Remembered Today: Sergeant-Pilot 562657 Maurice Cotterell

Maurice Charles Cotterell was the eldest son of Charles Cotterell and Dorothy Cotterell (née Hensley) of Leamington Road, Broadway. He was born in Broadway on 16 March 1912, the brother of Winifred and Michael.

After leaving Prince Henry’s School, Maurice worked at Russell’s, for the furniture designer Sir Gordon Russell, in the village before joining the RAF. He served at RAF Halton, Buckinghamshire, with 90 Squadron as a Sergeant-Pilot.

Maurice was killed, aged 27, in an air crash in 23rd March 1940. He was piloting a Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV L4873 when it flew into Foel Wen in the Berwyn Mountains, Wales, after breaking formation from two other aircraft after entering cloud. All three members of the crew, Maurice, Sergeant Observer Ronald J. Harbour and Aircraftman 2nd Class Kenneth C. Winterton (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) were killed instantly.

Maurice and his crew, were buried in the churchyard at St Mary the Virgin Church, Shawbury, on Shropshire, on 28th March 1940. Canon Burns conducted the funeral which was attended by Maurice’s widow and family. His coffin was draped in the Union Flag and borne by members of the RAF.

Maurice was the first man from Broadway to be killed in the Second World War and had only been married Marjory Patricia Ingram, of Abingdon, for 7 weeks. He is commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial and on the Roll of Honour inside St Michael and All Angels Church.

 

Debbie Williamson
Broadway Remembers

 

 

 

Sources:

Peak District Air Accident Research

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remembered Today: Flight Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 1583124 Sydney Joseph James

Sydney ‘Sidney’ Joseph James of Broadway (1924-1945)

Sydney J. James (1924-1945)

Sydney¹ Joseph James was born in Broadway in 1924, the son of Joseph Charles James and Annie Elizabeth James (née Turner) of Mill Avenue, Broadway.

As a boy, Sidney was educated at Broadway Council School and a member of Broadway Scout Group. Sidney was a keen footballer and played for Broadway Football Club’s junior teams before later becoming Secretary of the Club. After leaving school Sidney went to work on the clerical staff at the corn merchants Titchmarsh and Hunt in the village.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Broadway set up a Pig Club and Sidney was appointed the first Secretary of the Club². Sidney was interested in flying and was a member of Broadway’s Air Training Corps, playing football for Broadway’s ATC at weekends.

Aged 18, he joined the Royal Air Force in 1942 and he served with the 61 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner on Lancaster Bombers.

Operation Leuna and the Loss of the Crew of Lancaster B3, LM720 QR-D

Sidney was killed whilst on operations during the early hours of 15th January 1945. On 14th January, He was one of the crew³ in Lancaster B3, LM720 QR-D, piloted by Flight Officer William George Corewyn,  that took off at 8.51pm from RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincoln, on a night time raid to bomb the synthetic oil refinery near Mersberg, Eastern Germany (Operation Leuna). The Lancaster successfully carried out the raid but crashed during the return flight over Norfolk. Poor weather conditions and possibly a garbled message advising the destination of Carnaby Airfield near Bridlington, Yorkshire, are thought to have contributed to the crash. However, the Lancaster headed towards Langham Airfield, Norfolk, and in the fog struck the 200ft RAF radar mast on Bard Hill, Salthouse. The Lancaster came down at 1.21am on Salthouse Heath near Langham Airfield. Six of the crew including Sidney died instantly and Air Bomber Flight Sergeant Edward ‘Teddy’ Boakes died in hospital later the same morning.

Remembering Sydney Joseph James

Sydney’s Headstone, St Eadburgha’s Churchyard, Broadway, Worcestershire

Sidney’s body was recovered from the crash site and brought back to Broadway. He was buried in St Eadburgha’s Churchyard the following week. His funeral service, attended by his family, friends and representatives from Broadway Parish Council, Titchmarsh and Hunt and Broadway’s ATC, was conducted by the Vicar of Broadway, Rev. V.H. Patrick. Sidney’s coffin was draped in the Union Flag and borne by Sergeant Sunley, Flight Sergeant Phillips and ATC Cadets Agg, Beard, Dyde and Print.

Sydney Joseph James is commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial and on the Roll of Honour inside St Michael and All Angels Church in the village.

 

We will remember them.

 

 

 

 

Debbie Williamson
Broadway Remembers

 

1. Also spelt ‘Sidney’. His first name was registered at birth as ‘Sydney’ but his RAF records have his name recorded as ‘Sidney’.
2. Broadway Pig Club, to supplement meat rations during the War years, was started in March 1941 following a meeting at the Lifford Memorial Hall attended by Worcestershire’s Agricultural Organiser, C. Culpin. The first officers of the Club were: A.B. Williams (Chairman), Charles Steward (Vice-Chairman), Sydney James (Honorary Secretary) and A.F. Lomas (Hon. Treasurer). A year later the Club had insured 130 pigs and there were over 160 members.
2. The crew of the Lancaster LM720 QR-D were: Flight Sergeant R.C. Battersby (Navigator), Flight Sergeant E.J. ‘Teddy’ Boakes (Air Bomber), Flight Officer W.G. Corewyn (Pilot), Sergeant J. Douglas (Air Gunner), Sergeant P.R. Earl (Flight Engineer) and Sergeant R. Richardson (Air Gunner). They were all in their 20s. The oldest was 24.

 

Further reading:
Air Crewed Remembered

Sources:
http://www.ancestry.co.uk
The records of International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln.

Remembered Today: Leading Aircraftman 1440292 Brian Cross (1921-1942)

Brian Cross was the only son of James Cross and Eliza Kate Cross (née Jones) from Herefordshire. He was born in Hereford in 1921 and had a younger sister, Pauline, born in 1926. His father, who was from Lancashire, served as Broadway’s Postmaster for many years having worked for the Post Office since 1913.

Brian was educated at Hereford High School and Evesham Grammar School. On leaving school, Brian went to work for Lloyds Bank in Selly Oak. It is not known when his parents moved to Broadway but his sister and parents are recorded as living at 45 Leamington Road, Broadway, in the 1939 Register.

Aerial View of RAF Staverton in 1941

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Brian, aged 18, enlisted with the RAF and served as a Leading Aircraftman (LAC). In 1942, Brian was based at RAF Staverton which served as a training base for No. 6 Air Observer School¹. On 24th August 1942, a practice bombing flight in a twin-engined Avro Anson crashed 25 minutes after taking off from Staverton.  Its crew of three; pilot Sergeant Edward Perkins, aged 20, LAC Lawrence Roper², aged 29, and LAC Brian Cross, aged 21, struck high ground at Stockend Wood, north of Stroud. Brian was taken to Stroud Hospital but died of his injuries on 27th August 1942.

Brian was later cremated in Cheltenham and his ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance at Cheltenham Crematorium and an RAF service was held in his honour. After Brian’s death, his parents moved to Leek, Staffordshire, in 1944, where James worked at the Post Office until his retirement. His sister, Pauline married locally.

Brian is commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial, the Roll of Honour in St Michael and All Angels Church and on the bronze memorial plaque on the wall in the cloisters at Cheltenham Crematorium. Staverton Airport, now Gloucestershire Airport, is currently raising money to erect a memorial to LAC Brian Cross and the other men who trained or flew from RAF Staverton.

We will remember them.

 

Debbie Williamson
Broadway Remembers

 

Notes:

1. From 1938, reservist airman could be trained at Staverton by civilian organisations.
2. Sgt Edward Perkins and LAC Lawrence Roper are buried in Gloucester Cemetery.

 

 

 

 

 

Able Seaman Robert Warner ‘Bob’ Clarke and the Sinking of Submarine HMS P311 January 1943

A biography below of Able Seaman Robert ‘Robin’ or ‘Bob’ Warner Clarke, son of Frank Thomas and May Clarke, of Mill Avenue, Broadway, Worcestershire, who died during the sinking of the submarine HMS P311 on 8th January 1943. Robin was declared missing in action after the sinking, and notification that he was presumed dead was received by his parents the following March.

Robin was educated at Broadway Council School and after leaving school was employed by an Evesham firm of fishmongers until he signed up with the Navy just before his 18th birthday. He had only been in the Navy for a year when he was killed, aged 19, in the sinking of submarine HMS P311.

Robert is commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial and the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire, England, Panel 74, Column 1.

Remembrance Day Service Sunday 11th November 2018

Broadway Remembers: Broadway Falls Silent to Remember the War Dead and Mark 100 Years since the Armistice

100 years after the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month 1918, when the guns fell silent on the Western Front bringing an end to the First World War, a Service of Remembrance and 2 minutes’ silence was held at the War Memorial on the village green in Broadway, Worcestershire. This was followed by a service in St Michael and All Angels’ Church to remember all the lives sacrificed in the service of our country and those traumatised and injured in conflict.

Broadway Remembers today, in this centenary year, the following 48 men who died in the First World War and are commemorated on Broadway’s war memorial:

BARNETT, Private  9562 George, 1st Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
BAYLISS,  Private 25249 James Josiah, Worcestershire Regiment transferred to 287004 Labour Corps
BILLEY, Private 34604 William Robert, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire  Regiment
BISHOP, Private  203259 William, 10th Battalion Worcestershire  Regiment
BOX,  Private M/320163 William Arthur, Royal Army Service Corps
CLARKE, Private 15372 Albert Henry, 11th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
CLARKE, Private 30483 Bertram, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
COLLINS, Private 16263 Archibald William (Archie), 10th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
CRUMP, Yeoman of Signals 220097 William George, Royal Navy
CULL,  Private 47558 John Sydney (Jack),  15th Squadron Royal Machine Gun Corps
DAFFURN,  Driver 17552 Thomas, “B”  Battery 98th Brigade (XVI Corps HQ) Royal Field  Artillery
EARP, Sergeant 88389 John William, “C” Battery 84th Brigade Royal Field Artillery
EDWARDS, Pioneer 37053 Henry Harold (Harry), 3rd  Divisional Signal Company Royal  Engineers
EMMS, Private 32962 Ebenezer Evelyn, Royal  Berkshire  Regiment & 424th Agricultural Company Labour Corps
FIGGITT, Private 10503 Wilford Charles,  2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire  Regiment
FLOWER, Lt. Col. Oswald Swift,  13th  Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
FOLKES, Guardsman 23203 Alfred, King’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards
FOLKES, Private 2414 Francis Alfred (Frank), Queen’s  Own Worcestershire Hussars  (Worcester Yeomanry)
GAME, Lt. Hubert John, Royal Field Artillery and Royal Flying Corps
GARDNER, Private M2/153742 William, Royal Army Service Corps
GODDARD, Private 37889 Arthur Harold, 1st/5th  Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry
GREEN, Corporal 240841 Leonard Frank,  1st/8th Battalion  Worcestershire Regiment
HAINES, Rifleman 4632 Cecil  Frank, 1st/12th Battalion London Regiment (The Rangers)
HAINES, Private 15024 Gerald, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
HENSLEY, Private M2/148096 George, 284th  Company Army Service Corps
HILL, Private 9574 Reginald Bertram, 1st  Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
HILSON, Private 12240 Joseph, 1st  Battalion  Gloucestershire Regiment
INGLES, Private TF/241275 Francis Henry,  7th Battalion Queen’s Own (Royal West Kent  Regiment)
JACKSON, Private 241170 Charles, 7th  Battalion Worcestershire  Regiment
JORDAN, Private 202406 Walter, 1st  Battalion  Worcestershire Regiment
KEYTE, Private 27819 Charles Hubert, 3rd  Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
LAYTON, Private 22994 Alfred, 9th  Battalion Worcestershire  Regiment
PAINTER, Private M2/033139 Sidney John, 5th  Divisional Supply Column Army Service Corps
PARKER, Private 17070 Ernest Harold, 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
PARKER, Private 2444 William John,  Warwickshire  Yeomanry
PERRY, Sergeant SE/17110 John, Royal Army Veterinary Corps
RASTALL, Private 241810 Frank, 1st/8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
RUSSELL, Private 9570 Joe Edgar, 9th  Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
SANDEL, Lance Corporal 3674 George, 1/8th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
SCRIVENS, Private 21387 Wilfred George, 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
STANLEY, Private 42530 Alec Silvester, 2nd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
STANLEY, Gunner 59030 Charles Robert, ‘B’ Battery 86th Royal Field Artillery
TALBOT, 2nd Lt. Stanley Alfred, North Staffordshire Regiment
TANDY, Private 10754 Wilfred George, 9th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
TEBBY, Private 29004 Walter John, 14th Battalion Welsh Regiment
TUSTIN, Lance Corporal 36116 Jack, 14th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
VINCENT, Guardsman 27767 Ernest Edward, 1st  Battalion Grenadier Guards
WALE, Lance Corporal 30871 Edmund  Joseph, 8th Battalion Royal  Berkshire Regiment

Today we also remember the following 24 men of Broadway who died in the First World War who are not commemorated on the war memorial:

ANNESLEY CMG, DSO, Lieutenant James Howard Aldolphus, 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers)
BATCHELOR, Private 9569 George Walter Raymond, 15th Entrenching Battalion, late 11th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
COOK MM, Second Corporal 86297, 254th Tunnelling Company, Royal Engineers
CUNNINGTON, Corporal 7931 Charles Camberlain, 2nd Battalion Dorsetshire Regiment
DALE, Ernest Stocks, Corporal 17842, 1/7th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
DALE, John S, Company Sergeant Major 13784, 8th Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment
GABB, William Harold, Private 5767, 3rd Battalion Coldstream Guards
GANDERTON, Thomas Henry. Private 17267, 3rd Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
GRIMMITT, John William, Gunner 246724, ‘C’ Battery, 275th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery
HANDY, George Thomas, Private 29206, 9th (Service) Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
HANDY, Reginald
HANDY, Richard Keyte, Private 19218, 9th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
HARTWELL, Arthur James, Private 240100, 8th Battalion East Surrey Regiment
HINTON, Gerald Charles, Private 307582, 2/7th Royal Warwickshire Regiment formerly 3645 Warwickshire Yeomanry
HUXLEY, Albert, Lance Corporal 241169, 2/8th Worcestershire Regiment
JONES, William
MATTHEWS, William Henry, Private 8859, 3rd Garrison Battalion Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
PERKINS, George Thomas, Private 14453, 2nd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment
SADLER, Ernest Charles, Guardsman, 2nd Battalion Coldstream Guards
SMITH, William Thomas, Private 290802, 4th Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment
SPIERS, Walter Edward, Private 19365, 4th Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
TOMES, James
TURNER, Lamber, Private 41726, 2/4th Battalion Princess Charlotte of Wales’s (Royal Berkshire Regiment, formerly 145506 Labour Corps
WALKER, Henry Austin, Private 20806, 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards

The names of 21 men were added at to the memorial at the end of the Second World War:

CLARKE, Robert Warner, Able Seaman PJX321879, Royal Navy(H.M. Submarine P311)
CLARKE, Sydney Clarke, Lance Corporal 11416496, 7th Battalion York and Lancaster Regiment
COOK, Robert Leonard, Lance Corporal 2618869, 5th Battalion Grenadier Guards
CROSS, Brian, Leading Aircraftman 1440292, Royal Volunteer Reserve
CROSS, Frederick, Private 5249458, 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
COTTERELL, Maurice Charles, Sergeant Pilot 562657, 90 Squadron Royal Air Force
COTTERELL, Peter Samuel, Sergeant/Air Gunner, 158 Squadron Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
HANDY, Frederick, Driver T70973, Royal Army Service Corps
HARRISON, Kenneth John, Ordinary Seaman CJX319054, Royal Navy (HMS Arethusa)
INGLES, Horace George, Private 5253093, 1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
INGLES, Thomas Raymond, Able Seaman DJX368713, Royal Navy (HMS Kite)
INVINE, Cyril John, Aircraftman 1st Class 1206953, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
JAMES, Sydney James, Flight Sergeant/Wireless Operator/AirGunner 1583124, 61 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
JESSOP (JESSUP), Alexander Anthony, Sergeant/Observer 911895, 51 Squadron, Royal Air Force
NEWBURY, James Victor, Ordinary Seaman DJX392157, Royal Navy (HMS Escapade)
OWEN, Edward Milman, Ordinary Seaman PJX226068, Royal Navy (HMS Kashmir)
PEMBERTON, David Alwyne, Squadron Leader/Pilot 33036, 1 Squadron, Royal Air Force
POOLE, James Henry, Leading Aircraftman, Royal Air Force
PROCTOR, Edgar William, Flight Sergeant/Air Gunner 1313237 44 Squadron, Royal Air Force
TARRANT, Frederick George, Private 14773225, 1st Battalion East Lancashire
WOODGER, Clifford John, Sergeant 421411, 2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Royal Amoured Corps

In the late 1950s a bronze plaque was added to the foot of the memorial commemorating:

HENSLEY, Kenneth Andrew, Second Lieutenant, Royal Warwickshire attached North Rhodesia Regiment.

We will remember them.

 

Debbie Williamson
Broadway Remembers

 

 

 

 

75th Whitley Bomber Commemoration at Broadway Tower: 2nd June 2018

75 years ago today the crew of a Whitley bomber, on a Second World War training mission from Honeybourne airfield, crashed next Broadway Tower. Pilot HG Hagen, Sgt EG Ekins, Flt Sgt DH Kelly, Sgt DA Marriott and Sgt RS Phillips did not survive when the aircraft came down less than 200 yards from the Tower on 2nd June 1943.

Today a Lancaster Bomber will be performing a fly past at the site at 1.03pm. At 2.15pm the short annual inter-denominational service will be held at the memorial stone which marks the spot where the Whitley crashed.

Everyone is welcome at the Tower to pay their respects to the brave airmen who all lost their lives on that date.

Remembered Today: Remembrance Sunday 9th November 2014

Today we remember all the men commemorated on the Broadway War Memorial: the 48 fallen of the First World War, 21 men killed in the Second World War and Kenneth Hensley who died in Malaya in 1955.

A Service of Remembrance will be held this morning at 10.45am at the war memorial followed by a service at St Michael’s Church.

We will remember them.