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Corporal WILLIAM CHARLES BARNES 5506020, Corporal, Hampshire Regiment, 50th Division (Northumberland), XXX Corps Age
20 Died 21.7.44
Corporal WILLIAM CHARLES BARNES, was the son of Henry George and Elizabeth Mary Barnes of Gosport. He was the husband of Irene Vera, also of
Gosport. He was wounded during the allied invasion of Normandy. Like so many others, he was given immediate medical attention at one of the Casualty Clearing Stations (tented emergency operating
facilities), and then evacuated by air, to Burntwood Emergency Hospital, Lichfield, Staffordshire, where he sadly passed away, as a result of his wounds, on Friday 21st July 1944. He was returned to his
hometown of Gosport for interment. Corporal WILLIAM CHARLES BARNES, was laid to rest five days later, Plot 54, Space 70. A CWGs Commission headstone commemorates his final resting-place.
Mr WILLIAM HENRY BARNES
Age 44 Died 14.6.1941 Mrs ETHEL COLE - Mr THOMAS PERCY COLE
Ages 48 & 46 Died 14.6.1941 Mr ALBERT EDWARD FREELAND
Age 38 Died 14.6.1941 Mr WILFRED JACKSON
Age 61 Died 14.6.1941 Mr JOSEPH MULLINS
Age 56 Died 14.6.1941 Mr JOHN ALBERT POUNDS
Age 58 Died 14.6.1941 Mr TOM GEORGE STRIDE
Age 62 Died 14.6.1941
Mrs GWENDOLINE FLORENCE WADMORE - Mr IVAN HOWARD WADMORE Age 45, 26 Died 14.6.1941
On the night of Saturday 14th June 1941, another heavy air raid hammered the Gosport area, it continued late into the early morning of the 15th.
A force of some 100 plus enemy bombers pressed home their attack and it could be that the target was the Naval barracks at St. Vincent or the Fuel Depot, both of which are in Forton Road. The aim was
short and the bombs fell amongst the residential area to the south of their objectives. This caused widespread damage to properties, and numerous civilian casualties.
In Holly Street, off Stoke Road, one bomb struck No. 9. Inside Mr THOMAS PERCY COLE, the son of the late Richard and Elisabeth Jane Cole (48), a
skilled labourer, and his wife Mrs ETHEL MAY COLE, the daughter of Arthur Nathaniel and Augusta Caroline Coleborn, of Bridgemary Cottages (46), tried to take shelter, but were caught in the house. The
bomb demolished the house, killing Mr Cole. His wife, seriously injured, was rescued from under the ruins of her home. She was taken to the Gosport War Memorial Hospital, where she died shortly after
being admitted. Mr ALBERT EDWARD FREELAND (38), in the house opposite the Cole’s (No. 8), a bricklayer, was killed when the blast from the bomb exploding across the road, brought down the roof of
his home. This caused the upstairs floor to collapse, crushing him to death.
Along the street at No. 17 Holly Street, Mr TOM GEORGE STRIDE, the son of the late Joseph and Sarah Stride, and the husband of Elsie Stride,
(62), a labourer, also lost his life as a result of the bomb blast, which, once again brought down the roof of the house.
Just a few hundred yards from Holly Street, Mr WILFRED JACKSON, the husband of Lillian Gertrude Jackson, of No.7 Haslar Street, Gosport, (61), a
stoker employed at Flux’s Laundry, he was on fire piquet duty in the laundry premises in South Street, Gosport. He stood no chance when a high explosive bomb, blew the side out of the premises. A large
fire resulted which badly damaged the property, and was not put out until the next morning.
The remainder of the bombs fell on what is now the open land between Kings Road and Whitworth Road. At the time it was allotments. However one
of the bombs hit the ‘Whitworth Arms’ public house, (No. 63 Whitworth Road). Inside the landlord Mr IVAN HOWARD WADMORE, (45) and his wife GWENDOLINE FLORENCE, (26), were killed. At the rear of the pub,
the end buildings of Lavinia Road, No.’s 10, 8 and 6 were seriously damaged by the blast. Walls came down and roofing fell. Mr JOSEPH MULLINS, (56), Mr WILLIAM BARNES, (44), in No.8, and Mr JOHN ALBERT
POUNDS, husband of Florence, at No.6, all three firewatcher’s on duty in Lavinia Road, were all killed. Other properties were damaged in the subsequent fire.
Burials: Mr Mullins and Mr Jackson buried Tuesday 17th June, Plot 27 Space 50, and Plot 53 Space 63 respectively. No memorial marks the final
resting-place of Mr Mullins. A Civilian War Grave headstone commemorates Mr Jackson.
The others killed in this air raid, were buried a day later (18th): Mr Barnes Plot 194 Space 40 Mrs Cole Plot 28 Space 74 Mr Percy, Mr Freeland
Plot 173 Space 20 Mr Stride Plot 116 Space 48 Mr Wadmore Plot 40 Space 65 Mrs Wadmore All above except Mr Pounds, who is commemorated on a family memorial, have Civilian War Grave headstones.
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