George Berry

Born 1911, Blackburn

Age: 31

Killed in Action: 29 June 1942

Service number: 2620731

Rank: Guardsman

4 Battalion Grenadier Guards

Grenadier Guards

A stone laid below the gravestone reads

IN MEMORY OF A COMRADE

GDSM G BERRY

NO 3 SQUADRON, 4TH ARMD BN

GRENADIER GUARDS

As part of 6th Guards Tank Brigade -

This Brigade became one of the eight Independent Tank Brigades at the disposal of 21st Army Group for use as a flexible reserve when it was re-assigned to 15th Scottish Division in the autumn of 1942

Son of Robert and Ellen Berry

Born in Blackburn

Husband of Ann Berry nee Dixon, of Whittle le Woods.

I think they had a daughter  - Norah Berry in 1942

Grave is at St Leonard Churchyard, Walton le Dale

Gordon Billinge aka Gordon Billing

Born in Farrington

Killed on Active Service: June 9th 1941

Service number :

Rank: Wireless Operator / Air Gunner

Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Possible he was in the RAFVR and part of the crew flying an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley V no Z6571

Flew from Yorkshire to bomb Dortmund

In the early hours of 9th June 1941, the crew of this 78 Squadron aircraft were returning to Middleton St.George after undertaking an operational flight to bomb Dortmund. The weather over North Yorkshire on this night was poor and 78 Squadron aircraft had initially been sent instructions to divert to land at Prestwick, the weather over Middleton St.George improved slightly and this diversion order was later cancelled but the weather was still poor at dawn when this aircraft was heading towards the base, the aircraft appears to have drifted too far west and at the time of the crash the crew were descending through cloud probably to try and locate their position, the Whitley flew into a hilltop near Ellingstring at around 05.20hrs. Sadly all five airmen were killed but strangely three pilots are listed on the CWGC database and no navigator.

Pilot - Sgt Dennis Russell Simm RAFVR (1150677), aged 27, of Ashbourne, Derbyshire. Buried Ashbourne Cemetery, Derbyshire.

Pilot - Sgt John Staley Tomkinson RAFVR (969697), aged 28, of Hazel Grove, Cheshire. Buried Taxal Churchyard, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire.

Observer - P/O Alfred Victor Snelling RAFVR (89600), aged? Of Epsom Downs, Surrey. Buried Middleton St George Churchyard, Co.Durham.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - Sgt John Bernard Stevens RAFVR (972788), aged 21, of Hornchurch, Essex. Buried Hornchurch Cemetery, Essex.

Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - F/Sgt Gordon Elliot Chiswell Billing RAFVR (967253), aged 24, 

Buried at St Andrews, Leyland

John Noval Burton

Service number:  3861122

Rank: Private

1 Battalion Gordon Highlanders

Killed in Action: 20 August 1944

As part of D-Day, 1 Battalion Gordon Highlanders were part of the 51st (Highland) Division and landed on 6 June 1944.

1st Gordons Highlanders landed on D-Day after the western wall had been breached and the leading divisions had started their advance inland from the coast.

Leading up to his death John Noval Burton and the 1 Battalion Gordon Highlanders are on the night of 16-17th August attacking the village of St Maclou.

The remaining French in the village celebrated their liberation.

As of the 18th of August they are involved with the horseshoe defence, a position in the area

They captured the village of La Forge Vallée on the 21st of August.

Married Doris Wren in 1935

Children -

Unice June Burton 1935

William Melvyn Burton 1938

Michael Graham Burton 1940

Hazel Patricia Burton 1944

His wife and family would have these words inscribed on his stone -

MY DEAR HUSBAND,

EVER REMEMBERED.

(with a cross)

He is buried in Hermanville War Cemetery, Hermanville-sur-Mer

The village of Hermanville lies just beyond Sword beach

Husband of Doris Burton, of Whittle le Woods, Lancashire.

John Coupe

Born in 1919

Age: 21

Service Number: 1503488

Rank: Lance Corporal

Royal Engineers

62 Chemical Warfare Coy

Killed in Action: 28 May 1940

Lancashire Evening Post - Thursday 06 June 1940

WHITTLE SOLDIER KILLED BY SHELL

Mr and Mrs C E Coupe of Swansey fold, Whittle le Woods, near Chorley, have recieved a letter from a company sergeant major now back in England saying that he was with their second son L/Cpl John Coupe (21), when he was killed in action.

The letter stated L/cpl Coupe was killed in action by his side in a small wood at Mount Des Cats, north west of the French town of Bailleul.

 "a shell burst by us " and it was added "and he was killed instantly, with five others.  He was well liked in the company and was a good NCO".

Son of Charles Edward and Catherine Coupe, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire

The Dunkirk Memorial, which is part of the British War Graves Section of Dunkirk Town Cemetery.

Harold Dyke

Killed in Action:13 April 1944

Service Number: 797112

Rank: Warrant Officer Class II

Trade: BSM

Royal Artillery

510 Coast Regt.

510 (Tynemouth) Coast Regiment RA(TA)

Jul 40 part of Tynemouth Hvy Rgt stationed at Blyth
Jul 40, Home forces (UK)

Harold Dyke was killed by an explosion whilst fighting a gorse fire in Northumberland
 

Worked at Leyland Motors Ltd for two years before being called up as a reservist in June 1939

He originally joined the army after leaving school

He severed 17 years, including 7 years in India

During WW2, this Regiment was based at Blyth as of 1940, serving as a coastal defense.

It was also part of the 64 HAA  Regt RATA, serving in other places.

Born in Rochdale and Residence in Wigan

Norman Grime

Service Number: 2198181

Rank: Lance Serjeant

Royal Artillery, 3/2 Maritime Regt

Killed in Action: 28 August 1942

Born 1919

Served on a ship called the City of Cardiff

It was a Steam Merchant.

As a DEMS Gunner

The Ship was attacked on 28 August 1942 by a U boat - U566

At 19.08 hours on 28 Aug 1942, a U boat called U556 fired a spread of three torpedoes at the convoy SL119 at west-northwest of Lisbon.

They heard three detonations and sinking noises and claimed two steamers sunk.

The ships the City of Cardiff, and Zuiderkerk.were hit

Position - 40° 20'N, 16° 02'W.

This position is west of the Portuguese  coast

As of 14 August 1942, its route was Beira - Freetown  - Manchester 

21 killed and 63 wounded\survivors

Son of Charles and Alice Grime, of Clayton Green, Lancashire

Married Annie Holding  in 1941 at St John the Evangelist, Whittle le Woods

Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hampshire

Patrick Gregson 

Born 4 Oct 1920,St. Basils, Canada 

Age: 25

Service Number: Lt/JX 277496

Rank: Seaman

Royal Naval Patrol Service

Quite a hard person to track down! But this is what I think is right

Parents, John Gregson, a laborer, and Catherine, housewife

Siblings are 

?          ?         Gresgon- can't translate the name 

John Thomas Gregson

Elizabeth Ellen Gregson

In the 1921 Canadian census, they are living in the Brantford (West), area of Ontario

Travelling by ship from Canada they arrived in the UK on 10 June 1923

Married Janet Addison in 1943

Possible child Patrick Gregson born in 1943, Chorley area

Died on 24 September 1945, due to a Cerebral Haemorrhage, a Compound fracture of the skull, as the result of a road accident, in Trieste, Italy 

His address on the probate was 4 Grimford Lane, Anderton, Chorley

Effects- £102, 17s, 5d

He was serving aboard the H.M. Trawler Coverley (ASW) of the Royal Naval Patrol Service

Buried at Udine War Cemetery at Tavagnacco, Italy

Is there a Whittle le Woods connection?

James (Jim) Hall

Born 1913

Age: 31

Killed in Action: 14 October 1944

Service Number: 14254651

Rank: Gunner

Royal Artillery, 240 Bty., 39 Lt. A.A. Regt.

Son of Ralph and Mary Ellen Hall, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire.

Florence War Cemetery, Girone, Itay

Possibly died in North Africa?

Joseph Heald

Born

Age:

Air Mechanic 1st class

FAA/FX 75817

HMS Peregrine

Age 21

Killed at a base during a German raid on 18 August 1940 

HMS Peregrine was a Royal Naval Air Base it was used for training pilots at Ford, Sussex.

During the Summer of 1940 a German bomber raid, with Stuka bombers attacked the base killing 28 people and injuring more.

Ernest Holding

Born: abt 1918

Age: 28

Service Number: 1516325

Killed in Action: 23 April 1947

143rd Field Regiment, RA..(143 (The Kent Yeomanry) Field Regt.)

Royal Artillery

Son of Ernest and Annie Louise Holding, of Whittle-le-Woods; husband of Emily Holding, of Farington.

Married Emily Beardsworth at St Pauls, Farington in 1942

Children -

Doreen Holding 1942  

Glenys Holding 1944

Ernest Trevor Holding 1947 married Eva Neilson in 1966, Chorley

Buried at St John's, Whittle le Woods

Vincent Kellett

Born

Age: 29

Rank: Private

Service No: 3976558

Date of Death: 23/07/1944

4th Bn Welch Regiment

Operation Clement

At the time, 4 Welch Regiment on a raid on the enemy position at Esquay on the night 23/24th July 1944.

Fighting against the 10 SS Panzer Division

His gravestone has been inscribed with a few words by his family

"WE HAVE LOVED HIM IN LIFE.

LET US NOT FORGET HIM IN DEATH"

ST AMBROSE

He is buried at the Brouay War Cemetery, Normandy.

Son of James and Elizabeth Kellett; husband of Margaret Doris Kellett, of Whittle le Woods.

Lived with his mum at Spring Gardens.

Son called Dennis Kellett

Grew up with Derek Winter

Robert Leigh

Born

Age: 19

Killed in Action: 24 September 1944

Service Number: 2210791

Rank: Serjeant

166 Sqn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Rear Gunner

Runnymede Air Forces Memorial, Surrey

Found this information for him-

Leigh R

Sergeant

23-24-09-44

166 Sqd

Lancaster III

LM722.. AS-D

Left Kirmington at 18:40

Target was Neuss

In W. R. Chorley's Bomber Command Losses 1944 Lancaster LM722 of 166 Squadron is listed as being lost without a trace. Is it possible that this aircraft crashed and exploded? Possibly killing a German officer as a result of the explosion, being hit by a house door... This is not confirmed

Another version -

LM722 code AS_D failed to return from a raid on Neuss 23/09/44 - 24/09/44. No German anti-aircraft gun or fighter claims were made and no wreckage was ever found, so assumed crashed into the North Sea due to mechanical failure either going out or returning from the mission.

Serial Range LM301 - LM756 This aircraft was one of 350 Lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Yeadon) as Mk.111s except for the first 10 as Mk.1s (LM301-LM310), delivered from Oct42 to Oct44. Mk.1s had Merlin 20 engines, Mk.111s Merlin 38 engines initially installed. LM722 was delivered to 166 Sqdn 2Sep44. It is believed that this aircraft was lost on its first Raid. When lost this aircraft had a total of 46 hours. LM722 was one of two 166 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See PB242 Airborne 1840 23Sep44 from Kirmington. Lost without trace. all are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. F/O Cameron of Portsoy, Banffshire. Also F/O J.G.Davies KIA, Sgt C.L.Caston KIA, Sgt A.Rollinson KIA,

F/O F.Cameron KIA, F/S J.McK Dillon RAAF KIA, Sgt R.B.Ward KIA, Sgt R.Leigh KIA.

Son of Henry and Mary Leigh, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire.

Lancashire Evening Post - Tuesday 30 January 1945

LEIGH - Loving birthday greetings, Jan 30th to our dear son, Robert, reported

missing Sept. 23rd, 1944

What better greetings could we send,

Than god protect you to the end

From Mum, Dad, sister Agnes, Hilda and Tom. H.M.F.

Duke of York Hotel

Whittle le Woods

Clarence Lowe

Born

Age: 25

Service number: 7907189

Rank: Trooper

B Squadron

Nottinghamshire Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps

Killed in Action: 23 September 1944

Son of Richard Edward and Elizabeth Ellen Lowe, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire

Whilst doing a bit of research on 28 May 2023 I came across some new information via The Notts Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry 1939-1946 Facebook page and WW2Talk website

B Squadron

Aged 25 from Lancashire.

Clarence Lowe was attending to some mechanical work on his tank, with B Squadron fitters, when they came under enemy shell fire east of Nijmegen on 23rd September 1944.

The shelling also killed two civilians in the area.

Trooper Lowe was Lieutenant Eric Wharton MCs driver 

This was part of the Battle of Geel, Belgium

He was killed during the Allied advance into the Netherlands in September 1944.

The Germans had overtaken the Netherlands on the 10th May of 1940 Blitzkrieg and remained in their hands until 1944, when the Allies advanced

Buried at Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Netherlands

It is located in a Wooded area that is called Jonkers Bosch.

And that is the name also given to the Cemetery.

Written on the gravestone-

OF YOUR CHARITY, PRAY FOR THE SOUL OF OUR SON

Previous location of grave-

Buried near Dekkerswald, Holland

SH 12 1/25000 712577

7 miles away from present site

Robert Magill

Born in Antrim, Ireland

Royal Artillery, 7/4 Maritime Regt.
Death: 15/10/1941

Age: 22
Service No:  1535753
Rank: Gunner



Robert Magill married Margaret Blogg

St John the Evangelist, Whittle le Woods on 7\3\1941

They had one boy as far as I know called Alfred Magill born in 1941, who married Olwin Davies
I think they lived at 2 Oak Cottages, Clayton le Woods

His son Alfred had two boys Paul Owen Magill (1963) and Leslie James Magill (1965)

PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Victor McIvor

No information yet

I may have made a mistake with this name

Denis McMamnon

Born

Age: 32

Rank: Private

Service No: 2390858

9th Bn Durham Light Infantry

Killed in Action: 4 October 1944

Grave Reference: 12. A. 6.

Son of Denis and Alice McMamnon; husband of Ann McMamnon nee Clayton, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire.

Married in 1938 to Ann Clayton at Chorley Reg Office.

Had a son called John McManmon in 1939

In his probate information of 20 March 1945. The address he lived at was 18 Swansey Fold

His probate went to James Clayton, a Machinist

Effects £144 2s 2d

On his stone his family would have these words inscribed -

IN THE MOST HOLY NAME

OF JESUS

PRAY FOR THE REPOSE

OF THE SOUL OF DENIS

RIP

(with a cross)

He is buried at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery

COMING SOON  - More information coming soon on this soldier from a relative

Albert Nicholson

Born

Age: 22

Service no: 3450794

Rank: Rifleman

Died: 13/12/1944

Italy

East Meditteranean

2nd Bn. Rifle Brigade

Son of Harry and Annie Nicholson

Brother of Clifford Nicholson

FAENZA WAR CEMETERY

Picture kindly provided by Stuart Clewlow

Frank Riley

Born in 1924

Killed in Action: 20 February 1944 

Age 20

Rank: Guardsman

Service number: 2701287

2 Battalion Scots Guards

Lancashire Evening Post - Tuesday 14 March 1944

KILLED IN MIDDLE EAST

Mrs Peter Riley, of 3 Halls Terrace, Whittle le Woods, has received news that her son, Guardsman Frank Riley (20) has been killed in action in the Middle East.

At the age of 13, he was awarded the Boys Brigade Cross for saving a boy at Whittle le Woods.

Guardsman Frank Riley enlisted 17 months ago, and in August last there was a surprise meeting with his brother, Lance Bombardier Fred Riley, RA.

When the latter unexpectedly walks into his tent.

Son of Peter (See WW1 profile) and Martha Riley nee Thompson, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire.

Frank Riley was part of the operations in Italy

From October 1943 through to May 1944 and beyond, the Allies were involved in operations against the German's winter defensive position known as the Gustav Line.

Buried at Minturno War Cemetery, Marina di Minturno (Garigliano).

Frank Rothwell

Born

Age: 23

Killed in Action: 15 June 1942

Rank: Corporal

Service Number: S/3857975

Royal Army Service Corps

Beirut War Cemetery, Jalloul, near Assas which is to the west of the Forest of Pines.

Son of Herbert James Rothwell and Alice Rothwell, of Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire.

Robert Snape

Born

Age:

Rank: Bombardier

Killed in Action:  20 March 1944

Service Number: 974967

149 (The Lancashire Yeomanry) Anti-Tank Regt.

His Probate says

Robert Snape of Lukes Row, Whittle le Woods, near Chorley, Lancashire. 

Died 20 March 1944 on war service.

New Information sent to me as of 14/2/2019-

Page 231 of ‘Shabash-149’ says of Cassino on 20 March 1944, ‘In one murderous ‘stonk’ two men in Bob Foden’s gun pit went up with all the ammunition’. From the information available, I would guess these were Bombardiers Snape and Ashman.

Administration Llandudno 20 October to Peter Snape retired weaver.

Effects £181 13s 9d

Son of Peter and Cecily Snape, of Whittle le Woods, Lancashire

He is buried at the Cassino War Cemetery, Cassino, Italy

Arnold Tuson

Born 30 July 1914

Age: 25

Reg no:

Rank: Warrant Officer Class III (sergeant major)

Royal Artillery

France and Belgium Campaign, 1939/40

Killed in Action: 27 May 1940

Arnold was presumed Killed or Missing in Action at Dunkirk

Arnold's rank of Warrant Officer Class III was established in 1938 but by 1940 was put in suspension and never formally abolished.

The rank was only held by a platoon, troop, and section sergeant major.

His parents are William Tuson b: 25 Jul 1882 d: 5 Sep 1957 and Gertrude Melling

m: Jun 1912 in St. Johns, Whittle le Woods d: 5 Aug 1957

 Arnold Tuson b: 30 Jul 1914 d: 27 May 1940 in Dunkirk

  Hilary Tuson b: 31 Mar 1920

  ? Tuson who married John Anderton

His Gravestone is in St Bedes Churchyard

Robert Smith

No information yet

Thomas Warbrick

Born: 1917

Age: 27

Reg no: 14246216

Italy

Sapper, Royal Engineers.

Killed in Action: June 1944

Property Repair as Trade

Son of John J Warbrick and Ann.

Brownley Terrace as of 1939

Beach Head War Cemetery, Italy

Other Information -

Thomas Warbrick's Great Uncle (Thomas Warbrick c1889) served during WW1 with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment.

He was a POW. 

George McIvor

Richard McIvor