Weymouth

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) Memorials at Weymouth Crematorium
Research by Richard Smith into the lives and deaths of the CWGC War Casualties cremated in Weymouth.

CWGC Memorials at Weymouth Crematorium

ALLEN John Frederick Woodward. Pilot Officer No. 42327 Royal Air Force.

Born in Hong Kong on 4th April 1921 son of Henry Woodward Allen, in World War One a 2nd Lieutenant with RAF (1918) and later a Company Director, and
his wife Mary Millicent Smith. He arrived with his mother into UK on 19th March 1923, and was appointed Acting Pilot Officer with RAF on 8th July
1939 and Pilot Officer on 6th January 1940. He was killed in action flying a Mark 1 Spitfire on 29th November when he crashed near Child Okeford, Dorset.

BEAUFOY Michael Henry. Sergeant Observer No. 1380675 Royal Air Force.

Born at Kensington, London in July 1922 son of Robert Harvey Beaufoy, a 2nd Lieutenant in London Regiment in World War One and later an Art Studio
Manager who died in 1925, and his wife Edna Irene May Crisp. He was the observer flying in a Bristol Blenheim fighter bomber Mark 4 on 9th June
1942 when returning from a night intruder sortie it suffered engine trouble. Despite ditching its bomb load it crashed near Fakenham, Norfolk
and Michael was killed. His probate to his widowed mother on 22nd August 1942 was for £124. 9s. 9d. and her address was The Chalet, Lyme Regis, Dorset.

BRITTON John Frederick. Gunner No.1836793 185 Battery 87th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Born at Rothwell, Yorkshire on 21st September 1903 son of Willy Britton a clay miner (brick making) and in WW1 a Sapper in Royal Engineers, and his
wife Lily Fowler. John married Phyllis Smith at Leeds in January 1927. His death was registered at Weymouth on 9th February 1943 and my suspicion is
that he was killed in action at his anti-aircraft battery during a German air raid on Portland or Weymouth. He was aged 39 and his probate to his
widow Phyllis at 175 Burley Wood Crescent, Leeds on 3rd June 1943 was for 3188.

CADDY Herbert Henry. Fireman No. 148583 Merchant Navy.

Born at Weymouth on 12th June 1881, son of Frederick Charles Caddy, a labourer who died in 1915, and his wife Mary Ann Wood who died in 1900. He
married Lily Minnie Bellringer at Weymouth in the summer of 1914, and in 1939 they were living at 4 Queensland Road, Weymouth. Herbert worked for
Great Western Railway on the steamer S.S. Roebuck and died as a result of enemy action on 25th June 1940 at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton.

CLARK Edward Sawle. Lt. Commander Headmaster Royal Navy HMS Victory IV.

Born at Ilfracombe, Devon on 12th December 1889 son of Joseph Edward Clark, a Master Mariner who died at sea in Mexico in 1891, and his wife Margaret
Sawle who died in 1906. On 9th October 1919 at Newport, Monmouthshire he married Olive Emily Thompson. He was a Schoolmaster R.N. (Warrant Rank) on
17th Nvember 1919, Senior Master on 10th May 1921, Headmaster Lt. on 1st January 1932, and Headmaster Lt. Cdr. on 1st January 1940. He died of unspecified illness at
the R N Auxiliary Hospital, Minterne Magna, Dorset on 10th November 1944, and his probate to his widow Olive on 26th March 1945 was for £860. 17s. 4d.
Their address was 39 Hengistbury Road, Southbourne, Bournemouth.

EMERSON Joan Doreen. Leading Wren No. 21414 Women's Royal Naval Service HMS Daedalus III.

Daughter of Thomas Wesley Emerson and Adele La Nicholas Hunt who married at St, Helier, Jersey on 2nd June 1923 and Joan was born on 18th September
1923. In 1939 Thomas was inn keeper at The Grove Inn, Grove, Portland. Joan died as a result of fatal injuries from a train accident at Kings
Cross Station, London on 4th March 1946 and her probate to her father Thomas on 25th February 1947 was £202. 17s. 11d.

FARMER Lewis Frederick George. Bombardier No. 801730 6 Battery 2nd Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery.

Born at Eastbourne, Sussex 13th December 1921 son of Lewis Farmer, a publican who died in 1928, and his wife Kate Holmes. Lewis Jnr. married
Alison Margaret Scott at Sturminster Newton, Dorset in January 1941 but died registered at Dorchester on 12th August 1943 - was it the result of illness
or enemy action? His widow Alison was living at Iwerne Minster, Dorset.

HALES Richard John. Warrant Officer 2nd Class No. 572757 Dorsetshire Regiment.

Born at Epsom, Surrey in October 1919 son of Sydney John Hales, a civil servant at the Admiralty, and his wife Constance Dorothy Bickers (nee
Marshall). Richard married Betty Kathleen Buck at Weymouth in October 1940 but died of unknown causes registered at Weymouth on 2nd November 1946. His
widow Betty was living at Osmington Mills, Weymouth.

HOLLAND Kenneth Christopher. Sergeant Pilot No. 754503 152 Squadron Royal Air Force.

Born in 1920 in New South Wales Australia son of Harold George Holland who was born in N.S.W. in 1891. On 30th July 1915 Harold had joined the
Australian Expeditionary Force No. 8868, and whilst in England he had married Ida Gladys Christopher at Weymouth in 1917. Kenneth was educated at
Randwick High School N.S.W. then travelled to England in the care of Major Hugh Ivor Emmett Ripley, his ward, who was ex Australian Police and no
doubt a friend of Kenneth's parents. He lived at Melorne, Camelford, Cornwall. Kenneth studied at Airspeed Aeronautical College in 1937/8 and
joined the RAFVR on 12th July 1939. Once he had completed flying training he joined 152 Squadron at Acklington, Northumberland flying Spitfire Mark
1s. He shared in destruction of a Junkers 88 on 17th Sept. 1940, and on the 19th shot another down into the sea, but on 25th September he was defending
a German attack on Bristol when he became engaged in a dog fight with a Heinkel 111. He set that on fire and it crashed, but he was shot in the
head and his Spitfire crashed near Combe Farm, Wolverton, near Frome Somerset. His probate granted to Hugh Ripley on 11th January 1941 was for £195.

INGHAM Edward Cunliffe. Squadron Leader No. 26201 RAF Gunnery School, Warmwell.

Born in Flintshire, Wales on 18th May 1910 son of Major Joshua Lister Ingham and his wife Violet Warburton Lee. He married Pamela Mary
Barrington of Minety, Wiltshire at Chippenham, Wiltshire in July 1937. On 2nd April 1940 he was flying a Boulton Paul Defiant from Warmwell on a
camera gun exercise when engine failure caused a forced landing at Warmwell in which Edward was killed - he was aged 30. His probate to his widow
Pamela on 6th December 1940 was for £11,987, 15s. 3d. His brother 2nd Lieutenant Philip Coster Ingham was killed at Tournai, France six weeks
later on 21st May, serving with the Oxon. and Bucks Light Infantry.

ORAM William Philip. Signalman No. 2365059 Royal Corps of Signals.

Born at Weymouth on 23rd November 1907 son of George William Ingham, a hairdresser who died in 1934, and his wife Susan Louisa Stone - they had
married at Melcombe Regis on 11th Sept. 1895. William married Olive May Golden at Melcombe Regis in October 1933. He died of unknown cause on 4th
October 1946, and his probate to his Widow Olive on 6th December 1946 was for £349. 6s. 2d. Their address was12 Hanover Road, Weymouth.

POWER Jeffery William Midshipman Fleet Air Arm HMS Heron.

Born in South Africa in 1923 son of Walter Henry Power and his wife Annie Elizabeth Parkins. Was a temporary midshipman in F. A. A. from 8th December
1940. On 27th May 1943 flying a Sea Hurricane Mark 1b from Yeovilton, Somerset with 759 Squadron he flew into a hillside during formation flying
practice and was killed near Shepton Mallet, Somerset. His father may have died in South Africa in 1941.

SAUNDERS Arthur Walter. Aircraftman 2nd Class No. 410295 Royal Air Force.

Born at Lambeth, Surrey in March 1889, son of Arthur Edmund Saunders, a waiter, and his wife Elizabeth Jane Adames whom he married at Southampton
in January 1912. First enrolled in the RAF 12th November 1914. He died on 11th November 1947 aged 58 in Weymouth, cause not known, and his probate to
his widow Ada on 28th November 1962 was for £1,000. Her address then was 120 Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth.

SUTCLIFFE Arthur. Company Quarter Master Sergeant No. D/11203 6th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (Home Defence Force).

Born at Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire on 2nd October 1886 son of John Whitham Sutcliffe, a commercial traveller in the cotton trade who died 30th November
1936, and his wife Elizabeth Ann Shaw whom he had married at Halifax, Yorkshire in 1886. Arthur married Alice Greenwood at Todmorden, Yorkshire
in July 1917 and appears in RAF records on 13th December 1917 No. 243653. In 1939 they were living at 'Holme Lea' 3 Marina Gardens, Rodwell,
Weymouth, and Arthur died at Corfe Hill Meadows, Weymouth, cause not known, on 11th January 1940 aged 55. His probate to Alice and anor. on 8th April
1940 was for £6,308. 11s. 1d.

WEST James Rowland. Captain M.C., B.A., Ph.D., 5th Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment (Home Guard) - previously Berkshire Yeomanry No. 2365.

Born at Alton, Hampshire in March 1895, son of Harry James Albert West, a Grocer's Manager in 1901 who died in 1930, and his wife Annie Maria Stuart
who died in 1942. I have not found more about James' Army service or how he was awarded the Military Cross, I suspect that was in World War One. He
married Florence Mary Bird at Basingstoke, Hampshire in October 1922. On 13th April 1942 he was amongst other military guests at a live firing
exercise at Imber on Salisbury Plain where Hurricane aircraft would be firing at ground targets - it was a rehearsal for a later visit by Winston
Churchill. Sadly one pilot was distracted by the glare of the sun and fired on the assembled guests, and 27 were killed including James, and many more
were injured. His probate to his brother Harry Maurice West on 12th September 1942 was granted for £4,761. 4s. 11d. His address quoted was
654 Dorchester Road, Upwey, Weymouth.

WRIGHT Brian Digby. Sapper No. 1909875 Royal Engineers.

Born at Weymouth on 19th September 1927 son of Norman Whittaker Wright, a company director who in WW1 had served in R.N.V.R. No. MB 2097, and his
wife Dorothy Digby. Brian died at The Infirmary, Salisbury, cause not known, on 19th November 1947. His probate to his father on 30th January
1948 was for £418. 6s 7d. The family address was 13 Grosvenor Road, Weymouth.

15 February 2025

Richard Smith

orchidgrower@btinternet.com

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