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Worthington, Lawrence Valentine, brother of Arthur Little Worthington (qv); b. 6 Mar. 1920; adm. Sept. 1933 (R); left July 1938; Princeton Univ.; USNR 1943-6; Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst., res. asst 1946-50, res. assoc. 1950-8, physical oceanographer 1958-63, sen. scientist 1963, chairman Dept of Physical Oceanography 1974; m. 1952 Ruth Scott, d. of R. C. Mc Guinness of Denver, Colorado; d. May 1986.

Worthington, Arthur Little, son of Bond Valentine Thomas Worthington (qv); b. 11 Nov. 1917; adm. Sept. 1930 (R); left Mar. 1936; Harvard Univ.; Field Artillery US Army in WW2 (Lieut.); manager Côte D'Azur-Monaco region First Nat. City Bank of New York; Chevalier Ordre de la Couronne (Belgium); m. 17 May 1941 Burdeene, d. of Paul Hill Irvin of Forest Hills NY; d. 8 Aug. 1983.

Wells, William Thomas, son of William Thomas Wells, professional boxer known as "Bombar­dier" Billy Wells and Ellen Kilroy; b. 9 Feb. 1915; adm. Jan. 1929 (R); left Oct. 1930.

JOYCE, SIDNEY, sixth son of Rev. James Joyce, East Burnham, Berks.; b. 19 Jan 1834; adm. 3 Jun 1847 (Rigaud's); QS 1848; elected to Christ Church, Oxford 1852, matr. 3 Jun 1852, Westminster Student 1852-65; 1st cl. Classics (Mods) 1854, 2nd cl. Lit. Hum. 1856; BA 1856; MA 1859; adm. Lincoln’s Inn 28 Apr 1860; Private Secretary to Governor of Mauritius; Assistant Master (Classics) at Westminster School 1859-60; Extra Clerk, Treasury 1860; subsequently Examiner, Education Dept. (in 1881); Roman Catholic convert; d. 3 Oct 1911.

Sinclair, John Percy, son of Percy Walter Sinclair of Cheam, Surrey, and Florence Annette, d. of Michael Hobson of Middlesbrough; b. 31 May 1920; adm. Jan. 1934 (R); left Dec. 1937; Roy. Sig­nals; d. on active service 6 Nov. 1940.

John Percy Sinclair was born at Cheam, Surrey on the 31st of May 1920 the son of Percy Walter Sinclair, a tea taster, and Florence Annette (nee Hobson) Sinclair of “Cooden”, 20, Salisbury Avenue, Cheam. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from January 1934 to December 1937.
He is buried at Cairo War Memorial Cemetery Grave P 277.

Leeman, Patrick Ian, son of Percival Garmany Leeman MC MB, of Derby, and Clare Grace Ellen, d. of Robert MacGregor of Durban; b. 8 Apr. 1922; adm. Sept. 1935 (R); left Apr. 1939; Sgt Pilot RAFVR, killed in action 8 Nov. 1941.

Patrick Ian “Paddy” Leeman was born at Derby, Derbyshire on the 22nd of July 1922 the son of Dr. Percival Garmany Leeman MC, MB and Clare Grace Ellen (nee Macgregor) Leeman of 100, Douglas Street, Osmaston Road, Derby, later of “The Lawn”, Burton Road, Littleover in Derbyshire.
He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1935 to April 1939. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1940 where he trained as a pilot and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
On the night of the 7th/8th of November 1941, Bomber Command dispatched 101 Wellingtons, 42 Whitleys, 17 Stirlings and 9 Halifaxes for an operation on Berlin. The weather forecast over the North Sea was very poor with storms, thick cloud, icing and hail. This led the commanding officer of No. 5 Group to insist that his crews be sent to Cologne instead of Berlin but his request was ignored. 73 aircraft reached Berlin where were unable to observe the results of their bombing but they reported seeing a number of fires on the outskirts of the city. The authorities in Berlin reported widespread damage with 1 industrial building, 2 railways, 30 houses and 2 public buildings being damaged or destroyed. A gasometer at Saaken was burnt out. 11 people were killed on the ground with 44 injured and 637 people were bombed out of their homes.
Patrick Leeman and his crew took off from RAF Mildenhall at 5.26pm on the 7th of November 1941 in Wellington Mk IC X9878 OJ-A for the operation. Having completed their mission they were on the return leg of their journey and were in the area of Essen when they were hit by anti aircraft fire but were able to continue. A short time later the aircraft was flying at 8,000 feet near Wesel when it was hit again, twice in the nose and in the rear turret. It was then attacked and shot down by a Messerschmitt Bf110 night fighter flown by Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Engel of 7./NJG1. The aircraft crashed near to Isselburg at 12.47am local time with the loss of all but one of the crew. Theirs was one of an eventual 18 victories for Wilhelm Engel who survived the war.
The crew was: -
Pilot Officer Herbert Roy Crowe RCAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley William Dane (Pilot)
Sergeant Albert Charles Arthur Davis (Observer)
Sergeant Patrick Ian Leeman (2nd Pilot)
Sergeant John Charles Pengelly (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Jenkinson (Rear Gunner) (POW No. 6439 Stalag Luft VII)
Thiers was one of twenty one aircraft which were lost during the raid.
The crew was buried at North Cemetery, Dusseldorf but their bodies were exhumed in July 1946 by No. 4 Missing, Research and Enquiry Unit, Royal Air Force and moved to their present location.
The only survivor, rear gunner Frederick Jenkinson, later reported that he managed to get out of the damaged rear turret with great difficulty after using an axe. He related that he saw no one in the fuselage and that he and William Dane were both onboard when Dane crash landed the aircraft. Dane was killed in the crash with Jenkinson being injured and taken prisoner.
Due to the heavy losses it would be another fourteen months before Bomber Command launched another raid on Berlin.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Littleover.
He is buried at Reichswald Forest War Cemetery Joint Grave 11 B 7-8.

Bingham, Leslie Paget Birkett, son of Herbert Berkeley Fanshawe Bingham, of Hampton Wick, Middx, and Beatrice Mary, d. of William Henry Birkett of Exeter; b. 3 June 1913; adm. Sept. 1927 (R); left July 1932; Gas Light & Coke Co.; East Surrey Regt 1940-2 (Lieut.); wounded and p.o.w. MalayaJan. 1942; d. of wounds Singapore 26 Feb 1942; despatches (posth.) Aug. 1946.

Leslie Paget Birkett Bingham was born at Montreal, Canada on the 3rd of June 1913 the only son of Herbert Berkeley Fanshawe Bingham, an insurance official, and Beatrice Mary (nee Birkett) Bingham later of “Memphis”, Pharaoh’s Island, Sunbury in Middlesex. The family returned from Canada on board the SS Scandinavia and landed at Liverpool on the 26th of December 1916. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1927 to July 1932 after which he went to work for the Gas, Light & Coke Co Ltd.
Following the outbreak of war he attended an Officer Cadet training Unit before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the East Surrey Regiment on the 2nd of November 1940. He was posted to the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment based at Singapore where the Battalion became heavily engaged in the fighting which followed the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941. After suffering heavy casualties in the first few days of the fighting the Battalion was merged with the remnants of the 1st Battalion, Royal Leicestershire Regiment on the 20th of December 1941 to form the composite British Battalion. Leslie Bingham was appointed as the Carrier Officer for the new Battalion.
At 4am on the morning of the 10th of January 1942, the British Battalion received orders to fall back to the town of Labu, to the south of Kuala Lumpur where they arrived at 11pm that night. Before they could continue their retreat the Battalion was charged with blowing up the bridge there to impede the enemy advance.
Early on the morning of the 11th of January 1942, the Battalion set out to blow up the bridge but found that the approaches to it were mined and, when the first lorry in the column was destroyed by a mine, the column halted and Leslie Bingham volunteered to make a reconnaissance to see it was safe to proceed. While doing this his carrier was blown up and he was seriously wounded. Following a further reconnaissance the bridge was successfully destroyed at 4.30am.
He was admitted to the Alexandra Hospital, Singapore where he died from his wounds six weeks later and was buried in a slit trench in the hospital grounds by Padre Chambers. His body was later exhumed and reburied in its present location.
He was Mentioned in Despatches: - “In recognition of distinguished services in Malaya in 1942”, which was announced by the War Office on the 1st of August 1946.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Shepperton.
He is buried at Kranji War Cemetery Plot 11, Row A Grave 6.

Zoephel, Peter Charles, son of Ernest Charles Zoephel of Chislehurst, Kent, and Dorothy Frances Gertrude, d. of Capt. William George Romeril MN, of Blackheath; b. 8 Sept. 1921; adm. Sept. 1935 (R); left Apr. 1939 and went to Milton Academy Boston, Mass.; Harvard Univ.; PO RCAF Ferry Command; lost at sea in the South Atlantic Jan. 1943.

Peter Charles Zoephel was born at Blackheath, Kent on the 8th of September 1921 the eldest son of Ernest Christopher Zoephel. Chairman and owner of the British Domolac Company Ltd, paint works of Woolwich, and Dorothy Frances Gertrude (nee Romeril) Zoephel of “Elmstead Garth”, Chislehurst in Kent, later of Little Common, Bexhill-on-Sea. He was educated at Carn Brea Preparatory School, Bromley from 1931 to 1935 and at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1935 to April 1939. He served as a Cadet in the Officer Training Corps from September 1935 to 1939. He went on to the Milton Academy, Wilton Massachusetts for a short time in 1939 before entering Harvard University later the same year as a member of the Class of 1943, where he read Economics and Languages, but left for Canada in late 1940 to volunteer for military service.
He attended a medical examination on the 4th of January 1941 where it was recorded that he was 5 feet 10 and 3/8ths of an inch tall and that he weighed 152lbs. It was also recorded that he had hazel eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion. He attested for service as an Aircraftman 2nd Class in the Royal Canadian Air Force for the duration of the war at the Royal Canadian Air Force Recruiting Station at Montreal on the 7th of February 1941. He was posted to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School at Fingal, Ontario on the 2rd of March 1941 and to No. 1 Initial Training School at Toronto on the 29th of March 1941. He was promoted to Leading Aircraftman on the 20th of August 1941 and joined No. 10 Elementary Flying Training School at Hamilton, Ontario on the 21st of August 1941 where he trained as a pilot. Having ceased training as a pilot at his own request, he was posted to No. 10 Air Observers School at Chatham, New Brunswick on the 27th of October 1941 to receive training as a navigator. On the 15th of March 1942 he was posted to No. 29 Navigators School at Pennfield Ridge, New Brunswick. He was promoted to Sergeant on the 14th of March 1942 and was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on the 13th of April 1942. He was posted to No. 31 General Reconnaissance Squadron at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on the 9th of May 1942 and was attached to the Ferry Command, Royal Air Force at Dorval, Quebec on the 23rd of July 1942. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 13th of October 1942.
On the 16th of January 1943, Peter Zoephel and his crew boarded Liberator C87 41-11708, of 12 Squadron, 12th Ferry Group United States Transport Command, at Accra in Ghana as passengers, bound for the United States air base at Natal in Brazil and then on their base at Dorval. On board was a crew from the United States Air Transport Command, who had ferried a Boeing B-17 aircraft from Miami to Africa and were returning home. Also on board was a crew from Royal Air Force Ferry Command and four other passengers. The aircraft took off at 11.30pm that night but failed to arrive at its destination and all on board were lost.
The crew was: -
Captain Orval Eknes (Pilot)
Captain Felton Barton Lancaster (2nd Pilot)
Second Lieutenant Joseph F. Peoples (Navigator)
Master Sergeant Alvin A. Young (Radio operator)
Sergeant James N. Clauss (Crew Member)
Master Sergeant Charles W. McKain (Crew Chief)
The passengers were: -
The United States Air Transport Command crew was: -
First Lieutenant John Allen Byler (Navigator)
First Lieutenant Hugh Parker Minor Sr. USAAF (2nd Pilot)
Major Arthur Mills USAAF (Pilot)
Corporal Joseph P. Braniff USAAF
Corporal Grover Kirby Trees Jr. USAAF
The Royal Air Force Ferry Command crew was: -
Flight Lieutenant Herbert James Martin (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Harold Victor. Lamb RAAF (Wireless Operator)
Flight Sergeant John Henry Warman RCAF (Navigator)
Captain Paul Bleecker Makepeace (American Civilian Pilot)
Radio Officer Clinton Blackwell Berry (Canadian Civilian Wireless Operator)
Flying Officer Peter Charles Zoephel RCAF (Navigator)
Captain William Richard Nixon (Canadian Civilian Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Norman Patrick Drury (Radio Operator)
Flying Officer William Thomas Wright Smithson (Navigator)
Sergeant John Lowery Bell (Navigator)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Addison Clegg (Pilot)
Radio Officer Otway Cecil McCombie (Canadian Civilian Wireless Operator)
The passengers were: -
Lieutenant Colonel Russell Reed Brunner US Army (Pilot)
Colonel Douglas Cornell MacKeachie DSM US Army (Director of Procurement European Theatre of Operations)
Major Arthur Mills US Army
Air Commodore Desmond Herlouin De Burgh AFC
An extensive search was mounted which lasted until the 29th of January. On the 4th of February, the destroyer USS Kearney found a life raft some 60 miles from the coast of Brazil, to the east of Ponte Negro. It contained the body of one of the passengers. The following day another raft was discovered containing the body of Major Arthur Mills and with six life jackets on board. The evidence on board the raft led to the conclusion that there had been others on board who had died and had probably been buried at sea by others, other than the last man to have died.
He is commemorated on the war memorial at Harvard University.
He is commemorated on the Ottawa Memorial Panel 2, Column 3.

Yonge, Martin Godwin, son of Ernest Adams Yonge, sometime music master at the school, and Margaret Mary, d. of James Thomas Godwin; b. 12 July 1921; adm. Sept. 1934 (R); left Dec. 1938; Sgt Observer RAFVR; d. 22 Dec. 1941.

Martin Godwin Yonge was born at Paddington, London on the 12th of July 1921 the only son of Ernest Adams Yonge, a music master at Westminster School, and Margaret Mary (nee Godwin) Yonge of 19, Shirehall Lane, Hendon in Middlesex. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1934 to December 1938. He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve where he trained as an Observer and rose to the rank of Sergeant.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial Panel 55.

Willmott, Bernard Bruce, son of Harry Russell Willmott, gen. man. I. of Wight Rly; b. 27 Aug. 1918; adm. Sept. 1929 (R); left Dec. 1932; FO RAF Dec. 1938, Flt Lieut. Sept. 1940, temp. Sqdn Ldr Sept. 1941; transf. RAFVR June 1942, temp. Wing Cdr July 1944; killed in action 26 Aug. 1944.

Bernard Bruce Willmott was born at Newport, Isle of Wight on the 27th August 1915 the son of Harry Russell Willmott, an engineer and manager of a railway company, and Ethel Lucy (nee Hewlett) Willmott of St Nicholas, Newport. He was educated at Westminster School where he was up Rigaud’s from September 1929 to December 1932.
He was granted a short service commission as an Acting Pilot Officer on probation in the Royal Air Force on the 29th of June 1936. He was confirmed in his rank on the 4th of May 1937, which became effective on the 2nd of June 1937 and was promoted to Flying Officer on the 8th of December 1938. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 3rd of September 1940 and to Squadron Leader on the 1st of September 1941. He was posted to 36 Squadron based at Singapore.
At 9.30am on the 26th of January 1942, a Hudson reconnaissance aircraft spotted two Japanese cruisers, eleven destroyers and two 10,000 ton vessels surrounded by barges some 10 miles off Endau and heading towards the coast. The Royal Air Force was despatched to try to stem their advance and at 1pm 6 aircraft from 100 Squadron and 3 from 36 Squadron, escorted by 8 Hurricanes and 15 Buffalo fighters, attacked the Japanese transports and landing craft off the small port in cloudy conditions. In spite of the attentions of Japanese Zero fighters they pressed home their attack, losing five of their number.
At 3pm plans were made for the attack to be repeated by 9 Vildebeest and 3 Albacore aircraft from three different squadrons including 36 Squadron with each aircraft being loaded with six 250lb bombs; the bombers having been ordered to carry bombs as it was felt that the water was too shallow to use torpedoes. They were escorted by 4 Buffaloes and 8 Hurricanes and by this time the weather had cleared.
Bruce Willmott and his crew took off from RAF Seletar in Vildebeest Mk III K4188 for the operation. During the attack the aircraft was seen to be flying at low level while attacking enemy vessels at the mouth of the River Mersin. It was shot down by an enemy fighter and was seen to be going down in flames before being lost to sight.
The fighters’ fire had killed the observer and the air gunner and had wounded Bruce Willmott in the right foot. The aircraft became out of control and he was forced to bale out and land in the sea where he was picked up by the destroyer HMS Thanet.
In a statement written on his release from prisoner of war camp in 1945, Warrant Officer Ivor Raymond Jones reported that: - “In the Endau operation on 26 January 1942, my aircraft was flying next to that of Sergeant Hay. As we peeled off, I saw Hay’s aircraft hit in the petrol tank. It was diving to the deck with a fine spray coming out of the petrol tank. I lost sight of the aircraft after that.”
The crew was: -
Flight Sergeant George Ewen (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Phillip Carlisle Hay RAAF (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Squadron Leader Bernard Bruce Willmott (Pilot) (Evaded)
His mother received the following telegram dated the 2nd of February 1942: - “Regret to inform you that your son Temporary Squadron Leader Bernard Bruce Willmott is reported missing as the result of air operations on 26th January 1942. All possible enquiries will be made and any information received will be communicated to you immediately. Should news of him reach you from any source please advise this department.”
6 Vildebeests and 2 Albacores had been shot down during the engagement with others being damaged and some of their crews wounded. The attacking force claimed to have sunk one enemy cruiser and two destroyers as well as hitting the transport ships of which one was set on fire. Casualties were caused among the Japanese troops both in their barges and on the beach. The enemy fighter escort had also suffered, losing twelve “Zeros” and with four more being damaged for the loss of two Hurricanes and one of the Buffaloes.
He was admitted to Alexandria Hospital at Singapore and was evacuated from the island on board the SS Empire Star during the first week of February. He was landed at Batavia from where he returned to England on board a hospital ship.
Small pieces of the wreckage and a Browning machine gun from his Vildebeest were found by an army search party in June 1946, about two miles into the jungle from the eight mile point of the Endau to Mersing Road. The bodies of his two crewmen were not found.
He transferred to the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve on the 2nd of June 1942.
He was married in Wales in 1943 to Marjorie (nee Penny) of “Homefield”, Brighstone on the Isle of Wight.
He was promoted to Wing Commander on the 1st of July 1944.
On the 26th of August 1944, 143 Squadron made eight attacks on enemy E-Boats and other shipping at Boulogne and in the Le Touquet area causing significant damage. The operation was codenamed “Operation Swingate”.
Bruce Willmott and his Observer, Pilot Flying Officer William Snowden, took off at 11.15pm that night in Beaufighter TFX NE772 as one of eleven aircraft from the Squadron for the operation. They were seen to make an attack on enemy shipping but failed to return and their fate is unknown.
His was one of two aircraft that were lost during the operation.
The Vice Admiral commanding Dover wrote to the Squadron the next day: - “A considerable number of E Boats were out during the night, but thanks to the efficient air effort none got through to our convoys. None even made contact with the protecting forces. The E Boats were so well plastered they abandoned the job!”
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 200.