Warmwell, Holy Trinity Church

Commonwealth War Grave Casualties buried at Holy Trinity Church, Warmwell
Research by Richard Smith into the lives and deaths of the CWGC War Casualties buried at Holy Trinity Church, Warmwell

ACKROYD Harold John  Pilot Officer RAF No. 86360  152 Squadron. Previously No. P/74004 RAFVR. 
Born at Banbury, Oxfordshire on 6th September 1913 (registered as AKROYD) son of Angus Akroyd and his wife Elizabeth Anna Hart.
It appears that he married Irene M Willsmer at Brentford, Middlesex in July 1939, and was appointed a Pilot Officer on 25th
September 1940.  He was flying a patrol on 7th October 1940 in a Spitfire Mk 1 No. N3029 when shot down by a Me Bf109
over Nutmead, near Shillingstone, Dorset.  He bailed out but died of severe burn injuries on the 8th, and was buried on the 11th.

AUDLEY Derek Dundonald  Sergeant Pilot RAFVR  No. 778599
Born at Calcutta, West Bengal, India on 8th June 1921 son of William Dundonald Audley and his wife Constance Elizabeth Hackett who married at Calcutta on 21st
June 1919 but later were living at Durban, South Africa. Derek arrived in London from Bombay, India on P and O liner Mantua on
17th April 1933 with his mother and brother William. He was killed flying a Typhoon 1b doing authorised aerobatics, but the plane
broke up in the air over Glanvilles Wootton, Dorset and crashed killing Derek.

BIRDSELL George Benjamin Holt  Sergeant No. 938323  101 Squadron RAFVR
Born at Penistone, Yorkshire on 21st August 1918, son of Benjamin Birdsell, a General Manager of an Engineering Company, and his wife Dorothy Maud Holt.
It appears he applied to learn to fly with No. 8 Flying Training School on 9th April 1938 as an Acting Pilot Officer, but this was
terminated on 17th May 1938. Then in the 1939 pre War census he was a clerk in an aircraft factory living at 15 The Crescent
Brighouse, Yorkshire with his parents. On 3rd April 1941 he was the observer in a Blenheim 1v returning from a raid on Brest in
France when the plane crashed near Dorchester trying to reach RAF Boscombe Down. His parents were then living at Hipperholme, Yorkshire.

BLACKSHAW Herbert John  Flight Lieutenant 263 Squadron  RAFVR No. 111980.
Born at Hackney, London on 25th November 1916, son of Herbert John Blackshaw, a sales representative and later (1943) inspector of
aircraft parts, and his wife Rose Crouch. In the 1939 census Herbert was living with his parents at 14 Shepherds Way, Rickmansworth,
Herfordshire, also working in sales.  The award of his Distinguished Flying Cross was published in London Gazette 5th
April 1943 quoting his outstanding keenness and leadership on many successful sorties. On the night of 16th May 1943, he was
piloting Westland Whirlwind No. P7094 returning from an anti shipping raid near Barfleur, France.  His plane was flying
erratically with no radio communication, and it is thought he was concussed from effects of enemy gun fire. The plane ran
out of fuel and he tried to bail out at low level, but his parachute never fully opened and he was killed. He was 26. His
probate issued to his father on 8th July 1943 was for £375.

BREARLEY Edgar Flying Officer No. J/15157  263 RAF Squadron - Royal Canadian Air Force.
Born at Toronto, Canada on 31st October 1916, son of Edgar Brearley and his wife Lilian Latham. Both his parents were born in
Halifax, Yorkshire in 1887, Edgar, a civil engineer, travelling to Canada via New York in April 1906, and Lilian followed him
in May 1913. Edgar Jnr. enlisted in Canada in October 1940 when employed as a stenographer, but on 16th April 1943 he was flying
a Westland Whirlwind No. P6995 returning from a night attack on a power station near Caen, France. His body was later washed
ashore to be buried, and he either was shot down or his plane crashed into the sea.

FEARY Alan Norman  Sergeant  No. 742301  609 Squadron RAFVR 
Born at Derby, Derbyshire on 18th June 1912, son of Thomas Feary, a horse inspector and groom who died in 1918, and his second wife Mary Victoria
Steele. Alan was educated at Derby Municipal Secondary School and then worked as a clerk for the Borough Treasurer’s Dept.
He joined the RAFVR in July 1936 and got his flying badge in August 1938. In the 1939 pre War Census he was living with his
mother at 30 Kenilworth Road, Derby. He was called up on 1st September 1939 and joined 609 Squadron. On 7th October 1940 he
was flying Spitfire N3238 from RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire on patrol when his plane was attacked and damaged by a Me Bf109.
He managed to bail out, but too low for his parachute to fully open and was killed.  He is noted as having a spouse Joan
Drake, born Kensington, Middlesex in April 1920, but I failed to find their marriage.

HAYES William Arthur  Private  No. 5733752  Dorsetshire Regiment.  Born
at Shropshire on 30th January 1923, son of Arthur Hayes, a waggoner, and his wife Sarah Guest. In the 1939 pre War census the
family were living at Drayton, Shropshire and William was a farm labourer. His death is registered at Dorchester, Dorset
(cause not recorded) on 11th November 1941. He was buried on 15th November aged 18. His parents were then living at Highgate,
Birmingham.

HINKS Claud Osmond Thomas Flying Officer  RAFVR  No. 73512  at No. 32 Maintenance Unit. 
Born at Kimberley, South Africa on 29th November 1896, son of Osmond William Hicks and his wife
Gertrude Elizabeth Maud Maidment.  Educated at Gillingham Elementary School, Dorset 1907-09, then Gillingham Grammar
School 1909 - 1912 before a 3 year apprenticeship with Stothert and Pitt of Bath 1912 - 1915, (they built the cranes for
Weymouth Harbour ), plus evening classes on engineering design. Joined Royal Flying Corps No. 4353 on 24th March 1915,
and by 1918 was a flying instructor in Egypt. Was back at Stothert and Pitt by 1921 living at Twerton, Bath, but went
back to the RAF 1924 - 1927, after he had married Winifred Mary Grove at Bath Jan - March 1923.  On 27th November
1938 was awarded a Royal Aero Club Aviators Licence at Lancashire Aero Club flying a Avro 631, whilst working for Imperial
Tobacco Co. He rejoined the RAF on 2nd May 1939 and was killed flying a Miles Magister from St Athan, Cornwall, base of the
Maintenance Unit, when the plane flew into cliffs near Worth Matravers, Dorset - cause not recorded. His probate granted on
3rd January 1941 to Capt. Albert George Ponting was for £3,217. 3s 8d. His address being quoted as Alderside, Edgeway,
Wilmslow, Cheshire. 

HIPKIN Geoffrey Maurice Campbell  Flight Sergeant  No. 223906  RAF. 
Born at Sydenham, Surrey on 21st November 1897 son of Edward George Hipkin, a commercial traveller who died in 1938, and
his wife Julia Elizabeth Burstow who died in 1910. He served in World War One in Royal Navy No. F 23903 as an air mechanic
engineering from December 1916 to 31st March 1918. I suspect he was already serving in 1939 as he is missing from the pre
War census, and was serving in Fighter Control at RAF Warmwell.. He was killed in a German air raid on RAF Warmwell on 1st
April 1941. His probate to his nephew William John Hipkin and anor. on 14th November 1942 was for £618. 2s 3d, which
gave his address as 63A Alexandra Road, St John’s Wood, London.

HLAVEC Jaroslav  Sergeant  No. 747542  56 Squadron RAFVR 
Born in Czechoslovakia on 11th September 1914 he was part of 56 Son. operating from RAF Boscombe Down, Hampshire in 1940. He was
flying Hurricane 1b No. P3421 on patrol over Wareham, Dorset and killed when shot down by a Me Bf109 and crashed near
Worgret Heath, Dorset on 10th October 1940.

JARDINE Peter Alistair Flight Sergeant  No. 711019  263 Squadron RAFVR. 
Born in South Africa in 1922 son of Ivor Kenneth and Florence Muriel Jardine of Johannesburg, South Africa. Previously
served as Lieutenant in South African Air Force No. 103692. He was flying Westland Whirlwind P7003 in heavy cloud above
Poole, Dorset on 21st September 1942 on a practice flight, got disorientated and lost control crashing near East Stoke,
Dorset and was killed. He was buried on the 26th September. 

KENNEDY John Connolly  K/as Jack  Flight Sergeant  No. 40052  238 Squadron  RAF. 
Born on 29th May 1917 at Sydney, New South Wales, Australia son of John Kennedy and his wife
Frances Martha Storey of Sydney, New South Wales.  Educated at the Christian Brothers College, Waveley, N.S.W. and
enlisted in the RAAF on 10th January 1936. on 13th July 1940 he was flying a Hurricane Mk 1 from RAF Middle Wallop, Hampshire,
and got involved in a dog fight with German fighters over Chisel Beach, Dorset where his plane was damaged. Attempting a
forced landing, his plane stalled and crashed near Southdown Farm, Littlemore, Dorset and he was killed.  He was buried
on July 19th.

LEONARD Kenneth Wilfred  Aircraftman 1st Class  No 553254  152 Squadron RAF.
Born at Darlington, County Durham on 24th October 1921, son of Wilfred Cornelious Leonard, a schoolteacher, and his wife Eva
Leonard.  152 Squadron were based at RAF Warmwell defending Portland Naval Base and the South Coast, and I think Kenneth
was involved in fighter control, and he was then killed in a German air raid that killed two others on the base on 1st April
1941. See Geoffrey Hipkin above. He was aged 19.

LOVELL-GREGG Terence Gunion Squadron Leader No 29244 commanding 87 Squadron RAF. 
Born on 19th September 1912 at Whanganui, New Zealand son of Dr. John Lovell-Gregg M.D. who died in 1938 and his wife Dora Leila
Gunion.  Educated at Nelson College and was very bright and bound for a career in medicine like his father but delayed
to try to join the RAF in July 1930 before he was 18 - was declined and told to play rugby to improve his physique. 
Did travel to UK at his own expense, reapplied and was successful in joining by March 1931.  Had a varied career but
when he took command of 87 Squadron on 12th July 1940 at RAF Warmwell, he lacked combat experience so let his experienced
flight commanders assist him on patrols.  On 15th August 1940 the squadron was scrambled at 17. 30 hours to defend against
a very large enemy force of bombers protected by fighters heading to Portland, some 120 German planes in all. He led his flight
into the attack, but his Hurricane was hit by gun shells and caught fire. Trying to make a forced landing at Abbotsbury, the
plane hit a large tree and Terence was thrown clear - but was dead when help arrived. He was just 27 years old.

OSBORNE Gerald Glasson  Pilot Officer  No. 80447  266 (Rhodesia) Squadron RAF. 
Born in Southern Rhodesia in 1917 son of John Glasson Keeley Osborne and his wife Mary Winifred Osborne. It is thought he
enlisted in the RAF in Southern Rhodesia, and then posted to 266 Squadron at RAF Duxford flying Typhoon aircraft. Flying Typhoon
No. R7687 on 28th November 1942, he was killed in a flying accident resulting in his plane crashing near Rufus Stone in the New
Forest. He was 25 years old, and was buried on December 2nd.

PYTLAK Tadeusz  Wlodzimierz  Sergeant No. P/783497  302 Squadron Polish Air Force.
Born in Poland on 9th September 1919, and probably arrived in England in 1940 along with many other Polish airmen. 302 Squadron
was the first Polish Squadron to be declared operational, and 145 Polish airmen served in, and helped to win, the Battle of
Britain. Tadeusz was killed when his Hurricane 1b No Z3676 collided with a target flying above the Chester Hill range near
Weymouth and the plane crashed into the sea on 9th September 1941 - he was buried on the 12th. He was aged 22.

RICHARDSON William Ernest  Aircraftman 1st Class  No. 1359731 RAFVR. 
I have found nothing about his history. He is missing from the 1939 pre War census suggesting that he had already enlisted before
then but no record found. He was born in 1909, and is noted to have been killed in an enemy air raid. The burial record at Warmwell
gives his base as RAF Worth Matravers, a radar research site. He was buried at Warmwell on the 14th April. 

RILEY or O’RILEY Eileen Mary Winifred  Leading Aircraftwoman  No. 446540  Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. 
Born in 1923 and died registered at Dorchester on 18th December 1942.
I can find nothing about her history, and her CWGC record has a surname Riley, but the burial record at Warmwell church says
O’Riley on 23rd December 1942 aged 19 ? She was working at RAF Warmwell in Fighter Command - her cause of death is not
recorded.

SANDES Lancelot Dalrymple D.F.C. Pilot Officer No. 42892  59 Squadron RAF. 
Born in India on 19th March 1913 son of Robert Dalrymple Sandes, a locomotive engineer in India, and his wife Ruby Hilda Lamb,
who had married at Lucknow, India in 1906. The family returned to England from India in 1923 and Lancelot (k/as Mike)
attended Bedford Modern School. Lancelot was commissioned as Acting Pilot Officer on 23. 10. 1939 and promoted to Pilot
Officer on 18th May 1940. On 26th March 1941 he took off with his crew in Blenheim V6065 on an anti shipping sortie off
Brest, France, but on returning was lost in fog and flew into a hillside at Little Breedy outside Dorchester. The plane
caught fire and all the crew were killed. On 25th April 1941 the King announced that he had been awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross, but I cannot find details of the award.

TOMPKINS Victor Albert  Corporal  No. 541779  RAF  Fighter Command.
Born at Christchurch, Hampshire on 19th April 1918 son of James William Tompkins, a house decorator, and his wife Jessie
Hookway.  They were living at 16 Gloucester Road, Christchurch. I think Victor was working in fighter control at RAF
Warmwell on 1st April and may have died in the air raid that killed Kenneth Leonard above. He may have been wounded as he
died on 3rd April, possibly in hospital at Poole where his death was registered. He was buried at Warmwell on the 5th April. 

WAKELING  Sidney Richard Ernest Sergeant  Pilot  No. 741505  87 Squadron RAF. 
Born at Paddington, London on 19th February 1919, son of William James Wakeling, a Dairy Company Carman, and his
wife who, in the 1939 pre War census, lived at 10 Chapel Side, Bayswater, London. In that 1939 census Sidney was a Sergeant
Pilot, and on 25th August 1940 his squadron were scrambled to intercept a German air attack on Portland. His plane was shot
down by a Me Bf109 over Dorchester and although he bailed out, he was killed as the plane crashed near New Barn, Bradford
Peverell close to Dorchester. 

25 January 2025

Richard Smith

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