The Men on the

War Memorials

World War 2 1939-1945

Not on memorial but had a village connection

AYLES BERTIE

1911 - 1941

Died: 19/12/1941

Age:30

Rank: Petty Officer

Service: Royal Navy

H.M.S. Tamar, Naval Base in Hong Kong

Country died/cemetery or memorial: United Kingdom; PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL; Panel 45, Column 2.

Son of Mable Charity Ayles; Husband of Stella Alice Ayles, of Westham, Weymouth.

Report in the Dorset Daily Echo 10.1.1942

PO Bert Ayles, 30, killed in action. Bert joined the Navy in 1927. His Mother and step-father live in Laurel Terrace, Upwey.

Escape from Hong Kong - The Final Hours By Lt Laurence Dudley Kilbee HKRNVR 2nd MTB Flotilla

L D Kilbee 1915 - 2006

The Battle of Hong Kong (8-25 December 1941), also known as the Fall of Hong Kong, was one of the first battles of the Pacific campaign of World War II. On the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbour, forces of the Empire of Japan invaded British Hong Kong and met the stiff resistance of its garrison, composed of local troops as well as British, Canadian and Indian units. In less than a week the defenders abandoned the mainland, and less than two weeks later, with their position on the island untenable, the colony surrendered.

19th December: During the night and early hours enemy troops began landing in the North Point area. MTB's ordered to attack enemy landing craft. MTB's 07, and 09 led the attack, sinking one landing craft, and inflicting heavy casualties on a number of other enemy craft. 07 was hit twice in the engine room, killing a stoker, and the telegrapher who took his place. Both boats returned to base. MTB's 11, and 12 were next in, 11 withdrew but 12 pressed on and received a direct hit on the conning tower, killing the C. O. Lieut Colls H.K.R.N.V.R., and the 1st Lieut, Sub Lt G. McGill H.K.R.N.V.R. MTB 12 was last seen crashing into the sea wall on the Kowloon side. MTB's 10, 26, and 27 ordered to return to base. For some reason or other 26 missed the signal, and continued the attack. 26 was last seen stopped under heavy fire from the enemy and became a total loss. C.O. Lieut D. Wagstaff and Sub. Lt J. Eager and crew presumed killed. (Subsequently confirmed)

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Baring-Gould Benjamin Gordon

Approx. 1919 - 1941

Died: 07/02/1941

Age 22

Rank: Pilot Officer, '88441'

Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Country died/cemetery or memorial: United Kingdom, WORCESTER (ASTWOOD) CEMETERY, Grave 34864.

Worcester (Astwood) Cemetery contains 95 scattered burials from the First World War. There are also 46 Second World War burials, some of them forming a small plot, and 13 war graves of other nationalities.

Son of Julian and Elizabeth Joan Baring-Gould, of Weymouth.

Brother of Jasper who also lost his life in November 1941 - see below

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Baring-Gould Jasper Julian

Approx. 1920 - 1941

Died: 25/11/1941

Age 21

Rank: Trooper

Regiment: Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C., 42nd (23rd Bn. The London Regt.)

Service Number: '7891674'

Country died/cemetery or memorial: Egypt, HALFAYA SOLLUM WAR CEMETERY, Coll. grave 19. H. 1-4.

Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, approximately 12 kilometres from the Libyan border, is adjacent to Halfaya Pass, the scene of heavy fighting in 1941 and 1942. All of the graves in the cemetery were brought in from the surrounding area, including military cemeteries at Sidi-Barrani, Buq Buq, Fort Capuzzo, Bardia, Minquar el Zannan, and Camerons Burial Ground at Nibeiwa. The cemetery now contains 2,046 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, of which 238 are unidentified.

The campaign in the Western Desert was fought between the Commonwealth forces (with, later, the addition of two brigades of Free French and one each of Polish and Greek troops) all based in Egypt, and the Axis forces (German and Italian) based in Libya. The battlefield, across which the fighting surged back and forth between 1940 and 1942, was the 1,000 kilometres of desert between Alexandria in Egypt and Benghazi in Libya. It was a campaign of manoeuvre and movement, the objectives being the control of Mediterranean, the link with the east through the Suez Canal, the Middle East oil supplies and the supply route to Russia through Persia.

Son of Julian and Elizabeth Joan Baring-Gould, of Weymouth.

Brother of Benjamin who also lost his life in February 1941 - see above.

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Barnes John Archibald

c.1916 - 1942

Date of Death: 19/11/1942

Age: 26

Rank: Lieutenant190696

Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery, attd Royal Indian Army Service Corps

Country died/cemetery or memorial: Pakistan, KARACHI WAR CEMETERY, - Grave Reference 4. D. 12.

KARACHI WAR CEMETERY was created to receive Second World War graves from civil and cantonment cemeteries scattered throughout northern Pakistan where their permanent maintenance could not be assured.

John's parents, Archibald Walter George and Eveline Vaughan Evitt Barnes lived at Colenso, 675 Dorchester Road. Archibald worked at The Verne at Portland.

John died at the Military Hospital, Abbottabad, India. Just 4 months later, his brother Robert Barnes also died. One brother died of an infection and the other as a result of an accident, he was crushed whilst on ship.

The Barnes family lived next door to the Peachell's who also lost a son

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 27 JUNE, 1941Regular Army Emergency Commissions - Cadets to be Lieutenants from 7 June 1941 - John Archibald Barnes

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Barnes Robert Walter

c.1916 - 1943

Date of Death: 28/03/1943

Age: 26

Rank: Lieutenant 167164

Regiment/Service: Pioneer Corps

Country died/cemetery or memorial: Iran, TEHRAN WAR CEMETERY Grave Reference 1. C. 15.

The War Cemetery was built in 1962. There are now 412 Commonwealth burials of the 1914-1918 war, 13 of which are unidentified, commemorated in this site. There are 152 Commonwealth burials of the 1939-1945 war commemorated here. In addition there are also 14 non world war burials and 25 Foreign National burials.

Robert's parents, Archibald Walter George and Eveline Vaughan Evitt Barnes lived at Colenso, 675 Dorchester Road. Archibald worked at The Verne at Portland.

Just 4 months before, his brother John Barnes had died. One brother died of an infection and the other as a result of an accident, he was crushed whilst on ship.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 4 MARCH, 1941 - 2nd Lieu from 12 January 1941

The Barnes family lived next door to the Peachell's who also lost a son

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Challen Arthur Henry

Approx. 1918 - 1941

Died: 01/04/1941

Age 23

Rank: Leading Aircraftman, '906477'

Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 152 Sqdn.

Country died/cemetery or memorial: United Kingdom, BROADWEY CHURCH CEMETERY, N.E. Part. Row 27. Grave 8.

Husband of Gladys May Challen, of 390 Dorchester Road. Son of Henry T. and Madeline Challen of Radipole

Dorset Daily Echo 7.4.41:

Died on Active Service - Broadwey Funeral of Mr AH Challen

Friends of Leading Aircraftman Arthur Henry Challen, only son of Mr & Mrs HT Challen of Radipole, whose death occurred whilst on active service, gathered in large numbers at his funeral at Broadwey on Sat 5.4.41. The RAF accorded military honours and comrades of Aircraftman Challen acted as bearers. The service was conducted by Rev. Walder. Immediate mourners were: Mrs Challen (widow); Mr & Mrs HT Challen (parents); Mr G Hobbs (fatherinlaw); Miss Lucy Challen and Mrs Nunn (sisters)

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World War 2 1939 -45

Broadwey

Clifford C

No info at present

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World War 2 1939 -45

Upwey

Crocker (Walter) Cecil

8.09. 1914 - 1943

Died: 06/11/1943

Age 29

Rank: Signalman '6028953'

Regiment: Royal Corps of Signals, 88 Field Regt., R.A. Sig. Sec

Country died/cemetery or memorial: Myanmar, THANBYUZAYAT WAR CEMETERY, B6. U. 1.

The notorious Burma-Siam railway, built by Commonwealth, Dutch and American prisoners of war, was a Japanese project driven by the need for improved communications to support the large Japanese army in Burma. During its construction, approximately 13,000 prisoners of war died and were buried along the railway. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 civilians also died in the course of the project, chiefly forced labour brought from Malaya and the Dutch East Indies, or conscripted in Siam (Thailand) and Burma (Myanmar).

Two labour forces, one based in Siam and the other in Burma worked from opposite ends of the line towards the centre. The Japanese aimed at completing the railway in 14 months and work began in October 1942. The line, 424 kilometres long, was completed by December 1943.

The graves of those who died during the construction and maintenance of the Burma-Siam railway (except for the Americans, whose remains were repatriated) were transferred from camp burial grounds and isolated sites along the railway into three cemeteries at Chungkai and Kanchanaburi in Thailand and Thanbyuzayat in Myanmar.

Thanbyuzayat became a prisoner of war administration headquarters and base camp in September 1942 and in January 1943 a base hospital was organised for the sick. The camp was close to a railway marshalling yard and workshops, and heavy casualties were sustained among the prisoners during Allied bombing raids in March and June 1943. The camp was then evacuated and the prisoners, including the sick, were marched to camps further along the line where camp hospitals were set up. For some time, however, Thanbyuzayat continued to be used as a reception centre for the groups of prisoners arriving at frequent intervals to reinforce the parties working on the line up to the Burma-Siam border.

Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery was created by the Army Graves Service who transferred to it all graves along the northern section of the railway, between Moulmein and Nieke.

Walter Cecil, son of Charles and Louise Crocker (nee Vine), of Upwey, Dorset, was baptised at Upwey 15.12.1914

Charles (a widow) age 39 and Louise age 33 married 18 April 1911

Charles also lost a son in WW1 - Charlie Maurice died 16.11.18 age 24

Dorset Daily Echo 26.4.1943

'Upwey Woman hears from Prisoner Son'

There was good news in the post on Good Friday for Mrs Crocker. In March 1942 she was notified that her son Cecil, serving in the Army in the Far East, was missing, but that he might be a prisoner of war. Although well over a year had passed with no further news Mrs Crocker had not given up hope and on Friday she was delighted to receive a letter from her son stating that he was a prisoner of war in Japanese hands. Mr Crocker was very popular in Upwey where he was a former honorary secretary for the Reading Room Club. In normal times he is a clerk at Dorset County Council in Dorchester.

Dorset Daily Echo 10.2.1945

'Died while in Jap Hands - Upwey man was taken at Singapore'

Mrs C Crocker of 3 Elwell Street, Upwey has been informed by the War Office that her younger son Walter Cecil Crocker, Royal Corps Signals, has died while a prisoner of war in Japanese hands.

The letter stated that the information concerning his death was received during interrogation of ex-prisoners of war from the Far East, but that no confirmation of the report had been received from Japanese sources and no other details were available.

It states that Japanese authorities have been urged on numerous occasions to give up-to-date information regarding prisoners of war in their hands and an urgent request for reports on individuals who are stated to have died as prisoners of war has already been sent to the Japanese authorities. Mrs Crocker will be informed directly if any further details are received.

A native of Upwey, Signallar Crocker was educated at Upwey School and later at Weymouth Grammar School. Before joining up in 1940 he was a clerk in the health department of Dorset County Council. He was sent overseas in 1941 and was taken prisoner at the fall of Singapore.

There is another son, Howard, who is a gunner serving with the Royal Artillery in Italy.

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World War 2 1939 -45

Upwey

Dibben Ernest Claude

1903 - 1942

Died: 07/12/1942

Age : 39

Rank: Warrant Officer Class II, '7872628'

Regiment: Royal Armoured Corps

Country died/cemetery or memorial: United Kingdom, UPWEY (St Laurence) CHURCHYARD

Son of Arthur Ernest and Florence Louise Dibben; Husband of Isabel Susan Dibben, of Weymouth.

Married Isabel Susan Foot on 9 June 1930, Ernest came from Kent and was in the 3rd Battalion of the Tank Corps

From the Dibben family:

Ernest Claude Dibben, known to all as Claude, died on 7 December 1942 whilst a Squadron Sergeant Major in the Royal Armoured Corp. He was a career soldier and, at the time of his death had served in the Army for 22 years including 5 years overseas.

Claude was born in Dorchester, where his father, Arthur Ernest Dibben, owned and ran an iron mongers shop in South Street for 30 years. Arthur Dibben was also the founder and conductor of the Broadwey Choral Society, and it was in Broadwey that the family made their home.

Claude joined the Army in 1921, when he was 17, although his service record and recruitment papers show him as 18. He almost certainly exaggerated his age, perhaps in search of adventure. He listed his occupation on joining as 'engineer' and had previously worked at Channon's garage in Dorchester. He entered service in the 4th Battalion of the Royal Tank Corp as a Private.

By early 1925 Claude was a Lance Corporal and was posted to what was then India with the 2nd Armoured Car Company. Here his unit served in Waziristan, part of the Tribal Are of what is now Pakistan, just over the border from Afganistan. At the end of 1929, after 5 years in Asia, Claude returned to Britain and married his fiancé, Isabel (Betty) Foot from Bincombe. They went on to have a son and daughter. Claude continued his service, first with the 3rd Battalion Royal Armoured Corp and then 58th Training Regiment of the Royal Tank Regiment. He was posted to various locations in England.

By the time he died in 1942, Claude was on extra-regimental duties with the Royal Army Ordnance Corp and attached to testing facilities linked to Tank factories in Gloucestershire and lastly High Wycombe. He died from a heart attack linked to a head injury in December 1942.

His widow, Betty, never remarried and was a teacher at St Nicholas School, Broadwey for 20 years.

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World War 2 1939 -45

Upwey

Dominey Donald Walter

14.03.1905 - 1944

Died: 28/05/1944

Age 39

Buried at St Laurence Church Upwey on 1 June 1944

Lived: 8 Gould's Hill, Upwey

Civilian War Dead - belonged to the ARP Rescue Service

Killed by enemy action in Melcombe Avenue, Weymouth.

Worked as a gardener/market gardener

Baptised at St Laurence Church 30.04.1905

Dorset Echo report 29 May 1944

'Hospital hit in south coast town raid'

High explosives and incendiary bombs fell on a south coast town in the early hours of yesterday morning (28.5.44). One bomb started a fire in the out patients department of the hospital and another set fire to a church. A rescue party who were hurrying to their post were caught in one explosion and some of them were killed.

http://www.ageuk.org.uk/dorchester/dorsets-living-memories/at-war/we-will-remember-them/

Only a week before D-Day on 28 May 1944, with Weymouth and Portland packed with military, people and ships, Weymouth had its last raid, this hit the hospital, luckily there were no casualties, but 3 members of the rescue party on the way to the hospital were killed by the last bomb to be dropped on Weymouth.

Dorset Echo report 2 June 1944

'Memorial Service to Three Weymouth Men - Their Proud Example of Devotion to Duty'

Moving tributes were paid at a memorial service at St Mary's Church yesterday afternoon (1.6.44) to MessrsJohn Dinsdale of Chickerell; Donald Walter Dominey of Gould's Hill, Upwey and Jack Leach of Weymouth.

Accommodation in the church was taxed to the limit and hundreds of townspeople lined St Mary Street to pay a last tribute of respect ; as the funeral procession wended its way from the College Chapel in Dorchester Rd to the parish church. Civil defence personnel lined the street in the vicinity of the church.

The coffins, each draped with a Union Jack, were borne on separate tenders. The bearers were Messers Beale; Bull; Bugler; Stevens; Ellis; Hutchings; Bowdidge; Godden; Bailey; Haines; Jolliffe; Acutt; CP Taylor; Penberthy; Docksey; W Roberts; Tett and R Rogers. Messrs J Meech, W Chilcott and F Stone accompanied the three parties of family mourners.

Among the official tributes were wreaths from Whiteheads; St John Ambulance Brigade; Warden's Services; 5th Battalion Dorset Home Guard; Civil Defence Rescue and Casualty service; County ARP.

Donald Dominey was interred in Upwey churchyard, the service being conducted by Rev AS Bryant. Family mourners were GP Dominey; Frank Dominey; Percy Dominey; Reginald Dominey (brothers). Mrs Nicholls; Mrs Rose Hargraves and Miss Agnes Dominey (sisters). Mr G Nicholls and Mr T Hargraves (brothers-in-law). Mrs P Dominey and MrsR Dominey (sisters-in-law) and Mrs Joan Northover (neice).

Members of a special mourning party present were: Messrs RW Miller; W Chilcott; E Chilcott; W Morris (with Mrs Morris); H Smith; J Scriven; F Williams; R Parker and H Kaile.

Others present were: Councillor OW Baker; Mrs Howell; Mrs Smart; Mrs J Ward; Mrs Tizard; Miss Tizard; Mrs Cooke; Mrs Bryant; Mr & Mrs F Brett; Mrs Saunt; Miss Stokes; Mrs Carter; Mrs Loveless; Mrs Scott; FG Walker; Mrs EW Willis; Mr T Fellowes; Mrs White; RC Pitcher; Mrs Pitcher; Mrs Chalker; Mrs Dowden; Mrs Wakeley.

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