Eastbourne College Roll of Honour 1939-46
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EASTBOURNE COLLEGE ROLL OF HONOUR 1939-46 1 CONTENTS Preface.......................................................................................................................................... Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... Statistical Summary ..................................................................................................................... Roll of Honour ............................................................................................................................. Roll of Service ............................................................................................................................. 2 PREFACE The pattern of this War Record corresponds in general with that of its predecessor although it differs in several points of detail. The reason for a revision 55 years after the original publication is that the Roll of Honour published in 1965, although a wonderful document which paints an affectionate picture of those 161 boys who gave their lived in the Second World War, is sadly short of specific detail of where they served and how they came to lose their lives, although this is not surprising given the shortage of such information at that time. I have undertaken to update and extend this moving record, using the extensive information now available on the internet, but also with the assistance of several distinguished and able helpers, as well as members of the College Archives team. The task is almost complete and the results will, I hope, be available for publication in 2020. There are now 163 names as the deaths of Edward Crosse and Cecil Thomas have been discovered and added to the Roll of Honour. All former day boys who joined before 1936 are described as Home Boarders because that name was used until Stanley Powell’s gift of his house to the College. The rank given is in each case the highest (including ‘acting’ rank) attained in the unit stated. Finally, the fact that the number of names on the Roll of Honour is less than in the First World War cannot pass unnoticed. Perhaps there is significance in the fact that, of all OEs killed in the 1939-45 war, nearly forty per cent were aircrew. Certain it is, at any rate, that our record in the air, for all its grievous cost, gives much cause for pride in the eminence attained and the awards gained by Old Eastbournians. Also included are precise details of the locations of graves and memorials of these men. Sadly, those lost at sea and, sometimes, in the air have no burial location but may still be remembered on memorials at Runnymede, in churches and elsewhere. These are all recorded. I have spent almost twelve months, around four hours a day, searching the internet - which was not available to the authors of the 1965 edition. I am indebted, too, for the help that several people have given to this massive research task. Notably the late Vincent Allom, College teacher for 37 years, who bequeathed to the school an invaluable biographical record for every boy who attended from our foundation in 1867 until 1946. Also the late Bill Bowden (Nugent & Wargrave 1961-65) who not only discovered ten additional World War One OE casualties but provided similar research skills to this project. Also General David Thomson CB, CBE, MC, FRGS, (Gonville 1955-60) for valuable advice and information. And John Hamblin who, after similar work for Peterhouse, Cambridge, has supplied excellent biographical evidence for several OEs for whom the internet records are sparse. As has Philip Baldock whose assistance has been invaluable. And of course the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Oxbridge Colleges, Professional Bodies and members of the College Archives team: Paul Jordan, who has been especially helpful, and Peter Durrant (Reeves 1967-71), whose support and enthusiasm has never waned. Michael Partridge (Blackwater l946-51). 3 ABBREVIATIONS AA or Ack Ack ..................... Anti-Aircraft AAG ...................................... Assistant Adjutant General (A and SD) ............................ Administrative and Special Duties AB ......................................... Able-bodied Seaman AC1[2] .................................. Aircraftman first [second] class ACM………………………...Air Chief Marshall AFC ....................................... Air Force Cross BAOR ................................... British Army of the Rhine BEF ....................................... British Expeditionary Force [France 1939-40] BEM ...................................... British Empire Medal BS…………………………..Bachelor of Science BSc…………………………Batchelor of Science CB ......................................... Companion, Order of the Bath CBE ....................................... Commander, Order of the British Empire Cdre ....................................... Commodore CF .......................................... Chaplain to the Forces CIE ........................................ Companion, Order of the Indian Empire CQMS ................................... Company Quartermaster Sergeant CSM ...................................... Company Sergeant-Major CWGC……………………..Commonwealth War Graves Commission DCLI ..................................... Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry DD Tank……………………Duplex Drive Tank DFC…………………………Distinguished Flying Cross DFM ...................................... Distinguished Flying Medal DSC ....................................... Distinguished Service Cross DSO…………………………Distinguished Service Order FIU………………………….Fighter Interception Unit Flt Lt...................................... Flight Lieutenant FRGS……………………….Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society GD………………………….General Duties GM ........................................ George Medal GOC………………………...General Officer Commanding HAA ...................................... Heavy Anti-Aircraft 4 HAC ...................................... Honourable Artillery Company IFF………………………….Identification, friend or foe, is a radar-based identification ............................................... system which enables interrogation systems to identify aircraft, JTC ........................................ Junior Training Corps KC…………………………..King’s Counsel KOSB .................................... King’s Own Scottish Borderers KOYLI .................................. King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry KRRC .................................... King’s Royal Rifle Corps KSLI ...................................... King’s Shropshire Light Infantry LAC....................................... Leading Aircraftman LCT………………………...Landing Craft Tank Lieut [RN &Army] ............... Lieutenant LRCP………………………. Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians MiD ....................................... Mentioned in despatches MB………………………….Bachelor of Medicine MBE ...................................... Member, Order of the British Empire MC………………………….Military Cross MM…………………………Military Medal (Med)..................................... Medical Branch MM ....................................... Military Medal MRCS………………………Member of the Royal College of Surgeons MTB………………………..Motor Torpedo Boat MVO ..................................... Member of the Royal Victorian Order OBE…………………………Order of the British Empire OCTU .................................... Officer Cadet Training Unit OTC…………………………Officer Training Corps OTU…………………………Officer Training Unit Plt Off.................................... Pilot Officer PoW....................................... Prisoner of War PPE…………………………Philosophy, Politics and Economics QMS ...................................... Quartermaster-Sergeant RA ......................................... Royal Artillery RA…………………………..Royal Academy RAAF .................................... Royal Australian Air Force RAC ...................................... Royal Armoured Corps 5 RAFVR ................................. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve RAMC ................................... Royal Army Medical Corps RAOC ................................... Royal Army Ordnance Corps RASC .................................... Royal Army Service Corps RCS ....................................... Royal Corps of Signals RE ......................................... Royal Engineers REME ................................... Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers RIASC………………………Royal Indian Army Service Corps RM ........................................ Royal Marines RMA………………………..Royal Military Academy (Sandhurst) RNAS……………………….Royal Naval Air Service RNC…………………………Royal Naval College (Dartmouth) RNVR ................................... Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve RSM ...................................... Regimental Sergeant Major SAS…………………………Special Air Service SIG………………………….Special Interrogation Group SOE…………………………Special Operations Executive TA ......................................... Territorial Army TD ......................................... Territorial Decoration WOI [II] ................................ Warrant Officer 1st [2nd] Class Wren………………………Women’s Royal Naval Service STATISTICAL SUMMARY Total Names .......................1226 Killed, Died, Missing ...........163 Wounded, Injured ..................89 Prisoners of War ....................56 KCB .........................................1 KBE..........................................1 CB ............................................4 CMG ........................................1 CSI ...........................................1 CIE ...........................................2