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Fernham

Picture
The War Memorial hangs in the Church

FERNHAM
Roll of Honour

1914 – 1918

H Lovesey, Royal Berkshire Regt
R Richings, Royal Berkshire Regt
J Warner, Devonshire Regt

1939 – 1945

Cyril Webb, Royal Air Force
Mervyn Whales, Royal Tank Corps
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
The War Memorial hangs in the Church

The Fallen on the War Memorial WW1

Harry LOVESEY
Private, 2nd Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), 25 Brigade, 8th Division. Army no.  19737
He was killed in action on 1 July 1916 in the first day of fighting in the Battle of the Somme near the town of Albert. He was 21
He is remembered on pier & face 11D of the Thiepval Memorial
Additional Information
He was the son of Herbert and Mary Lovesey of Winterbourne Bassett. He was born in Fernham

R RICHINGS
Private, 8th Battalion, Royal Berkshire Regiment. Army no. 18937
He died of pneumonia on 25 February 1919.
He is buried on the west boundary of the churchyard of St John the Divine, Fernham
Additional Information
He was the husband of the late Polly Richings but I have failed to find any further detail.

John WARNER
Private, 13th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment. Army no. 28107. He had transferred to Army no. 172180 with 312th Home Service Company, Labour Corps
He died, probably of natural causes, on 8 February 1918
He is buried on the west boundary of the churchyard of St John the Divine, Fernham
Additional information
At the moment, his birthdate and details of his family remain to be uncovered.
312 Company was formed from the Devonshire Regiment. In 1918/9 it was stationed in Larkhill

The Fallen on the War Memorial WW2

Cyril Stanley WEBB
Sergeant, Flight Engineer, 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. RAFVR no 1629973
He died on active service, shot by his captors on 19 October 1944
He is buried in grave 2 G 14 Hanover War Cemetery
Additional information
On 14 October 1944, Lancaster I, serial number ME595 took off at 22.51 hours from RAF Skellingthorpe in Lincolnshire on what was to be the last major raid on Brunswick. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed near Reisberg at about 2.45 am. Flight engineer Sergeant Cyril Stanley Webb had bailed out of this, the only Lancaster to be lost on the raid.
He was taken prisoner by a road-mender Hermann Behrens who handed over to the local police who took him to the police station at Gross Schwulper. Word was sent to Major Dinge, Luftwaffe commander of the Fliegerhorst detachment at Volkenrode airfield.  He ordered Stabsfeldwebel Georg Gawliczek and Josef Bussem to collect the prisoner. Apparently he hinted strongly that the airman should not be brought back alive.
The two men set off on their motor-cycle combination to fulfil their orders. After they had taken custody of Sargeant Webb they stopped on the banks of the Mittelland Canal and pretended to urinate. As Sergeant Webb wandered about, his escort shot him and threw his body into the canal.
The Military Court did not believe that the prisoner was trying to escape. Dinge, Gawliczek and Bussem were hanged at Hamlin Prison on 14 November 1947.

Wilfred Mervyn WHALES
Trooper, Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps, part of the 8th Army (The Desert Rats). Army no. 7932904
He was probably killed in action in the very intense fighting which eventually broke through the German defences known as the Gustav Line. He died on 31 May 1944 less than a week before Rome was liberated. He was 38
He is buried in grave III K 14 Cassino War Cemetery
Additional Information
He was the son of William George and Kate Whales of Fernham


The Fallen in WW1 who are not on the War Memorial

James BAILEY
Serjeant, 5th (Service) Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment), 35 Brigade, 12th Division. Army no. 17946
He was killed in action on 18 October 1916 during the fighting at the Transloy Ridges.
He is buried in grave V J 6 Guards' Cemetery, Lesboeufs
Additional Information
He was living at Fernham when he enlisted

Albert Harry BROWN
Private, 2nd Battalion, The Duke of Edinburgh's (Wiltshire Regiment), 7 Brigade, 3rd Division. Army no. 8510
He was killed in action on 24 October 1914 in the Battle of La Bassée. He was 35
He is buried in grave XLIX C 1 Tyne Cot Cemetery
Additional Information
He was the son of Mr C H Brown of Fernham

Edward CHURCH
Gunner, 3rd Division Ammunition Column, Royal Field Artillery. Army no. 88801
He died, probably of natural causes, on 17 July 1916. He was 36
He is buried in grave VI X 8 Basra War Cemetery
Additional Information
He was the son of Mrs Elizabeth Church of Fernham

Albert Ernest KING
Private, 1st/4th Battalion, Princess Charlotte of Wales's (Royal Berkshire Regiment). Army no. 203187
He died from his wounds on 22 September 1918. He was 20
He is buried in to the north of the chancel in the churchyard of St Mary the Virgin, Little Coxwell.
Additional Information
He was the son of Albert King of Great Coxwell. He was born in Fernham

George Henry SANSUM
Private, 1st/1st Buckinghamshire Battalion (TF), The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, 50 Brigade, 15th Indian Division.  Army no. 33844. He was formerly Army no. M/1/07269 with the Army Service Corps.
He was killed in action on 1 November 1918. He was 40
He is buried in plot 2, row A, grave 4, Granezza British Cemetery, Italy
Additional Information
He was the son of Mrs Sansum of Woolstone, near Faringdon. When he enlisted, he was living at Fernham


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