Remembrance Day - Remembering a local war grave

[REF]

Heres some info for you REF http://www.cwgc.org/search/casualty_...sualty=2720590

Thanks Martin, it would be good to know how and where he died, the cwgc site doesn't list that info sadly.

[DG1]

Thanks Martin, it would be good to know how and where he died, the cwgc site doesn't list that info sadly.

REF Might be something here.
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a...b554_2&cid=6#6

The 9th battalion came into exsistence the same month as he died, and as it was a home defence Battalion. I can only think that he was killed in an air raid or training execise.

In August 1939 the 6th (Home Defence) Battalion was formed: this was divided in November 1940 into the 1/6th and 2/6th Battalions. The 2/6th became the 9th Battalion in December 1940 (see section L); the 1/6th became the 30th Battalion in December 1941 (see section R) and merged with the 31st (formerly 9th) Battalion in December 1942.

[REF]

Thanks DG1, I will check it out and see what I can find.

[Southend Spitfire]

In St Laurence Church graveyard Eastwood is the grave of a pilot, Sgt Roy Henry Mark Crook ( Service No.905218 ) son of Henry and Mabel Lucy Crook, husband of Dorothy Evelyn Crook of Leigh-on-Sea.

RHM Crook died aged 25 years of age on 17th March 1941 when the Airspeed Oxford Mk1 (N4572) he was flying in crashed north of Wolverton Station near Haversham in Buckinghamshire. He was on a night flight with his pupil Gregory William Lygo ( Service No.927860 ) who also perished in this crash aged 19. Lygo lies buried at St Helen Graveyard, Gumley, Leicestershire.

The Oxford belonged to 14 Flight Training School based at RAF Cranfield.

[jack russell]

Sgt William Reeve lies in St Mary's Churchyard, Orston, Notts. He was killed on the 28th Sept 1943 along with P/O G M Hargrave and F/S G E Penny. 57 Sqn Lancaster 111 ED941 DX-V. The four other crew members survived. Description from the Bomber Command Losses book, 'on return from Hanover, the crew landed at Waterbeach airfield, Cambridgeshire. In the late afternoon eye witnesses reported the Lancaster approaching base, but while preparing to land both port engines cut and the bomber crashed on the N side of East Kirkby airfield'. In 1999 I was asked by the second husband of William Reeve's widow to take her to East Kirkby to see if we could fill in any gaps in what she knew about this tragic accident.

Little did we know some of the eye witnesses were Harold and Fred Panton, who saw this accident from the school playground. Needless to say being the wonderful pair they are they took the time from the Museum to take us to the crash site and also to the Church where he laid overnight following the accident, and to tell her as much as they could about what happened. The rose bowl is the small memorial to him in the Church at Orston
Attachment 8216 Attachment 8217

[airfields man]

A few that I took today at Moreton in Marsh. Just down towards the town from the old airfield/Fire Station. There are about 10 Canadian graves, 3 Australian, 4 New Zealand and the rest RAF.

A few more that I took last week.

[alanweedon]

I was serving at RAF Bawdsey from April 1963 to August 1966. I can remember and explain the mystery of the two deaths. Most of it is conjecture, but the story fits the facts.

The two young men had been drinking in Felixstowe town, and arriving back at Felixstowe ferry jetty, they realised they had missed the last ferry, run by Charlie Brinkley.

The two young men then found a small rowing boat, with oars but missing the rowlocks. They tried to row across the river Deben, but the ebbing tide made a strong current and their boat was taken downstream and out to sea. They decided to swim from the boat and drowned.

The boat was found empty the next day and the two bodies were found two days and five days later. They were given a military funeral and were buried at Bawdsey church.

[REF]

I was serving at RAF Bawdsey from April 1963 to August 1966. I can remember and explain the mystery of the two deaths. Most of it is conjecture, but the story fits the facts.

The two young men had been drinking in Felixstowe town, and arriving back at Felixstowe ferry jetty, they realised they had missed the last ferry, run by Charlie Brinkley.

The two young men then found a small rowing boat, with oars but missing the rowlocks. They tried to row across the river Deben, but the ebbing tide made a strong current and their boat was taken downstream and out to sea. They decided to swim from the boat and drowned.

The boat was found empty the next day and the two bodies were found two days and five days later. They were given a military funeral and were buried at Bawdsey church.

Thanks for the info Alan, interesting, yet sad story.