Brampton Bierlow - part 3
Jim Pearson - 1468433
Jim Pearson was born in Rotherham in the second quarter of 1921 to coal miner Alfred and his wife Emma (nee Coggin). The couple had married in Kilnhurst on 1 August 1897, and by 1911 were living at 32 Victoria Road, Winterwell, West Melton. Jim was the couple’s youngest child of at least twelve children that Emma gave birth to.
Jim enlisted in the Army and was a Bombardier, service number 1468433, in 180 (M) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery. He died in an accident in Scotland on 5 October 1943. His death was registered in Irvine, Ayrshire, and he was buried in Wath-Upon-Dearne Cemetery, he was 22 years old.
Jim enlisted in the Army and was a Bombardier, service number 1468433, in 180 (M) Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Artillery. He died in an accident in Scotland on 5 October 1943. His death was registered in Irvine, Ayrshire, and he was buried in Wath-Upon-Dearne Cemetery, he was 22 years old.
George Edward Rawson - 572735
George Edward Rawson was born in Rotherhamin late 1921, fourth child of Joseph Edward Rawson and Elsie Edith (nee Bailey). The family originally lived at 54
York Street, West Melton and later at 84 High Street, West Melton.
George enlisted in the Royal Air Force, service number 572735. He was part of the 36th entry of apprentices at RAF Halton in August 1937 and graduated in December
1939, and after further training as a Flight Engineer served with 76 Squadron. The squadron operated as part of Bomber Command’s 4 Group from Linton-on-Ouse
near York flying the Handley Page Halifax. On 20 November 1942 the largest raid to Italy during this period of the war was sent to Turin. A total of 232 aircraft - 86 Lancasters, 54 Wellingtons, 47 Halifaxes, 45 Stirlings – were dispatched to the city. George, who was a Sergeant at that time, was part of the crew of Halifax mk II serial number DT571 with squadron codings of MP-M which was airborne at 17:19. The aircraft crashed at Bardonecchia, close to the Italy/French border, and roughly 75 km west of Turin. Although the cause of loss has not been definitively established, it was claimed shot down by Capitano Scaglierini belonged to the 233 Squadriglia, 59 Gruppo BT flying a Fiat CR 42CN night-fighter. It was one of only three aircraft lost, 1 Halifax, 1 Stirling, 1 Wellington. George Edward Rawson and the rest of the crew were all killed in the crash, he was 21 years old and is now buried in Milan War Cemetery.
Notes
The other crew member on the aircraft were:
F/S Bruce Alexander Wisely RNZAF 412779 – Pilot , aged 29
P/O Peter James Morice 120569 – Navigator, aged 37
Sgt Joseph Warren 1199627 – Observer (Air Bomber)
Sgt William Grant Stewart McAsh 1128271 - Wireless Operator, aged 26
Sgt Terence William Henry Casbolt 1467115 – Air Gunner, aged 21
Sgt John Murchison 1126541 – Air Gunner
York Street, West Melton and later at 84 High Street, West Melton.
George enlisted in the Royal Air Force, service number 572735. He was part of the 36th entry of apprentices at RAF Halton in August 1937 and graduated in December
1939, and after further training as a Flight Engineer served with 76 Squadron. The squadron operated as part of Bomber Command’s 4 Group from Linton-on-Ouse
near York flying the Handley Page Halifax. On 20 November 1942 the largest raid to Italy during this period of the war was sent to Turin. A total of 232 aircraft - 86 Lancasters, 54 Wellingtons, 47 Halifaxes, 45 Stirlings – were dispatched to the city. George, who was a Sergeant at that time, was part of the crew of Halifax mk II serial number DT571 with squadron codings of MP-M which was airborne at 17:19. The aircraft crashed at Bardonecchia, close to the Italy/French border, and roughly 75 km west of Turin. Although the cause of loss has not been definitively established, it was claimed shot down by Capitano Scaglierini belonged to the 233 Squadriglia, 59 Gruppo BT flying a Fiat CR 42CN night-fighter. It was one of only three aircraft lost, 1 Halifax, 1 Stirling, 1 Wellington. George Edward Rawson and the rest of the crew were all killed in the crash, he was 21 years old and is now buried in Milan War Cemetery.
Notes
The other crew member on the aircraft were:
F/S Bruce Alexander Wisely RNZAF 412779 – Pilot , aged 29
P/O Peter James Morice 120569 – Navigator, aged 37
Sgt Joseph Warren 1199627 – Observer (Air Bomber)
Sgt William Grant Stewart McAsh 1128271 - Wireless Operator, aged 26
Sgt Terence William Henry Casbolt 1467115 – Air Gunner, aged 21
Sgt John Murchison 1126541 – Air Gunner
Eva Jane Shepherd - W/146248
Eva Jane Shepherd was born in Rotherham on 24 February 1921, to miner Richard Shepherd and his wife of sixteen years Sarah (nee Barker). Eva Jane was baptised at Brampton Christ Church on 17 March 1921, The family lived at 33 Firth Road, West Melton.
Eva joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, service number W/146248. She died in hospital in Yorkshire on 18 March 1925, and her death registered in Rotherham. Eva Jane Shepherd was 24 years old and was buried in Brampton Bierlow (Christ Church) Churchyard.
Eva joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, service number W/146248. She died in hospital in Yorkshire on 18 March 1925, and her death registered in Rotherham. Eva Jane Shepherd was 24 years old and was buried in Brampton Bierlow (Christ Church) Churchyard.
Francis Tingle - C/JX 234842
Francis Tingle was born in Rotherham in October 1919, first child of Arthur Tingle and Evelyn (nee Atkin) who had married early the previous years. He was educated at Brampton Ellis Senior School, and later employed by Mr Ricketts (Painter & Decorator), West Melton. His parents lived at 16 Oaklea Avenue, West Melton. His
grandparents were Mr & Mrs F Atkin, 122 High St, West Melton.
He enlisted in 1940 and joined the Royal Navy, being an Able Seaman, service number C/JX 234842. He served on HMS Veteran, who he joined around the start of 1941. On 21 September 1942 HMS Veteran left New York as part of the escorts on convoy RB1, two days later the convoy was sighted by a U-boat. U-boat pack were order to attack and on the 25th the SS Boston and SS New York were sunk and the convoy scattered. On the 26th the convoy was ordered to reform and HMS Veteran came across the survivors of the SS New York. HMS Veteran was torpedoed and sunk by U-404 in position 54º34'N, 25º44'W while she was rescuing survivors of the New York. She was lost with all hands together with rescued survivors from the American passenger ships Boston and New York that she had picked up.
Francis Tingle was 22 years old and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
grandparents were Mr & Mrs F Atkin, 122 High St, West Melton.
He enlisted in 1940 and joined the Royal Navy, being an Able Seaman, service number C/JX 234842. He served on HMS Veteran, who he joined around the start of 1941. On 21 September 1942 HMS Veteran left New York as part of the escorts on convoy RB1, two days later the convoy was sighted by a U-boat. U-boat pack were order to attack and on the 25th the SS Boston and SS New York were sunk and the convoy scattered. On the 26th the convoy was ordered to reform and HMS Veteran came across the survivors of the SS New York. HMS Veteran was torpedoed and sunk by U-404 in position 54º34'N, 25º44'W while she was rescuing survivors of the New York. She was lost with all hands together with rescued survivors from the American passenger ships Boston and New York that she had picked up.
Francis Tingle was 22 years old and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial.
Fred Wake - P/KX 75562
Fred Wake was born in Rotherham on 22 February 1907 and baptised at Brampton Christ Church on 31 March 1907, he was the second child of miner, John Charles Wake and his wife Annie Emma (nee Lomas). His parents had been married for four years and lived at 39 Princess Street, West Melton, and later at 27 Princess St, West Melton. Fred married in Weymouth in 1934 and a son
was born there the following year. He joined the Royal Navy, service number P/KX 75562, and became a Petty Officer Stoker. By 1943 he was serving on HMS Egret which was the lead ship in her class of Sloop, meaning that the class was known as the Egret class, she was commissioned on 11 November 1938. In 1943 HMS Egret was under refit between April and June, and after that was involved in the escort of a convoy to Gibraltar. The ship was then placed with 1st Support Group in the Bay of Biscay on anti-submarine operations to prevent passage of German submarines to and from ports in Bay of Biscay using coastal waters. While on deployment with the Canadian destroyer Athabaskan and HMS Grenville, the Egret was attacked by a German Dornier 217 aircraft carrying glider bombs. HMS Egret direct hit and sank quickly with only 35 survivors who were rescued by HMCS Athabaskan despite having been damaged by another bomb at the same. Fred Wake was 36 years old when he died and is listed on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. |
Note
HMS Egret was the first ship ever to be sunk by a guided missile. The weapon a Henschel Hs 293 had first damaged a ship two days earlier, on 25 August 1943. The weapon a radio-controlled glide bomb with a rocket engine slung underneath it. It consisted of a modified standard 1,100 lb bomb with a thin metal shell and a high explosive charge inside, equipped with a rocket engine under the bomb, a pair of wings, and an 18-frequency-capability radio receiver. The bomb was in was intended to destroy unarmoured vessels and was controlled by joystick via a radio transmitting set that was carried by the launching aircraft. One drawback of the Hs 293 was that after the missile was launched the bomber had to fly in a straight and level path at a set altitude and speed parallel to the target so as to be able to maintain a slant line of sight. The rocket provided for only a short burst of speed, about 10 seconds at over 500 miles per hour, making range dependent on the height of launch. From a height of 4,600 feet the Hs 293 had a range of about 5½ miles. Later in the war the allies developed effective jamming systems. |
Douglas Wilson - D/KX82559
Douglas Wilson was born in Rotherham in the third quarter of 1914 to Ernest Wilson and Mary (nee Cullen), who had married in 1908. In 1911 Ernest was a coal miner and lived with his wife and 2 children at 112 Providence Place, Conisborough. Douglas later lived at 56 Albert Rd, West Melton.
Douglas enlisted in the Royal Navy and became a Petty Officer Stoker, service number D/KX82559. By late 1941 Douglas was serving on board HMS Galatea an Arethusa Class Light Cruiser built in 1935. The Galatea was part of the Mediterranean Fleet and in December 1941 was tasked, with other ships, to attack German convoys operating from Italy to North Africa. When this was cancelled, as the convoys had returned to port, the Galatea was ordered to return to Alexandria in Egypt. For seven hours the Galatea was subject to repeated air attacks, however she survived these. Just after midnight, in the first few minutes of 15 December 1941 the Galatea was hit by a salvo of torpedoes launched by the German submarine U-557 whilst entering swept channel 30 miles North West of Alexandria. Galatea listed heavily then suddenly rolled over on her portside with a terrific splash, and sank in just 3 minutes.
Some 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers HMS Griffin and HMS Hotspur but Galatea’s Captain, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed. Douglas was 27 years old and was amongst those lost and is now commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
His brother Roland also died (see below)
Note
U-557 was sunk just one day later on 16 December 1941 with the loss of all hand in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Crete. The Italian torpedo boat Orione saw a submarine and believing it to be British rammed it.
Douglas enlisted in the Royal Navy and became a Petty Officer Stoker, service number D/KX82559. By late 1941 Douglas was serving on board HMS Galatea an Arethusa Class Light Cruiser built in 1935. The Galatea was part of the Mediterranean Fleet and in December 1941 was tasked, with other ships, to attack German convoys operating from Italy to North Africa. When this was cancelled, as the convoys had returned to port, the Galatea was ordered to return to Alexandria in Egypt. For seven hours the Galatea was subject to repeated air attacks, however she survived these. Just after midnight, in the first few minutes of 15 December 1941 the Galatea was hit by a salvo of torpedoes launched by the German submarine U-557 whilst entering swept channel 30 miles North West of Alexandria. Galatea listed heavily then suddenly rolled over on her portside with a terrific splash, and sank in just 3 minutes.
Some 100 survivors were picked up by the destroyers HMS Griffin and HMS Hotspur but Galatea’s Captain, 22 officers and 447 ratings were killed. Douglas was 27 years old and was amongst those lost and is now commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial.
His brother Roland also died (see below)
Note
U-557 was sunk just one day later on 16 December 1941 with the loss of all hand in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Crete. The Italian torpedo boat Orione saw a submarine and believing it to be British rammed it.
Roland Wilson - PLY/X 1758
Roland Wilson was born in Rotherham in the second quarter of 1918 to Ernest Wilson and Mary (nee Cullen), who had married in 1908. In 1911 Ernest was a coal miner and lived with his wife and 2 children at 112 Providence Place, Conisbro. Roland later lived at 56 Albert Rd, West Melton.
Roland enlisted in the Royal Navy and was a Marine, service number PLY/X 1758, serving on the heavy cruiser HMS Dorsetshire. Having been involved in the sinking on the Bismarck, firing the torpedoes that sent he to the bottom, Dorsetshire was sent east in 1942. Dorsetshire was assigned to the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean. In the Imperial Japanese Navy's Indian Ocean raid, she and her sister ship Cornwall were attacked by Japanese Navy Aichi D3A ‘Val’ dive bombers 200 miles southwest of Ceylon on 5 April. Dorsetshire was hit by 10 bombs and sank stern first at about 13:50. Cornwall was hit eight times and sank bow first about 10 minutes later. Of Dorsetshire's crew, 234 men were killed in the attack. Roland was 24 years old and is commemorated on the Plymouth Naval Memorial. His brother Douglas also died (see above) |
Ronald Wilson
Ronald Wilson was born in Rotherham in the last quarter of 1920 to Herbert and Doris Mary Wilson of Fitzwilliam St, Wath-on-Dearne.
Ronald served in the Merchant Navy and was a Steward on the SS Manchester Brigade. The Manchester Brigade was a 6,042 ton steam merchant ship built in West Hartlepool in 1918 and was owned by Manchester Lines ltd. It set out from Liverpool on 24 September 1940 as part of Convoy OB-218 bound for Montreal. The convoy was attacked by U-boats and the Manchester brigade was sunk by U-137. Ronald Wilson was lost on 27 September 1940, aged 19 and is commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial. |