action (Germany) 26 Apr. 1945.

Alan Curtis “Dicky” Bird was born at Richmond, Surrey on the 20th of January 1910 the third son of Sidney Arthur Bird OW, director of a public company, and Norah Agnes Sarah Jane (nee McClory) Bird of “Longfield”, Christchurch Road, East Sheen in Surrey, later of East Molesey in Surrey. He was christened at St Matthias’ Church, Richmond on the 9th of April 1910. He was educated at Westminster school where he was up Ashburnham from January 1924 to April 1928. He was a member of the 2nd Rowing VIII in 1927, where he rowed at No. 2. He was a member of the Colts Football XI in 1925 and 1926 and of the 1st Football XI, where he played at right back, in 1926, 1927 and 1928. The Elizabethan wrote the following on his 1927/28 season: - “Has shown more consistent good form than any other member of the team. We have scarcely seen him play a poor game. A relentless tackler, and a beautiful kick with either foot. He is always in the right place, and he should, we think develop into a great player. The side owes to him a very great deal of any success they may have had.”
He attended the 163rd Officer Cadet Training Unit (Artists Rifles) from where he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Ulster Rifles on the 10th of November 1939. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment based at Lezennes in March 1940 where he joined D Company as a Platoon Commander. He was evacuated from Dunkirk. He was later appointed as the second in command of A Company.
On the 4th of June 1944, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles left their base at Waterlooville and proceeded to Southsea where they embarked on boats for the invasion of Normandy the following morning. They moored off Southsea that night and, after an uneventful crossing of the Channel, they landed on the beaches at noon on the 6th of June 1944. Following the death in action of Major John Richard St Leger Aldworth on the 10th of June Alan Bird was appointed to the command of D Company.
On the 30th of November 1944, the Battalion was ordered to make an attack on German positions between the villages of Blitterswijk and Helling. The attack began at 5am, with C Company leading the attack on the right and with D Company on the left. They were held up for a time by thick barbed wire entanglements which had been booby trapped with mines. These were quickly cleared by the Pioneer Platoon and the advance continued. At 5.45am the leading Platoon from C Company was advancing along the Wanssum road when it came under heavy enemy machine gun fire from an orchard on their left and from houses in Helling on their right, which proved to be more strongly held than had first been thought. Another Platoon was ordered forward but this also came under heavy fire and both Platoons were ordered to fall back while artillery and mortar fire was called on to bombard the enemy stronghold. C Company had suffered casualties of six men killed, with four wounded and twelve missing.
Meanwhile D Company, under the command of Alan Bird, began moving forward from Blitterswijk at 4.15am and passed through the enemy barbed wire at 5.45am. Their first objective, an enemy machine gun post, brought the leading Platoon under fire but, when they rushed forward, they found that the Germans had abandoned it, leaving a machine gun and a Panzerfaust behind them. The second Platoon also came under fire from an enemy position in some woods. They threw a grenade at it and rushed it but found the enemy position had also been abandoned. Alan Bird then ordered a third Platoon forward which advanced without opposition and took the Company’s first objective. The advance continued and the second objective, a wood to the north west of a windmill, was taken without casualties in spite of enemy fire. Two or three German machine gun positions were located and attacked with 2” mortars and PIATs before a frontal attack was made and these were all destroyed. The Germans then began falling back in the face of D Company’s attack but remained in a perimeter around Wanssum. Helling was also still strongly held. D Company remained in their new positions throughout the day from where they brought the enemy under sniper fire while the commanding officer of the Battalion was planning a second attack to take place that night. D Company remained in their positions until they were withdrawn to rest on the afternoon of the 2nd of December.
The attack began at 1am on the morning of the 1st of December 1944 in “brilliant” moonlight. B Company began the advance by passing through the enemy wire but quickly found themselves on flat, open ground and, with the bright moonlight, the Germans had no trouble in bringing them under heavy fire. D Company suffered the same fate as they joined the attack by crossing the Wanssum to Blitterswijk road and soon became pinned down and leading the Battalion commander to call off the attack.
For his actions during the attack on Wassum and Helling Alan Bird was awarded the Military Cross which was announced by the War Office on the 5th of April 1945. The recommendation for his award read as follows: -“On 1 Dec 1944 operations to mop up a pocket of enemy in the Wanssum area were started. In connection with these, D Coy, 2 RUR, commanded by Major A.C. Bird was ordered to attack and capture a strongly held enemy position between the villages of Blitterswijk and Helling. This position was in an area of high ground and commanded the approaches from the two villages. In front of the position ran a wire obstacle which was booby trapped. At 0500 hrs the leading platoon breached the wire but immediately came under heavy machine gun fire. Major Bird urged his Company through the gap and then dealt methodically with each enemy post. By his splendid example of coolness and determined leadership, he succeeded in establishing his Company on the objective and drove the enemy off. The enemy withdrew in disorder, leaving behind six Spandaus, six Bazookas, and a considerable amount of small arms ammunition and equipment. The enemy brought down intensive artillery, mortar and machine gun fire but Major Bird conducted the consolidation of the position without any regard for his own safety. By his drive and skilful leadership, Major Bird was largely responsible for the success of the attack on this position which was the key to the whole of the German pocket in the Wanssum area. During the following two days the objective was continuously shelled, mortared and machine gunned, and at night strong enemy patrols attempted to enter the position but were beaten off every time. During these two days, Major Bird was continually round his men encouraging them to stand firm in this exposed position to which it was not possible to approach in daylight without drawing heavy enemy fire. He never spared himself, and had no sleep until the enemy withdrew two days later. Throughout the operation Major Bird acted with great bravery and determination and his strong fighting spirit was an inspiration to all ranks.”
In April 1945, the Battalion was involved in the capture of Bremen. After the town had been cleared and the fighting had died down Alan Bird and other men from D Company were killed by the explosion of a sea mine which had been planted by the retreating Germans. They were buried in a meadow close to an inn later that evening but their bodies were later exhumed and moved to their present location.
The Battalion historian wrote of him: - “..... in the many attacks and actions he seemed to bear a charmed life. Wherever danger threatened or he was most needed, Dicky was always to be found, cheering and encouraging his men with no thought to spare himself. Dicky had seen the thing through from beginning to end. He had died in the hour of triumph, and has probably missed the disillusionment of post-war years. To his friends he will be a memory of a well known figure, pipe in mouth, up with the leading platoon working his Company forward, or the centre of a party, seated at the piano, playing the old tunes he loved so much.”
He is buried at Becklingen War Cemetery Plot 8, Row G, Grave 11.

Bird, Clifton Avery, 1912-1966

  • GB-2014-WSA-03286
  • Person
  • 1912-1966

Bird, Clifton Avery, brother of John Henry Benbow Bird (qv); b. 30 May 1912; adm. Apr. 1926 (A); left July 1929; RNVR 1942-5 (Lieut. (E)); a co. director in New Caledonia; d. 27 Dec. 1966.

Bird, John Henry Benbow, 1907-ca. 1926

  • GB-2014-WSA-03292
  • Person
  • 1907-ca. 1926

Bird, John Henry Benbow, son of Sidney Arthur Bird (qv); b. 13 Oct. 1907; adm. Sept. 1922 (A); left Mar. 1926; Brit. Coaling Depots Ltd, Port Said; killed in a yachting accident.

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