A list of the men by Surname V - Z

From 1942 No.7 Squadron Royal was one of the Pathfinder Squadron that flew ahead of the main bomber force, located and marked targets with flares that increased the accuracy of their bombing. The Pathfinders were normally the first to receive new blind bombing aids like Gee, Oboe and the H2S radar.

Killed In Action on the 16th of June 1944, aged 22.

James was Air Gunner on Lancaster Mark III, Serial No. JB455, Code: MG-N that took off at 11:03pm from R.A.F. Oakington, Cambridgeshire on the 15th of June 1944. The target was the railway junctions and train formations of Lens and Valenciennes, France. After marking the targets and turning for home they were attacked by a German night fighter, and the Lancaster exploded and crashed near to a farm owned by the De Bosschere family. The only survivor was the pilot, Hugh Wallace Thomson M.C. D.F.C., who was thrown clear when the Lancaster exploded and came too descending with his parachute fully open. He was hidden by the De Bosschere family for a four days in the basement, while German troops were quartered upstairs, before Odo De Bosschere took Thomson with a bicycle to Wallonia (the French speaking part of Belgium) to a few family members. Here contact was made with the French Resistance and Thomson made it back to Allied lines and then to England and back with his unit.

Buried at Anzegem Communal Cemetery, Anzegem, Belgium.

Grave Reference: Coll. grave 14-18. (James and his fellow crew members are buried together).

H.M.S Dunedin then spent the next few months sailing the South Atlantic, calling in at Freetown, Sierra Leone, St Helena and Bathurst. In November 1941 The Admiralty through intelligence gained from Enigma, learned that four U-boats, an armed merchant raider and a supply ship, were to attack Allied shipping near to Cape Town, South Africa. Dunedin along with H.M.S. Devonshire and H.M.S. Dorset shire were ordered to independently track and intercept them.

On the 22nd of November Devonshire came upon U-126 and the armed raider Atlantis and attacked. She sunk Atlantis but stayed out of range of U-126, and reported survivors in the water. On the 24th of November the supply ship Python came to help U-126 which was towing survivors towards South America. On the afternoon of the same day U-124, commanded by Jochen Mohr, was to rendezvous with the Python. Near St Paul’s Rocks, 900 miles west of Freetown, just south of the Equator, Mohr sighted Dunedin to his north east sailing a zig-zag course at 17 knots. U-124 raced ahead of Dunedin's path and dived for the attack. The lookouts on the cruiser saw the periscope at 14.50 hours and changed course to chase the U-boat, but the course of the U-boat was misinterpreted so the Dunedin sailed away from U-124. The approaching U-124 suddenly came to the surface for a brief moment, but remained unseen. The forward hydroplanes jammed and the crew had trouble to get the boat under control. As Mohr was able to see through his periscope again the cruiser was not in sight, but then he spotted the vessel at a range of over three miles, which was now well past of a favourable attack range. Mohr decided to fire a spread of three torpedoes at 15.21 hours. After 5 minutes and 23 seconds, two torpedoes struck the cruiser, which rolled first to port then to starboard before sinking stern first after 17 minutes. The first torpedo struck amidships and wrecked the main wireless station. The second torpedo struck further aft, probably near the quarters of the officers, dismounting the after 6in gun and blowing away the starboard screw. About 250 survivors managed to leave the ship by jumping overboard. They rescued themselves onto seven Carley floats and floating debris. The U-boat surfaced and circled the survivors for about ten minutes but then left.

Only 72 survivors were still alive on the six floats found by the American steam merchant Nishmaha, en route from Takoradi to Philadelphia, three days after the sinking. Many survivors drowned, some died of their injuries, others died of exhaustion and some were bitten and killed by sharks. Five of the rescued men died before the merchant ship reached Trinidad, with only four officers and 63 ratings surviving the sinking.

Remembered on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial.

Panel Reference: Panel 50, Column 1.

Remembered on the Camberley War Memorial.

Remembered on the Lych Gate Memorial, St. Andrew's, Frimley Green, Surrey.

Son of Frederick and Elizabeth White (nee Jenkins) , of Frimley Green, Surrey.

Photo of Bernard courtesy of Darren Spittle.

John Francis, Whiteing M.C. 1911 - 1942;

Born on the 22nd of November 1911. Registered at Farnham, Surrey.

Educated as a Gentleman Cadet at the Royal Military College Sandhurst, admitted on the 21st of January 1933.

Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) on the 30th of August 1934. Published in the London Gazette on the 31st of August 1934. Issue 34083, Page 5523.

John was a keen boxer and was Army Amateur Officers’ Lightweight Champion in 1935 and boxed for the Army Officers, and in the ISBA Championship for the Army, for several years. He was a brilliant soccer player, and as a cricketer his pace bowling was something.

Posted to British Palestine, 1936. John served with the 1st Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire).

Awarded the Military Cross for gallant and distinguished services rendered in connection with the emergency operations in Palestine during the period 15th of April to 14th of September 1936. Published in the London Gazette on the 6th of November 1936 Issue 34338, Page 7123.

Promoted to Lieutenant, The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), unknown date.

Posted to the 2nd Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire), unknown date.

Posted to Gillman Barracks, Singapore, unknown date.

The 2nd Battalion The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) had been based in Malaya since 1938 and garrisoned at Singapore from 1939.

John married Jane Mary Bannatyne on the 6th of May 1941 at Singapore.

Promoted to Captain The Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) unknown date.

John's son Patrick was born at Singapore on the 6th of May 1941.

On the 8th of December 1941 the Japanese attacked British and American bases throughout the Pacific and within a month northern Malaya was overrun by Japanese forces. On the 12th of January 1942 the 2nd Battalion Loyal Regiment were hurried forward from fortress reserve at Singapore to assist the hard-pressed Indian and Australian troops who were falling back through Johore, and over the next fortnight they fought several desperate rearguard actions, notably north of Batu Pahat, to assist in the Allied withdrawal from the mainland. Many Loyals were cut of in the fighting but managed to evade the enemy and rejoin the Battalion. Back on Singapore Island, 2nd Loyals held the reserved demolition on the causeway until it was blown on the 31st of January 1942.

On the 8th of February 1942 the Japanese landed on Singapore Island. Some counter-attacks were attempted, but in general the invaders were allowed to retain the initiative as the garrison fell back towards the suburbs of Singapore city. The 2nd Loyals defended positions on Reformatory Road before starting, on the 12th, a series of withdrawals which took them to Gillman Barracks, their former peacetime base. A further two days of heavy pressure resulted, on 15th February, in a final withdrawal to Mount Washington where the surviving Loyals were ordered to lay down their arms and surrender with the rest of the Singapore Garrison.

Captured as a Prisoner of War by the Japanese at Singapore on the 15th of February 1942.

Japanese Prisoner of War No. 39

Held at Changi, Singapore until the 16th of August 1942.

Transported aboard the Fukai Mori to Formosa (now Taiwan) where they arrived on the 30th of August. No-one was allowed off the ship and the men spent the days helping to load and unload supplies etc until the 15th of September when the ship lined up in convoy and sailed to Korea.

Arrived at Port Fusan, Korea on the 22nd of September 1942. The men were kept aboard the Fukai Mori until the 24th when they were to be moved by train to Keijo (now Seoul).

Held at Keijo P.O.W. Camp, Keijo (Seoul), Korea.

New P.O.W. No: 538

Died as a Prisoner of War prisoner, on the 1st of December 1942, aged 31.

John died from Diptheria.

John's body was cremated and placed in an Urn marked with his details.

Buried at Yokohama War Cemetery, Yokohama, Japan.

Grave Reference: Brit. Sec. F.D. 15.

Remembered on the Camberley War Memorial.

Son of Captain Isaac Henry Whiteing, D.C.M. and of Mary Whiteing (nee Falvey) of The Spot, Bisley Camp, Bisley, Surrey; husband of Jane Mary Whiteing, of Burnbank, Sandhurst, Berkshire.

Anthony Thornton, Wilkinson 1919 - 1944;

Born between July and September 1919. Registered at Pickering, Yorkshire North Riding.

Educated at Oxford University. Anthony gained a Bachelors of Art (B.A.), unknown date and subject.

Enlisted into the Officer Cadet Training Unit, unknown date.

Anthony was enrolled in the 165th O.C.T.U. based at Castle Park Barracks, Dunbar, Scotland.

Emergency Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Middlesex Regiment on the 10th of February 1940. Published in the London Gazette on the 15th of March 1940. Supplement 34813, Page 1618.

Promoted to Lieutenant Middlesex Regiment, unknown date.

Retained in Rank of Lieutenant Middlesex Regiment with present seniority. Published in the London Gazette on the 16th March of 1943. Supplement 35945, Page 1303.

Volunteered for the Parachute Regiment Army Air Corps, unknown date. Anthony served with the 3rd Parachute Brigade, 6th Airborne Division.

Anthony married Marcia Harvey between January and March 1944. Registered at Kensington, London.

Promoted to Captain, unknown date.

Appointed as Intelligence Oefficer, H.Q 3rd Brigade Defence Platoon, unknown date.

On the 5th of June 1944 the 3rd Brigade took off aboard gliders and various transport aircraft from airfields in England on Operation Tonga, the codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by the British 6th Airborne Division as a part of Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings during the Second World War.

The first unit of the 6th Airborne Division to land in Normandy, was Major John Howard's coup-de-main force, 2nd Battalion Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment which within 15 minutes of landing in France had secured the Caen canal bridge and the Orne River bridge. While the force waited for the rest of the division to land, and for the 7th Parachute Battalion to arrive to reinforce their position, they had to repel several spontaneous attempts by the Germans to re-take the bridges. At 1:30 am, two German tanks attempted to drive onto the bridge, but were repelled with the loss of one tank to a PIAT anti-tank weapon.

The 3rd Parachute Brigade began to land but suffered from the problems that its units were scattered throughout the area due to poor navigation, heavy cloud cover, and several of the drop-zones either not being marked correctly or marked correctly but incorrectly positioned due to pathfinder error. Nonetheless the 3rd Brigade men set out for their objectives and by the end of the first day 6th of June 1944, the 3rd Parachute Brigade were holding a 4 miles front, with 9th Parachute Battalion at Le Plein, 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion at Les Mesneil, and the 8th Parachute Battalion in the southern part of the Bois de Bavent. The 5th Parachute Brigade had the 12th Parachute Battalion occupying Le Bas de Ranville, and the 13th Parachute Battalion holding Ranville while the 7th Parachute Battalion had been moved into reserve. The 6th Airlanding Brigade was poised to commit its two battalions to extend the bridgehead. The 1st Special Service Brigade, which had temporarily came under the command of the division, was holding villages to the north and north-east of DZ N.

Of all the units of the 6th Airborne Division, the 3rd Parachute Brigade were the most seriously tested during the first week of the landings. Their losses incurred on the drop zones on the first night had been severe, and were further worsened by the casualties suffered by the 9th Parachute Battalion when assaulting the Merville Battery. Thereafter the Brigade's position, along the ridge to the east of Ranville, became the main focus of enemy attacks. Although weak and spread thinly along a wide front, they stubbornly clung to its positions and bloodily repulsed every attack that was made on its lines.

Killed In Action on the 8th of June 1944, aged 24.

Anthony was killed at about 2:00 pm on the 8th of June while "counter attacking the enemy" as reported in the War Diary for H.Q Defence Platoon.

Buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Ranville, France.

Grave Reference: IA. C. 20.

Son of William Thornton Wilkinson D.S.O. and of Evelyn Sybil Wilkinson (nee Ward) of East Hill, Thornton-le-Dale, Yorkshire; husband of Marcia Isobel Pamela Wilkinson (nee Harvey), of Camberley, Surrey.

Alfred John, Wilks 1913 - 1943;

Born between January and March 1913. Registered at Farnham, Surrey.

Living at 9 'A' Block. Royal Artillery Barracks, Deepcut Camp, Deepcut, Surrey in 1913.

Living at 2 Heather Cottages, Chobham Road, Frimley, Surrey, 1930

Alfred married Rita Elizabeth Mary Howell, at Aldershot, Hampshire, between April and June 1938. Registered at Surrey North Western.

Alfred's wife Rita is shown as living at 1 New Road, Ash Vale, Surrey, in the 1939 Register.

Educated as a Cadet at Officer Cadet Training Unit, unknown Unit or date.

Emergency Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant Royal Army Service Corps on the 9th of May 1942. Published in the London Gazette on the 22nd of May 1942. Supplement 35567, Page 2231.

Service No: 233618.

Promoted to Lieutenant Royal Army Service Corps, unknown date.

Appointed Temporary Captain Royal Army Service Corps, unknown date.

Died on the 5th of October 1943, aged 30.

Buried at Kilmarnock Cemetery, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Grave Reference: Sec. R. Grave 900.

Son of Thomas Robert William Wilks (1872-1926) and Emma Wilks (1875-1934) (nee Wisdom); husband of Rita Elizabeth Mary Wilks, of 20 Victoria Avenue, Camberley, Surrey.

Frederick George, Winkworth 1920 - 1940;

Born between July and September 1920. Registered at Farnham, Surrey.

Living at 204 London Road, Camberley, Surrey, 1920.

Living at 234 London Road, Camberley, Surrey, 1933.

Living at 3 Bristow Road, Camberley, Surrey, 1937.

Enlisted unknown date.

Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey).

Service No: 6088578.

Rank: Private.

Frederick served with the 1/6th Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey).

Posted to the B.E.F. in France disembarking on the 3rd of April 1940.

Killed In Action on the 20th of May 1940, aged 19.

The 1/6th Battalion Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) were sent to Belgium and after some heavy fighting on the Escaut (Scheldt) River and near La Bassée, carried out a fighting withdrawal through Dunkirk.

Buried at Esquelmes War Cemetery, Belgium.

Grave Reference: VI. A. 29. Special Memorial. (Buried near this spot).

Remembered on the Camberley War Memorial.

Son of Charles and Edith Ann Winkworth (nee Turner), of 3 Bristow Road, Camberley, Surrey.

Francis Noel, Wright 1919 - 1942;

Born between April and June 1919. Registered at Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Living at 4 Old Dean Road, Camberley, Surrey. 1925.

Enlisted unknown date.

Royal Air Force.

Service No: 544832.

Rank: Aircraftman

Promoted to Leading Aircraftman, unknown date.

Francis completed training as a Flight Engineer, unknown date.

Promoted to Corporal, unknown date.

Promoted to Sergeant, unknown date.

Posted to No.405 Squadron Royal Canadian Air Force, unknown date.

No. 405 "Vancouver" Squadron was an R.C.A.F. Squadron, based in Britain and under R.A.F. operational command. On the 12th of June 1941 it took part in its first raid over Germany, and remained with Bomber Command until October 1942.

Posted to No.158 Squadron on the 20th of May 1942. Based at R.A.F. Driffield, Yorkshire.

No.158 squadron reformed at R.A.F. Driffield, Yorkshire, on the 14th of February 1942, via the renumbering of No.104 Squadron, which was equipped with the Vickers Wellington medium bomber and 158 sqn used these on night raids to Germany and occupied France. In June 1942 the squadron re-equipped with the Halifax B.Mk.II heavy bombers and moved to R.A.F. East Moor, Yorkshire.

No.158 Squadron moved to R.A.F. East Moor, Yorkshire, on the 6th of June 1942.

At 11.53 pm on the 25th of June 1942, Francis was Flight Engineer aboard Handley Halifax bomber Mark II, Serial No: W1166 which took off from R.A.F. East Moor, Yorkshire and set out for an operational flight to bomb targets in Bremen, Germany. The aircraft was attacked by a night fighter before arriving in the target area and severe damage was caused to the hydraulic system and wireless equipment with the dinghy being blown out of it's wing stowage. The crew jettisoned the bomb load over Oldenberg, twenty miles from of Bremen and turned for home. They made a safe return to R.AF. East Moor and landed at 4.37 am on the 26th of June 1942.

Killed In Action on the 27th of July 1942 , aged 22.

Francis as Flight Engineer took off from R.A.F. East Moor, Yorkshire at 11:00 pm aboard Halifax Mark II Serial No: W1164, Code NP-B, and set out for an operational flight to bomb targets in Hamburg, Germany. Having successfully bombing the docks area of the city, evasive action to avoid the Flak fire saw the crew lose height and be in amongst the barrage balloons. After a hair raising experience avoiding the barrage a course was set for home. Just off the coast of Belgium over the North Sea, they were jumped by two night fighters and were shot up pretty bad but no one on board was hit. On the third pass the port engines were set on fire leaving them with no chance to make it back home. The skipper (Pilot Officer F. S. White) called over the intercom to say he was going to try and put it down in the sea and ordered the crew to take up ditching positions. Upon hitting the water, the plane violently broke apart and sunk apart from one of the main wings with only four men from the crew escaping the stricken aircraft. The survivors held onto the wing for over 16 hours before they were picked up by a German seaplane, although Pilot Officer White had passed during the night, and were made prisoners of war.

Remembered on the Air Forces Memorial Runnymede, Runnymede, Surrey

Panel Reference: Panel 97.

Remembered on the Camberley War Memorial.

Son of Edward Francis and Edith Wright (nee Hart), of 4 Old Dean Road, Camberley, Surrey.

Jack, Wright 1920 - 1943;

Born between July and September 1920. Registered at Bicester, Oxfordshire.

Living at 4 Old Dean Road, Camberley, Surrey. 1925.

Enlisted unknown date

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.

Service No: 1381461.

Rank: Aircraftman

Promoted to Leading Aircraftman, unknown date.

Promoted to Corporal, unknown date.

Promoted to Sergeant, unknown date.

Posted to No.221 Squadron R.A.F., unknown date.

Posted to Malta, unknown date.

No.221 Squadron was a Wellington-equipped maritime patrol squadron that operated from Britain until the start of 1942, then moved to the Mediterranean where it spent the rest of the war. Based at various airfields in Egypt until January 1943 when it moved to R.A.F. Luqa, Malta.

Killed In Action on the 10th of April 1943, aged 22.

On the 10th of April 1943, Jack took off from R.A.F. Luqa, Malta at 7:10 pm aboard Wellington Mark Ic, Registration HX727 on an operational Shipping Reconnaissance flight of Sicily. Last heard on Wireless Transmitter signalling S.O.S. 30 miles south south east of Cape Passero, Sicily. Missing between Cape Spartivento and Point dell'Alice, Italy, although no trace of the crew or aircraft was found.

Remembered on the Malta Memorial, Floriana, Malta.

Panel Reference: Panel 9, Column 2.

Remembered on the Camberley War Memorial.

Son of Edward Francis and Edith Wright (nee Hart), of 4 Old Dean Road, Camberley, Surrey.

Frederick Lawrence, Yeomans 1909 - 1946;

Born between October and December 1909. Registered at Hartley Wintney, Hampshire.

Living at Mill Lane, Yateley, Hampshire, in the 1911 census.

Frederick married Esme L. R. Denton between July and September 1935. Registered at Easthampstead, Berkshire.

Enlisted unknown date. Frederick gave his year of birth as 1912.

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers

Service No: 7635491.

Rank: Craftsman.

Died on the 29th of January 1946, aged 34 (37 years real age), at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, Berkshire.

Buried at St. Peter's, Yateley, Hampshire.

Grave Reference: S.E. corner.

Remembered on the Yateley War Memorial. Yateley, Hampshire.

Son of Arthur and Emily Yeomans, of Yateley; husband of Esme L. R. Yeomans, of 3 Victoria Road, Yorktown, Camberley, Surrey.

Lest We Forget

Lee Thomas October 2020