Fernham
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 |
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 |