Rotherham Grammar School - Moorgate - Panel 3
Leslie James Coles - 1493989
Eric Arthur Duke - 1118364
Eric Arthur Duke was born in Rotherham
in the second quarter of 1920 to Arthur Duke and his wife of four years Jessie (nee
Bainbridge). When his father died in 1933 the family were living at 51 Canklow
Cottages, Canklow, Rotherham. Eric Arthur
after his education at Rotherham Grammar School became a self employed green grocer at
425 Canklow Road,
Rotherham. His mother later lived at 58 Wath Road,
Wombwell.
He enlisted in the Army in 1941, service number 1118364, he was a Bombardier in 53 (The Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was killed on 24 March 1945 during Operation Varsity, the Rhine Crossing when his unit were tasked with landing at landing at LZ 'P' in their Horsa gliders.
He enlisted in the Army in 1941, service number 1118364, he was a Bombardier in 53 (The Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. He was killed on 24 March 1945 during Operation Varsity, the Rhine Crossing when his unit were tasked with landing at landing at LZ 'P' in their Horsa gliders.
John Edgar Dutton - 36071
John Edgar Dutton was born in Rotherham in the last quarter of 1910, the first child of newspaper clerk Edgar Dutton and his wife of one year Kate "Kitty" (nee Bryars). In 1911 the new family were living at his grandfather James Charles Edgar Dutton’s home at 17 Mansfield Road, Rotherham. Later Edgar and Kate were to live at 8 Summerfield, Chatham Street. Jack as he was known was a student at Rotherham Grammar School on Moorgate. He was married in Rotherham in the first quarter of 1937, and was living with his wife at 100 Earls Road, Amesbury, Wiltshire when he died.
Jack enlisted in the Royal Air Force in 1926, his initial service number was 560751. He studied, took entry exam and passed at RAF Halton. He became an airman plot and was granted a permanent commission as a Pilot Officer on 21 May 1936, and his service number became 36071. He was promoted again on 21 November 1937 to Flying Officer Over the years he served in India, Egypt and Iraq. After the outbreak of was his rank became Flight Lieutenant on 21 November 1939, and then on 10 December 1940 the London Gazette announced his promotion to Squadron Leader. He became a test pilot and was awarded the Air Force Cross on 1 January 1941. The citation read: "This officer has been employed as a test pilot at this establishment since April 1937 during which time he has carried out considerable flying in connection with bomb ballistic experiments and the trials of flares. His work has necessitated numerous experimental flights, by day and night, often at altitudes exceeding 30,000 feet. On one occasional he successfully landed his aircraft with the undercarriage retracted without injury to the crew and with a minimum damage to the aircraft. At various times he has commanded the Experimental Bombing Flight most successfully. He has worked hard and carried out his duties conscientiously and willingly over a long period”. Just two months later, on 1 March 1941 John was carrying out a test flight from Boscombe Down, Wiltshire in Curtiss Mohawk mk II BK877. The purpose of the flight was to test the heating equipment for the aircraft’s six Browning machine guns, as the guns had often been freezing in the cold air above 20,000”. During the flight a fire started on board. At 10:30 in the morning the Mohawk was seen to dive, burning, out of the cloud base and crashed at Hanging Langford, bury itself in a large crater. John Edgar Dutton was 30 years old and was buried in Hooton Roberts (St John the Baptist) Churchyard. His AFC award was presented to his widow by the King at Buckingham Palace. |
© IWM (E(MOS) 274) - A Curtiss Mohawk, although this is a later mark than the one Dutton was flying. Mohawk Mark IV, BK585, running up its engine prior to giving a flying demonstration at the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscombe Down, Wiltshire. BK585 joined No. 5 Squadron RAF in the Far East later in 1941.
Basil Drake - 581325
© IWM (CH 2772) A 42 Squadron Bristol Beaufort Mk I, in this instance N1172 'AW-S'
Basil Drake was the only child of Herbert Harry Drake and Violet (nee Copley), his birth was registered in Rotherhamin the second quarter of 1920. The family lived at 1 West St, Thurcroft.
Basil enlisted in the Royal Air Force and became a Sergeant, service number 581325. He served with 42 Squadron of Coastal Command, which from April 1940 operated the Bristol Beaufort I. In June 1940 the squadron moved to Wick, Caithness in northern Scotland. On 22 December 1940 he was on board Beaufort L9890 coded AW-L which was sent on practice bombing mission from Wick. Coastal watchers heard a violent explosion at sea 3 miles east of Freswick Bay at 02:25. A motor lifeboat was sent to search at 03:30 but found nothing until coming across an open parachute with harness at 09:00 and it returned to shore at 12:00. A further parachute, clothing scraps, and aircraft pieces were later found strewn along the beach where they had been washed ashore. They were identified as from L9890 and it is presumed that the aircraft suffered a petrol fire soon after take-off which was at 02:20. The crew, including Basil Drake aged 20, were all lost and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Note
Other crew members were:
F/L James Alan Richardson RAF, 37575, aged 29
Sgt Wilfred Richard James Little RAF, 539889, aged 23
Sgt Roy Frederick Henry RAF, 627041, aged 19
Basil enlisted in the Royal Air Force and became a Sergeant, service number 581325. He served with 42 Squadron of Coastal Command, which from April 1940 operated the Bristol Beaufort I. In June 1940 the squadron moved to Wick, Caithness in northern Scotland. On 22 December 1940 he was on board Beaufort L9890 coded AW-L which was sent on practice bombing mission from Wick. Coastal watchers heard a violent explosion at sea 3 miles east of Freswick Bay at 02:25. A motor lifeboat was sent to search at 03:30 but found nothing until coming across an open parachute with harness at 09:00 and it returned to shore at 12:00. A further parachute, clothing scraps, and aircraft pieces were later found strewn along the beach where they had been washed ashore. They were identified as from L9890 and it is presumed that the aircraft suffered a petrol fire soon after take-off which was at 02:20. The crew, including Basil Drake aged 20, were all lost and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Note
Other crew members were:
F/L James Alan Richardson RAF, 37575, aged 29
Sgt Wilfred Richard James Little RAF, 539889, aged 23
Sgt Roy Frederick Henry RAF, 627041, aged 19
Geoffrey Eastwood
Geoffrey Eastwood was born in Rotherham
in the fourth quarter of 1922, the third child of Harry Eastwood and his wife
of nine years Eleanor (nee Hemsley). When Harry served in the First War World
the family lived at 28 Dixon
Street, Rotherham, although they later lived at 67 Richard Road, Rotherham. After being educated at Rotherham Grammar
School Geoffrey was employed by F E Hume & Co. Prior to joining up he was a
member of the Home Guard.
Geoffrey enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1078947 in June 1941 and trained to be aircrew. After his training he was posted to Bomber Command 101 Squadron and had the rank of Sergeant. The squadron was based at Holme-on-Spalding Moor from September 1942. On the night 4/5 May 1943 bomber command sent a force of 596 aircraft - 255 Lancasters, 141 Halifaxes, 110 Wellingtons, 80 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitos – to attack Dortmund. This was the largest 'non-1,000' raid of the war to date and the first major attack on Dortmund. Geoffrey was part of the crew of Avro Lancaster mk I, serial number W4784 for the mission that night. Although W4784 had been delivered to 101 Squadron on 22 October 1942 it had only undertaken other operation in her lifetime, Lorient 13/14 February 1943, and therefore when lost had a low total of only 12 hours. W4784 was airborne at 22:05 on 4 May 1943 from Holme-on-Spalding Moor and was lost without trace, one of six Lancasters that the squadron lost that night. As for the raid on Dortmund the initial Pathfinder marking was accurate but some of the backing-up marking fell short. A decoy fire site also attracted many bombs. But half of the large force did bomb within 3 miles of the aiming point and severe damage was caused in central and northern parts of Dortmund. That night 31 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 7 Stirlings, 6 Lancasters, 6 Wellingtons were lost, 5.2 per cent of the force. A further 7 aircraft crashed in bad weather at the bomber bases.
Geoffrey Eastwood was 21 years old when he died and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.
Geoffrey enlisted in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 1078947 in June 1941 and trained to be aircrew. After his training he was posted to Bomber Command 101 Squadron and had the rank of Sergeant. The squadron was based at Holme-on-Spalding Moor from September 1942. On the night 4/5 May 1943 bomber command sent a force of 596 aircraft - 255 Lancasters, 141 Halifaxes, 110 Wellingtons, 80 Stirlings, 10 Mosquitos – to attack Dortmund. This was the largest 'non-1,000' raid of the war to date and the first major attack on Dortmund. Geoffrey was part of the crew of Avro Lancaster mk I, serial number W4784 for the mission that night. Although W4784 had been delivered to 101 Squadron on 22 October 1942 it had only undertaken other operation in her lifetime, Lorient 13/14 February 1943, and therefore when lost had a low total of only 12 hours. W4784 was airborne at 22:05 on 4 May 1943 from Holme-on-Spalding Moor and was lost without trace, one of six Lancasters that the squadron lost that night. As for the raid on Dortmund the initial Pathfinder marking was accurate but some of the backing-up marking fell short. A decoy fire site also attracted many bombs. But half of the large force did bomb within 3 miles of the aiming point and severe damage was caused in central and northern parts of Dortmund. That night 31 aircraft - 12 Halifaxes, 7 Stirlings, 6 Lancasters, 6 Wellingtons were lost, 5.2 per cent of the force. A further 7 aircraft crashed in bad weather at the bomber bases.
Geoffrey Eastwood was 21 years old when he died and is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial.
Harry Emmerson
Harry Emmerson was born in Rotherham
on 21 January 1920, and baptised at Masbro Independent Chapel, the same church
that his parents had been married at in 1915. He was the only child of George
Henry Scott Emmerson and Edith Matthewman, who in their early married life
lived at 14 Baden St,
Thornhill, Rotherham. His father who served in
the Great War when he was employed as a Grocer’s Assistant would later become a
Grocer’s Manager and move his family to 20 Piper Crescent, Southey, Sheffield. Harrywas educated at Thornhill
Council School
and then at Rotherham
Grammar School.
Harry enlisted in the Royal Air Force in June 1940, service number 954739, and on 5 May 1942 he received his commission when he was promoted from Sergeant to Flying Officer when is service number became 126139. After training he became a Navigator /Wireless Operator and was posted to Coastal Command’s 143 Squadron which from August 1942 was stationed at North Coates, Lincolnshire. On 25 June 1943 he was the crewman for Wing Commander W.O.V. Bennett DFC, AFC who was piloting Bristol Beaufighter serial number JM180 on a shipping strike off the coast of Holland. The aircraft was shot down by Uffz. Koch (6./JG1) and crashed 40km north of the island of Schiermonnikoog, East Friesian Islands. Both bodies were washed ashore and initially buried on Borkum, one of the neighbouring islands. Harry Emmerson was 23 years old when he died, and after the war was re-interred in Sage War Cemetery, one of the Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries in Germany.
Harry enlisted in the Royal Air Force in June 1940, service number 954739, and on 5 May 1942 he received his commission when he was promoted from Sergeant to Flying Officer when is service number became 126139. After training he became a Navigator /Wireless Operator and was posted to Coastal Command’s 143 Squadron which from August 1942 was stationed at North Coates, Lincolnshire. On 25 June 1943 he was the crewman for Wing Commander W.O.V. Bennett DFC, AFC who was piloting Bristol Beaufighter serial number JM180 on a shipping strike off the coast of Holland. The aircraft was shot down by Uffz. Koch (6./JG1) and crashed 40km north of the island of Schiermonnikoog, East Friesian Islands. Both bodies were washed ashore and initially buried on Borkum, one of the neighbouring islands. Harry Emmerson was 23 years old when he died, and after the war was re-interred in Sage War Cemetery, one of the Commonwealth War Graves Cemeteries in Germany.
Ronald Willis Fisher - 1058488
Ronald Willis Fisher was born in Rotherham in the first quarter of 1919, son of Lewis Fisher and Alice (nee Willis) of Cemetery House, Church Street, Greasbrough.
Ronald was a sergeant (air gunner), service number 1058488, serving with 35 squadron, part of 4 Group of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. On the 25 June 1942 Ronald was part of the seven man crew of Handley Page Halifax Mk II, built English Electric Co serial number W1105. Airborne from RAF Linton-on-Ouse, nr York at 22:56 with the squadron marking of TL-N on a mission to Bremen, Germany. This raid was the third of the ‘Thousand Force’ 1,000 bomber raid. In total 1,067 aircraft were dispatched to the target with the loss of 48 aircraft. Halifax TL-N was shot down by flak from 14,000 feet and crashed near Oldenburg, about 25 miles west of the Bremen
target. Ronald was killed aged 23 years old, along with four other members of the crew. Two crew members survived to become prisoners of war. Ronald Willis is buried in at the Sage War Cemetery, Germany, 15 miles south of Oldenburg, and 27 miles west of Bremen. He left a wife of just a few months.
Note
Other crew member of W1105 were:
F/O H.G.B.Mays KIA
Sgt S.J.Harding PoW
Sgt R.G.Gumbley KIA
P/O R.H.Birch PoW
P/O S.F.Hazleton KIA
Sgt A.J.Selby KIA
Ronald was a sergeant (air gunner), service number 1058488, serving with 35 squadron, part of 4 Group of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. On the 25 June 1942 Ronald was part of the seven man crew of Handley Page Halifax Mk II, built English Electric Co serial number W1105. Airborne from RAF Linton-on-Ouse, nr York at 22:56 with the squadron marking of TL-N on a mission to Bremen, Germany. This raid was the third of the ‘Thousand Force’ 1,000 bomber raid. In total 1,067 aircraft were dispatched to the target with the loss of 48 aircraft. Halifax TL-N was shot down by flak from 14,000 feet and crashed near Oldenburg, about 25 miles west of the Bremen
target. Ronald was killed aged 23 years old, along with four other members of the crew. Two crew members survived to become prisoners of war. Ronald Willis is buried in at the Sage War Cemetery, Germany, 15 miles south of Oldenburg, and 27 miles west of Bremen. He left a wife of just a few months.
Note
Other crew member of W1105 were:
F/O H.G.B.Mays KIA
Sgt S.J.Harding PoW
Sgt R.G.Gumbley KIA
P/O R.H.Birch PoW
P/O S.F.Hazleton KIA
Sgt A.J.Selby KIA
Ernest David Foster - 999277
Ernest David Foster was born in Rotherham in the first quarter
of 1917, he was the youngest of five children born to forgeman John Foster and
his wife of eight years, Florence May (nee Davis). The couple who
had married at Kimberworth Parish Church
then lived 93 Pitt Street,
Holmes, Rotherham before later moving to 115 Middle Lane South, Rotherham.
Ernest was educated at St Annes Road Council School and then Rotherham Grammar School.
He was a member of Wickersley Hockey Club, Oakwood Tennis Club, and Eastwood
View Cricket Club. After leaving school he was employed by Rotherham Gas
Department Showroom, and was a member of Yorkshire Junior Gas Association.
Ernest enlisted in August 1940 in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, service number 999277. He was a Sergeant training to be a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, and in May 1941 was with 25 Operational Training Unit based at Finningley. On 17 May 1941 he was part of the three man crew of Hampden mk I serial number L4124 which was on a training exercise. The aircraft took off from Finningley to undertake a series of night take-offs and landings using the "Sandra" floodlight system. The aircraft dived into the ground soon after becoming airborne for one of these circuits near Rossington 4 miles south-east of Doncaster at 03:50 and the three airmen lost their lives. Ernest David Foster was 24 years old, his funeral was held at St Cuthberts Church, Herringthorpe on 21 May followed by interment at Whiston (St Mary Magdalene) Churchyard. |