Parbold – World War 2

2024.

Parbold Merchantile Marine.

He is the only casualty of war in the cemetery.

What you see is what the War Grave page actually looks like!… Scant!

Hodgson is the only man listed ‘erroneously’ on the Mary Kingsley panel at The Tower Hill Memorial London.

In addition to Ashford and Hodson, was Anthony Foulkes ‘Master’ of The Mary Kingsley who died 5th August 1946… Within the then Imperial War Graves prescribed time period for war commemorations, these culminated end of 1947.

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Eric Ashworth no ‘fixed’ identity.

Who is he?

That is the name depicted upon the war memorial in Christ C

hurch Parbold, as with the other WW2 names no further information provided.

In 1999 / 2000 working on the information provided by Dr Eric McPherson and Canon Harding.

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

I took the view it was 944855 Sgt Eric Ashworth, Royal Artillery, killed in action 7th January 1942 Malaya prior to the fall of Singapore.

As defined in the Roll of Honour placed in Parbold Library.

This man served 137 Field Regt RA. A (West Lancashire) Territorial Royal Artillery unit, with two battery’s located at Blackpool & Preston.

Details in ensuring years have allowed to amplify this units activities and are shown in this more detailed Roll of Honour, along with a credible alternative Eric Ashworth.

As above printed for the Roll of Honour

A credible alternative, its all upon a grave!

Skeletal entry yes, scant as Merchant Seaman Ashford no!

The Inscription Gun Layer… ‘Gunner’ Commemorating her late husband Eric Ashcroft on his former wife (Mrs Lillian Tattersall) grave. Birkdale Cemetery, Eric married a widow Lillian Tattersall in Ormskirk 1933.

Grave image David Long

The tragedy of SS Orcades.

SS Orcades. (Orient Steamship Co) requisitioned as a troopship 1939. Builder: Vickers Armstrong, Barrow (1937)

On 9 October 1942 Orcades left Cape Town for Liverpool carrying 741 passengers, 3,000 tons of general cargo and 2,000 bags of mail.

She was making about 15 knots (28 km/h), and zigzagging to make her harder to attack. On 10 October at 10:28 hrs she was about 220 nautical miles (410 km) south-west of the Cape Town when U-172, commanded by Kapitänleutnant Carl Emmermann, hit her port side with two torpedoes, one forward in her no. 1 and 2 holds and the other aft in her no. 6 hold. Her steering gear, port engine were disabled but she remained afloat, so most of her crew and passengers were able to prepare to abandon ship.

At 10:45 hrs U-172 hit her amidships with a third torpedo and she began to settle in the water, on an even keel but slightly down by the bow. She continued to make way with her starboard engine, and despite a heavy sea launched 20 lifeboats. One capsized but its occupants were rescued. Another was swamped; drifted, its occupants were not seen again. A skeleton crew of 56 men remained aboard to save the ship, although making only 5 knots (9.3 km/h) and running in circles. At 10:54 hrs U-172 fired a fourth torpedo but it missed. Orcades‘ engineers restarted her port engine, increased to 8 knots (15 km/h) by steering with her screws she started to make for the coast.

U-172 surfaced to increase speed & overtake, but Orcades‘ gunners opened fire the submarine had to dive again. At 12:49, 12:50, 12.54 hrs U-172 hit the ship with three more torpedoes on her starboard side, breaking her back. Listing to starboard sinking at about 13:00 hrs. 55 of her skeleton crew abandoned ship in her last four lifeboats / life rafts, her Chief Engineer, William Johnston, went down with the ship. A total of 45 people were lost. U-172 remained at periscope depth but until an Allied aircraft attacked driving her away, which prevented her from impacting upon the survivors.

Orcades had transmitted distress signals, two destroyers HMAS Nizam HMS Foxhound were sent in response. En route the destroyers engaged another submarine U-159, after she crash-dived they broke off the engagement to continue to Orcades. A few hours after the liner’s sinking a Polish ship, Gdynia America Line’s 7,031 GRT Narwik, reached Orcades life boats. Despite the risk of submarines Narwik spent several hours rescuing 1,022 survivors and searching for three missing lifeboats until 03:30 hrs on 11 October. She then made for the South African coast, Nizam Foxhound joined her to escort her into port.

Orcades‘ Master, Captain Charles Fox, was made a CBE, awarded The Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea.

Narviks Master Captain Czeslaw Zawada was awarded The Lloyds War Medal for Bravery at Sea

Orcades, the second largest liner sunk in world War II, behind Empress of Britain.

In 2014 the wreck of Orcades was discovered in 4800 meters of water by survey company Deep Ocean Search.

Sources from Internet resources.

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1,358 Victoria Crosses issued, only three men Twice referred as VC & Bar.

Having a man killed in a VC action whilst ‘common’ is still ‘distinctive’

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Victoria Cross action Cpl Bates 1st Royal Norfolk Regt.

Sydney Bates V C

The announcement & citation was published in The London Gazette on 2 November 1945.

“The King has been graciously pleased to approve the posthumous awards of the Victoria Cross to;

No. 5779898 Corporal Sidney Bates, The Royal Norfolk Regiment (London, S.E.5).

In North-West Europe on 6th August, 1944, the position held by a battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment near Sourdeval was attacked in strength by 10th S.S. Panzer Division. The attack started with a heavy and accurate artillery and mortar programme on the position which the enemy had, by this time, pin-pointed. Half an hour later the main attack developed and heavy machine-gun and mortar fire was concentrated on the point of junction of the two forward companies. Corporal Bates was commanding the right forward section of the left forward company which suffered some, casualties, so he decided to move the remnants of his section to an alternative position whence he appreciated he could better counter the enemy thrust. However, the enemy wedge grew still deeper, until there were about 50 to 60 Germans, supported by machine guns and mortars, in the area occupied by the section.

Seeing that the situation was becoming desperate, Corporal Bates then seized a light machine-gun and charged the enemy, moving forward through a hail of bullets and splinters and firing the gun from his hip. He was almost immediately wounded by machine-gun fire and fell to the ground, but recovered himself quickly, got up and continued advancing towards the enemy, spraying bullets from his gun as he went. His action by now was having an effect on the enemy riflemen and machine gunners but mortar bombs continued to fall all around him.

He was then hit for the second time and much more seriously and painfully wounded. However, undaunted, he staggered once more to his feet and continued towards the enemy who were now seemingly nonplussed by their inability to check him. His constant firing continued until the enemy started to withdraw before him. At this moment, he was hit for the third time by mortar bomb splinters, a wound that was to prove mortal. He again fell to the ground but continued to fire his weapon until his strength failed him. This was not, however, until the enemy had withdrawn and the situation in this locality had been restored.

Corporal Bates died shortly afterwards of the wounds he had received, but, by his supreme gallantry and self sacrifice he had personally restored a critical situation.

Source Recipients of the Victoria Cross, VC citations.

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Publication below in the library Roll of Honour.

Tilly- sur- Seulles War Cemetery.

Comm♠onwealth War Graves.

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Cuthbert Boyers former Lancashire Fusilier 3446208. Intelligence Corps numbers begin 1035xxxx- Post 1921 all recruits maintained their original service number from their original or parent regiment.

The singular war grave in the churchyard.

Died of TB. Lived The Common Parbold early life, Ivy Cottage Dalton. (Jim Kelly)

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The Third 1000 bomber raid of WW2, target Bremen.

From RAF Snaith, Yorkshire. Take off at 22:41 hrs.

Homeward-bound, the aircraft was damaged by the ‘night fighter pilots Leutnant Hans-Georg Bötel (6./NJG 2) Oberleutnant Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenfeld’ (5./NJG 2; flying a Bf 110 from De Kooy airfield) & by Flak 5./Marine-Flak-Abteilung 246 battery Terschelling-West.

The aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth attd 150 Sqd for the 1000 bomber raid.

Skeletal entry no next of kin listed.

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Page format Aviation Safety Network

Family grave on which he is commemorated, St Wilfreds Church, Standish, Lancashire.

Image Peter Lucas.

Carruthers RAFVR, Marchant RCAF, Brathwaite RAAF all buried at Tershelling.

Graves courtesy Antonia W.

Commonwealth War Graves Register.

Terschelling General Cemetery.

Image courtesy of Antonia W.

Page format source, Aviation Safety Network.

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Prisoner of war of the Japanese, he Harry Cubbin. one of a number in this area.

T = Territorial Soldier RASC, his 272 prefix denoted pre war enlistment, 294xxx being the end of the original post 1922 ‘block range’ of RASC numbers.

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

The original burial place of Harry Cubbin see exhumation report below.

All the men (and more) including Harry Cubbin were exhumed from Lintang POW Camp post its liberation in August 1945 and re buried a Labuan War Cemetery by late 1946.

Labuan War Cemetery

Image Commonwealth War Graves.

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Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Grave image courtesy Find a Grave.

Cemetery images courtesy Commonwealth War Graves.

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Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Circumstances of death.

Japanese death list.

Singapore Memorial.

Courtesy Commonwealth War Graves.

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Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Grave courtesy Find a Grave.

Leopoldsburg War Cemetery

Images Commonwealth War Graves.

Ormskirk Irish Guardsman G McLoughlin killed in same action.

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Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

The singular reference to John Jericoe Hesketh Singapore Memorial has now been removed as of 2nd October 2024.

Whoever John Gray Hesketh is in terms which of ‘arm of service’ remains unknown

What we do know is a man of this name lies inan unmarked grave in Christ Church, Parbold. Whilst said man is commemorated on the church war memorial.

Christ Church burial register.

Probate / Burial register corroboration of John Hesketh same date of death.

Address on register place of parent residence or location coffin, within church catchment area.

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Grave images courtesy Find a Grave.

Document below cut and edited to try and enlarge.

John Holcroft was exhumed re buried two years after his death to his current resting place as are all those and many more detailed on exhumation reports as this.

Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.

Courtesy of Commonwealth War Graves.

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Sgt Arthur Hulmes. Hilldale Parbold ssociated.

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Douglas Church names a man Leslie Hulmes.. no such man exists on CWWG either Hulmes or Hulme. A Lewis Raymond Hulmes born Middlesex does. The man Leslie Hulmes is also on Lathom & Burscough same anonymous man ? very likley.

Are Arthur & Leslie the same man, not prepared to say they are given corroboration of Arthur is clear.

Crash of Lancaster DV186.

Avro Lancaster DV-186 of the 61 Squadron of the Royal Air Force shot down on August 16, 1943, which crashed on the farm of M. Almire Girard. Believed to have been shot down by a night fighter outbound, crashing near Lisieux in Normandy, on a clear night with a full moon.

Courtesy of ‘Len’ Find a Grave.

1939 census.

Pigeau.

Clough.

Pigeau.

Salmond.

Scott.

Steer.

Webster.

All grave images courtesy of Len Find a Grave.

Crash site memorial

Collective publication crews graves as it appears in Parbold Roll of Honour.

Publication Richard Houghton

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Crew under operational training from 15 OTU Squadron. RAF Harwell, Wantage, Oxfordshire. Vickers Wellington IC R 1325.

Daytime, lost height after take off and crashed in the circuit, bursting into flames.

Grave image Gordon Jennings

Courtesy of Gordon Jennings

Grave publication as it appears in Parbold Roll of Honour.

Publication Richard Houghton.

Courtesy of Commonwealth War Graves.

Johnson. Tottenham Cemetery. Courtesy of The Crematorium Group.

Leveroni. Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. Courtesy of Steven Potts.

McDonald-Hunter, Harwel. Cemetery, Harwell, Oxfordshire. Courtesy of Steven Potts.

Suffield. Crigglestone Churchyard, Wakefield. Courtesy of Peter Bennett.

Sources in addition to those above. Aircrew Remembered / RAF Commands.

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Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Originally buried Frankfurt Oberrard Cemetery, exhumed almost six years following death reburied current resting place.

Publication of the seven aircrew buried as stated which will be placed in the Parbold Roll of Honour.

Publication Richard Houghton.

Gregg.

Heap.

Lennock.

Sherwood.

Wheeler.

Whyte.

Graves courtesy of Paul Willing, considerable assistance from Peter Bennett.

Durnbach images Peter Bennett.

Sources of information as documented / Commonwealth War Graves.

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3461409 Proctor, is a Lancashire Fusiliers service number, at some juncture for reasons unknown (no service file accessed) he has moved to the Essex Regt.

Commemorated Christ Church, Parbold.

Courtesy Find a Grave.

Grave images courtesy Find a Grave.

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Commemorated Christ Church Parbold.

Research below by Dirk Winkelman.

The 24th May 1943 saw an attack by 826 bombers on the city of Dortmund in the Ruhr, Germany. The raid consisted of Lancasters, Halifaxs, Wellingtons, Stirlings led by Pathfinder Mosquitos. Thirty eight of the planes involved would not return to England after the raid.
One of them was Halifax B/GR II series I, number HR 836 of 51 Squadron, based at RAF Snaith. It was a new plane and also the first operational flight for all of the crew. During the return flight home and flying over the Netherlands, things went wrong when the Halifax was not flying according to the planned route. German Radar traced the plane and a Nachtjäger (night fighter) of the type ME-110 was sent to intercept it as it flew close to Leiden in the mid west of the Netherlands.

Oberfeldwebel Heinz Vinke was flying the ME-110 and succeeded in shooting down the Halifax. It crashed in the Morsebelpolder next to the village of Oegstgeest at 02.24 local time. None of the crew members survived.

Lest we forget.

Grave publications as they appear in Parbold Roll of Honour.

All grave images courtesy John Kirk, publications Richard Houghton.

Oegstgeest Churchyard.

Willard Zapfe brother of Merton both Kia.

Like to place on record the appreciation of the facility of the information above from wherever the source

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Parbold’s ‘Chindit’

386587 Roden, is a Loyal North Lancashire Regt service number.

Commemorated Christ Church Parbold.

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Parbold postman.

In November 1941 elements of 18th Infantry Division ‘attacked’ the Canal Defences of Burscough of the 71st County of Lancaster HG Kings Liverpool Reg / RAOC Burscough Bridge from the Lancashire Plain to the north of the village. This exercise was the last undertaken by this fine Territorial Infantry Division.

Late November 1941 it departed for The Middle East to partake in ‘Operation Crusader’ landing in South Africa, then while preparing to depart its final intended journey, Japan attacked Pearl Harbour. Diverting to Singapore whilst the division split up upon arrival to Malay or Singapore, it effectively sailed into captivity with the fall of Singapore 15th February 1942.

5th Loyal North Lancashires ( Bolton) became 18th Division RECCE.

Commemorated Christ Church Parbold.

Courtesy Find a Grave.

Exhumation from Songkurai / Sonkurai reburied post war to final resting place

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Avro Lancaster 111 LM 387. From RAF Ludford Magna, Target Berlin. Aircraft lost without trace. Ludwigslust-Parchim, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.

Image courtesy of Peter Lucas.

Memorial panels Runneymede Memorial as they appear Parbold Roll of Honour.

Thos W Durie.

Alconbury Church.

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Night 59% moon, Berlin. 440 Lancaster’s, 4 Mosquitoe’s, 9 Lancaster’s loss (2%).

Few German fighters intercepted the force. Berlin was completely cloud covered, the local report shows bombs fell throughout the city. Four industrial premises destroyed., 28 damaged, 131 people killed, 391 injured.

Commemorated Christ Church Parbold.

Source Royal Air Force Commands.

Exhumation three years following death from Berlin.

Original research by The Late Henk Welting.

Most of the allied casualties in the Berlin area were brought to the Berlin Olympic Stadium for identification. Then burial took place at the “Heeresstandort-Friedhof” Dalgow-Döberitz. Postwar this area became a Russian tank exercise site; many graves damaged/lost. From the Döberitz (Russion Zone) reburials were carried out to the British War Cemetery Heerstrasse, Berlin-Spandau.