The Men Who Fell in WW2

South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War Two

Flight Officer 42291 Pyers Arthur WORRALL - 136th Squadron, Royal Air Force

Killed in Action on 8 June 1942 aged 21

Military History


Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial	SWFHS Area Memorials
Calcutta (Bhowanipore) Cemetery, India	Avon Dassett

Date and Place Enlisted	Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed
Commissioned April 1939	Burma Campaign (1942-43)

Place of Death	Previous Regiments or Units
Alipore Airfield, India	9 E&RFTS, Ansty
	6 Officer Training Unit, Sutton Bridge
Military Service Information	85 Squadron at Martlesham
Promoted to Flying Officer on 22 Jun 1940	249 Squadron at North Weald
	261 Squadron at Hal Far

Circumstances Leading to Death

The Hurricane being flown by Pyers crashed into a pillbox at Alipore Airfield when its engine failed during take off on an interception sortie against the Japanese Air Force.

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Bapitsm Date/Place
5 Feb 1921 at Farnborough, Hants

Parents Names	Parents Abode
Col. Percival Reginald and Agnes Worrall	Bitham Hall, Avon Dassett

Wife & Marriage Date/Place	Children & Year of Birth
	~

Schools	Colleges
Downside School 1931 - 1937

Address History	Employment History
1921 - Farnborough, Hants	1937 - Student
1939 - Avon Dassett	1939 - Air Force Officer
1942 - Bitham Hall, Avon Dassett

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War Two

Private 3968209 James KEMPLEY - 1st/5th Battalion Welch Regiment

Killed in Action on 30 June 1944 aged 24

Military History


Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial	SWFHS Area Memorials
St. Manvieu War Cemetery	Avon Dassett

Date and Place Enlisted	Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed
Not known	Operation Overlord

Place of Death	Military Service Information
near Bronay	Arrived in France on 26 Jun 1944

Circumstances Leading to Death

On the 26th June, the Battalion's Rifle Companies and the Battalion HQ arrived in France, completing their move to the Concentration Area at Subles. The vehicles arrived on the 29th June, and the Battalion was now assembled and ready for action.

Orders were given to consolidate 8th Corp's area, and 1/5th Welch moved to Bronay. They remained in these positions until relieved by 4 Welch, on the very early morning of the 3rd July.

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Bapitsm Date/Place
16 Jan 1920 at Hayton, Yorkshire

Parents Names	Parents Abode
Walter and Violet Mary Kempley	Sibford Gower, Oxfordshire

Downside School 1931 - 1937

Address History	Employment History
1921 - Bielby, Pocklington, York	1939 - Builders Labourer
1939 - Avon Dassett

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South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War Two

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) 1819251 Henry GIBBS - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 78 Squadron

Killed in Action on 24th April 1944 aged 20

Military History


Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial	SWFHS Area Memorials
Benestroff Communal Cemetery	Warwick (Eleanor Cross)
	Warwick St. Paul's
Action or Battle in which Killed or Wounded	Warwick Avenue of Trees
Bomber Raid on Karlsruhe Germany
	Date and Place Enlisted
Place of Death	March 1942
Benestroff, France
	Medals
Other War Memorials	1939-45 Sta, Defence Medal & War Medals
Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln	Air Crew Europe Star with France & Germany Bars

Circumstances Leading to Death

On 25th April 1944 Harry took off in Halifax Mark III LV958 / EY-0 from RAF Breighton in Yorkshire for operations over Karlsruhe, Germany. Over France the aircraft lost power and crashed, killing five of the seven crew.

Photo ©

Mission: 
Took off 21:45 hrs 4 April 1944 from Breighton for operations against Karlsruhe, Germany. Order to bale out was issued at 20000 feet following failure of both port engines, crashing at Bénestroff, Departement de la Moselle, Lorraine, France, just to the S of the railway leading from Metz to Sarrebourg roughly 10 km ESE of Morhange France. Perished with crew members;
RCAF Pilot Officer Theodore Phillip Bourque -Air Gunner
RAFVR Flying Officer James McCartney - Pilot
RAFVR Sergeant John Alfred Edward Skeat - Air Gunner
RAFVR Sergeant John Edward Waltham - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Survived Crash (POW);
RAFVR Flight Sergeant Norman Walter Brown
RAFVR Flight Officer Maurice M Holgate

Personal & Family History

Birth Date/Place	Bapitsm Date/Place
27 Apr 1923 in Warwick

Parents Names	Parents Abode
Charles and Sarah Gibbs	21 Hampton Street, Warwick

Schools	Colleges
Westgate School	~

Address History	Employment History
1923 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick	1939 - Garage Hand, Bath Garage, Leamington
1939 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick
1942 - 21 Hampton Street, Warwick

Our thanks to the Warwick War Memorial project and Find a Grave for some of the above information

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