Warmsworth War Memorial
The memorial is located in Warmsworth Cemetery, Guest Lane.
It list the names of 15 casualties from the First World War, and 14 from the Second World War plus 4 crewmen that died when a Hampden aircraft crashed.
It list the names of 15 casualties from the First World War, and 14 from the Second World War plus 4 crewmen that died when a Hampden aircraft crashed.
G Ashurst RAF
E Ball Y&L A Chester RAF C H Colbear RAF L A Dudhill RA H Holmes RN R Holmes RN K B Hodkinson RE T A Lewis RAF W S Rose RAC J H Sharp RA E Tyas DLI H Williams REME R A Willis RAF |
27th February 1942
Died in Warmsworth on return from a successful mission of Germany. The crew of a Hampden aircraft. H E Aspey R A Bland J A Eves J B Gray Per Ardua Ad Astra |
Additional Details
George Ashurst (187809)
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 5 January 1945, aged 30 Son of William and Margaret Ashurst, of Thornhill, Rotherham, Yorkshire, England. Richmond War Cemetery Ernest Ball (4749940) York And Lancaster Regiment - 1st Bn 10 July 1943, aged 25 Husband of Marion Ball, of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. Syracuse War Cemetery, Sicily George Harold Colbear (1095523) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - BSRU 7 November 1944 Son of James Edmund and Mary J. Colbear; husband of Susannah Colbear, of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. Runnymede Memorial Leslie A Dudhill (4694721) Royal Artillery - 73 Anti Tank Regt (CWGC shows 72 ATR, although regimental records show 73 ATR) 21 April 1943, aged 29 Son of Alfred and Elizabeth Dudhill, of Doncaster, Yorkshire; husband of Katherine Dudhill, of Doncaster. Endfidaville War Cemetery Reginald Holmes (D/KX 86144) Royal Navy - HM LCG (M) 102 1 November 1944, aged 29 Son of Mr. and Mrs. John William Holmes; husband of Edith Winifred Holmes, of Dovercourt, Essex. Plymouth Naval Memorial |
Kenneth Bostock Hodkinson (1986002)
Royal Engineers 12 October 1941, aged 35 Son of John Ernest and Annie Bella Hodkinson; husband of Kathleen Hodkinson, of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. Heliopolois War Cemetery Thomas Alfred Lewis 4 August 1944, aged 31 Son of George and Matilda Lewis, of Warmsworth, Doncaster (not listed on CWGC) John Herbert Sharp (1461100) Royal Artillery - 170 Bty, 57 Lt AA Regt 15 December 1941, aged 21 Son of Arthur and Hettie Sharp, of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. Alamein Memorial Eric Tyas (4692887) Durham Light Infantry - 2nd Bn 26 August 1944, aged 25 Imphal War Cemetery Harry Williams (10575005) Royal Electrical And Mechanical Engineers 26 October 1943, aged 21 Son of W. E. and Silina Williams, of Warmsworth, Yorkshire. Naples War Cemetery Robert Arthur Willis (1015771) MiD Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 619 Sqdn 13 August 1944, aged 32 Son of William and Annie Willis; husband of Amy Haelen Willis, of Leicester Sage War Cemetery |
Crashed Hampden
Pilot
Reginald Alfred Bland (1379420) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 144 Sqdn 27 February 1942, aged 21 Son of Alfred and Jane Bland, of Hove. Portslade Cemetery |
Navigator/Bomb Aimer
Harold Edward Aspey (45094) Royal Air Force 144 Sqdn 27 February 1942, aged 26 Son of Archibald and Gertrude Aspey; husband of Beryl May Aspey, of Warminster. Salisbury (London Road) Cemetery |
Radio Operator/Dorsal Gunner
John Balfour Gray (R/58225) Royal Canadian Air force 144 Sqdn 27 February 1942, aged 21 Son of John Balfour Gray and Wilhelmina Gray, of Nelson, British Columbia, Canada. Doncaster (Rose Hill) Cemetery |
Ventral Gunner
John Arthur Eves (929118) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve - 144 Sqdn 27 February 1942, aged 32 Son of Alf and Rose Eves. Doncaster (Rose Hill) Cemetery |
The aircraft that crashed in Hexthorpe had taken off from North Luffenham airfield, which is situated just south of Rutland Water. The aircraft was a Handley Page Hampden with serial number L4178, which had been delivered to the RAF between August 1938 and June 1939. It was initially issued to 106 Squadron and later served with 44 Squadron before joining 144 Squadron, it was operating with them when it crashed. The craft carried the squadron code of PL, although the individual aircraft coding is not known. On the evening of 26 February 1942 Hampden L4178 was airborne on a mission to attack the port of Kiel in Germany. The mission was carried out and the arcraft successfully made it back over the North Sea. However the aircraft was clearly on the wrong bearing when it crossed the east coast of Britain, and became disorientated over the blacked out country below. The Hampden ran low on fuel and whilst trying to carry out a forced landing it crashed into a railway cutting killing the four man crew.
War diaries record on 26/27 February 1942 a total of 49 aircraft, including 10 Hampdens, attacking a floating dock in Kiel and also 27 Hampdens minelaying off German ports and 5 Hampdens on leaflet dropping missions.
War diaries record on 26/27 February 1942 a total of 49 aircraft, including 10 Hampdens, attacking a floating dock in Kiel and also 27 Hampdens minelaying off German ports and 5 Hampdens on leaflet dropping missions.