Kimberworth, St Thomas Church - Part 2
Victor Ronald Sutton - 528254
Victor Ronald Sutton was born in Sidcup, Kent on 26 July 1917 to Frederick A Sutton and Elsie B (nee Martin). He was married in the second quarter of 1940 in East Glamorgan to Lily Porter, a WAAF who had been born in Rotherham and lived at 63 Wilton Lane.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force, service number 528254, and became a pilot with the rank of Sergeant. Victor served with 142 Squadron which flew the Vickers Wellington from Binbrook, Lincolnshire. On the night of 30/31 July 1941 he was second pilot on Wellington mk II serial number W5364 coded QT-H on a mission to Cologne. The aircraft was airborne at 00:01 from Binbrook and crashed at02:56 on heath land in the Ashdown Forest near Nutley, 5 miles NNW of Uckfield, Sussex. The bomber struck the ground at a slightly nose down attitude with the port engine feathered. Victor Ronald Sutton had turned 24 five days previous and was buried in Deptford (Brockley) Cemetery. Note A memorial has been erected at the crash site in Ashdown Forest. |
Ambrose Laurence Johnson
© IWM (A 5826) Officers and ratings who were decorated for the part they played in the sinking of the BISMARCK, in front of a Fairey Swordfish aircraft. Left to right: Lieutenant P D Gick, RN, awarded DSC; Lieutenant Commander Eugene Esmonde, RN, awarded DSO; Sub Lieutenant V K Norfolk, RN, awarded DSC; A/PO Air L D Sayer awarded DSM; A/Ldg Air A L Johnson, awarded DSM.
Joseph Frederick Hutton - 7371270
Joseph Frederick Hutton was born in Rotherham in the third quarter of 1917. Was married in the second quarter of 1940 and lived at 358 South St, Holmes. Educated at Borough Collegiate School. Member of Kimberworth TOC-H. Had a grocer business at
124 Masbro St, the home of his parents. Employed by Corporation Transport Dept prior to enlisting in February 1940 and was a Corporal in the Royal Army Medical Corps, service number 7371270. Served on the South Coast assisting Dunkirk survivors, and then later served in Burma and died on 27 May 1942. He was 24 years old and was buried in Imphal War Cemetery. |
Alan Ashby Applegate - 1425580
Alan Ashby Applegate was born on 18 March 1923, first of two children to Alfred Applegate and Kate (nee Duke), of 54 Ewers Road, Kimberworth, Rotherham. He was
educated at Kimberworth Central School and then Rotherham Technical College, before being employed by the glassmakers Beatson Clark & Co Ltd, Rotherham.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1941 and was given service number 1425580. For his advance training Alan was posted to United States and received his wings there. Alan Applegate was a Flight Sergeant with 153 Squadron in North Africa and the Mediterranean. He was a pilot flying the Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI aircraft as a night fighter and on intruder duties. He was reported missing from a mission on 8 March 1944. He had taken off, with Flt Sgt John Carlton Wesley Marshall (1318746) as navigator/radio operator, at 18:20 in Beaufighter V8872 for a convoy patrol with ‘Mumsie’ (Ground-Controlled Interception Radar). The missing status was eventually reported as believe killed, at the age of 20. Alan Applegate’s name appears on the Malta Memorial Panel 14, Column 1. The memorial commemorates almost 2,300 airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of
the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa,Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
educated at Kimberworth Central School and then Rotherham Technical College, before being employed by the glassmakers Beatson Clark & Co Ltd, Rotherham.
He enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in 1941 and was given service number 1425580. For his advance training Alan was posted to United States and received his wings there. Alan Applegate was a Flight Sergeant with 153 Squadron in North Africa and the Mediterranean. He was a pilot flying the Bristol Beaufighter Mk VI aircraft as a night fighter and on intruder duties. He was reported missing from a mission on 8 March 1944. He had taken off, with Flt Sgt John Carlton Wesley Marshall (1318746) as navigator/radio operator, at 18:20 in Beaufighter V8872 for a convoy patrol with ‘Mumsie’ (Ground-Controlled Interception Radar). The missing status was eventually reported as believe killed, at the age of 20. Alan Applegate’s name appears on the Malta Memorial Panel 14, Column 1. The memorial commemorates almost 2,300 airmen who lost their lives during the Second World War whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying from bases in Austria, Italy, Sicily, islands of
the Adriatic and Mediterranean, Malta, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, West Africa,Yugoslavia and Gibraltar, and who have no known grave.
George Francis Johnson - P/MX 124965
George Francis Johnson was the son of George Johnson and Gertrude (nee Farrington). George was in the Army and George Francis was born overseas.
He enlisted in the Royal Navy and became a Petty Officer Motor Mechanic on motor torpedo boats. On the dark moonless night of 6/7 April 1945 the conditions were ideal for a surprise attack. With, the war was drawing to a close six German E-Boats sped from the Hook of Holland towards the Humber Estuary to make a final gesture of defiance in what would be the last naval in coastal waters. The striking force was detected off the Humber estuary by the radar of the frigate Cubitt which along with HMS Rutherford fired upon the E-boats fired upon them. HMS Cubitt then directed MTB’s 5001 and 781 to intercept the German boats. As 5001 steered west into the darkness, he sighted the enemy in column at right angles across his bows. MTB 781 just missed ramming the nearest E-boat and, passing close astern, raked the enemy with gunfire. 5001 broke through the enemy's line, exchanging fire with E-boats to port and starboard before turning to engage at close range. Although badly damaged, the German boats returned fire, hitting MTB 5001, which caught fire and blew up, causing casualties. MTB 781 then skilfully manoeuvred bow-on in order to avoid the flames of the wreck, and 5001’s commander and his surviving crew were able to step aboard. George Francis Johnson died as a result of the sinking, he is remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He was 23 years old and his wife gave birth to their first child, a daughter, a few months later. Notes
The other casualties of MTB 5001 were: Able Seaman Albert W Gough - D/JX 306983, Died Of Wounds Able Seaman Robert W Hooker - P/JX 327207, Died Of Wounds The fleeing E-boats of the German 2nd Schnellboot Flotilla were intercepted by 22nd MTB Flotilla, who had been directed onto them by a radar equipped Wellington aircraft. The E-Boats were in the following order: S174 (Lieut Stohwasser), S176 (Lieut Stockfleth), S177 (Lieut Bosenuik), S209 (Lieut Neugebaum), S210 (Lieut Wiesheit) and S221 (Lieut Schneider), the action resulted in two of them being sunk. |