Woodhouse Mill - Retford Road
Additional Details
Ronald Jones (3058952)
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - 7th Bn.
18 August 1944, aged 25
Died of wounds during the Normandy Campaign
La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres
Joseph Jones (3247402)
Seaforth Highlanders - 6th Bn.
27 May 1940, aged 19
Killed in action at Dunkirk
Dunkirk Memorial
Fred Johnson (FAA/FX. 114955)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. "Gannet"
8 February 1945, aged 27
Lost when aircraft crashed into sea
Lee-On-Solent Memorial
Hewitt Meeds (PLY/X 110427)
Royal Marines - H.M.L.C.G.(L) 831.
6 June 1944, aged 18
Lost when vessel sunk in the Channel
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Frank Shepherd (994701)
Royal Artillery
12 November 1945, aged 32
Died in North Africa
Tripoli War Cemetery
G Smith
No details known
Archibald C Wallis
Home Guard - 62nd West Riding (Rotherham) Bn.
18 March 1941, aged 35
Died in Yorkshire
Aston-Cum-Aughton Cemetery
Kenneth Ward (14406347)
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - 7th Bn.
19 June 1944, aged 19
Killed in action during the Normandy Campaign
Hottot-Les-Bagues War Cemetery
Charles Jeffrey Watson (4747655)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 6th Bn.
15 June 1940, aged 19
Died in Belgium
Gent City Cemetery
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders - 7th Bn.
18 August 1944, aged 25
Died of wounds during the Normandy Campaign
La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres
Joseph Jones (3247402)
Seaforth Highlanders - 6th Bn.
27 May 1940, aged 19
Killed in action at Dunkirk
Dunkirk Memorial
Fred Johnson (FAA/FX. 114955)
Royal Navy - H.M.S. "Gannet"
8 February 1945, aged 27
Lost when aircraft crashed into sea
Lee-On-Solent Memorial
Hewitt Meeds (PLY/X 110427)
Royal Marines - H.M.L.C.G.(L) 831.
6 June 1944, aged 18
Lost when vessel sunk in the Channel
Plymouth Naval Memorial
Frank Shepherd (994701)
Royal Artillery
12 November 1945, aged 32
Died in North Africa
Tripoli War Cemetery
G Smith
No details known
Archibald C Wallis
Home Guard - 62nd West Riding (Rotherham) Bn.
18 March 1941, aged 35
Died in Yorkshire
Aston-Cum-Aughton Cemetery
Kenneth Ward (14406347)
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) - 7th Bn.
19 June 1944, aged 19
Killed in action during the Normandy Campaign
Hottot-Les-Bagues War Cemetery
Charles Jeffrey Watson (4747655)
York and Lancaster Regiment - 6th Bn.
15 June 1940, aged 19
Died in Belgium
Gent City Cemetery
Ronald Jones - 3058952
An abandoned German gun and a passing Cromwell tank
Ronald Jones was born in Woodhouse Mill, and registered in Sheffield in the last quarter of 1918. He was the first child of miner Edwin Jones and his wife Edith Annie (nee Butcher) of 21 Redman St, Woodhouse Mill. Ronald married in Sheffield in 1942 and a daughter was born a year later. The family lived at 21 Watch St, Furnace Lane, Woodhouse Mill.
He enlisted in the Army, service number 3058952, initially joining the Royal Scots, later he became a Serjeant with 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He served abroad in North Africa and in the short campaign in Sicily, before going to France. The battalion was part of 51st (Highland) Division’s 154th Infantry Brigade and landed in Normandy on D-Day + 4. Ronald Jones died of wounds on 8 August 1944, the opening day of Operation Totalize. The objective of was to break through the German defences south of the city of Caen on the eastern flank of the Allied positions drive south to capture the high ground north of the city of Falaise. During the early hours of August 8, the 51st Division’s
154th (Highland) Brigade together with 33rd Armoured Brigade would form one of two attacking forces driving along a corridor either side of the Caen – Falaise road. They were advancing east of the road, and the plan was they would bypass the front-line defenders, and capture the main German anti-tank defences around
Cramesnil and Saint-Aignan de Cramesnil at dawn.
Serjeant Ronald Jones was 23 years old when he died and now lies in La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres which is 14 kilometres north of Caen.
He enlisted in the Army, service number 3058952, initially joining the Royal Scots, later he became a Serjeant with 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He served abroad in North Africa and in the short campaign in Sicily, before going to France. The battalion was part of 51st (Highland) Division’s 154th Infantry Brigade and landed in Normandy on D-Day + 4. Ronald Jones died of wounds on 8 August 1944, the opening day of Operation Totalize. The objective of was to break through the German defences south of the city of Caen on the eastern flank of the Allied positions drive south to capture the high ground north of the city of Falaise. During the early hours of August 8, the 51st Division’s
154th (Highland) Brigade together with 33rd Armoured Brigade would form one of two attacking forces driving along a corridor either side of the Caen – Falaise road. They were advancing east of the road, and the plan was they would bypass the front-line defenders, and capture the main German anti-tank defences around
Cramesnil and Saint-Aignan de Cramesnil at dawn.
Serjeant Ronald Jones was 23 years old when he died and now lies in La Delivrande War Cemetery, Douvres which is 14 kilometres north of Caen.
Fred Johnson - FAA/FX. 114955
Fred Johnson was born around 1918, he lived at Smallage Farm, West Lane, Aughton.
He joined the Royal Navy, service number FAA/FX. 114955, and became a Petty Officer Airman in the Fleet Air Arm. He was part of 815 Squadron which in early 1945 was based at Royal Naval Air Station Machrihanish (HMS Landrail), close to Campbeltown in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The squadron were equipped with the Fairey Barracuda, a sturdy torpedo-bomber and dive bomber that was used on aircraft carriers. On 8 February 1945 Fred was part of the three-man crew of a Barracuda mk III serial number MD951, the mark three being a variant that was set up specifically for anti-submarine missions. This particular aircraft was part of a batch of 300 ordered under a contract with Boulton Paul of Wolverhampton which were delivered from May 1944 onwards. MD951 was on an anti-submarine patrol when over the Firth of Clyde, it was seen from a nearby minesweeper to plunge into the sea in an area about 55 degrees and 30 minutes north, 5 degrees and 2 minutes west. Ironically one of the officers on the bridge of the minesweeper was the brother of one of the crew of the Barracuda. Nothing was located of the aircraft or the crew other than a floating life jacket. Fred Johnson was 27 years old when he died, and is commemorated on the Lee-On-Solent Memorial. Note The other two crew members were: Sub-Lieutenant (A) Timothy J Tunnicliffe RNVR Sub Lieutenant (A), Frank Wilson RNVR |
Joseph Jones - 3247402
Joseph Jones was born in Rotherham in 1921 to William Ewart Jones and Rosetta (nee Goldsborough) of 11 Falconer Road, Woodhouse Mill. After leaving school he was
employed at Treeton Colliery.
Jospeh enlisted in the Army in 1939 and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), service number 3247402. He later transferred to 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders which went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. As part of the 17th Infantry Brigade the Seaforth’s moved into Belgium on 11 May 1940 to counter the
German advance. They were almost constantly on the move, Brussels, Vimy, Seclin and then Ypres on 26th. On 27 May the battalion was involved in hard fighting and were withdrawn from the railway line south of Zillebeke to the west bank of the Ypres–Comines Canal. It was on this day that Joseph Jones died, aged 19, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial.
employed at Treeton Colliery.
Jospeh enlisted in the Army in 1939 and joined the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles), service number 3247402. He later transferred to 6th Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders which went to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force. As part of the 17th Infantry Brigade the Seaforth’s moved into Belgium on 11 May 1940 to counter the
German advance. They were almost constantly on the move, Brussels, Vimy, Seclin and then Ypres on 26th. On 27 May the battalion was involved in hard fighting and were withdrawn from the railway line south of Zillebeke to the west bank of the Ypres–Comines Canal. It was on this day that Joseph Jones died, aged 19, he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial.
Hewitt Meads - PLY/X 110427
Landing Craft Gun (Large)
Hewitt Meeds was born in the third quarter of 1925 in Sheffield to Albert William Meeds and Myrtle (nee Bennett) who had married in 1923. The family lived at Watch St, Furnace Lane, Woodhouse Mill and later in Retford.
Hewitt joined the Royal Marine and was allocated service number PLY/X 110427. On Tuesday 6June 1944 he was on-board a Landing Craft Gun (Large) heading for Normandy, this was Operation Overlord - D-Day. During the invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe LCG(L) 831 was hit and reported lost, with Marine Meeds
being the only casualty.
Hewitt Meeds, aged 18, is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Hewitt joined the Royal Marine and was allocated service number PLY/X 110427. On Tuesday 6June 1944 he was on-board a Landing Craft Gun (Large) heading for Normandy, this was Operation Overlord - D-Day. During the invasion of Hitler’s Fortress Europe LCG(L) 831 was hit and reported lost, with Marine Meeds
being the only casualty.
Hewitt Meeds, aged 18, is remembered on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
Frank Shepherd - 994701
Frank Shepherd was born in late 1913 in Sheffield to George Sheherd and Rachel Emma Goldberg of Number 4 in Court 10 Marshall Street, Pitsmoor, Sheffield. Frank was married in the first half of 1939 in Sheffield and lived in Woodhouse Mill, a son was born in 1943.
Frank enlisted in the Army, service number 994701, and was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. In November 1945, the war in the Far East had been over for 3 months and Frank was on his way back to Britain. He had left Karachi, then in India on 11 November and had stopped off in Libya. The aircraft, a Short Stirling mk V serial number PJ950, left Castel Benito Airfield at just after midnight in the first minutes of 12 November with twenty-two passengers and seven air crew.
The aircraft took off in a normal way on the north-south runway. The runway was lit with a double electric flarepath and lead out funnel. The weather was cloudless, but moonless, and the visibility was good. The aircraft does not appear to have gained more than 200ft from which it gradually lost height until it hit the ground about one and a half miles south of the runway and almost directly in line with it at 00:34. Three of the passengers survived the immediate crash, although two were to die in hospital and one is reported to have survived.
Frank Shepherd was 32 years old when he died and was buried the following day along with the other casualties, he now lies in Tripoli War Cemetery.
Notes
The crew of the aircraft were:
Finnett P.A. 144208 158 Sqdn
Hill E.L. 159396 158 Sqdn
Phillipson G.F. 179015 158 Sqdn
Wilson C.R. 144288 158 Sqdn
Hodges S. 174704 128 Sqdn
In addition two members of the same squadron were hitching a lift following damage to their aircraft:
Kenrick F.W. 134497 158 Sqdn
Simpson L. 129050 158 Sqdn
The 20 other passengers killed were:
Belk J.W.M. 7400870 Royal Army Medical Corps
Telford J.H. 880332 Royal Artillery
Chapman G.W. 959600 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Dobson R.W. 1133265 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Young D. 1117374 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Wilson J.W.W. 2364709 Royal Corps Of Signals 1 Medium Regt, RA Sig Sec
Flannery C. 1791139 Royal Artillery 11 Field Regt
Owens P. 2884364 Royal Armoured Corps 116th 9th Bn The Gordon Highlanders Regt
Acourt V.C. 1794212 Royal Artillery 134 Field Regt
Marshall W. 977192 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
McGrath A. 934410 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Moncur W. 922063 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Turvey H. 5115257 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Butler H.B. 2590683 Royal Corps Of Signals 134 Medium Regt, RA Sig Sec
Elliott D.J. 936159 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Gregory T.G. 1094818 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Kemp L. 1128156 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Roberts A.E. 1103414 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Ross A. 944067 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Beardley W. 2378489 Royal Corps of Signals Attd 26th Indian Div Sigs
Frank enlisted in the Army, service number 994701, and was a Gunner in the Royal Artillery. In November 1945, the war in the Far East had been over for 3 months and Frank was on his way back to Britain. He had left Karachi, then in India on 11 November and had stopped off in Libya. The aircraft, a Short Stirling mk V serial number PJ950, left Castel Benito Airfield at just after midnight in the first minutes of 12 November with twenty-two passengers and seven air crew.
The aircraft took off in a normal way on the north-south runway. The runway was lit with a double electric flarepath and lead out funnel. The weather was cloudless, but moonless, and the visibility was good. The aircraft does not appear to have gained more than 200ft from which it gradually lost height until it hit the ground about one and a half miles south of the runway and almost directly in line with it at 00:34. Three of the passengers survived the immediate crash, although two were to die in hospital and one is reported to have survived.
Frank Shepherd was 32 years old when he died and was buried the following day along with the other casualties, he now lies in Tripoli War Cemetery.
Notes
The crew of the aircraft were:
Finnett P.A. 144208 158 Sqdn
Hill E.L. 159396 158 Sqdn
Phillipson G.F. 179015 158 Sqdn
Wilson C.R. 144288 158 Sqdn
Hodges S. 174704 128 Sqdn
In addition two members of the same squadron were hitching a lift following damage to their aircraft:
Kenrick F.W. 134497 158 Sqdn
Simpson L. 129050 158 Sqdn
The 20 other passengers killed were:
Belk J.W.M. 7400870 Royal Army Medical Corps
Telford J.H. 880332 Royal Artillery
Chapman G.W. 959600 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Dobson R.W. 1133265 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Young D. 1117374 Royal Artillery 1 Medium Regt
Wilson J.W.W. 2364709 Royal Corps Of Signals 1 Medium Regt, RA Sig Sec
Flannery C. 1791139 Royal Artillery 11 Field Regt
Owens P. 2884364 Royal Armoured Corps 116th 9th Bn The Gordon Highlanders Regt
Acourt V.C. 1794212 Royal Artillery 134 Field Regt
Marshall W. 977192 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
McGrath A. 934410 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Moncur W. 922063 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Turvey H. 5115257 Royal Artillery 134 Medium Regt
Butler H.B. 2590683 Royal Corps Of Signals 134 Medium Regt, RA Sig Sec
Elliott D.J. 936159 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Gregory T.G. 1094818 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Kemp L. 1128156 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Roberts A.E. 1103414 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Ross A. 944067 Royal Artillery 208 Field Regt
Beardley W. 2378489 Royal Corps of Signals Attd 26th Indian Div Sigs
G Smith
No information is known
Archibald Charles Wallis
Archibald Charles Wallis was born in 1905, the son of Charles Reuben Wallis and his wife Ellen. He was married in 1924 in Aston, Warwickshire and had two daughters, one born in Aston and the second in Sheffield.
He was a member of the 62nd West Riding (Rotherham) Battalion Home Guard. His death on 18 March 1941 was registered in Sheffield, and he was buried in Aston-Cum-Aughton Cemetery. |
Kenneth Ward - 14406347
Kenneth Ward was born in Sheffield in late 1924, the sixth of seven children born to Wilson Ward and Mabel Kate Drinkwater of 12 Harbury St, Woodhouse Mill. Prior to enlisting he served 2 years in 62 Battalion, West Riding Home Guard and was employed by Cocker Bros, Rolling Mills.
Kenneth enlisted in the Army in November 1943, service number 14406347, and joined the 7th Battalion, Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment). On 9 June 1944 the 6th and 7th Battalions embarked on HMS Cheshire arriving off the Normandy coast on 11 June, part of XXX Corps following from the D-Day landing units. By late evening of that day they were five miles inland. The 7th had been issued with 350 folding bicycles to aid them in moving forward into France, However the Commanding Officer felt the 8-foot-high banks and deep ditches unsuitable country in which to use them, so they were stored in a wood; and almost instantly crushed by a passing squadron of tanks. Part of 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division’s 147th Infantry Brigade they were soon into the thick of the action as Operation Perch had been launched on 10th. They fought at Tilly-sur-Seulles, where between 14th and the 19th June, the town changed hands between the British and the Germans more than twenty times in a fierce battle. Private Kenneth Ward was killed in action on 19 June 1944, aged 19 and now lies in Hottot-les-BaguesWar Cemetery which is 3km South West from Tilly-Sur-Seulles. |
Charles Jeffrey Watson - 4747655
Charles Jeffrey Watson was born in Sheffield in the third quarter of 1920 and his birth was registered in Ecclesall Bierlow Registration District. He was the third child born to Alfred Watson and Nellie Dungworth. The family lived at 9 Coalbrook Grove, Woodhouse Mill.
He enlisted in the 6th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, service number 4747655. The battalion was part of the 46th Infantry Division’s 138th Infantry Brigade and went to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Although the division was a 2nd line territorial unit and went as a labour and training unit it ended up fighting in the retreat to Dunkirk and the evacuation to Britain. Lance Corporal Charles Jeffrey Watson died in 15 June 1940, aged 19, some days after the fall of Dunkirk. He is believed to have died in captivity of wounds, and is buried in Gent War Cemetery, Belgium.
He enlisted in the 6th Battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment, service number 4747655. The battalion was part of the 46th Infantry Division’s 138th Infantry Brigade and went to France in 1940 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Although the division was a 2nd line territorial unit and went as a labour and training unit it ended up fighting in the retreat to Dunkirk and the evacuation to Britain. Lance Corporal Charles Jeffrey Watson died in 15 June 1940, aged 19, some days after the fall of Dunkirk. He is believed to have died in captivity of wounds, and is buried in Gent War Cemetery, Belgium.