|
Mr GEORGE WILLIAM CRIPPS Age 30 Died 12.8.1940
Corporal SIDNEY A. EDWARD CROKER, RAF 864272, Corporal, No. 933 Balloon Barrage Squadron, R A F. Age 41 Died 12.8.1940 at St. F. Vincent
Sports Ground, Gosport. SEE Corporal ARTHUR REGINALD BARRELL R.A.F.
Private JOHN HENRY DARE Royal Warwickshire Regiment attached to RAF Station, Gosport. Age 18 Died 16.7.1942
The Hampshire Telegraph dated 24th July 1942 on page 19 carried this report: This unfortunate accident is a very good example of the danger of
mixing live and dummy ammunition.” said the Coroner in recording a verdict of “Accidental death” at an Inquest held at the an air station in the Southern Command an Monday, on Private
John Henry Dare, who was killed on Thursday 16th of July 1942, aged 18, his home address was given as 208 Phillips Street, Aston, Birmingham, Warwickshire, was shot in the right cheek whilst he and other
men of his unit were being instructed in the use of a light machine gun. Sgt. Jack Canavan said be could not get the correct number at dummy rounds, so he used one live round. He told the men who were
seated on the ground, that a live round was being used, and that they must not walk in front of the gun. After a magazine filling demonstration, he showed how to unload the magazine by releasing the
tension at the spring in action; he turned to speak to one at the men when the gun went off.
FIRING PIN NOT REMOVED He had forgotten for a moment about the live round. He did not take the firing pin out. All the men were trained soldiers
and had been taught that they must never walk in front of a gun. Captain L.T. Valentine said he questioned the squad, none of whom saw Dare walk in front of the gun. Live ammunition was used in training,
due to lack of dummy rounds and also to accustom the men to handling live ammunition. Strict orders had been given that live and dummy ammunition must not be mixed.
Private JOHN HENRY DARE, was the son of John Henry and Gertrude Anne May Dare, of Aston, Birmingham. He was buried with full military
honour’s, on Wednesday 22nd July 1942, and is laid to rest in the War Graves Section (see plan on back pages), Row 4 Space 4, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.
Mr JOHN EDWARD DARRINGTON 7 Bedford Street, Gosport. Age 29 Died 16.8.40 – SEE - MR GEORGE WILLIAM CRIPPS
Battery Sergeant Major THOMAS JOHN DAVIES, R.A. 1068997, Battery Sergeant Major, No. 10 Battery, 4th Light Anti Aircraft Regiment, Royal
Artillery Age 38 Died 28.7.1945
Battery Sergeant Major THOMAS JOHN DAVIES, Royal Artillery, was the son of William and Margaret Jane Davies. He was also the husband of Doreen
Elizabeth Davies, and they lived at No. 13 Oval Gardens, Gosport. He passed away on Friday 28th of September 1945, at the Royal South Hants Hospital, Southampton. Cause not given in cemetery records.
Battery Sergeant Major THOMAS JOHN DAVIES, R.A., was buried on the 1st of October, 1945, he is laid to rest in the War Graves Section (see plan on back pages), Row 3 Grave 4, and is commemorated by a CWG
headstone.
Seaman HARRY EDWARD DAVIS, M.N. Seaman Cook, Merchant Navy Age 61 Died 25.4.1942
Seaman HARRY EDWARD DAVIS (61), of the Steamship ‘Athlone Castle’, Merchant Navy. He came from No. 22 Henry Street, Gosport,
died on Saturday 25th April 1942, at the Royal Infirmary Hospital, Liverpool, cause not given. Returned to his hometown, Seaman HARRY EDWARD DAVIS, M.M., was buried on Wednesday 30th April 1942 in the
War Graves Section (see plan on back pages), Row 3 Grave 4, and is commemorated by a CWG headstone.
Gunner ALFRED FREDERICK DAWES, R.A.1476732, 529th Hants Regiment, Royal Artillery Age 17 Died
10.1.1941
SEE – Mr GEORGE THOMAS CAMP
Mrs ETHEL LYDIA KATHLEEN DAWES - Miss ELIZABETH ALICE SLYVIA DAWES - Miss KATHLEEN EDITH JEAN DAWES Age 35, 6, and 5. Of No.
6 Windsor Road Died 10.3.1941 SEE – Mr WILLIAM BURRIDGE
Sapper DENNIS ROBERT DEWELL, R.E. 1875445,
Sapper, 79th Assault Squadron, Royal Engineers. Age 25 Died 2.6.1944
Sapper DENNIS ROBERT DEWELL, Royal Engineers, was the son of Walter James and Eleanor Kate Dewell, of Deal, Kent. He had
been awaiting the mobilisation of allied forces for the Invasion of Normandy. The troops were all briefed as to their objectives and targets, and had been placed under guard in one of the many sealed
camps, which were located around the Gosport area. On the 2nd June 1944, he and his assault unit, were embarking their armoured vehicles onto L.C.T.’s (Landing Craft – Tank) on the foreshore
at Stokes Bay, Gosport. The weather was not the best for that time of the year; a sea swell was kicking up moderate surf waves onto the shore. This made the loading of the heavy, armoured vehicles, a
very difficult and dangerous job. When it came to Sapper Dewell’s armoured vehicle to be embarked, a particularly high wash caused the vehicle to slide across the landing craft, pinning Sapper
Dewell to the side of the craft. He was taken to the closest medical facility, which was at Fort Gomer. The Allies, of Europe had fit out the fort for emergency medical treatment, in preparation for the
D-Day Invasion. Sapper Dewell was at first thought to be have suffered only slight and minor injuries, but unknown to those around him, he had serious internal bleeding. When it was suspected that this
was the case, it was too late; he died before an ambulance could take him to hospital. As far as I am aware, it may well be that he was the first fatality of the D-Day landings.
Sapper DENNIS ROBERT DEWELL, R.E., was buried on the morning of the landings took place in Normandy,
(6th June 1944), and is laid to rest in the War Graves Section (see plan on back pages), Row 3 Grave 10, he is commemorated by a CWG headstone.
|
