Chetwyn, William Edwin
William and George were born to Thomas Chetwyn, a shoe maker, and Sarah Ann (nee Powell). There were 9 children in total – William Edwin 1877 Elizabeth R 1879 Ada SA 1881 May 1883 Tom 1886· George Stephen 1889 James 1891 Harry 1893 Frank 1895 In 1881 census the family lived at 51 Carden St., […]
Brawn, Bernard John
Son of Harold and Phyliss Brawn. Gateway School 1935-1940. Flight Engineer Sergeant Brawn was one of the crew of Halifax DT482 that took off from RAF Lindholme at 20:35 hours on the 24th March 1944. The aircraft was on a night circuits and landing exercise when it crashed near the airfield at 21:12 hours and […]
Bramley, Gordon Bernard
Son of Bernard and May Bramley. Gateway School 1935-37. Gordon Bramley joined the Royal Navy in 1939, and served on the sloop HMS Flamingo before being transferred to the corvette HMS Salvia. On the 24th December 1941 HMS Salvia was escorting convoy TA-5 from Tobruk in Libya to Alexandria in Egypt. All 106 members of […]
Bonner, Frederick Raymond
Son of Harry and Mabel Bonner. Gateway School 1932-37. In order to meet the need for pilots for both the Royal Air Force and the Fleet Air Arm, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) was set up, and Leading Airman Frederick Bonner was sent to Canada. After an initial 10-week course, he was selected […]
Bilney, Dennis Champness
Son of Mrs F. S. Champness. Gateway School 1932-36. Corporal Bilney’s battalion was part of the 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden, the attempt to seize the bridges over the major rivers in the Netherlands. On the 17th September 1944, the battalion was transported to Arnhem over two days in Horsa gliders from RAF […]
Beresford, Eric Stanton
Son of Daniel and Alice Beresford. Gateway School 1930-33. There 80 CWGC graves in Saffron Hill Cemetery. Aircraftman Beresford died of natural causes at Cardiff Royal Infirmary. He is buried in Saffron Hill Cemetery, Leicester, Section D. Grave 96.
Bentley, George Arthur
Son of Charles and Bertha Bentley. Husband of Margaret Bentley. Gateway School 1929-34 Operation Varsity was designed to gain a foothold across the River Rhine in western Germany. It began on the 24th March 1945, led by the British 6th Airborne Division (which, at the time, included the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion), and the US […]
Bentley, Alan Frank
Son of Frederick and Emmie Bentley. Gateway School 1931-34. Wireless Operator/Air Gunner In addition to bombing targets in Germany and occupied Europe, Bomber Command aircraft also carried out mine-laying operations in coastal waters. These were referred to as ‘gardening’ operations by the aircrews. Sergeant Bentley was one of the crew of Lancaster W4177 that failed […]
Barratt, Arthur
Son of Nellie Elizabeth Barratt and Stepson of Bertie Simpson. Gateway School 1934-38. Sergeant (Navigator/Bomb Aimer) 13 Squadron gave air support to the American 5th Army and British 8th Army fighting in the Italian campaign. It was engaged mainly on night operations intended to hinder, and as far as possible prevent, the movement of reinforcements […]
Barnacle, Walter Ronald
Son of David and Maud Barnacle. Gateway School 1930. Walter Barnacle enlisted on the 15th November 1939, and served in India before his battalion was posted to Malaya. In December 1941 the battalion was attempting to slow down the Japanese invasion of that country. Because of the heavy casualties it had sustained during the early […]
Bakewell, Vernon
Gateway School 1929-33. In October 1941 the 135th Field Regiment travelled to Canada on the Polish ship Sobieski. On arrival in Halifax, the regiment transferred to the American troopship USS Mount Vernon, which departed on the 10th November 1941 for the Middle East. While in a stopover at Capetown, South Africa, the final destination was […]
Yeates, Percy Edward
Percy was born on 13.12.1876 in Droitwich, Worcestershire to Joseph Yeates, a boot and shoe maker, and Louisa (nee Bayliss). They had 6 known children – Mary Ann 1862 Alfred 1867 Henry A 1868 Susan 1870 Arthur 1874 Percy Edward 1876 In 1881 census the family lived in Broad Lane, Elmbridge, Droitwich. In 1891 census […]