Melton Mowbray became home to many rich and famous during the height of the hunting sporting seasons and the surrounding villages were not exempt.
In the village of Thorpe Satchville which lies 5 miles from Melton along the B6047, there is a hunting lodge by the name of “Pinfold” which was purchased during World War One by the Belgian millionaire financier, Captain Alfred Loewenstein who had set up his Belgian Breeding Stock Company at the premises.
The Pinfold
In 1926, Captain Loewenstein, who was said to be the 3rd richest man in the world, and his business and Pinfold were at the centre of a tax claim where £10,000 for both 1924 and 1925 when tax assessments had not been completed. Loewenstein appealed against the decision but his case was dismissed.
In November 1926, the same year as he had transferred his Headquarters from Biarritz in France to Thorpe Satchville, Loewenstein, who was known for his flying, brought across his fleet of aircraft known as “Loewensteins Flying Circus” for the hunting season. The aircraft would operate from Croxton Park where he had set up an aerodrome on the grounds of the old Croxton Park racecourse which he had leased from Belvoir Estates Ltd to train his racehorses.
Captain Alfred Loewenstein of Pinfold, Thorpe Satchville, Melton Mowbray, the Belgian millionaire banker and his young son “Bobby” before going off to a recent meet of the Quorn.
In 1927, Alfred sold off 700 pedigree dairy cattle and sheep from the business due to the inclement weather that had affected Leicestershire farmers recently. His farm at Thorpe Satchville had also been let.
On the 4th July 1928, Alfred was flying from Croydon to Brussels on a business trip in his 3-engined Fokker plane. The aircraft was flown by the pilot, Captain R Drew, assisted by the Engineer/mechanic Mr Robert Little.
Loewnesteins 3 engined Fokker
Also on the aircraft were Mr Arthur Hodgson, his secretary; Mr Baxter, his valet; and his typists Miss Ellen Clarke & Mlle Paule.
Not long after take-off, Alfred left his seat and went to use the lavatory that was in a separate compartment towards the rear of the aircraft.
A short while later, at some point over the channel, his valet, Mr Baxter, noticed that Alfred had not returned to his seat and knowing that Alfred had not been well recently, Mr Baxter went to see of all was OK.
Inside Loewensteins Fokker
To Mr Baxter’s surprise, Alfred Loewenstein was nowhere to be seen and it was assumed that he had used the wrong door either going to or leaving the toilet and had fallen from the aircraft at a height of 4,000ft over the English Channel.
The valet immediately informed the pilot who landed on the beach at Mardyck near Dunkirk where the authorities were informed. His decaying body was found in the sea a few weeks later by a Boulogne fishing boat who brought it ashore at Calais. The body was naked with the exception of pants and socks marked “AL” and a wrist watch with his name on.
The death of Alfred is one of the worlds unsolved mysteries, was it a freak accident, was it suicide, was he murdered? There are lots of theories, but we won’t delve into these now. But feel free to look up on Google and YouTube as there are lots of articles, books and videos about this mystery.
Following his death, The Pinfold was inherited by his son Robert “Bobby” Serge Loewenstein who was familiar with the property from his earlier hunting trips.
Bobby Loewenstein
When World War Two broke out, Bobby was in America on business and immediately returned to Europe via a Clipper and on returning to Belgium, he joined the Belgian Army.
He came to the UK when King Leopold surrendered and joined the Air Transport Auxiliary in the summer of 1940 with a rank of Second Officer. On joining the ATA, he gave his Next of Kin as Mr Jack Misonne, Villa Begonia, Biarritz, France and Mrs Burnaby, Thorpe Satchville.
Following his initial interview, he wrote to Group Captain G. d’Erlanger of the ATA at White Waltham airport at Maidenhead “Dear Sir, I appreciate very much your giving me an interview and a test. At this critical stage it would seem that everyone who can contribute in any way should do so. I am told that I have an opportunity of joining the Fleet Air Arm, but as I have offered my services to you and I have two friends, Leo Partridge and Rupert Belville, in the Air Transport Auxiliary, I would naturally prefer to join your organisation. I understand that the delay in my nomination is due to the Air Ministry. If it would expedite my appointment, I would be willing to give up my salary until such a time as you get their agreement.” His appointment was confirmed on the 6th July 1940.
On the 1st August 1940, he was promoted to First Officer ‘C’ Class then again to First Officer ‘B’ Class on 12th January 1941. His ATA paperwork confirms that he had previously flown the following aircraft types, Moth, Stinson, Beechcraft and Spartan and was the owner of a Stinson. He was also experienced at flying in England, Ireland, France, Belgium and the USA.
On 21st September, Bobby wrote again to Gp Capt d’Erlanger “Dear d’Erlanger, This is to confirm our conversation of the other day. It is my opinion that anyone who is in a position to undertake such war work without remuneration should do so. Therefore I suggest my salary be paid towards the start of a charity fund for the pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary or for any better cause we mutually agree on.”
As a result of his wealth, Bobby also paid for a presentation Spitfire MkVb W3239 which was named “Bob”. It was built at Eastleigh and entered service with No 609 (West Riding) Squadron as PR-N on 27th May 1941 at RAF Biggin Hill. Unfortunately, ‘Bob’ was lost in action on 8th July 1941 when it was shot down after being attacked by a Messcherschmit Bf109 resulting in its engine cutting out and it force landing on Goodwin Sands. Its pilot, Sergeant John A. Hughes-Rees surviuved but was wounded.
Winston Churchill visiting 609 Sqn with Spitfire W3239 ‘Bob’ in the background
Another shot showing Winston Churchill with Spitfire W3239 ‘Bob’ and Sergeant John A. Hughes-Rees in the background
During his career with the ATA, Bobby flew numerous different types of aircraft including the Anson, Audax, Battle, Blenheim, Courier, Curtiss Hawk, Fairchild, Harvard, Hurricane, Lysander, Magister, Master, Oxford, Puss Moth, Spitfire, and Tomahawk.
Tragically, Bobby never got to see his Spitfire as he was killed on 29th March 1941 flying Blenheim Mk V V6263 on a ferry flight from RAF Speke to RAF Lyneham. During the flight an engine failure occurred and the aircraft crashed near White Waltham. According to his records, the evidence suggests the aircraft stalled during a tun on approaching to land at too low a height to effect recovery possibly caused by sluggish pick-up on one engine. There is probability that the circumstances were aggravated by the fact that the airscrews appear to have been in coarse pitch. This accident as caused by an error of judgment on the part of the pilot.
Following his death, his body was initially taken to Maidenhead mortuary before being brought to St John’s Catholic Church here in Melton Mowbray on Wednesday 31 March 1941 where he laid at rest overnight. The following morning, a requiem Mass was held followed by the funeral service in the afternoon which was conducted by Father A E Berington. After the funeral service, his body was taken to Twyford for internment at St Andrews Church.
St John’s Roman Catholic Church Melton Mowbray
St Andrew’s Church Twyford
If you look at his casualty record on the CWGC website, it shows his body as being buried in the Belgian Airmen’s Field of Honour within the Brussels Town Cemetery. This is due to a Belgium lady campaigning to get all the bodies of Belgium airmen recovered to Belgium and Bobby was amongst those who were repatriated in 1948.
On the morning of 18th September 1944, the men of the 156 Battalion Parachute Regiment left their billets in Melton Mowbray. They boarded trucks and made their way to Saltby airfield where they boarded C-47 and C-53 aircraft of the 314th Troop Carrier Group (TCG) who were going to fly them to Arnhem and drop them over the Drop Zones as Operation MARKET GARDEN had begun.
H.M. The King inspecting the 156 Parachute Battalion. Newport Stables, Melton Mowbray.
The King is shown some of the equipment of the M.M.G. Platoon that is dropped by container.
L-R: Lt-Col. Sir Richard Des Voeux, an MMG Pln soldier, HM The King, Major ‘Teddy’ Ritson, Brig. J.W. Hackett, Lieut. ‘Blanco’ Clegg, Maj. G. Lea (Brigade Major, 4 Para Bde) & Lt-Gen. F.A.M. Browning.
16th March 1944.
The men of 156 Battalion were spilt across several locations in Melton Mowbray. The Battalion HQ and HQ Company were billeted at Staveley Lodge. ‘A’ Company were originally at Scalford Hall until a disagreement with the Owner, Colonel Colman, then they moved into The Spinney to join Support Company. ‘B’ and ‘C’ Companies were billeted at Newport Lodge.
The Spinney
They would be transported in RASC Bedford 3 Ton trucks that would have been parked in a secure parking location on the cattle market car park and driven to the billets in the morning to pick up their passengers. The trucks were marked with a chalk number by the Motor Transport Officer and the men were allocated into ‘sticks’ and assigned to chalk numbers.
Chalk numbers were a simple method of allocating the right group of paras and their equipment to the correct aircraft as the same numbers were also marked on each aircraft fuselage in chalk, hence the name ‘chalk numbers’.
32nd TCS aircraft (this same aircraft crash-landed in a blinding snowstorm at RAF Harlaxton, thinking it was Saltby on 29 Jan 45)
Operation MARKET GARDEN began the day before on the 17th as the 314th TCG flew out paras from No’s 1, 2 & 3 Battalions that were based around the Grantham and Bourne area. Captain Tom Wainwright who was OC Support Company, looked up at the air armada from their barracks at the Spinney and had a premonition that the operation would not go well.
Jean French, a local girl, who after the war married Cpl John Smith of the REME attached to 156, recalls that day “On the morning of the Battle of Arnhem, we didn’t know what was going on, all the paratroopers were confined to barracks. That morning, the sky was suddenly full of aircraft, the noise is something I will never forget.”
One of the ‘sections’ of Support Company was the medium Machine Gun Platoon (MMG) commanded by 2nd Lieutenant Jeffrey Noble aged 19. The 156 Bn MMG was reformed in September 1943 enroute to Bizerta in Tunisia as it made its way for embarkation to Taranto in Italy as part of Operation SLAPSTICK.
Lt Jeffrey Noble
Jeffrey Fraser Noble was born in Ilford, Essex on 15th October 1923 and finished his schooling at Southend High School. On 14th May 1942 Jeffrey joined the Queen’s Royal Regiment where he was put forward for officer training. Following his commission as 2nd Lieutenant he was one of the first cadets to transfer directly into the Parachute Regiment, where he trained first at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire and then on 8th June he completed the parachute course at Ringway, Manchester. At Ringway, his report described him as very keen and fearless, but a little awkward.
Jeffrey was assigned to the 156 Parachute Battalion and tasked with escorting a draft of 70 men from the UK by ship to join the Battalion based in Sousse, Tunisia. It was here that he met his new CO Lieutenant Colonel Sir Richard des Voeux who took him under his wing, giving him the nickname ‘The Boy’ on account of his youthful looks, and the name stuck.
The MMG Platoon was equipped with four Vickers Machine Guns which were water cooled, tripod mounted weapons with each gun requiring a crew of four to operate effectively but Jeffrey Noble had no experience of the Vicker machine gun.
In order to train all the volunteers that had been drafted from the Battalion, Sergeant John Kinsley-Smith and Sergeant Cliff Brownlow were brought in from other units to assist with forming and training the platoon. Together with ‘The Boy’ they controlled recruitment to the MMG and built a strong unit.
Cliff Brownlow had previously served with the Battalion in its earlier days in India when it was known as 151 Battalion. When the Bn moved from India to Egypt, the number was changed from 151 to 156 as part of a deception plan to confuse the enemy into thinking there were more parachute battalions than there actually was. Brownlow went on to become Jeffrey Noble’s 2i/c.
The Medium Machine Gun Platoon had a strength of 36 men that were sub divided into Sections and Sub-Sections as follows:
Platoon HQ
No. 1 Section
No. 1 Sub Section
No. 2 Sub Section
No. 2 Section
No. 3 Sub Section
No. 4 Sub Section
In addition to their own personal kit, each member of the MMG had to carry 2 – 3 belts of ammunition for the Vicker machine guns.
Jeffrey Noble and the rest of the MMG were aboard aircraft identified as Chalk #618 & #619 . Both these aircraft were operated by the 32nd TCS and 50th TCS respectively.
Chalk #618 & #619 were part of Serial A-31 provided by the 314th TCG as part of the MARKET #2 mission. Their objective being DZ-Y near Arnhem dropping much needed reinforcements for Lt Col John Frost’s men who were holding the North end of the Arnhem highway bridge crossing the Rhine.
The main body of the 11th Bn who were billeted at the militia camp on Welby Lane, and the 156 Bn took off from Saltby between 1100 and 1120hrs aboard the Dakota’s of the 32nd & 50th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS) from the 314th TCG. The take-off was originally planned for 08:00hrs but was delayed due to fog.
Due to the weather conditions over England, it took longer for the formation to form up, but as the weather cleared, the formation came together.
As Jeffrey Noble’s aircraft (Chalk #618) flew across the English countryside, a parachute on one of the supply containers slung to the underside of the aircraft came loose, most probably as a result of bad packing. Consequently, the pilot, 1st Lt Glenn E Purkey, was finding it difficult to keep the aircraft flying straight, level and in formation.
The crew chief, T/Sgt Harry R W Ray, approached Noble and asked if the container could be jettisoned. This was something that Noble did not want to do as the container was filled with ammunition for the Vicker machine guns.
There was a plan that the Guards Armoured Division would be on the ground at DZ-Y to greet the paras when they landed, but he knew from previous experience in North Africa and Italy that plans rarely went to as expected. However, it was finally agreed that the container was to be jettisoned and consequently, the release lever was pulled.
As the container fell away, the parachute and rigging lines became tangled and caught on part of the aircraft causing the container to remain hung up and banging against the bottom of the tailplane. This could potentially cause several issues such as if the paratroopers were to jump, there was a risk that their parachutes could get caught up on the container. Another issue was that if the aircraft was to land, the container could cause the aircraft to crash on landing.
Consequently, for a while the aircraft fell out of formation and circled as various ideas were discussed between the crew and passengers. There were several ideas put forward on how to release the container and its parachute, some of which were quite bizarre. One idea was to tie a bayonet to the aircraft broom and dangle a ‘volunteer’ out of the aircraft door to try and cut it free.
Unfortunately, it could not be released, so an emergency landing at an American base in East Anglia was authorised. The aircraft mad a safe landing and on stopping, the paras jumped out, cut the container free and then made scarfs out of the parachute after cutting it into strips. In a later letter from Lt Noble, he indicates that the scarves were vivid in colour so could have been either red, green or yellow.
The container had caused damage to the aircraft structure and the pilot declared that the sortie was over and the aircraft was U/S. Additionally, neither the pilot or his co-pilot knew the way to Holland from their current location as the Navigator was in the lead aircraft.
Finally after a few ‘technical adjustments’ with a sledgehammer, the paras persuaded the aircrew to take off and head East until they could see the flak.
The other aircraft that was carrying the remaining half of the MMG was Chalk #619 43-15180 being flown by Captain Leonard A Ottoway and this was the lead aircraft in the 50th TCS formation and as such was equipped with the SCR-717 radar and extra crew members.
Captain Leonard Ottoway
Leonard Ottoway was an American from Oklahoma in Texas but earned his wings whilst serving the the Royal Canadian Air Force prior to transferring tot he United States Army Air Force.
At about 13:45 Hours, just after Chalk #619 had passed the Initial Point (near the village of Vught) whilst approaching the DZ, it was hit by enemy anti aircraft fire. It was one of five aircraft transporting troops of 4th Parachute Brigade hit by flak at around 13:45hrs.
Chalk #619’s LH engine and fuel tank were hit and the underside of the aircraft started to burn including the underslung storage containers. Other aircraft crews from the 314th noticed that #619 moved out of formation at about 14,000ft and the landing gear was lowered. It is believed that this was due to hydraulic failure rather than being manually selected down ready for a landing.
As the aircraft struck the ground, the undercarriage broke off upon impact one of the fuel tanks exploded and the LH wing broke off resulting in the aircraft turning over onto its back and catching fire. The crew and paratroopers had no chance of survival, and no parachutes were observed coming from the stricken aircraft. Tragically, all those onboard were killed in the crash except one paratrooper who was thrown clear of the wreckage.
Pte Tommy Stevens
Locals in a nearby house on the Bonegraafesweg in Ochten were the first on the scene of the crash and found Private Tommy Stevens of No 3 Sub Section lying their badly wounded with a broken back as well as sever wounds. They took him to their house where he died of wounds later that day.
Later, Dr Van Driel arrived with a group of locals from Ochten and Eldik to bury the dead in a mass grave next to the wreckage. The individual soldiers could not be identified and as such were buried as unidentified soldiers.
After the war, a service of commemoration was held, a fence was erected around the gravesite and flowers were laid on the graves. In May 1947, the bodied of the paratroopers were exhumed and reburied in the CWGC cemetery at Jonkerbos War Cemetery. As the bodies could not be individually identified, their CWGC headstones bear a special inscription “Buried Enar This Spot”.
As for the US crew members, they were exhumed in 1945 and reburied in the US Ardennes Military Cemetery at Neuville-en-Condroz in Belgium. The body of Capt Herbert Pluemer was repatriated to the US at the request of his family and now lies buried in Hillside Cemetery, Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
Major John Waddy
Major John Waddy, Officer Commanding ‘B’ Company of 156 Battalion described what happened: “I stood by the side of the open door of my aircraft as we travelled towards our drop zone near Arnhem. There were 36 Dakota aircraft in the serial carrying the 156 Battalion. Many of the American pilots and crew of these aircraft were green, as our battalion had found to its cost on a previous exercise when they dropped us miles from our DZ. Bearing this in mind, Brigadier Shan Hackett (4th Parachute Brigade Commander) had suggested that I closely monitor our route, which is why I was looking out of the open door. The flak was becoming more intense as we travelled across the Dutch countryside. When the aircraft to my right was hit on the port wing and caught fire, it began a steep dive of around 45 degrees. When it hit the ground, it exploded in a fireball. I looked at my men who were seated each side of the aircraft and who, in the din, had not noticed what had happened. I said nothing.”
Major Geoffrey Powell
Major Geoffrey Powell, Officer Commanding ‘C’ Company was another witness to Chalk #619 being hit. He recalls in his book Men at Arnhem, “Suddenly the flak was real. As I looked back down the line, the plane just behind seemed to lurch to one side, a bright red spot on its port wing glowing in the sunshine before it spread in a stream of flame towards the fuselage. Then the nose of the plane dipped, and it disappeared from view. No parachutes appeared. I knew that it carried men from the battalion, and I tried to stop speculating who was inside it.”
Unaware of this tragedy Jeffrey Noble’s aircraft flew on, arriving at the drop zone near Ede, eight miles from Arnhem. Jeffrey described the drop zone as shrouded in smoke with no signals visible and, without a navigator on board, they jumped solely on the guesswork of Jeffrey and that of the crew chief. Once on the ground, Jeffrey found out what had happened to the other half of the MMG Platoon and shortly afterwards met up with Cpl Harry Bankhead of ‘C’ Company and informed him that due to the Dakota carrying the other half of the platoon, their strength had been reduced from 36 men and 4 guns to 14 men and 2 guns.
A Vickers Medium Machine Gun crew covering part of the western side of the Oosterbeek Perimeter
DZ-Y was now the scene of a battle in progress and due to the late exit from the aircraft, several men at the end of the stick landed in the German-occupied territory. After a shaky start, accompanied by occasional shots and explosions, Jeffrey arrived at Battalion HQ where he found he had only one machine gun instead of four and just some 10 men instead of his original 36. Several later turned up wounded – including Sergeant Brownlow and Corporal Ball – and more arrived after various adventures. Jeffrey forcibly seized another gun from a 1st Parachute Battalion jeep, and they formed an ad hoc Section.
The crew lists and passenger lists are detailed below for both aircraft:
Chalk #618 A/c 42-9379432nd TCS
Pilot – 1st Lt Glenn E Purkey
Co-Pilot – 2nd Lt George L Johnson
Crew Chief – T/Sgt Harry R W Ray
Radio Operator – Cpl Walter R Rice
Lt J F Noble (Pltn HQ), POW
Pte P McCarthy (Pltn HQ), POW
Sgt C J Brownlow (No 1 Sect Cmdr), POW
L/Cpl H Littlewood (No 1 Sect Cpl), POW
Pte G R Burrow (No 1 Sect Orderly), Escaped
Pte F Eggleton (No 1 Sect), Escaped
Pte W F C Grounsell (No 1 Sub Sect), POW
Pte E A Ball (No 1 Sub Sect), POW
Pte N Robinson (No 1 Sub Sect), POW
Pte W Mills (No 1 Sub Sect), Escaped
Pte G O Taylor (No 1 Sub Sect), Escaped
Pte C Smith (No 1 Sub Sect), POW
Pte F Turner (No 2 Sub Sect), POW
Pte W J Greenwood (No 2 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte R Davidson (No 2 Sub Sect), Escaped
Pte R Hunter (No 2 Sub Sect), POW
Pte T Heath (No 2 Sub Sect), Escaped
Chalk #619 A/c 43-1518050th TCS
Pilot – Capt Leonard A Ottoway, KIA
Co-Pilot – 2nd Lt Henry G Honeysett, KIA
Navigator – Capt Herbert Pluemer Jr. , KIA
Crew Chief – T/Sgt George A Collier, KIA
Radio Operator – Cpl. Xon C. Connet, KIA
Y* – S/Sgt Joseph W Bobo (SCR-717 Radar Operator), KIA
Sgt J C Kinsley-Smith (Pltn HQ), KIA
Pte H Clayton (Pltn HQ), KIA
Cpl O Lilley (No 2 Sect Cmdr), KIA
L/Cpl J F Clayton (No 2 Sect Cpl), KIA
Pte H J Philpotts (No 2 Sect Orderly), KIA
Cpl G T Brownlow (No 3 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte G Tutton (No 3 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte A Butler (No 3 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte D L George (No 3 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte R Killingworth (No 3 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte T Stevens (No 3 Sub Sect), DOW
Pte H Stanyer (No 4 Sub Sect, KIA
Pte J Wilson (No 4 Sub Sect , KIA
Pte E E Johns (No 4 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte P Taylor (No 4 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte G H Gillever (No 4 Sub Sect), KIA
Pte R Fuller (No 4 Sub Sect), KIA
Out of the 34 paratroopers and 10 USAAF aircrew who flew to Arnhem in Chalk #618 & 619, 22 were killed when Chalk #619 crashed and 1 later died of wounds. Another Para was KIA in fighting at Wolfheze. 6 Paras made it back to England after escaping as part of Operations BERLIN & PEGASUS and 10 paras were captured and taken as Prisoners of War.
Jeffrey was always haunted by the great loss of life of men under his command on Dakota Chalk number 619 and the 6 US aircrew when their Dakota aircraft was shot down on its approach to the DZ at Arnhem.
It is worth remembering that 156 had suffered the highest percentage losses of all the battalions who fought in the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem, including the loss of their much-admired commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel des Voeux. With only 37 men out of 600 returning after the battle (10 of whom were evaders and escaped after the battle).
A memorial honouring those who died in the tragic loss of Chalk #619 has been erected at Bonegraafseweg 61-69, Dodewaard.
Melton Mowbray has a rich and varied history that can be traced back hundreds of years. Archaeological remains from the Bronze Age (c.600BC), Roman (43-409AD), Anglo Saxon (500-650AD), and Viking/Danelaw (800-900AD) periods have all been found in the town and surrounding area.
There is lots of evidence of the Danes in the area as all along the Wreake Valley, the Danish suffix “-by” is common in the viilage names, e.g. in Asfordby, Dalby, Frisby, Hoby, Rearsby and Gaddesby.
However, the first documented evidence of Melton was in the Domesday Book of 1086 where it was listed as “Medeltun”. Medeltun or “Middletown” comes from it being a central township with a mother Church (St Mary’s) surrounded by 5 hamlets: Burton Lazars, Eye Kettleby, Sysonby, Welby & Freeby.
Another version of where Melton comes from is that it ortiginally was known as Milltown due to having a couple of watermills.
Whatever the correct origins of Melton are, I suppose we will never know, but over the years, the name “Medletun” or “Milltown” has morphed into what we know today as Melton.
The Mowbray part of the name comes from the Mowbray family who were granted the land after the Norman Conquest and became Lords of the Manor.
Another major part of the town’s rich history is the Melton Mowbray Town Estate which has been in existance since 1549 as a result of the dispute between King Henry VIII and Rome.
In 1549 in Melton, ther had been for almost two hundred years, a cell of the Priory of Lewes and it maintained a chantry house for the priests next door to St Mary’s Parish Church. This building was known as the Priory, but today we know it as the Anne of Cleves House. For more information about the Anne of Cleves house and one of it’s occupants, William Gonson who was a Vice Admiral in King Henry VIII’s Navy, see my blog Vice Admiral William Gonson.
These priests that stayed at the Priory, served the chantries of the parish church of two local gilds of Our Lady of Mary the Virgin and St. John Divine. They were abolished in the next decade and their properties confiscated by the Crown.
Just how some of the lands owned by these gilds passed into the hands of what we know today as the Town Estate and not the Crown has been lost into the mists of history. But what we do know is that on the 29th September 1549, the land formerly owned by the Gilds passed into the ownership of William Gyles and Michael Purefey, who in turn sold them onto Christopher Draper. Christopher Draper was a Meltonioan who in 1569 became Lord Mayor of London.
Draper subsequently sold the land to the Churchwardens and their accoiunts dated 23rd November 1549 record: “Paid by Nicholas Cowlishaw to Christopher Draper of London this xxi day of November ffor a parsell of land with appertennces lately called the cheippal hosue in Melton bought to the town of Melton use xxi1” (£21.) It is thought that the money for this purchase came from the sale of Church silver.
In turn, Nicholas Cowlishaw and Thomas Postern conveyed these lands by the enfeoffment of 20 townsmen. The trusts deeds state that the income from the lands were “annually and for ever to pay and contribute to the support of a schoolmaster to teach and instruct boys in grammar in Melton Mowbray.” This is the foundation deed of the Melton Mowbray Town Estate and is dated 30th November 1549.
As part of the Melton Mowbray Town Estate 400th Anniversary Celebrations in 1949, during the Whit-week (6th – 11th June 1949), Melton Mowbray put on a huge birthday party known as the Melton Mowbray Whit Week Pageant celebrating the rich history of our wonderful historic market town.
Preparations for the event started months earlier with a public meeting being held in the Corn Exchange on Tuesday 22nd February 1949 at 7:30pm.
Public Meeting
Nearly 200 people attended the meeting, and they not only expressed their interest in a historical pageant to celebrate the Town Estates 400th anniversary, but they also authorised the Town Wardens to spend £1,500 on the event.
Pageanat advert from the Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette adted 11 March 1949.
The pageant celebrations lasted a week as local businesses, townspeople, villages, schools and the whole community from across the Borough marked the occasion.
Thousands of visitors came to Melton to watch the celebrations that made an appearance in the national press who wrote about the anniversary and one of the first outside BBC broadcast crews came to Melton, filming for the Around and About programme. Naturally, this news caused great excitement amongst locals who were keen to make sure that the town looked good.
Leicester Evening Mail 30 May 1949
Rehearsals took place in fields, gardens, village halls and churches across the Borough in preparation for the opening day on 6th June 1949. The pageant involved the whole community and cost £1,500 to put on.
The Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette published on the 27th May 1949 published a small article about the recent Urban District Council meeting “Be Festive!” The chairman at Wednesday’s Urban Council meeting requested townspeople to make Melton look as festive as possible for the 400th anniversary of the Town Estate during Whit week. Most people would have flags left from previous highdays and holidays, and he suggested they were looked out and hung out.
Food rationing
As this was only four years after the end of the second World War, and food rationing was still in existance, Mr Anthony Nutting MP informs the “Melton Times” that he has done his best by persuading Dr. Edith Summerskill, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Food under Clement Attlee’s Government, to grant an extra allowance of tea, sugar and margarine so that light refreshments may be provided on each night of the Pageant.
Among the activities were agricultural shows, sports events, art shows and exhibitions and special church services. But the main event was a huge pageant telling the history of Melton Mowbray from the Saxon times to the Victorian era.
Owing to previous engagements, the Duke of Edinburgh was unable to accept an invitation to perform one of the opening ceremonies on one of the 6 nights of Whit week. The Duke & Duchess of Rutland accepted as well as the Baroness Ravensdale.
Pageant Programme cover
The pageant took place in Egerton Park where there was a grandstand for 1,500 people along with plenty of standing room. There were 200 seats at 5s, 300 at 4s and 1,000 at 3s. Marquees were also erected providing refreshment facilities.
Played against a tall green black-cloth of trees – trees that could have shaded Danes and Saxons, one thousand years of Melton’s history swept by in glorious pageantry.
The huntsmen and hounds of the Belvoir, Cottesmore and Quorn hunts, which through the century and a half of their existence had made Melton the centre of the hunting world, were seen at Melton’s Whit week pageant taking part in the conclusion of the Midnight Steeplechase scene. A meet of the hounds will include the traditional ceremony of the stirrup cup.
Civic Service
The Town Estate’s 400th anniversary celebrations opened on Whitsunday with a Civic Service in the Parish Church, at which the Bishop of Leicester preached. Prior to the service taking place, the past and present Town Wardens, the Feoffeees, the Executive Committee, the Member of Parliament, the Chairman and Members of the Urban and Rural District Councils, together with their principle Officers were received by the Vicar in the Colles Hall and escorted to the West door of the Church into their seats.
Part of the procession of the Guild of Our Lady in the Pageant
Before the service, a Chain of Office that was presented to the Town Estate by Mr. W. E. Katz, was handed by the Bishop of Leicester to Mr. R. W. Brownlow J.P., who placed it on the Senior Town Warden, Mr. R. Gates. The Chain consisted of a handsome, silver gilt ornament with a circular medallion carrying the town crest, a red lion rampant on a blue ground. It had an inscription around the medallion that read “Melton Mowbray Town Estate 1549-1949”. The medallion was on a guilt chain, supported by St. John of Jerusalem on one side and the Virgin Mary on the other, both of which recalled the two Melton guilds.
The service was conducted by the Rev. C. M. S. Clarke, M.M., M.A., Vicar, and the lesson was read by Mr. R. W. Bronlow, Senior Feoffee of the Town Estate.
Cricket Match and Exhibition
Whit Monday’s activities began in the morning with a cricket match between Egerton Park C.C. and Hawks C.C. (Yorkshire) on the ground adjoining the pageant arena. The match commenced at 11:30am, with a lunch break at 1:30-2:15pm and concluded when the stumps were drawn at 6:30pm.
Egerton Park C.C. V’s Hawks C.C.
The Hawks opened the innings with the President of the Yorkshire League, Mr Herbert Robinson opening with Mr Brian Sellers. Sellers played in 334 first-class matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club between 1932 and 1948.
Brian Sellers
In the afternoon, Mrs. J. Burns Hartopp officially opened the exhibition of hunting pictures by John Ferneley, Sir Francis Grant and others and the exhibition of local photographs in Egerton Lodge. The original “Melton Hunt Breakfast” by Sir Frances Grant was loaned to the exhibition by the Duke of Rutland.
Among the many photographs and other artifacts on display, several stood out including local tradesman’s account books. Mr. E. Hayes, the fishmonger from the Market Place welcomed more donations from local tradesmen, but stipulated that they had top be at least 100 years old. Other documents included records from the Town Estate that were nearly 400 years old.
This exhibition remained open throughout the week and Mr. Guy Dixon, presided at the formal opening of it.
Before the pageant got underway, there was a display of folk dancing, singing, discus and javelin throwing by the residents of the Melton and Ashby Folville Polish Hostels.
On Monday, the pageant was opened by the Duke and Duchess of Rutland, who were introduced by Mr. Gates.
On Tuesday evening, a demonstration by the Poles again preceded the pageant and was opened by the Bishop of Leicester and introduced by Mr. A. Bramley, J.P.
Toy Soldiers
On the park greens on Wednesday evening there was a bowls drive organised by Melton and District Bowling Association for which novices were encouraged to enter.
In the evening, the pageant was preceded by a display by the Melton Mowbray Toy Soldier’s Band and again by the Poles. The pageant was opened by Lady Newtown Butler, and introduced by Dr. J. M. Manson.
Thursday’s events were again preceded by the Toy Soldier’s and the Poles display, and it was opened by the Earl and Countess of Gainsborough, who were introduced by Mr. A. P. Marsh, O.B.E.
After the pageant on Friday, which was opened by the Baroness Ravensdale who was introduced by Mr. R. W. Brownlow, J.P., there was a pageant costume dance in the Corn Exchange.
On the final day, there was another cricket match on the adjoining ground, this time between Egerton Park and Oakham. Following the display by the Poles, the pageant was opened by Mis Burns Hartopp, County Officer of St John Ambulance Brigade whow as introduced by Mr. Frank Easom.
Polish Handicrafts
From Monday to Friday, in the Girl’s Modern School on Wilton Road, there was an exhibition of Polish handicrafts in embroidery, wood and leather.
There was nearly 500 actors in the pageant, some of whom took part in more than one episode.
Spokesman in the prologue and epilogue, the figure of Time, was portrayed by the Vicar, Rev. C. M. S. Clarke, M.M.
The Episodes
Leading characters in the episodes were:-
Episode I
Saxons: Mr. L. Carter, David Downing, Derek Green, Brian McNeil, Miss Marjorie Craig, Mr. T. A. Bodycote, Mr. Stanley Jones, Rosemary Burditt, Miss Joan Jenkins, Dick Whittington.
Danes: Don Moss, Jocelyn Dry, Peter Dunckley, Gordon Hart.
Episode I depicted the Saxon settlement at Melton. As the largers buried their chieftain, Cealwin, the Danes swept down and overcame the Settlement.
Saxons with shields and womenfolk walk onto the arena with the body of Caelwin for burial
The centuries go hand in hand in Meltons Pageant. These Victorian ladies and gentlemen were photographed at a rehearsal and were watching the arrival of the Danes.
Episode II
Scene I: Mr. J. Mead, Mr. G Seagel, Mr. A. Healey, Mr. T. W. Pacey, Mr. E. Heawood, Mr. A. C. Shepherd, Mr. E. White, Mr. C. Poage, Mr. J. Smith, Mr. C. Broxholme
The scene, in the year 1160, shows Roger Mowbray, played by Mr. J. Mead, recently returned from the Crusades, making a grant of land to the Knights Templars in Melton for a hospital for the town, and land at Burton for a lepers hospital.
Sir Roger de Mowbray granting land to Knights Templar, watched by Lords and Ladies
Scene II: Mr. M. J. Knights, Mr. M. Marsh, Mr. T. Gildove, Mr. G. Seagel, Mr. A. Stapleford, Mr. W. Hopkins, Mr. T . W. Pacey, Mr. A. Healey, Mr. C. Page.
In the courtyard of Melton Castle in 1194 A.D. Prince John’s partisans took William Mowbray as their prisoner (Mowbray is played by Mr. Maxwell Knights). Richard Coeur de Lion arrived on horseback (the part was played by Mr. Michael Marsh) and rescued the Lord of the Manor of Melton.
Crusaders
16th Century Grammar School Boys
Episode III
Mr. A. Bennett, Mr. J. R. Holton, Mr. A. Goddard, Mr. C. Foyster, Mr. M. Sweeney, Mr. A. Nudds, Mr. A. McDonnell, Mr. Plummer, Miss D. Buckley, Miss J. Toon, Mr. J. Griffin, Mr. R. Brown, Mr. P. Bolger.
A group of 16th century Melton Grammar School boys were on the scene when the King’s Commissioners stopped processions of the Melton Guilds, led by priests and lay members carrying banners. The guilds were suppressed and it was suggested that their lands were to be purchased on behalf of the town with the income being used to support the school and be administered by a town estate.
“Lord Mayor” in Coach
Episode IV
Mr. Brander-Rimmer, Mr. Barksby, Mr. L. Routh, Mr. Clarke, Mr. C. A. Plumb, Mr. P. Cox, Mr. P. Maher, Mr. R. Sutton, Mr. D. Lark, Mr. A. Bewley.
A colourful Elizabethan faire scene that included the arrival of a Meltonian, Alderman Sir Christopher Draper, Lord Mayor of London, in his coach. The part was played by Mr. Brander-Rimmer.
Christopher Draper Coat of Arms
Sir Christopher Draper was the son John Draper & Agnes Gunston being born in Melton Mowbray circa 1511. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers and became their Master, being elected for the last time in Apr 1581. He was also the Sheriff of London in 1561 and the Mayor of London in 1566.
Taking part in the Elizabethan Faire must have been the youngest performer, two-and-a-half-year-old Christine Lowesby who skipped around happily with her mother, although she was wheeled home in her pushchair after the event.
Girls with their recorders accompanying country dancing at the Elizabethan Fair
Thirteen-year-old William Pycroft, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. R. Pycroft of 7 Brookfield Street was to have taken part in the Elizabethan Faire as a “tumbler”, but disappointingly for him, before the event started, he fell from a tree in Egerton Park which prevented him from taking part as he was taken to Melton’s War Memorial hospital suffering from concussion as was admitted with a suspected fracture to the base of his skull.
Episode V
Mr. J. L. Smith, Capt. W. Richey, M.B.E., Private J. Rogers, Capt. W. Harris, Sgt D.H. Smith, Sgt G. R. Bennett, Capt. D. E. Harris, Sgt R. Smith, Pte F. H. A. Pocock and members of the Boy’s Brigade.
FHA Pocock, one of the many characters on horseback in the Melton Pageant
Two short scenes featuring Roundheads and Cavaliers took place culminated in a battle that took place at the top of Ankle Hill in 1645 and resulted in heavy casualties. The R.A.V.C. horses were seen in great advantage during the action.
Pie for Queen Victoria
Episode VI
Was mainly crowd scenes showing the cheese market. Queen Victoria was played by Mrs. Mayo, and the R.A.V.C. were responsible for the Midnight Steeplechase, after which Queen Victoria was presented with a Melton Pork Pie.
The steeplechase was held in honour of Lady Augusta Fane’s birthday and was won by Major Burnaby, with Count Zbrowski coming secoind after being thrown at the last fence. The riders from the R.A.V.C. would wear white nightshirts over their red coats.
Mr. H. L. Barnes, A.R.C.O. composed the music for the pageant and the Pageant Master, Mr. George Irving, wrote the words of the pageant song.
The Melton Town Band under direction of their bandmaster Cyril Walker took part and the choir, conducted by Mr. Barnes consisted of members of St Mary’s Parish Church Choir, Melton Choral Society, Melton Singers, Sage Cross Methodist Choir, Sherrard Street Methodist Choir, Baptists Chapel Choir, Asfordby and Hinckley Choral Societies and the Townswomen’s Guild.
In addition to the choir, there were over 450 costumed performers in the pageant including boys from the Grammar School, as well as tradesmen, solicitors, clerks, typists, accountants, farmers and a tax inspector. Horses and riders were provided by the R.A.V.C. and hounds from the Belvoir, Cottesmore & Quorn hunts.
It was reported that the number of visitors far exceeded expectations with holiday makers from Leicester, Nottingham and other towns flocked into Melton. A total of 13,301 visitors attended the pageant with 9,856 watching the agricultural show; 5,000 supporting the Polish exhibitions and 2,209 visiting the art exhibition.
But what did people remember of the celebrations?
Would it have been the enthusiastic Saxons building their pea stick fires, burying their chieftain and the battle with the helmeted Danes?
How about the minstrel’s song and King Richard’s visit or the messenger’s swift leap from his horse?
Could it have been the unspectacular but yet pleasant procession of the Melton Guilds?
Or what about the Elizabethan Faire which was most colourful of all the scenes played out with its small, agile tumblers, maypole dancing and playing boys?
Was it the youthful verve and vigour of the battle between the red-coated white collared Roundheads and romantic Cavaliers?
Or maybe the 19th Century scene with its cheese fair, Queen Victoria’s visit and the acrobatics of nightgowned Midnight steeplechase riders, or the huntsman’s horn as the hounds nosed around the crowds while riders in red coats were handed a stirrup cup?
A reporter who “sampled” the comments of the audience found fairly general agreement that the Elizabethan fair, the mounted battle and the hounds with riders in hunting red were the most outstanding events of the pageant.
One woman said that when she saw the two opposing forces of horsemen beginning to gallop towards each other, she shut her eyes, afraid of the consequences – a tribute to the realism of the affray. One of the R.A.V.C. Roundhead riders in the Civil War scene was thrown from his horse as the two sides charged. He was not hurt but his horse received a ‘slight’ sprain to one of its legs.
Melton Mowbray Times and Vale of Belvoir Gazette 17 June 1949
Following the appeal from the Urban District Council meeting for the town folk to be festive, townspeople and tradesmen hung out flags and bunting from their homes and businesses.
Shop keepers took part putting displays in their shop windows ranging from fish to old records and most shops dressed their windows with backgrounds of coloured crepe paper, bunting or flags.
A butcher’s shop had a fish tank in which tropical fish swam alongside aquatic plants. A plumber’s shop also adopted the idea of an aquarium for the central feature of its unusual display.
A firm of bootmakers displayed boots and shoes in different stages of manufacture as well as miniatures of shoes and hunting boots on display next to a 200-year-old leather bottle. On a 100-year-old shoemaker’s bench was perched a foot high model of a shoemaker wearing a blue apron and nodding as he hammered nails into the sole.
The display in a chemist’s shop included old professional books, one of which was printed in 1776. They also displayed samples of medicines made from foxgloves and a metal pestle and mortar that was 100 years old which together weighed more than a hundredweight.
One office window displayed a deed from 1668 that related to a property in Sherrard Street from the reign of King Charles II. In the window of a ladies’ wear shop was a gracefully gowned figure of a lady gowned in rose pink crepe paper trimmed with half d’oyleys for lace.
A B.B.C. reporter that went to the Monday pageant, after absorbing the background of the celebrations, saw the performance of the pageant at night. The result was an 800 word broadcast after the 6 O’clock Midland Regional News on Wednesday. It was a compact, mellifluous word picture of the pageant that was interesting to listen to and smooth with praise for those involved with the creation of the show.
The Horsa glider was a troop carrying glider developed and manufactured by Airspeed Limited along with several subcontractors. It was named after the legendary 5th century conquerer of Southern Britan – Horsa.
Airspeed Horsa at Christchurch in 1948
It was designed to a load of 30 seated fully equipped troops; it also had the flexibility to carry a Jeep or an Ordnance QF 6-pounder anti-tank gun.
The Mark I (AS51) version had a wingspan of 88 feet (27 m) and a length of 67 feet (20 m), and when fully loaded weighed 15,250 lb (6,920 kg).
The later AS 58 Horsa II was capable of carrying an increased fully loaded weight of 15,750 lb (7,140 kg) along with a hinged nose section, reinforced floor and double nose wheels to support the extra weight of vehicles.
The Horsa was built largely of wood being described by aviation author H. A. Taylor as “the most wooden aircraft ever built. Even the controls in the cockpit were masterpieces of the woodworker’s skill”.
The design used a high-wing configuration, being equipped with wooden wings and a wooden semi-monocoque fuselage. The fuselage was built in three sections bolted together with the front section holding the pilot’s compartment and main freight loading door. The middle section was accommodation for troops or freight and the rear section supported the tail unit.
The majority of subcontractors did not have airfields from which to deliver the gliders so they sent the sub-assemblies to RAF Maintenance Units (MUs), who would perform final assembly. This process was responsible for the production of between 3,655 and 3,799 Horsas had been completed by the time production ended.
Due to the dispersed manufacturing of the subcomponents before final assembly at various RAF Maintenance Units around the UK, it is difficult to confirm a total production number but some estimates vary from 3,799 to 4,000 aircraft.
Despite this, only one complete original example survives today, although several replicas and cockpit/fuselage sections are also on public display in Britain, France and the Netherlands.
One of the sub-contractors was Boulton and Paul who were responsible for producing the nose section of the Horsa glider at their Riverside factory in Norwich.
On 9th July 1940, German Luftwaffe planes bombed the city of Norwich leaving devastation in their wake. One of the places ruined by the bombing was the Riverside factory of Boulton and Paul who manufactured the wooden fuselage of the Airspeed Oxford trainer and the Nose section/control cabin of the Airspeed Horsa glider.
In the attack on the 9th July, ten employees were killed and a further 68 injured. The factory was again attacked a few weeks later on the 1st August where another 9 were killed and 20 injured.
Boulton & Pauls Norwich Riverside Works after a bombing raid.
As a result of these bombings, from the 19th August 1940, the production was moved away from Norwich and the responsibility of producing the Horsa nose section was transferred to the Midland Woodworking factory in Melton Mowbray.
The Horsa was first deployed operationally on the night of 19th/20th November 1942 in the unsuccessful attack on the German Heavy Water Plant at Rjukan in Norway as part of Operation Freshman.
On 10th July 1943, 27 Horsas were used during Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily, which was the type’s first large-scale operation.
Over 250 Horsa gliders were during Battle of Normandy; specifically in the British Operation Tonga and the American airborne landings in Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion.
During the opening phase of the operation, 320 Horsas were used to perform the first lift of the 6th Airborne Division, while a further 296 Horsas participated in the second lift.
The Horsa was a major component during several major offensives that followed the successful Normandy landings, such as Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, both in 1944, followed by Operation Varsity during March 1945. The latter was the final operation for the Horsa and had involved a force of 440 gliders carrying soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine.
Noreen Ife was born in Melton in 1921 in King Street and on the BBC WW2 People’s War, she recalls that she was 19 years old when war broke out and had to decide whether to go into the forces or do a man’s job in civilian life.
She decided on the latter and was for a time a projectionist at the cinemas. She later went to work for Boulton and Paul helping to make the Horsa gliders which were used in the Arnhem Campaign. She was responsible for fitting compasses into the Horsas nose section.
Keith Doubleday was one of those Melton lads that worked at the Midland Woodworking factory. He recalls “We made the cockpits. The control column (steering wheel) was definitely manufactured there. It was made of laminated wood (spruce). The interior of the nose section was sprayed light green and the outside Matt black. As an apprentice I went through the different departments and during my time in the spray dept got dope poisoning for my efforts. The fuselage and the wings were made at other factories around the country. I worked in the Inspection Department. Our manager was Mr Simpson and the Forman was Horace Broom. Although it was wartime it was a happy factory. We worked long hours.”
The woodyard viewed from the Kings Road/ Limes Avenue entrance
Keith goes on to say “If you entered the works from the Kings Road/ Limes Avenue entrance the fitting shop was just ahead and bearing to the right was the Inspection Dept. Deeper inside, the nose sections were assembled and the spray shop was in the same vicinity. Gun turrets for the Airspeed Oxford were also made close to the Horsa line. Most of the laminations and other parts were made of spruce. The Horsa in the group photo above was towed/flown in by aircraft tug. It was then released over Melton airfield where it landed. How it got airborne afterwards I have no idea. We walked from the factory to the airfield for the display.”
The woodyard viewed from the Kings Road/ Limes Avenue entrance
The Woodyard also produced components for other aircrafdt types as well during WW2 such as the Airspeed Oxford and the Boulton & Paul Defiant.
The 6th Airlanding Brigade before taking off on June 5. That night of D-Day they landed in the Dropzone W to the West of the Caen Canal
Probably the Horsa’s most famous sortie was codenamed Operation Deadstick when six Horsa’s delivered an advance force of 80 paratroopers, on the evening of 5th June 1944, the night before the D-Day landings. These men, from D Company of the 2nd Oxfordshire & Buckingham Light Infantry, were transported by the Glider Pilot Regiment into the countryside, just four miles from the Normandy coast. Under cover of darkness and after an almost silent approach, they were responsible for successfully securing the strategically important bridge (now known as Pegasus Bridge) at Bénouville, over the Caen Canal in Normandy.
Horsa gliders at Pegasus Bridge
The Horsa was a major factor in a number of operations that followed the successful Normandy assault. These included Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, which involved 1,205 gliders in 1944. A year later Horsas were involved in Operation Varsity (March 1945) when 440 aircraft carried soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine, in the type’s final operation of the war.
Sadly, after various company take-overs, the latest owners of the woodyard, Jeld-Wen, decided to close the Melton factory in 2022 as part of a drive ‘to maximise efficiencies in their operations and focus on areas that will help ensure long-term profitable growth’.
Plans to build 313 homes and 376 parking spaces on the woodyard site were initially submitted for planning proposals but amended proposals have been drawn up with 15 fewer properties and 129 more places to park, including 30 for visitors.
The design of one of the key features – The Community Square space – has been reconfigured to provide ‘a softer, greener gateway into Melton Country Park’.
Did you know that a Meltonian was one of the most important civil servants in Tudor England?
Vice Admiral Sir William Gonson
William Gonson was born in 1482 in Melton Mowbray. His parents were Christopher Gonson and his wife, Elizabeth (nee Trussell). William’s brother, Bartholomew, became the Vicar of Melton Mowbray.
Not a lot is known about his early life, but William became a ship owner and merchant who sailed in government service and later directed shipping movements becoming one of the most remarkable civil servants in the Tudor period.
He was certainly a clerk in the navy storehouse at Deptford, Kent, receiving ropes and artillery pieces (1513) and armorial banners (1514) for ships.
He had already made his fortune through his merchant shipping before he began a naval career. It was as a public servant for the navy that he rose to prominence. He nearly single-handedly managed the Royal Navy for over twenty years.
In 1509, William married his wife, Bennett Benedicta Walter in Deptford, Kent. Together they had six sons: Richard, David, Christopher, Arthur, Benjamin and Anthony as well as three daughters Elizabeth, Avis, and Thomasine. They resided in Thames Street, London, in the parish of St Dunstan-in-the-East.
Gonson was well paid, both from his naval appointments and as one of Henry VIII’s squires of the body, though his great wealth probably came through his commercial activities. In 1525 he was a warden of the Grocers’ Company, and he may by then have owned the ‘great Mary Grace’, which traded to the Greek islands. Thus, in 1530, he was one of twenty-two merchants trading with Candia (Crete); and in circa 1534 his ship Matthew Gonson (300 tons), with his son Richard as captain, sailed with a consort to Chios (where Richard died) and Candia (Crete).
William was finally made an officer of the Navy in 1536 and became the English Vice-Admiral of Norfolk and Suffolk.
Anne of Cleves Pub & St Mary’s Church
The priory, what we know today as the Anne of Cleves pub, was owned by the Lewes Priory and in 1532 they leased the property to William Gonson, brother of the vicar, for 55 years. However, following the dissolution of the Lewes Priory in 1537, the rectory of Melton Mowbray with its tithes from Welby went to Thomas Cromwell and after his execution in 1540 the rectory reverted to the Crown and given to Anne of Cleves as part of the divorce settlement.
In March 1539 foreign merchants’ goods in an unidentified ship of Gonson’s were valued at 50,000 marks sterling (over £33,000), and in 1541 he was assessed for subsidy on £1000. In 1524 he became keeper of the storehouses at Deptford and Erith, Kent, and an usher of the King’s chamber, and for part of the period 1532–7 he handled sums of money totalling more than £15,589. Hence he was concerned with rigging warships, paying money for wages and victualling, purchasing masts, repairing Thames forts, building ships (for example, the Galley Subtile).
In 1539 he was responsible for sending a fleet to bring Anne of Cleves from Calais to Dover for her marriage to Henry VIII. He was vice-admiral—the first in England—of Norfolk and Suffolk from 1536 until 1543, and held courts at Kings Lynn and elsewhere.
William’s son, David Gunson, was admitted to the prestigious Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem in 1533 and became a Knight of Rhodes, as the Knights of Malta were still known. His spirited career in that Order is documented in The Book of Deliberations of the Venerable Tongue of England 1523-1567… published in Malta in 1949 by Hannibal P. Scicluna.
Sir David Gonson
His bête noir in the Order was his fellow knight Sir Philip Babington with whom he quarrelled in 1535, and suffered imprisonment as a result. On a visit to England in 1540 it was Babington who informed on him, declaring that Gunson denied that Henry VIII was the Supreme Head of the Church of England and that the King and his supporters were in effect heretics. Gunson was confined to the Tower, had no trial, and was condemned to death under a bill of attainder. He was removed to the King’s Bench prison, Southwark, and on 12 July 1541 he was dragged on a hurdle to St Thomas Waterings, the second milestone from the city, where he suffered a traitor’s death.
The event was chronicled by Charles Wriothesley as follows: “1541. The 12th daie of Julie, one of Mr. Gunston’s Sonnes which was a Knight of Rodes, was drawen from the Kinges Bench to Sainct Thomas Wateringes and there hanged and quartered for treason.”
Following his death, David was posthumously dubbed “The Good Knight”. He was beatified in 1929 as Blessed David Gonson, a martyr for religious principles. He was hanged, drawn and quartered at Southwark (London) on 12 July 1541 under the English Act of Supremacy.
William died in 1544, after falling from grace, leaving the Navy disorganised. It took two years for Henry VIII to reorganise control. William Gonson’s son, Benjamin Gonson, became the Treasurer of the Navy and helped Henry regain control.
Benjamin became one of the founding members of the ‘Navy Board,’ responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Navy, which ran from 1546 to 1832. Benjamin Gonson was Treasurer of the Navy when Queen Elizabeth came to the throne in 1558 and held the post until his death in 1577
Plainly, William Gonson’s responsibilities imposed great strain, particularly with the Anglo-French war (1543–6), and in 1544 (before 5 August, when Benjamin was accounting) he ‘feloniously killed himself’ (LP Henry VIII 20/1, no. 125/7).
St Dunstans in the East
A suicide’s body had, by law, to be buried, with a stake through the heart, near local crossroads: Gonson was interred in his parish church, St Dunstans in the East, which suggests that matters were hushed up.
No will or administration has been found. Gonson’s value to his country was recognized, after his death, by the creation of a ‘navy board’ to replace him.
In Blog 37 I looked at the Melton & District Spitfire Fund and how the people of Melton Mowbray and surrounding district pulled together in the latter half of 1940 to purchase a Spitfire fighter at a cost of £5,000.
Between 1941 and 1942, the British Government introduced a similar savings scheme, this time in the concept of National Savings where each region in the country was provided with a savings target to achieve. The target was based on the region’s population, with each level of savings having a class of warship assigned.
This became known as Warship Week, due to its similarities with War Weapons Week – which was a drive to replace the materiel lost at Dunkirk through a savings campaign.
There were a total of 1,178 warship weeks organised across the country during the campaign, involving a total of 1,273 districts. A press announcement quoted the adoption of eight battleships, four carriers, forty-nine cruisers, three hundred and one destroyers, twenty-five submarines, one hundred and sixty-four corvettes and frigates and two hundred and eighty-eight minesweepers.
In early 1942, it was announced the Melton had adopted one the Corvettes. “Terriers of the seas, those are Corvettes. One of them has been adopted by Melton. It is aid that the job of the Corvette is one of the toughest of the war at sea. Melton and District is to raise £120,000 to buy one during Warship Week in March. First in service in the summer of 1940, already they have given a very good account of themselves. The precise details of their engagement has not been published; but officers and men have been mentioned as having received decorations or medals for successful operations against enemy U-boats.”
Meltons Warship week ad
It was announced in the Melton Times on Friday 6th February 1942 that Melton Warship Week would be held from 7th to 14th March 1942 and it was hoped that Earl Beatty would be able to be present to take the salute.
A community would sponsor a ship through individual savings in government bonds and national savings certificates and Melton Mowbray was no exception. At a meeting of savings group secretaries at the Oddfellow’s Hall on Wednesday 4th February, Mr R Stuart Smith provided an update on the fundraising activities:
“There are now 231 savings groups in Melton and District, 116 of these being in the latter. During the past 6 months, the 50 Melton street savings groups have saved £2,285.00”. He went on to say that from November 1939 to the end of January 1942, people in Melton and district have saved £655,512 or approximately £6,000 per week.
The deputy commissioner, Mr Peter Stevenson also spoke about the coming ‘Warship Week’ and Superintendent R W Stapleton spoke to the meeting about the parade. Joining them was Lieutenant P W Woodriffe RN who gave an interesting talk on the Battle of Jutland which he illustrated with lantern slides.
Melton Mowbray farmers Warship Week Advert
One of the earliest purchasers of certificates at the central selling centre in the Market Place, was a youth by the name of Teddy Stapleford who bought £24 worth of certificates for the Sydney Street savings group, of which he was secretary.
Six children representing various schools purchased the first certificates towards their group targets.
On 24th April 1942, the Market Harborough Advertiser and Midland Mail published an article detailing the warship weeks fundraising activities for the county. In total, £6,616,247 had been raised, enough to pay for 16 warships. By the end of the campaign, Melton Mowbray & District raised a total of £181,139.00 for their ship.
Committee Area
Adopted Ship
Target £ Amount
Total £ Raised
Billesdon R.D.
HMS Lilac
30,000
112,812
Loughborough
HMS Venomous
210,000
300,653
Barrow Upon Soar R. D.
HMS Seawolf
250,000
245,517
Market Harborough & District
HMS Fernie
150,000
200,023 ½
Blaby R.D.
HMS Blackthorne
62,000
117,168
Hinckley U.D.
HMS Amazon
210,000
387,047
Leicester
HMS Renown
3,000,000
4,015,740
Lutterworth R.D.
HMS Laurel
62,000
106,757
Melton Mowbray & District
HMS Samphire
120,000
181,139 ½
Shepshed U.D.
HM MTB No 102
70,000
73,328
Market Bosworth R.D.
HMS Larch
132,000
148,260
Ashby de la Zouch
HMS S/M P43
175,000
203,461
Castle Donington R.D.
HMS Barbican
85,000
37,235
Coalville U.D.
HMS Southwold
210,000
253,067
Oadby U.D.
HMS Botanic
40,000
97,433
Wigton U.D.
HMS Speedy
136,485
136,606
Throughout Melton Mowbray and the district, there were a total of 231 savings groups, of which 116 were in the rural area. At a savings committee meeting, presided over by Councillor Oliver Brotherhood, it was revealed that practically every street in the town had a savings group. By February 1942, the groups had raised a total of £655,512 since November 1939, approximately £6,000 a week.
The Melton’s Warship Week was launched in Windsor Street at 8PM on 7th March 1942 by the Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Sir Arthur G Hazlerigg Bart, and the Chairman, R W Brownlow Esq, JP, chairman of the Bench of Magistrates with a contingent from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps forming a guard of honour.
Sir Arthur Hazlerigg
it was announced by Mr J Green, Chairman of the bonds Committee, that their target was more than half subscribed with over £76,000 of the £120,000 target.
A parade to launch the campaign took place on Sunday 8th March with members of the HM Forces, together with the Home Guard and Auxiliary Forces. The parade assembled at the Scalford Road car park and was directed by Superintendent R W Stapleton who had directed the 1941 War Weapons Week parade which was over a mile long.
Guard of Honour with Sir Arthur Hazlerigg in the centre
The parade set off at 2:45PM marching down Scalford Road, Norman Street, Bentley Street, Sage Cross Street, Sherard Street, Market Place and High Street to the Wilton Road car park. The following bands also took part in the parade: The Band of the Navy League Sea Cadets, the band of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and the band of the Leicester Air Training Corps.
Letter from Samphire
Taking the salute on the saluting base in the Market Square was Surgeon Lieutenant Commander F T Doleman, RNVR, of Leicester instead of the Earl Beatty. He was accompanied by Air Commodore Sir W Lindsay Everard, the Duchess of Rutland, Mrs P Cantrell Hubbersty and Mrs A E Burnaby.
As the crowd of spectators made their way to the Wilton Road car park for a drum head service, a mounted Policeman’s horse mounted up, narrowly missing the Chief Constable of Leicestershire, Captain C E Lynch-Blosse, but Alderman T Sarson received slight injuries to his leg in the incident.
HMS Samphire was built by Smiths Dock Company, in South Bank-on-Tees, and was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 30th June 1941. Shortly after entering service, from the 15th – 21st July 1941, Samphire took part in anti-submarine exercises off Tobermory with a Dutch submarine HrMs O 10, commanded by Lt J H Geijs Royal Netherlands Navy, and other Royal Navy vessels including HMS Brora, HMS Cumbrae, HMS Flotta, HMS Islay, HMS Le Tiger, HMS Romeo, HMS St Mary’s & HMS Wells
HMS Samphire
Samphire was tasked with convoy escort operations between Liverpool and the Mediterranean Sea and assigned to the 36th Escort Group commanded by Captain F J Johnnie Walker of the Western Approaches Command Group.
On the 30th July 1941, Samphire was part of the escort group for convoy OG.70, Outbound from the British Isles to Gibraltar. This convoy consisted of 20 merchant vessels and 9 escort vessels including Samphire.
On approach to Gibraltar, HMS Samphire along with 7 other Navy escort ships parted company with OG.70 to join the northbound convoy HG.70
Convoy HG.70 was an allied trade convoy of the Homeward from Gibraltar series and comprised of 25 ships sailing from Gibraltar on 9th August 1941.
Convoy HG.76 was an allied trade convoy of the Homeward from Gibraltar series and comprised of 32 ships sailing between 19th and 23rd December 1941.
It whilst escorting convoy HG.76 when at 06.15Hrs on 19th December 1941, that German U-boat U-108 fired a spread of two torpedoes at the convoy west of Lisbon. A flash and a large column of black smoke was observed on one ship and two detonations were heard. The steamer Ruckinge was damaged by one torpedo and the survivors were rescued by the Steamer FINLAND and sloop STORK. The Ruckinge was later shelled and scuttled by HMS Samphire (K 128) (LtCdr F.T. Renny, DSC, RNR).
A couple of days later on 21st December 1941, north of the Azores, Samphire successfully released depth charges with the British sloop Deptford resulting in the sinking of the German submarine U-567 in the North Atlantic northeast of the Azores resulting in the loss of all 47 men on board the U-567.
On 8th November 1942, she was escorting USS Leedstown (AP-73) from the Mediterranean after she had been attacked by German aircraft, which hit the Leedstown with an aerial torpedo in the stern the day earlier.
USS Leedstown
At 12:55Hrs on 9th November, German aircraft attacked again with 3 bombs straddling the Leedstown. Although Samphire managed to shoot down one attacker, vibration from the bombs exploding added further damage to that caused the night before.
The Leedstown was again attacked at 13:10Hrs, this time by 2 torpedoes which struck her amidships, exploding with tremendous force. The ship started to settle with an increased starboard list and when the midships were about 3 feet under water, the decision to abandon ship was taken.
HMS Samphire was standing by and assisted in the rescue of the survivors from the Leedstown. At 14:30Hrs, Commander Cook had gone over the side of Leedstown and was rescued about an hour later. Samphire rescued 104 survivors who she put ashore the following morning at Algiers.
During the early hours of 12th November 1942, HMS Tynwald was at short notice, ready to sail from 04:45Hrs in anticipation of a dawn Axis air raid. Tynwald was part of a task force sent to capture an airfield near Bougie (modern Béjaïa) 100 miles east of Algiers. At the centre of the force were infantry landing craft, and the covering force included the cruiser HMS Sheffield, the monitor HMS Roberts, and fourteen other supporting vessels.
Just 30 minutes later, Tynwald was hit by 2 torpedoes launched from the Argo, an Italian submarine commanded by Lt Pasquali Gigli resulting in Tynwald settling rapidly in 7 meters of water and 10 of her crew killed. The survivors were rescued by HMS Samphire and HMS Roberts.
The Leicester Evening Mail published the following article on the 4th December 1942:
“Melton Corvette saved Melton Man. After being in the sea for two hours, Able Seaman Horace E Main, of Salisbury Avenue, Melton, was picked up by Melton’s adopted corvette HMS Samphire.
As soon as he got on board, he was asked by members of the crew where he lived, and when he told them he was asked to convey to the Melton people the ship’s company’s thanks for all they had done for them. Able Seaman Main was given a jumper to wear which came from Melton. Able Seaman Main says the finest sight he had ever seen was the corvette bearing towards him as he was clinging to a float.”
On 14th December 1942, Samphire assisted in the rescue of nine survivors from the British merchant ship Edencrag, which had been torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-443 west of Algiers.
HMS Samphire
Samphire was torpedoed and sunk on 30 January 1943 off Bougie, Algeria by the Italian submarine Platino. Samphire was escorting convoy TE-14 which was taking part in the North African campaign. The captain, two officers and 42 of the ship’s crew perished.
Platino
On the 7th November 1947, the Leicester Daily Mercury reported the following: “Melton’s ship no longer – A letter from the Admiralty intimates that HMS Samphire, the ship that Melton adopted, is now out of commission, and the association between the crew and the town is thus ended.
Melton Mowbray was preseneted with a commemorative shield in recognition of their adoption of HMS Samphire. This shield is now on display in the Royal British Legion Office in Melton Mowbray.
HMS Samphire Presentation Plaque Inscription
Following the publication of my Melton’s Warship blog, I was contacted by an individual who lives on the Kirby Lane Fields Housing Estate in Melton Mowbray who told me “When we moved in to our house back in 2000 the site forman told us all the roads on the estate were named after wild flowers. However, the site manager told us they were named after WWII Corvettes. I wonder who was correct as I know there was an HMS Celandine.”
So naturally, I did a little bit of investigation into the street names from that estate and yes they are all flowers but out of the 16 street names, 13 are used by the Royal Navy as Ship names, with 12 in the Flower Class Corvettes.
There is 1 name connected to a WW1 Acacia Class Minesweeping Sloop and 3 others where I can find no connection to RN ships at all.
Anemone Close – HMS Anemone (Flower Class Corvette) launched 22nd April 1940 – Sold in November 1949. Resold on 3 October 1950 to Norway as buoy tender Pelkan, 1951 rebuilt as whale catcher, sold December 1963, renamed Østfold, Scrapped 1 November 1964.
Bluebell Row – HMS Bluebell (Flower Class Corvette) launched 24th April 1940 – Torpedoed and sunk on 17th February 1945 by U-711 off the Kola Inlet at 69-36N, 35-29E.
Campion Place – HMS Campion (Flower Class Corvette) launched 20th June 1941 – Sold on 20 April 1947 and scrapped at Newport.
Celandine Drive – HMS Celandine (Flower Class Corvette) launched 28th December 1940 – Shared sinking of U-556 on 27th June 41. Sold in October 1948 and scrapped at Portaferry.
Clover Drive – HMS Clover (Flower Class Corvette) launched 30th January 1941 – Sold on 17 May 1947 as mercantile Cloverlock. Resold to People’s Republic of China as mercantile Kai Feng.
Coltfoot Way – HMS Coltsfoot (Flower Class Corvette) launched 15th May 1941 – Sold in 1947 as mercantile Alexandra.
Cowslip Drive – HMS Cowslip (Flower Class Corvette) launched 28th May 1941 – Sold in July 1948. Scrapped in April 1949 at Troon.
Foxglove Avenue – HMS Foxglove (Acacia Class Minesweeping Sloop) entered service 14th May 1915 – Sold for scrapping on 7 September 1946. She was scrapped at Troon, Scotland
Harebell Drive – HMS Harebell (Flower Class Corvette) Cancelled on 23 January 1941. Pennant K202
Heather Crescent – HMS Heather (Flower Class Corvette) launched 17th September 1940 – Sold on 22 May 1947 and scrapped at Grays.
Honeysuckle Way – HMS Honeysuckle (Flower Class Corvette) launched 22nd April 1940 – Sold in 1950 and scrapped in November 1950 at Grays.
Marigold Crescent – HMS Marigold (Flower Class Corvette) launched 4th September 1940 – Torpedoed and sunk on 9 December 1942 by the Aviazione Ausiliara per la Marina while escorting convoy KMS.3Y off Algiers at 36-50N, 03-00E. 40 crew were killed.
Orchid Close – HMS Orchis (Flower Class Corvette) launched 15th October 1940 – Sank U-741 single-handed 15 August 44. Mined and heavily damaged on 21 August 1944 off Courseulles-sur-Mer. Beached on Juno Beach and declared a total loss.
Camomile Road, Teasel Drive and Trefoil Close no connection to RN Ships as far as I can tell.
Sadly, there is no street named Samphire after Melton’s Warship. So was this a deliberate naming strategy by Melton Borough Council to name the streets after the Flower Class Corvettes in honour of the towns connection, or was it just a coincidence. If theye were named after the Corvettes, it is a shame there is no street named Samphire!
Craufurd (Crawfurd/Crawford) House, No 19 Burton Street was named after Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Charles Craufurd.
Crawfurd House
Before becoming a private house, the property was the “Three Horse Shoes” public house kept by Mr J Adcock.
Alex was born on 30 Jun 1794 and was the 2nd eldest of 4 children for Sir James Gregan-Craufurd (2nd Baronet of Kilburney) and his wife Maria Theresa. Maria was the daughter of General Thomas Gage, Commander in Chief of the British Forces in North America.
Alex’s elder brother was Thomas, and the younger siblings were Jane and George.
Alex was educated at Eton and then went to Trinity College, Cambridge on 19th Mar 1810. Whilst at Eton, he became known as “Tea Pot Craufurd” through his tendency for brewing tea in a black teapot. He kept and cherished this tea pot whilst he was a soldier in the Peninsular War.
Naval & Military Gazette and Weekly Chronicle of the United Service 27 January 1866
In his spare time he enjoyed riding with the hounds at Melton Mowbray and Belvoir Castle where he was described as “Plucky in the extreme”.
After leaving Trinity College, he joined the Army and on the 3rd Jun 1811 he became an Ensign in the 1st Battalion 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards. He was assigned as a replacement for Ensign George Parker Cookson who was killed in action at the Battle of Fuentes de Onora on the 5th May 1811.
3rd Regiment of Foot Guards 1809
After Fuentes de Onora, the Regiment moved onto Celerico; Pinhel. In January 1812, the Regiment took part in the Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain from the 7th –20th January.
Explosion of the French magazine in the Main Breach, during the Storming of Ciudad Rodrigo on 19th January 1812 in the Peninsular War: picture by J.J.Jenkins
The casualties were heavy for the British, with over 500 being killed, wounded or missing during the assault and over 1,000 casualties in total for the siege, though despite this, the British took Ciudad Rodrigo. It was during this Siege that Alex’s uncle, Major General Robert Craufurd, who Commanded the Light Division, was mortally wounded on the 19th January 1812 whilst directing the stormers of the Light Division.
Black Bob – Major General Robert Craufurd
Robert, who was known as ‘Black Bob’ due to his habit of heavily cursing when losing his temper, his nature as a strict disciplinarian and even to his noticeably dark and heavy facial stubble was carried out of action by his staff officer, Lieutenant Shaw of the 43rd. After lingering four days, he died on 23rd January 1812 and was buried in the breach of the fortress where he had met his death.
The next major engagement for Alex and the 1st Battalion was the Battle of Salamanca or as the French & Spanish called it the Battle of Arapiles which took place on the 22nd July 1812.
Salamanca was another victory for Wellington, although the Allied losses numbered 3,129 British and 2,038 Portuguese dead or wounded. The Spanish troops took no part in the battle as they were positioned to block French escape routes and suffered just six casualties. The French suffered about 13,000 dead, wounded and captured.
As a consequence of Wellington’s victory at Salamanca, his army was able to advance to Madrid and liberate the city for two months, before
Engaging the French again at the Siege of Burgos.
During 1813, Alex’s Regiment took part in the Battle of Vittoria; the Siege of San Sebastian, the Battle of Bidassoa and the Battle of Nive.
Alex was promoted from Ensign to Lieutenant (by purchase) and transferred from 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards to the 10th Light Dragoons.
In 1806 the 10th Light Dragoons became the first hussar regiment in the British Army, in imitation of the famous Hungarian light cavalry.
10th Hussars
The 10th (Prince of Wales’s Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars), had been based in England since 1809 and were returning to Spain in the Summer of 1813.
Lieut-Col Alex Craufurd was a friend of the Prince Regent and when the 10th Hussars paraded before him before their departure for Spain, the Prince said to him “Go, my boy, and show the world what stuff you are made of. You possess strength, youth, and courage, go, and conquer”.
After arriving in Spain, the 10th Hussars fought in the Battle of Morales on the 2nd June 1814, followed by the Battle 0f Vitoria on the 21st June. After Vitioria, the Regiment advanced into France and fought in the Battle of Orthez on the 27th February 1814, where he was first in the charge and by all accounts, behaved splendidly.
Another Meltonian who served with the 10th Hussars during the Peninsular Wars was Colonel Charles Wyndham, of Wyndham Lodge, Melton Mowbray. You can read more about him in one of my earlier blogs here. Colonel Charles Wyndham.
On the 9th June 1814, Alex was promoted to Captain and transferred from the 10th Light Dragoons to the 2nd Ceylon Regiment. The 2nd Ceylon Regiment, also known as the Sepoy Corps, was first raised in 1802, the British became the first foreign power to raise a regular unit of Sinhalese with British officers. (Sinhalese people are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group native to the island of Ceylon or as we call it today, Sri Lanka).
In 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo, Alex volunteered to take part in the Battle and was transferred from the 2nd Ceylon Regiment and joined the 12th Lancers (or the Prince of Wales’s Regiment of Light Dragoons) as a Captain.
During the Battle of Waterloo, Alex’s eldest brother, Thomas Crauford was killed whilst serving with the Scots Guards at Hougemont. He is commemorated with a memorial tablet on the garden wall at Hougemont.
Alex & Thomas’s sister, Jane, was present at the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball at Brussels, where she witnessed the departure of the troops and the return of the wounded.
Illustrated London News 31 May 1884
Alex married his wife, The Honorable Lady Barbara Coventry at St George’s Church, Hanover Square in Lndon on the 23rd July 1818.
Barbara was the daughter of George William (7th Earl)(Viscount Deerhurst) COVENTRY. She was the Aunt to Henry Amelius Coventry who purchased Lord Rokeby’s Club on Burton Street, which later became known as Coventry House.
At some point after Waterloo, Alex was transferred to the 60th Regiment of Foot as on the 26th Oct 1820 he was officially transferred from them back to the 12th Light Dragoons.
Just less than a year later, he was promoted to Major (Brevet) on the 30th Aug 1821 staying with the 12th Light Dragoons an in August 1824, he was promoted to Major (by purchase) and transferred from 12th Light Dragoons to the Cape Corps (Cavalry).
The Cape Corps consisted of two small units of about 200 men for the defence of the Cape Colony’s eastern frontier. The two units were named the Cape Cavalry (consisting of one troop of dragoons) and the Cape Light Infantry.
On the 24thJun 1825, Alex was transferred with the rank of Major from Cape Corps (Cavalry) to the 8th King’s Royal Irish Hussar (Light Dragoons). Almost a year later, he purchased his promotion to Lieutenant-Colonel and transferred to 94th Regiment of Foot.
On the 6th Aug 1829, he came off the half pay list on exchange with Henry Salway to be Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel in the Coldstream Regiment of Foot Guards.
Alex died on the 12th March 1838 aged 43 and was buried at Gresley Parish Church near Swadlincote Derbyshire on 17th March 1838.
Mowbray Lodge which used to be on Dalby Road opposite Warwick Lodge was built to the same design as Wicklow Lodge on Burton Road. The Mowbray Lodge was a hunting box for several seasons until 1898 when it was purchased by the Vicar of Melton, Reverend Richard Blakeney M.A. and his wife.
For several years, prior to the Vicar taking ownership, it was home to Captain Gordon Wilson and his wife Lady Sarah, whilst they were hunting with the Quorn Hounds. Lady Sarah was the youngest daughter of the 7th Duke of Marlborough, John Spencer-Churchill. As a member of the Churchill family, she was aunt to Winston Churchill.
Lt Col Gordon Chesney Wilson
Lady Sarah Isabella Augusta Wilson (nee Spencer-Churchill)
Their son, Randolph Gordon Wilson was born at Mowbray Lodge and was baptised by the Reverend Blakeney at St Mary’s Church on Sunday 26th February 1893. He later went on to serve in the Royal Naval Air Service during WW1 and later the Royal Air Force following the merge of the RNAS and Royal Flying Corps.
Following the sale of Mowbray Lodge, the Wilsons moved into Brooksby Hall in 1897 where they stayed until 1904.
Brooksby Hall
Gordon Wilson joined the Royal Horse Guards from the Militia in May 1887, becoming a Lieutenant in December 1888 and a Captain in 1894.
He took part in the Boer War serving as Aide-de Camp to Colonel Robert Baden-Powell who was the Commanding Officer of the Frontier Forces at Mafeking from August 1899 to May 1900 and after appointment as Major General South Africa from May 1900 to July 1900.
He was present at the defence of Mafeking, taking part in the actions of 26th December 1899 and 12th May 1900. He was twice Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette on the 8th February 1901 and the 10th September 1901.
Lady Sarah went out to South Africa to join him and in 1899 was recruited by Alfred Harmsworth to cover the Siege of Mafeking for the Daily Mail after one of the Mail correspondents, Ralph Hellawell, was arrested by the Boers as he tried to get out of the besieged town of Mafeking to send his dispatch. Having thus become the first woman war correspondent, Baden-Powell asked her to leave Mafeking for her own safety after the Boers threatened to storm the British garrison.
Lady Sarah Wilson nat the entrance of her shelter at Mafeking
This she duly did, and set off on a madcap adventure in the company of her maid, travelling through the South African countryside. when she was about 15 miles from Mafeking, she attempted to send back a message by carrier pigeon. The pigeon was not very well trained, and instead of flying back to Mafeking, it went and landed on the rooff of the Boer Commanders house who duly acertained who she was and where she was. She was captured by the enemy and taken prisoner before being returned to the town in exchange for a horse thief.
When she re-entered Mafeking she found it had not been attacked as predicted. Over four miles of trenches had been dug and 800 bomb shelters built to protect the residents from the constant shelling of the town.
Lady Sarah Wilson at Mefeking
On 26 March 1900, she wrote: “The Boers have been extremely active during the last few days. Yesterday we were heavily shelled and suffered eight casualties … Corporal Ironside had his thigh smashed the day before, and Private Webbe, of the Cape Police, had his head blown off in the brickfields trenches.”
Although death and destruction surrounded her, she preferred not to dwell too much on the horrors of the siege. She described cycling events held on Sundays and the town’s celebration of Colonel Baden-Powell’s birthday which was declared a holiday. Despite these cheery events, dwindling food supplies became a constant theme in the stories which she sent back to the Mail and the situation seemed hopeless when the garrison was hit by an outbreak of malarial typhoid. In this weakened state the Boers managed to penetrate the outskirts of the town, but the British stood firm and repelled the assault. The siege finally ended after 217 days when the Royal Horse and Canadian Artillery galloped into Mafeking on 17 May 1900.
He was promoted to Major in January 1903, Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in October 1907 and took command of his regiment in October 1911 as Lieutenant-Colonel.
On the outbreak of World War One, Gordon left for France as Lt. Colonel in the Royal Horse Guards.
Lady Sarah also went to France and was running a hospital for injured soldiers in Boulogne. It was at this hospital that Major Tony Markham who lived at The House, Melton Mowbray died after being wounded in action.
The Tatler August 19th 1914
In the field again
It was whilst she was at Bolougne that she heard that her husband Gordon had died from wounds received in action, on 6 November 1914. Gordon is buried in a CWGC grave at Zillebeke Churchyard in Belgium. See his CWGC recordfor more details.
In Blog 22, I looked at the story of Flt Lt Hugh Richard Aden Beresford and how his body was recoevered forty years after being shot down in his Hurricane fighter.
In this blog, I look at some of the other Beresford family members that made the ultimate scarifice serving their country.
Opposite the Memorial to Hugh, his father and grandmother, you will see the stained-glass window, appropriately named the South Chancel Memorial Window, and as its name suggests can be found in the South Chancel and was installed in the early 1920s. It was gifted to the Church by Hugh’s grandparents, Rev Edward Aden Beresford and his wife Annie Mary Beresford and their initials appear at the very top of the window.
South Chancel Window (Beresfod Memorial Window)
The Beresford family have been Rectors for Hoby cum Rotherby for many years since Reverend Gilbert Beresford became Rector in 1838. He married Anne Browne, the only daughter of Rev Henry Browne of Hoby, in 1805. The last Beresford to hold the post was Hugh’s father the Reverend Hans Aden Beresford.
The bottom panels of the window lists the members of the extended Beresford family who were killed whilst serving their country during the First World War and as such, it is classified as a war memorial by the War Memorials Trust and the Imperial War Museum.
Window Lower RH Light Panel
Window Lower Central Light Panel with family crest
Window Lower LH Light Panel with names
The Beresford’s commemorated on the window are all descendants of, or married to descendants of, Rev Gilbert & Anne Beresford.
The inscription on the light windows reads:
THOMAS BERESFORD OF FENNY BENTLEY, DIED MARCH 20TH 1473 IN PROUD AND LOVING MEMORY OF THE DESCENDENTS OF THOMAS BERESFORD WHO DIED IN THE GREAT WAR LT COL PERCY WILLIAM BERESFORD D.S.O ASSISTANT PRIEST OF WESTERHAM DIED IN FRANCE OCTOBER 25 1917 – ALSO OF MAJOR BERESFORD A.J. HAVELOCK OF THE NORTH STAFFS REGT KILLED IN ACTION SEP 14 1918 AT BAKU, CASPIAN SEA. ALSO OF MAJOR WILLIAM C. BERESFORD DIED OF WOUNDS IN WEYMOUTH HOSPITAL AND OF HAY FREDK DONALDSON, K.C.B./ DROWNED IN H.M.S. HAMPSHIRE JUNE 5TH 1916 THIS WINDOW IS DEDICATED BY EDWARD ADEN BERESFORD RECTOR FROM 1855 AND HANS ADEN BERESFORD BORN 1884
Who were these members of the extended Beresford family that made the ultimate sacrifice during World War One?
Lt. Col. Percy William Beresford D.S.O
Lt Col Percy William Beresford DSO
Percy was born in 1875 and was the son of Frank Gilbert and Jessie Ogilvie Beresford. He was baptised 2nd Dec 1875 at St Phillip and St James Church at Whitton near Richmond upon Thames. He was educated at Rossel School and Magdalen College, Oxford.
After graduating from Magdalen College he had hoped to enter the Church, but the ill health of his father, a Wharfinger on the Thames, meant he had to join the family business.
In 1900, he was promoted from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant whilst he was serving with the 4th Volunteer Battalion, the Hampshire Regiment,
In 1902 he moved to Westerham in Kent where he set up the first parish cadet corps in the country – the Westerham and Chipstead Cadet Corps, which was attached to the 1st Volunteer Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment. He apparently felt that military training acted as a sort of national university.
On the 10th October 1903, The London Gazette announced that Captain R. Galloway resigns his Commission with the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) and Lieutenant P. W. Beresford to be Captain.
In 1905 he went to Kings College London where he studied Theology, after which his earlier wish was fulfilled, and he was ordained as a Deacon. The following year he was ordained as a Priest by the Bishop of Rochester and was fortunate enough to be appointed as curate to the Rev. Sydney Le Mesurier, vicar of St. Mary’s, Westerham, where he was working when war was declared.
On 1st April 1908 it was announced that Captain Percy William Beresford of the 3rd Volunteer Battalion, The Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) is appointed to the 3rd Battalion, City of London (Royal Fusiliers) Regiment; with rank and precedence as in the Volunteer Force.
In the London Gazette, his promotion from Captain to Major in the 3rd (City of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Royal Fusiliers) was published on 16th August 1910.
Following the outbreak of World War One, he was initially sent to Malta after which he saw a lot of action across the Channel in France and Flanders. He was wounded in April 1915 and was gassed at Loos in September the same year and allegedly it was reported that, within a week of him being gassed, he was back with his battalion where he officiated at a celebration of Holy Communion, though hardly able to speak.
It was at Bullecourt in March, 1917 where he won his DSO: For conspicuous gallantry and ability in command of his battalion during heavy enemy counter-attacks. The skill with which he handled his reserves was of the utmost assistance to the division on his right, and his determination enabled us to hold on to an almost impossible position. He repulsed three counter-attacks and lost heavily in doing so.
He was killed in action during the 3rd Battle of Ypres on 26th October 1917 whilst commanding the 2nd / 3rd Battalions when a shell burst close beside him and he only lived a few minutes after being hit. He was known to his men in the Royal Fusiliers as “Little Napoleon”.
The Adjutant of his battalion was present when Beresford was mortally wounded gives a graphic picture of the last scene; and so, does Dr. Maude, who was in the same regiment with him. After being hit, he turned to the Adjutant saying, “I’m finished carry on”. A painful pause; then, to the field-doctor who went to see what could be done for him, “I’m finished; don’t bother about me, attend to the others”. A smile lit up his pale, handsome, and still boyish face. “Look after my sister. ..” A longer pause, and, “This is a fine death for a Beresford”, and he was gone.
He is buried in Gwalia Cemetery, Belgium (Near Poperinghe) where upon his gravestone is inscribed the following inscription “HE BRINGETH THEM UNTO THE HAVEN WHERE THEY WOULD BE”. See his CWGC Casualty Record for more information.
Major Beresford Arthur Jardine-Havelock
Major Beresford Havelock
He saw action at Neuve Chapelle, Hohenzollern Redoubt. Bullecourt, Ypres & Givenchy, the Duck’s Bill, and Poelcapelle and on the 23rd May 1916 was appointed as an acting Lt. Col of 2nd/3rd Royal Fusiliers.
He was born on the 10th October 1889 in Bankura, India and was the son of George Broadfoot Havelock, late Bengal Police, and Annie Helen Beresford. He married Kathleen Margaret Smith on the 6th March 1916 and they had two children Patricia Margaret Helen and Beresford Aileen.
He joined Elizabeth College on the island of Guernsey in 1903, becoming a member of their Dramatic Society in 1904 and a prefect in 1906. He left in Dec.1906 when he went to the military college at Sandhurst, leaving in 1907.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion (Prince of Wales) 98th. North Staffordshire Regiment on 6th February 1909. Just over a year later he was promoted to Lieutenant on the 1st April 1910, (Army List), followed by Captain in 1915 then Major in 1917.
He was serving with the 7th (Service) Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment in Mesopotamia from 1914 – 1918. After Mesopotamia, he was sent to Baku, Azerbaijan on the Caspian Sea, most probably as part of the Dunsterforce “Hush Hush Army” to help support the City of Baku. Dunsterforce was named after General Lionel Dunsterville and consisted of about 1000 men and undertook a 220 miles journey in a convoy of Ford vans and cars from Hamadan near Quajar in Iran to Baku in Azerbaijan.
The Dunsterforce fought in the Battle of Baku from 26th August to 14th September 1918 between the Ottoman–Azerbaijani coalition forces led by Nuri Pasha and Bolshevik–Dashnak Baku Soviet forces, later succeeded by the British–Armenian–White Russian forces.
The Dunsterforce received orders to leave Baku as the Ottoman forces were bombarding the port and shipping with artillery fire. Two ships had been readied in the port for the evacuation of the force. Major Havelock and his unit, the 7th (Service) Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, were providing rear-guard cover during the night of the 14th/15th September allowing the main force to retreat to the port when he was killed on the 14th September 1918 aged 28. He was mentioned in dispatches and is commemorated on the Baku Memorial.
Major Cecil William Beresford
Cecil was born in 1875 and was the son of a Barrister of Law, Cecil Hugh Wriothesley Beresford and his wife Caroline Felicie Octavia. He was baptised on 24th June 1875 at the Holy Innocents Church, Kingsbury in Middlesex.
On the 10th December 1892, the South Wales Daily News announced his Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Volunteer Rifles the 1st (Pembrokeshire) Volunteer Battalion of the Welsh Regiment.
He was educated at Trinity Hall Cambridge University entering the college in 1895.
The London Gazette published on 14th October 1910 announced the promotion of 2nd Lieutenant Cecil Beresford to Lieutenant with the 10th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Irish Rifles).
His promotion from Lieutenant to Captain was announced on the 26th July 1912 in the London Gazette, along with his transfer from the 10th Bn to the 18th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Paddington Rifles).
He was subsequently promoted from Captain to Major remaining with the 18th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Paddington Rifles) which was announced in the London Gazette on the 6th April 1915. A few months later the Gazette announced his promotion to Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel on the 19th July 1915.
On the 10th April 1916, the London Gazette announced that he relinquished his rank as Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel due to an alteration in posting. It is not clear what happened next in his military career, but when he died, he was serving with the Royal Defence Corps (RDC).
The RDC was formed in March 1916 by converting the Home Service Garrison Battalions which were made up of soldiers that were either too old or medically unfit for front line service. The role of the RDC was to provide troops for security and guard duties inside the UK, guarding important locations such as ports or bridges and prisoner of war camps.
He died of wounds on 9th October 1917 at Burdon Military Hospital Weymouth and is buried at Weston Super Mare.
Burdon Military Hospital (now Prince Regent Hotel)
Hay Frederick Donaldson was born on 7th July 1856 in Sydney Australia and was the son of Sir Stuart Alexander Donaldson, the first Premier of New South Wales, and his wife Amelia Cowper.
Although he was born in Australia, he studied mechanical engineering at Eton College, Trinity College, Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and Zurich University.
After leaving University, he was initially employed at the locomotive works at Crewe in Cheshire working for the London and North Western Railway locomotive works.
He married Selina Beresford on 15 July 1884 in Kensington shortly before moving to Goa in India working on railway and harbour construction until 1887. Whilst in India, the couple had 3 children: Amy Elizabeth, Stuart Hay Marcus and Ethel Adeline.
After India, he returned to England working on the Manchester Ship Canal from 1887 to 1891 followed by becoming the Chief Engineer at London’s East India Docks from 1892 to 1897.
At the same time as working on the Manchester Ship Canal and the East India Docks, he was also the Chief Mechanical Engineer at the Royal Ordnance Factories at Woolwich from 1889 to 1903. Whilst at Woolwich, he served as the Deputy Director-General from 1989-99. In 1903 he was appointed Director-General, a role in which he continued until 1915.
In 1909, he was awarded a CB, Companion to The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, followed by the KCB (Knight Commander) in 1911.
In September 1915, he resigned from the position of Director-General to take up the role of Chief Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Munitions
In June 1916, he was selected as one of the advisers to accompany the Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener on his mission to Russia. HMS Hampshire had been ordered to take Lord Kitchener from Scapa Flow on his diplomatic mission to Russia via the port of Arkhangelsk.
HMS Hampshire
The Hampshire set sail from Scapa Flow at 16:45Hrs on the 5th June 1916 and due to gale force winds, it was decided that she would sail through the Pentland Firth, then turn North along the western coast of the Orkneys. Approximately an hour after setting sail, she rendezvoused with her escorts, two Acasta class destroyers, the Unity and Victor.
As the convoy turned North west, the gales increased and shifted direction resulting in the ships facing it head on, causing the escorts to fall behind the Hampshire. The Commanding Officer of the Hampshire, Captain Savill, believed it was unlikely that enemy submarines would be active in the area due t the weather conditions, so he ordered Unity and Victor to return to Scapa Flow.
About 1.5 miles off Orkney, between the Brough of Birsay and Marwick Head, the Hampshire was sailing alone in rough seas when at 19:40Hrs she struck a mine laid by a German minelaying submarine. The mine was one of several laid by U-75 just before the Battle of Jutland on the 28th/29th May.
The Hampshire had been holed between the bow and the bridge, causing her to heel to starboard. Approximately 15 minutes after the explosion, the Hampshire began to sink bow first. Out of the crews compliment of 735 crew members and 14 passengers aboard, only 12 crew members survived. A total of 737 lives were lost including Lord Kitchener and all the members of his missionary party. He is commemorated on the CWGC Hollybrook Memorial at Southampton.
The ships crew are also commemorated on the Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Winchester War Memorial outside Winchester Cathedral.
Hampshire, Isle of Wight and Winchester Memorial
HMS Hampshire Inscription
In 2010, the War Memorials Trust gave a grant of £150 for conservation works to the memorial window and its ferramenta. On the Beresford window at Hoby, the ferramenta had rusted and this was causing problems to the stonework of the church on the window which the ferramenta is fixed to and if left untreated could cause damage and cracking to stonework. To see more information about this grant, see the grant showcase.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them.
“Courageous Duty Done In Love, He Serves His Pilot Now Above”, is the personal inscription or epitaph, written on the Commonwealth War Grave headstone of Victoria Cross recipient Flight Sergeant John Hannah, who is buried at Birstall St James the Great Churchyard in Leicester. What is Courageous Duty?
CWGC Headstone of Flt Sgt John Hannah VC at Birstall St James Churchyard
John, although a V.C. winner, is so typical of many veterans that I have come across in my career with the Royal Air Force and also in my time as a welfare caseworker with the Royal Air Forces Association, the charity that supports the RAF Family.
Many service personnel are too proud to ask for help and try and resolve their issues via their own means, sadly at times, only asking for help when it is too late. John was a prime example.
Sergeant John Hannah VC
Being a shy and reserved character, John was not a fan of all the publicity he was receiving following his award of the V.C. and disliked having to go on tours giving public speeches.
In this blog, I try and tell the story of John, not only for his heroic deeds when he showed ‘valour in the presence of the enemy’ which earned him the V.C., but also his bravery and courage in fighting his life debilitating illness and the courage he showed in overcoming his shyness in giving talks to provide a means of income to support his family. I also look at his widow and three daughters and how they showed bravery and courage to fight through their daily struggles following his death.
John Hannah was born on 27th November 1921 in Paisley, Glasgow, to his parents, James a dock crane foreman with the Clyde Navigation Trust and his wife. John was educated at Bankhead Elementary School and Victoria Drive Secondary School in Glasgow, and he was also a member of the 237th Glasgow (Knightswood Church) Boys’ Brigade Company and played football for the local team. After leaving school he took up employment as a salesman in a local boot company.
Victoria Drive Secondary School
He has an elder brother James, aged 25 who served in the Green Howards. There was also a younger brother Charlie, who described John as having a reserved disposition.
On the 15th August 1939, just 3 weeks before Britain declares war on Germany, John aged only 17 enlists in the Royal Air Force on a 6 year engagement. Following completion of his initial training at RAF Cardington, he was posted on the 14th September 1939 to the No 2 Electrical and Wireless Training School at RAF Yatesbury to train as a wireless operator.
John and his fellow students would have attended classes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. six days a week to learn the theory of wireless and how to maintain and operate various types of wireless sets including the Marconi R1155 receiver and the T1154 transmitter.
They were instructed in morse code and how to transmit and receive messages. A competitive system was set up between the students where they would strive to achieve a standard of six words per minute in the sending and receiving of morse code.
A class of trainee Wireless Operators receiving instruction in morse code IWM CH 002040
After meeting the criteria of six words per minute, they moved on to another table that demanded eight words per minute and worked their way up to the required standard of twelve words per minute. In addition to learning about wireless transmitters and morse, the students were also taught the use of the Aldis signalling lamp for visual communication in morse code.
Once his ground training was completed, John would have then undertaken aerial training as part of his wireless course. The aerial training would have consisted of a series of air experience flights in De Havilland Dominie aircraft operated by the “Yatesbury Wireless Flight”, piloted by civilian employees of the Bristol Aircraft Company. During the air experience flights, John would have been introduced to radio receiver training consisting of sending and receiving messages from base and practicing the art of transmitter tuning by calibration and back tuning to the transmitter.
De Havilland Dominie aircraft operated by the “Yatesbury Wireless Flight”
After completing his training at Yatesbury, John was next posted to the No 4 Bombing and Gunnery School at RAF West Freugh for a short course in air gunnery. After successfully finishing his course in air gunnery, he was next assigned to No 16 Operational Training Unit at RAF Upper Heyford on 18th May 1940 for the final part of his training before qualifying as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (WOp/AG).
After successfully completing his WOp/AG training, he was promoted to Sergeant and posted on the 1st July 1940 to his first front line unit as what is known as a “Rooki”, serving with 106 Squadron at RAF Thornaby in Yorkshire who operated Handley Page Hampden bombers.
Hampden bombers
John didn’t serve on 106 Sqn for long as on the 11th August he was posted to RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire to join 83 Sqn who again operated the Hampden bomber.
83 Squadron crest (IBCC Archive)
83 Sqn was one of the few Bomber Command units that went into action on the first day of the Second World War by carrying out a bomber sweep over the North Sea searching for German warships. The Sqn continued with daylight ‘precision’ raids against German naval and coastal targets throughout 39/40, but as the daylight operations became more costly, they switched to night operations.
The summer of 1940 has become famous in RAF history for the actions during the Battle of Britain where RAF Fighter Command pilots became known as “The Few”.
Whilst Fighter Command were heavily engaged in defending the skies above Britain intercepting the German Luftwaffe, Bomber Command units were sent out night after night to attack the naval forces that Hitler was amassing as part of his preparations for the seaborne invasion of Britain known as Operation Sea Lion.
Huge numbers of barges had been observed making their way down the River Rhine as well as other European rivers to congregate in the Channel ports like Antwerp. No 83 Sqn had been flying against concentrations of invasion shipping in the Channel Ports and Germany during the late summer and autumn of 1940.
On Sunday 15th September 1940, the Luftwaffe launched its largest and most concentrated attack against London in the hope of drawing out the RAF into a battle of annihilation in order to destroy its airpower before Operation Sea Lion could be commenced. Around 1,500 aircraft took part in the air battles which lasted until dusk. The action was the climax of the Battle of Britain with the RAF Fighter Command defeating the German raids and the day is now known as Battle of Britain day.
Battle of Britain Day painting by Gary Eason
During the daylight hours on the 15th, Bomber Command dispatched 12 Blenheim bombers on sea and coastal sweeps, but all bombing sorties were abandoned due to ‘too-clear’ weather.
Bomber Command were in action again during the night of the 15th/16th September with 155 aircraft taking part in operations against Channel ports and various targets in Germany against the barges and naval forces Hitler was amassing. No 83 Sqn dispatched 15 Hampdens as part of this force to attack target “Z11” at Antwerp.
German invasion barges being loaded with supplies for Operation Sea Lion
All 15 of 83 Sqn’s Hampdens were detailed to attack barges in selected basins at target ID Z11. Eight successfully attacked the target, one aircraft attacked Antwerp in error, two aircraft successfully bombed the secondary target at Flushing (CC2), one aircraft had temporary engine trouble and had to jettison its bombs. One aircraft experienced electrical issues which prevented it from releasing its bombs when attacking the target and another returned to base with its bomb load. Another a/c failed to identify either the primary or secondary targets but attacked a ship in Dunkirk roads on its return leg to base.
John Hannah took part in this Op as the WOp/AG on Hampden P1355 OL-W. His pilot was Pilot Officer Clare Arthur Connor, with Sergeant Douglas A E Hayhurst as the Navigator and Leading Aircraftman George James as Rear Gunner.
83 Squadron Hampden P1355 OL-W
During the first run over the target, the approach was inaccurate, and no bombs were dropped so the pilot went round again. In the second approach at 2,000 feet, the aircraft was subject to intense fire from the ground, but the attack was pressed home successfully. During the attack the bomb compartment was shattered by anti-aircraft fire and the port wing and tail boom were also damaged.
Fire soon broke out in the fuselage, enveloping both the wireless operators and rear gunners’ cockpits. Both port and starboard fuel tanks had been pierced by shrapnel giving risk to the fire spreading. Hannah forced his way through the flames only to discover that the rear gunner had left the aircraft.
Illustrated London News 10th Oct 1940
He said in a letter to his parents “I am very lucky to be alive. When we got into a terrible ack-ack barrage, the plane caught fire and my whiskers were singed. It looked as if the plane would blow up. We made for our parachutes, but mine was on fire. By that time, the navigator and gunner had bailed out. The plane was a blazing mess and a perfect target for the ack-ack, which was still batting away. I did some quick thinking and started throwing out parts. During this time, the ammunition on the kite was going off at ten a penny and the heat was terrific.”
Thousands of rounds of ammunition was exploding all around Hannah and he was almost blinded by the intense heat. Air being admitted into the fuselage via the holes made by the ack-ack made the compartment an inferno with all the aluminium sheeting on the floor having melted away.
Using his oxygen mask plus returning to his WOp/AG cockpit for fresh air, he managed to fight the fire for 10 minutes using two extinguishers. Once they had run out, he used his log books and bare hands to successfully put the fire out. He then crawled forward and found that the navigator had also left the aircraft, and passed his log books and maps to the pilot.
On landing at Scampton, the true extent of the damage to the aircraft and the actions of the crew became apparent. The pilot, Canadian Pilot Officer Clare Connor was recommended for a Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), the navigator Sergeant Douglas A E Hayhurst was recommended for a Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) and the WOp/AG Sergeant John Hannah was recommended for the Victoria Cross. Unfortunately, the rear gunner, Leading Aircraftman George James didn’t receive any recommendations.
VC Recommendation
The Air Ministry announced on the 1st October 1940:-
“The KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned airman, in recognition of most conspicuous bravery:-
652918 Sergeant John Hannah
On the night of 15th September, 1940, Sergeant Hannah was the wireless operator/air gunner in an aircraft engaged in a successful attack on enemy barge concentrations at Antwerp. It was then subjected to intense anti-aircraft fire and received a direct hit from a projectile of an explosive and incendiary nature, which apparently burst inside the bomb compartment. A fire started which quickly enveloped the wireless operator’s and rear gunner’s cockpits, and as both the port and starboard petrol tanks had been pierced there was grave risk of fire spreading. Sergeant Hannah forced his way through the fire to obtain two extinguishers and discovered that the rear gunner had had to leave the aircraft. He could have done acted likewise, through the bottom escape hatch or forward through the navigator’s hatch, but remained and fought the fire for ten minutes with the extinguishers, beating the flames with his log books when these were empty. During this time, thousands of rounds of ammunition exploded in all directions and he was almost blinded by the intense heat and fumes, but had the presence of mind to obtain relief by turning on his oxygen supply. Air admitted through the large holes caused by the projectile made the bomb compartment an inferno and all the aluminium sheet metal floor of this airman’s cockpit was melted away, leaving only the cross bearers. Working under these conditions, which caused burns to his face and eyes, Sergeant Hannah succeeded in extinguishing the fire. He then crawled forward, ascertained that the navigator had left the aircraft, and passed the latter’s log and maps to the pilot.
This airman displayed courage, coolness and devotion to duty of the highest order and, by his action in remaining and successfully extinguishing the fire under conditions of the greatest danger and difficulty, enabled the pilot to bring the aircraft safely to its base.”
His V.C. Award was Gazetted in the London Gazette Issue 34958 page 5788/5789 dated 1st October 1940.
It also became apparent how serious the injuries were to Johns hands and face and he was immediately dispatched to the nearby RAF hospital at RAF Rauceby, just 5 miles South of RAF Cranwell.
John was in Rauceby hospital undergoing treatment for about 3 weeks and whilst there, he said in a letter to his parents “I have had so many C.O’s and big shots visit me that I feel I’m a big shot too.” He goes on to say “Apparently, it was the first time a fire has been put out in the air. My pilot got a DFC, so I expect that I will be getting something too. But if you feel the way I do you will be quite thankful that I am alive without worrying what I am getting or am going to look like. They were worrying about shock when I came in, but I seem to be OK. The only snag I have is that I cannot eat. My skin is all frizzled up. You won’t likely know me when you see me. I have gone thin already and if they change my face, I hope I don’t get lost looking for my home”.
Sergeant Hannah VC writing home in hospital. IWM CH 1378
A letter John wrote to his brother whilst in RAF Rauceby Hospital (RAF Museum)
Sergeant Hannah, VC with some of his ward companions. IWM CH 1379
It was whilst a patient at Rauceby that he found out about his award. He was discharged from the hospital on 7th October, and on the 10th he accompanied Pilot Officer Clare Connnor to Buckingham Palace where they received their V.C. & DFC awards from the King.
Sergeant John Hannah and Pilot Officer Clare Connnor at Buckingham Palace
Sergeant Douglas Hayhurst didn’t receive his award of the DFM as he and the rear gunner Leading Aircraftman George James were now both prisoners of war due to bailing out over enemy territory and imprisoned in Stalag 357 Kopernikus. Both were to survive the war and return to England in late 1945.
Many years later, Douglas Hayhurst was the branch manager of the Eagle Star Insurance Company in Coventry and in 1966 there was an article in the Coventry Evening Telegraph about an annual reunion with a friend from Bristol that began in a POW camp. He recalled the incident when he bailed out “I bailed out, so did the rear gunner. We were taken to a prisoner of war camp. Two weeks later when new prisoners were brought into the camp, we learned that Hannah had won the V.C. We had thought the aircraft crashed. They told us that Hannah’s chute was burnt and he could not get out and the pilot stayed with him.”
On the 2nd November, the Strathearn Herald published a poem “A Schoolgirl’s Appreciation of Sergeant John Hannah V.C.”
O noble John Hannah, how much we admire you,
With your wonderful coolness and courage so true,
When you stayed in that ‘plane all riddled with bullets,
And fought with the flames which were eating it through.
O what did you feel in that terrible air-flight,
When the gas and the smoke must have blinded your sight?
Or were you benumbered by the sense of great danger?
And did you just do what you thought to be right?
O how joyful and proud will your dear mother be,
When she hears how you gallantly won the V.C.,
Her Brave son in safety she’s longing to see.
S.M.C.D.
Following his discharge from hospital, John didn’t return to operational flying and on the 4th November 1940, he was posted to No 14 Operational Training Unit (OTU) at RAF Cottesmore as an instructor.
Before he was posted to 14 OTU, he had public duties to perform as the Guest of Honour to Lord Hamilton of Dalzell. He had been invited along with his younger brother and their parents to the official opening of the German Junkers 88 exhibit at Motherwell to raise money for their Spitfire fund.
In March 41, more public duties followed when John was presented to the workers of an aircraft factory by the aircraft designer Mr Frederick Handley Page. It was reported that when he met the staff in the lunchtime break, they wanted him to speak and all he could say was “Thank you. I am very glad to be with all you boys and girls” due to being scared of the audience.
John Hannah and another V.C. winner from Scampton, Flight Lieutenant Roderick Learoyd of 49 Sqn, were honoured in a ceremony at the Scampton Base. As both men had won their V.C.s whilst operating as crew members on the Handley Page Hampden bomber, the aircraft designer Mr Frederick Handley Page, commissioned Mr Frank O Salisbury to paint their portraits.
Sergeant John Hannah VC & Flight Lieutenant Roderick Learoyd VC with Mr Frederick Handley Page
The paintings were presented to the two men at a ceremony at Scampton by Mr Frederick Handley Page on 21st June 1941. At the ceremony, both airmen immediately handed the painting over to the Station Commander for safe keeping. Among those present at the ceremony were Air Vice-Marshal Arthur T Harris and Air Vice-Marshal Norman Bottomley who were both later to become Air Officer Commanding In Chief Bomber Command.
Painting of Sgt John Hannah VC by Mr Frank O Salisbury
This wasn’t the first time he had had his portrait painted as back in October, shortly after his award of the V.C., his portrait was painted by the official war artist Eric Kennington.
Sergeant J Hannah, VCby Eric Kennignton (Art.IWM ART LD 638)
Whilst at Cottesmore, John started a relationship with a local girl from Oakham by the name of Janet Beaver whose father was awarded the Military Medal whilst serving with the 5th Leicestershire Regiment during the First World War.
On Saturday 21st June 1941, Janet and John got married in secret at Oakham Register Office. The Sunday Mirror on the 22nd June published a feature on their wedding and a photo of the happy couple. It stated “Sergeant John Hannah V.C., nineteen-year-old RAF, bomber hero, was shy over his decoration, but shyer still over his wedding yesterday. He married Miss Janet Beaver, of Oakham, at the register office in that town and he had made careful plans to keep his romance secret.”
Janet and John wedding photo Sunday Mirror 22 June 1941
The Wednesday after his wedding, John was undertaking more public duties when he attended the Headquarters of the Market Harborough and District Air Training Corps where he and Squadron Leader J E C G E Gyll-Murray met the district flights of Market Harborough and Kibworth at the County Grammar School and made speeches to the cadets. After the speeches, there was great competition between the cadets to obtain the autographs of the two airmen, who duly obliged.
John stayed at Cottesmore until September 41 when he was promoted to Flight Sergeant and posted from 14OTU to No 4 Signals School at RAF Yatesbury as an instructor.
Flight Sergeant John Hannah V.C. instructing WOp/AG students at RAF Yatesbury (IWM CH 3926)
In November 1942, John was medically discharged from the RAF with a full pension as a result of being to unfit to serve due to his health deteriorating and the onset of Tuberculosis (TB) brought on from his injuries sustained in the fire.
John and his wife Janet and their children set up home in Birstall on the outskirts of Leicester. It was around this time that John had joined the Leicester Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association. On Friday 15th January 1943, John attended a ball held at the Palais de Danse in Leicester for “warriors of the present battles of the skies” sponsored by the old pilots and observers of the Royal Flying Corps on behalf of the Leicester branch of RAFA.
RAF Association Leicester branch Warriors of the present battles of the skies ball at Leicester Palais de Danse 1943
The Daily Record reported on 23rd January 1943 that he had been discharged from the RAF and the article went on to quote him as saying “I have been given a pension for a year. It will be reviewed at the end of that time after I have been before a medical board. I have a 100% pension, just now – £3 7s. 3d. a week for himself, his wife and his child.”
Asked why he is in Leicester, he pointed out that his wife was from Oakham and had worked in Leicester. He went on to say “I am here, also, because of the official attitude in Glasgow towards me. When I won the V.C., they had the bands out for me, but little has been done for me since. The people of Leicester have done more for me in a week or two than Glasgow has done for me in a long time. Dances and other functions are being organised for a testimonial fund for me, and I much appreciate what the people here are doing for me – so different from Glasgow.”
The Lord Provost of Glasgow, Mr John Riggar, expressed great surprise that Sergeant John Hannah V.C. should criticise official Glasgow. He stated “I have heard nothing of Mr Hannah from the time before I took office. That was over a year ago, when I believe, he was being recommended for a commission. We have not heard anything from him at all, and did not know where he was.”
Another article a few days later in the Daily Mirror quoted him as saying “I long to be back in the Royal Air Force again and to fly with the boys. After getting my V.C. I had two serious crashes and had to come off flying. My nerve gave way and I could not carry on, and was discharged. I love being home with my wife and daughter, but I should prefer to be behind my gun in the air. The medical authorities have told me I must not work for six months. I am now taking life easy and passing time giving short talks on flying, as I cannot forget the RAF. Everyone has been very kind to me, both at my home town in Glasgow, and here in Leicester.”.
Sergeant John Hannah behind his guns in his Hampden WOp/AG cockpit
Since being discharged from the RAF, he had returned to Glasgow to look at businesses in the area and had numerous offers of employment from various people in Leicester, but he had turned them all down as he wanted to concentrate on improving his health.
However, due to his much-reduced income, he had decided to take to the stage and his first appearance would be at the Hippodrome Theatre in Ipswich starting on Monday 15th February 1943. His stage manager was comedian Len Childs who introduced him to the audience.
Ipswich Hippodrome Theatre
His turn came about halfway through the show, just after a knockabout turn by the Tracey Brothers and O’Leary. The curtain went down on O’Leary singing “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime” and swung up again on Len Childs singing “Lords of the Air”.
After his opening song, Childs went on to say: “I would Like to pay tribute to the Air Force, of which I was a member in the last war”. With that and amid cheering, Hannah walked on stage wearing his RAF Flight Sergeant uniform with his Air Gunner’s badge and V.C. ribbon.
Hannah told the audience a funny story about when he was a ‘Rookie’, another about his first flight and then about the flight during which he won the V.C. for batting out the flames with his bare hands over Antwerp. Afterwards he saluted the audience and marched off to whistle and applause to autograph the photos of himself which were being sold for 2s each in aid of the RAF Benevolent Fund.
After his debut, he told the Daily Mirror “I have a wife and kiddie in Leicester, and I need the money. My pension is £3 7s. 3d. a week and I have been living on the £70 I saved while I was in hospital. I am receiving treatment for tuberculosis, and I cannot make a regular stage contract because I do not know how I shall feel”.
The first few nights of his shows he appeared on stage wearing his RAF Uniform, but after the show on Friday, he was approached by an RAF Officer accompanied by a Police Officer who told him it was illegal for him to wear his Flight Sergeant uniform and that he would be prosecuted if he continued to do so. After the show, he went with the officers to the Police Station where the regulations were read out to him.
On the Saturday, he appeared on stage wearing civilian clothes without his V.C. ribbon. Instead, he wore the badges of the British Legion and Royal Air Forces Association on his jacket lapels.
Even though he said he cannot make a regular stage contract due to his ongoing treatment, he still undertook public duties as the week after his Ipswich stage shows, he was touring Munitions factories on behalf of the Ministry of Information.
The dispute over Glasgow’s support towards John continued throughout 43 and in March 44, Johns father, James wrote to the Sunday Post “To the Editor of the Sunday Post. I am the proud father of John Hannah, first and youngest V.C. of this war. I read your article on Carluke doing its V.C’s proud. There are many conflicting rumours about Glasgow’s recognition of my son. It has been said that he got £500 from Glasgow, and even as much as £1000. I would like to make it known that he received £25 in War Savings Certificates from the people of Knightswood and a wallet containing £12 from the personnel of Victoria Drive School. That was all, apart from a few personal gifts. I hope this letter will put an end to the rumours. James Hannah.”
Over the next couple of years, John took up employment as a taxi driver when he and a friend purchased two cars and started the taxi business. It was a struggle for them and the business was wound up in early 1945.
In January 1945, John branched out and opened his own cycle shop in Leicester.
Unfortunately, by 1947, his health had deteriorated to such a state that he became bed ridden in January 1947. By this time, Janet & John now had three daughters: Josephine, Jacqueline and Jennifer.
In January, Mr A E Carr, of Victoria Street London, who was a Cpl Instructor with John at Yatesbury in 1943 put out a call to the public to subscribe to a fund to send him to Switzerland for treatment.
Mr Carr told a reporter “if the Government at this late date cannot see their way clear to do what I am sure all air crew and indeed the whole of the Royal Air Force, believe to be their duty, then I think we members of the public, who are now being thanks for raising £7000 for China relief in cinema collections over the last few days should demand that a similar appeal be made immediately.”
Mr Carr goes on to say “Shy and reserved, he was persuaded to travel the country giving talks in aircraft factories and other war plants. We knew he hated this duty, but it was probably that experience which gave him the courage to go on music hall stages to try and earn sufficient money, not only to maintain his wife and children but to pay the expense of his treatment.”
As a result of the appeal being launched, a Government official from the Ministry of Pensions was instructed to visit John and his family to find out what help he needed. They had heard that he had to be fed on milk, brandy and eggs and that his wife was struggling to make ends meet. The People newspaper published on 27th January 1947 reported that they had been informed by a Ministry official “We are looking into his case immediately to see if we can give extra aid through the King’s Fund, and, possibly, an increase to his pension.”
The recent newspaper reports about Johns deterioration in his health also stimulated another former RAF airmen into trying to provide help and assistance. Mr Norman Dodds, who was an ex-ranker, was the MP for Dartford and the President of the Dartford branch of the Royal Air Forces Association had been in touch with his Czech friends in London who were in discussions with their Government in Prague about getting an invitation for John to go to one of their sanitoria and that the Association were prepared to pay the costs. However, John didn’t want any of this as his response was “I appreciate what Mr Dods and my old RAF friends are doing. I don’t want to seem ungracious, but I have always tried to stand on my own feet. If I go anywhere, I prefer Switzerland.”
John told a newspaper reporter that “I have had offers to go to Switzerland, but my doctors are against me taking the risk of making a journey to Switzerland or Czechoslovakia. I would prefer to go to the Swiss mountains but if I did so, I would have to accept the responsibility. It is heartening to know so many people are willing to help, and I hope they will not think I am ungrateful if I say I would like to go under my own steam. I have been advised to enter a local sanatorium, where I can build up my strength, but I believe I can do that by resting at home. There the matter must rest at the moment.”
When advised of Johns views, Norman Dodds replied “The offer remains open, and if at any time he is able to accept, Mr Hannah’s old colleagues of the RAF will be only too happy to render every assistance possible. I hope to visit Leicester shortly, and will state our views personally to him.” Mr Dodds mentioned that for some time, negotiations had been in progress between representatives of the Czech Government and Squadron Leader A J O Warner, Secretary of the RAF Association, for sick RAF men to visit Czechoslovakia for medical treatment.
A few days later, Norman Dodds visited John in his Birstall home and reported that John was frank about his attitude. He does not seek charity nor want it, and he cannot rid his mind of the thought that in some way he would be accepting charity by taking advantage of the offers made. Norman went on to say that “The Leicester Branch of the RAF Association are in close touch with the position, and in view of the several requests made to me to convey help to the V.C., I point out that Flying Officer W F Watson, Chairman of the Leicester RAF Association, will deal with these if made direct to him at the branch headquarters, Charles Street, Leicester.”
John was admitted to Markfield Sanitorium on 31st January 1947 after being seriously ill in bed at home for several weeks. His wife Janet, as well as looking after their three daughters, had also been his nurse at home.
Markfield Sanitorium & Isolation Hospital
The Markfield Sanitorium or Markfield Hospital was the County Sanitorium and Isolation hospital on Ratby Lane and was opened in September 1932 by Sir George Newman, the Chief Medical Officer to the Ministry of Health.
It had 203 beds in six wards, with isolation for fever patients and a sanatorium for patients with tuberculosis (TB). Fever patients were usually children, with fevers including diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid, smallpox and meningitis. Those with TB were mostly between aged 17 and 26 or were older people.
Stays were often lengthy, with TB patients there for up to two years. This was before more effective medicines became available, with the main treatment for TB being lots of bed rest, good food grown on the hospital farm and fresh air – patients were exposed to the Markfield winter air and snow too! Medical treatment for TB included PAS, an unpleasant medicine taken four times daily, streptomycin injections and air treatment for the lungs.
She had been overwhelmed by the large numbers of telephone enquiries and offers of assistance she had received at their home in Stonehill Avenue Birstall. “My husband’s illness has brought in its train inquiries and offers of practical help, not only from neighbours and friends, but from well-wishers in all parts of the country. The number has been legion, and it is beyond my powers to answer each one individually. I do hope that through the Evening Mail, many of them will learn of my heartfelt appreciation of their kindness.”
Mr Neil McKinnon Willmot, a veteran of Alamein and who was now a farmer in the Cape Province region of South Africa offered his home to the Hannah family. He said that if Hannah could be brought out to South Africa, he, as well as his family, could remain at his farm until he got better. He felt certain the South African climate together with plenty of good food would cure the RAF hero.
The Leicester Evening Mail on the 7th June 1947 reported that John had passed away in Markfield Sanitorium. Johns wife Janet, told one of their reporters “he was too proud to accept anything that had the appearance of charity. He had lived to regret having the V.C.. It meant nothing to him. All he wanted was good health and a chance of happiness with the children.” John was receiving full disability pension of £4 5s. a week for himself and his family and was in the process of buying the family home through a building society when he died. His wife Janet went on to say “It will be a struggle and I’m worried about the children’s education, but I’m not able to think of anything at the moment, except that I shall never see John again.”
On hearing the news of Johns death, Flying Officer W F Watson, Chairman of the Leicester RAF Association conveyed to Janet, on behalf of the whole of the membership of the Association, their deepest sympathy in her loss.
The funeral service was arranged for Wednesday 10th June, ironically, the day of his daughter Jacqueline third birthday. The service would be held at St James the Great Church in Birstall commencing at 1:30pm followed by the internment in the church cemetery.
St James the Great Church Birstall
The service was officiated by the Reverends Francis Pratt, the vicar of St James the Greater and Reverend Charles A Turner, Rector of Broughton Astley and Padre to the Leicester Branch of the RAF Association. The funeral arrangements were discussed with the Air Ministry, local units of the Royal Air Force and Air Training Corps.
At his funeral, the coffin was draped in the RAF Ensign and carried by a bearer party of RAF personnel from nearby RAF Wymeswold. The station also provided a firing party under the command of Squadron Leader C Wright from the base. The Leicester Air Training Corps Squadron provided drummers and trumpeters who sounded the Last Post. A contingent of RAF personnel also attended from RAF Leicester East airfield.
The family mourners were: Mrs Hannah, widow; Mr and Mrs James Hannah, parents; Mr James Hannah, brother; Mr Hugh McColl and Mr John Hannah, uncles; and Mr and Mrs Arthur Beaver, father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Among those present were Mr Montague Turnor, Mr Craston White, Mr Dick Kerr, Miss Henson representing SSAFA, Group Captain A P Ellis, representing the RAF Benevolent Fund; Mr R D Buxton, hon. Secretary and members of the Leicester Branch of the RAF Association, Mr J P Moore, chairman; Mr C Williams, vice-chairman; and members of the Birstall branch of the British Legion and Flying Officer W F Watson, representing the Leicester ATC.
The Nottingham Journal published an article on the 10th June “Immediate Pension for V.C.’s widow. Because it was first thought that her husband was a Sergeant (instead of Flight Sergeant) the Ministry of Pensions announced yesterday that Mrs Hannah, widow of Britain’s youngest RAF V.C., who died in Markfield Sanatorium (Leics.) on Saturday, would receive personal allowance of 37s. She will in fact get 38s. a week. In addition, she will receive 11s. for each of her three daughters and another 5 s. for each of the younger two. This makes a total of £4 1s. compared to the nearly £7 a week which John Hannah received while alive.”
Children’s Education but Mrs Hannah will be eligible for a rent allowance (maximum 15s. a week) and can also apply for educational allowances for the children. “Mrs Hannah has already filled in the necessary application forms” said a Ministry of Pensions official “and we shall make her a provisional allowance to help her and the children until such a time as the procedure is completed and then make any necessary adjustments.”
Following John’s death, a fund had been opened in Leicester to support Janet and her children. Money was donated from various things and in July the Fleckney British Legion Women’s Section donated £4 from the proceeds of a whist drive that they held in the school.
The setting up of this local fund had caused questions to be asked in the House of Commons. Air Commodore Arthur V Harvey, MP for Macclesfield, asked the Minister of Pensions, Mr J B Hynd, after he had announced the amount awarded to Janet “Do you consider that the pension is suitable for a man who served his country so conspicuously?”
Mr Hynd said that the pension and allowances amounted in all to £3 17/- a week. In addition, the normal family allowance of 10/- weekly was being paid. Mrs Hannah had been invited to apply for an education grant. The pension was the maximum payable under the Royal Warrant.
Mr Barnet Janner, (Soc Leister W.) asked – “Are you aware that owing to the very serious condition in which the widow and children find themselves, a public subscription list has been opened in Leicester and will you do what you can to see that this very deserving case is looked into quickly?” Mr Hynd said he was not aware of the circumstances being so hard as suggested.
John Hannah is commemorated in different ways. As mentioned at the start, at the head of his grave at St James the Greater churchyard, is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone showing the V.C. medal. He is also commemorated on the Birstall war memorial at St James’.
Birstall War Memorial
Birstall War Memorial with plaque showing Johns name
There are also a couple of other memorials to him in Birstall, the first being a row of shops being named Hannah Parade and there you will find a memorial plaque with his V.C. citation.
Hannah Parade in Birstall
Hannah VC Citation plaque
On the 15th September 2016, a green plaque was unveiled at the Royal British Legion in Birstall.
John Hannah VC Green Plaque at Birstall Royal British Legion
In 2007, a new memorial stone commemorating the Victoria Crioss recipients from Paisley was unveiled and dedicated in Hawkhead Cemetery. The meorial contains the names of 5 Paisley men who won the VC, 2 from the Crimean War, 2 from WW1 and John from WW2.
Victoria Cross Stone of Remembrance at Hawkhead Cemmetery Paisley. (IWM WMR 57780)
On VE Day 2020, Johns relatives attended the dedication of five memorial trees and plaques commemorating members of the Army, Royal Navy and RAF that were unveiled at the veterans’ monument in Knightswood, Glasgow.
John Hannah VC Plaque at the veterans’ monument in Knightswood, Glasgow
A Rose Garden has been dedicated with special roses in memory of JOhn at the St John the Baptist Church Scampton.
St John the Baptist Church Scampton Rose Garden
St John the Baptist Church Scampton Rose Garden Plaque
Inside St John the Baptist Church Scampton there is the Honours and Awards Memorial Board from RAF Scampton on which John is name as one of the VC winners along with Flt Lt Learoyd & Wg Cdr Guy Gibson.
RAF Scampton Honours & Awards Memorial Board St John the Baptist Church Scampton
RAF Scampton Honours & Awards Memorial Board St John the Baptist Church Scampton
At RAF Swinderby, one of the accommodation blocks was named ‘Hannah’ in honour of John.
Hannah Block RAF Swinderby
The RAF also named a rescue boat Sgt John Hannah at West Freugh near Stranraer in Scotland.
Paisley Daily Express 30 November 1988
A trophy, initiated by Ron Durran, a former Cadet Airmen who was instructed by John at Yatesbury has been introduced at John’s old school, the Victoria Drive Secondary in Scotstoun, Glasgow for the ‘most distinguished pupil’.
At the RAF Museum in Hendon, there is a dispolay of a few of Johns items. As mentioned poreviously there is a letter he wrote to his brother whiolst in hospital. The dispaly also included his Flying Helmet and Goifggles and intercomm/mic tel lead plus his VC Medal that his wife Janet donated to 83 Squadron.
John Hannah VC display at RAF Museum
Close up of Johns helmet and goggles at RAF Museum
Johns mic tel/intercom lead at RAF Museum
Johns VC Medal at the RAF Museum
In 1953, John’s widow, Janet was allocated one of the four seats at Westminster Abbey for the Coronations of Queen Elizabeth II. The four seats had been reserved for widows of United Kingdom V.C.’s through the Ministry of Pensions who provided accommodation in London and provided transport to take her to the Abbey.
The Leicester Illustrated Chronicle published an article in January 1956 about Janet and the three girls. “Sergeant John Hannah who won the V.C. at the age of 18 and died at 25, was a modest man. But he would be proud of today. Proud of the wife and family he left at 87 Stonehill Avenue, Birstall. Proud of their courage, their ambitions – and their happiness.” In the article, Janet says how life was grim after his death and she had to sink or swim. She supplemented her pension of about £4 by doing hairdressing for friends. The Leicester Mercury organised a fund to help make life easier for the fatherless family “And the Ministry of Pensions and the RAF Association have been good to me” she said. The article finishes by saying “But his widow, who has so squarely faced the challenge to her own bravery, and those three fine children carry on the Hannah reputation for courage.” To read the full article click here: Leicester Chronicle 28 January 1956
On Tuesday 26th June 1956, Janet joined in with the ceremony where 300 V.C. recipients paraded in Hyde Park. The ceremony was an echo of the great parade that took place 99 years previous when Queen Victoria, accompanied by the prince Consort, rode to Hyde Park to present the V.C. to 62 men which she instituted.
Also, at Hyde Park with Janet were six V.C. winners from Leicestershire: Lt-Col John Cridland Barrett V.C.; Captain Tom Steel V.C.; Captain Robert Gee V.C.; The Rev Arthur Proctor V.C.; Robert Edward Cruikshank V.C. and Richard Burton V.C.
At the same time as the Queen made her speech, a poppy wreath was laid on John’s grave in Birstall. The Queen said “Today, I am proud to stand here, with men and women from all parts of the Commonwealth, to do honour to the successors of that gallant band, to the 300 brave men who are present and to those who can be with us only in spirit, or in the memory of family and friends.”
By 1962, Janet was looking at trying to stand on her own two feet instead of relying on charity and she was considering selling her husbands V.C. in the hope that it would raise £1,000 so that she could start her own hairdressing business. Her daughter, Josephine who was now 19 and married, told the Daily Herald “She’s had a tremendously hard fight bringing us up. Now all she wants is security. She’s grateful for the help she has received but she wants to make her own way now”. Officials from the RAF Association contacted Janet in the hope that the association’s financial aid may persuade her not to part with the V.C.
Janet had received offers around £1,000 for the medal from all over the UK including the Imperial War Museum. She had even turned down an offer of nearly £1,750 from an individual in New York plus offers from Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe.
“I want to make sure it goes to the right place. I don’t want to cash in on the medal. I simply want to raise enough money to start a hairdressing business and preserve my independence. The money will be shared with my three daughters. They have agreed this is the right thing to do. The second eldest wants to train as a hairdresser. I have been a widow for 15 years and it has been a struggle to make ends meet. I could go on another 15 years and still be in the same position. Without immediate capital, I could not start a business and selling the medal is the only way I can raise it. My husband was a practical man and I am sure he would have approved.”
An unexpected offer of help came in from a former World War One pilot meant that she may not have to sell the V.C. Mr S Burgess of Worcester was the principal of the Worcester School of Hairdressing and offered to give Janet as long a refresher course in hairdressing as she needed and providing her with accommodation during training. At the same time, his friend, Mr W Calway who was a manufacturing chemist had offered to provide her with £1,000 worth of hairdressing equipment. Mr Calway stated “We felt full of compassion for her in having to sell the V.C. and considered something should be done to help her in her predicament. There are no strings attached to these offers and Mrs Hannah may pay for the equipment whenever she can without the addition of any interest.”
Janet and her three daughters agreed not to sell the V.C. stating “I’m tired to death of all the worry and publicity my family has received. It was never intended this way. All I wanted was security for myself and family.”
After declining many offers for her husband’s medal, she eventually decided to give it away free by presenting it to John’s old Squadron, No 83 Squadron who had reformed and were back at RAF Scampton operating the Vulcan bomber. She said “Naturally, there were times when I was tempted to sell the medal. I’m glad I kept it, and I feel I am doing the correct thing in donating the V.C. to John’s old Squadron. I think they should have it for safe keeping.”
Johns Victoria Cross medal and several of hid belonging including his flying helmet, mic-tel lead and goggles plus a letter he wrote to his brother are now on display in the RAF Museum at Hendon.
In the Illustrated London News published on 1st September 1979, they published an article by John Winton titled “The high price of valour” – The qualities that make a man a hero in war do not necessarily fit him for a successful life in times of peace. The author looks at the sad histories of some winners of the Victoria Cross.
The article looks at various V.C. winners and how they coped after leaving the military and John Hannah is one of those mentioned.
“Suicide rates among VCs have dropped drastically since the horrific levels of 100 years ago; the last were two first World War VCs, in the 1950s. But memories are notoriously short (only a few years after the Armistice Boy Cornwell’s grave was found overgrown and neglected) and even in modern times life has not been easy for some VC’s. Officers seem generally to have prospered; Sir Tasker Watkins is a judge and Leonard Cheshire found a second fame as a philanthropist.
But for some, other ranks the going has been much harder. Private Speakman, the Korean War VC, found it extremely difficult to settle down in civilian in life. John Hannah, the 18 year old RAF Sergeant who won a VC for putting out a fire in a Hampden bomber over Antwerp in 1940, was hard pressed to support his young family after the war and died in a sanatorium aged 25.
Leading Seaman Magennis, the ‘frogman VC’, was the only Ulster VC winner of the Second World War and he was naturally feted when he went home to Belfast. But he and his wife soon spent the money raised for them and Magennis sold his Cross for £75. “We are simple people” his wife said. “We were forced into the limelight” Ian Fraser, Magennis’s captain, who also won the VC in the same exploit, put the problem in a nutshell: “A man is trained for the task that might win him the VC. He is not trained to cope with what follows.”
Going back to the question in the opening paragraph –“What is Courageous Duty?” Does it only apply to you while serving and something you carry out as part of a task that you have been trained for, or does it apply after you leave the service and apply to your duties of supporting your family?
I think that following his injuries, John and his wife both showed courage in their duties fighting Johns illness and supporting their family, especially Janet when she was having to nurse John and later bring up the three daughters all on her own with very little income.
At the grave of John Hannah VC in St James Churchyard Birstall. Leicester RAF Association Standard Bearer Roy Rudham and Branch Chairman Barry Smart with Sgt Bhav Chouhan and Cadets form 1947 Birstall Squadron ATC. Photo taken 2018
