 image: Haslam 15 Mar 09 |
IN MEMORY OF THE BRAVE OF BOX HILL 1914-1918 FH BARTLE W COLLINS 1939-1945 AG BUTCHER D KEENAN DA LEAGE KE LEAGE |
Where a name is hyperlinked this is to what appears
to be the relevant record in the
Commonwealth
War Graves Commission (CWGC) database or to a page
about the person.
# see Notes for more detail or
comment on the person.
WWI
| Pte
FRANCIS HAROLD BARTLE 7th Bn, The Buffs (East Kent Regiment) Age 33 Died 03/05/1917 Husband of Elsie K Mitchell (formerly Bartle), of Keepers Cottage, Box Hill Rd, Tadworth, Surrey ARRAS MEMORIAL/F |
Pte
WILLIAM COLLINS # 6th Bn, The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) Age 41 Died 12/04/1917 Son of George and Ann Collins; husband of Laura Collins, of Upper Farm, Box Hill, Dorking. ARRAS MEMORIAL/F |
WWII
| Sgt
ARTHUR GORDON BUTCHER # Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 40 Squadron Age 22 Died 12/10/1944 Son of Arthur John and Ethel Mary Charlton Butcher, of Box Hill, Tadworth, Surrey. MALTA MEMORIAL |
Sgt
DAVID KEENAN # Wireless Operator/Air Gunner Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 166 Squadron Died 29/03/1943 Husband of Elizabeth Gibb Fisher Keenan, of Box Hill, Tadworth, Surrey. ARNHEM (MOSCOWA) GENERAL CEMY/NL |
| Lt
DONALD ALFRED LEAGE # Royal Marines HM Landing Craft Flak 37 Age 20 Died 01/11/1944 Son of Edward Albert and Constance Leage, of Box Hill, Surrey. Captain of the School and Captain of Shooting Eight, Dulwich College. CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL |
Sub-Lt
(A) KENNETH EDWARD LEAGE # Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve HMS Blackcap Age 21 Died 06/02/1943 Son of Edward Albert and Constance Leage, of Box Hill, Surrey, England. DIEPPE CANADIAN WAR CEMY, HAUTOT-SUR-MER/F |
| Arthur Butcher From May 1943-March 1945 the squadron operated with the Vickers Wellington Mk X. Following the capture of airfields in Tunisia it moved further forward and in December 1943 crossed to Italy, from where it added the Balkans and Northern Italy to its target list. From 30 December 1943-21 October 1945 it was based at Foggia Main airfield. Sgt Arthur Gordon Butcher was a Wireleass Operator/Air Gunner flying with W/O RWF Bodley, captain of Wellington X LP464/D. Their target was the key marshalling yards of Porto Nuovo at Verona which was on the line from the Brenner Pass and were of crucial importance in directing supplies destined for the German front. |
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24 hours previously, 40 Squadron had visited the yards, without loss, but the bombing had been pretty ineffectual. However, the attack on October 11th/12th, 1944, was well concentrated and much useful damage was inflicted, albeit at the cost of two Wellingtons missing - LP464/D and MF630/S - possibly shot down by the ground defences which are described as fierce and accurate.
From these bombers, not a single airman survived and all are commemorated on the Malta Memorial:
LP464/D
W/O R W F Bodley
F/S L R Johnston RAAF
Sgt G Coyle
Sgt A G Butcher
F/S E C Fitgerald RAAF
Source: David Gunby's Sweeping the Skies, the History of No.40 Squadron, published by Pentland Press in 1995, via Bill Chorley.
William Collins - is also on the Mickleham War Memorial
| David Keenan Night of 29/30 March 1943 - source RAF Bomber Command Losses of WWII - 1943 (WR Chorley) 166 Sqn RAF Kirmington Wellington mkX HE545 AS-H Op: Bochum take off 2004. Shot down by a night-fighter (Oblt Werner Streib, /NJG1), crashing at Schaarsbergen (Gelderland), 7km NNW of Arnhem. Three lie in Arnhem (Moscowa) General Cemetery, while both Canadians rest at Groesbeek War Cemetery. Pilot: Sgt JRA Hodgson Navigator: F/S SR Farley Air Bomber: P/O FLE Dupre RCAF Wireless Operator: Sgt D Keenan Air Gunner: Sgt RA Weese RCAF |
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Donald Leage
LCF.37, ex-LCT.725, Walcheren landings, operation Infatuate, ship
loss
LCF.37 image and report
of loss
Kenneth Leage
HMS
Blackcap
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page created 17 Feb 2009: last updated 15 Mar 2009: CWGC links updated
10 Nov 17