Remembrance – World War II

Private Ronald Woodley BLIGHT was an infantryman in the Welch Regiment who died on April 14, 1940. His name is included on the Brookwood 1939-1945 Memorial in Surrey which lists all those whose graves are unknown.

Sergeant David John DAVIES was a member of the elite 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment and lost his life at the age of 25 on August 21, 1944 during the famous attack on Arnhem when the battalion was practically wiped out. He is buried at the British Cemetery at Arnhem. He was the son of Thomas and Esther Martha Davies of Bryn Melyd Road.

Pilot Officer Edgar Richard CHARLESWORTH was a member of 427 (Royal Canadian Air Force) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve which flew Halifax bombers from Croft, just south of Darlington. He died, aged of 32 on January 15, 1943 and is buried at the Guidel Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France. His parents were Percy and Sarah Charlesworth Before becoming a pilot, he had been a Captain in the King’s Regiment, Liverpool.

John James EDWARDS was a driver in the Royal Army Service Corps which was responsible for transporting everything the army needed—except weapons, ammunition and technical equipment. He had been supplying the North African Desert Campaign which had ended victoriously three months earlier. He died aged 27 on August 31,1943 and his grave lies in the Heliopolis War Cemetery, Cairo.

I have not been able to identify Reginald ELLIS from the lists of Commonwealth War Dead. There are two men with the same name—Gunner Reginald ELLIS aged 20 of the Royal Artillery, son of Herbert Edmund and Kitty Ellis, of Isleworth, he died May 23, 1942 and has no grave. Also Sergeant Reginald ELLIS aged 29, 77 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, son of Edward and Annie Maud Mary Ellis; husband of Doreen G. Ellis, of St. Agnes, Cornwall. There is no grave. There are thirteen others with an additional middle name and no obvious connection with Meliden. Does anybody know anything about him? It would be good to positively identify and remember him.

Pilot Officer Roger Llewellyn LLOYD was in 77 Squadron R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve which flew Halifax bombers from Elvington. He was shot down over Belgium and died on October 13, 1943 and buried in the Citadelle Military Cemetery, Dinant, Belgium. His parents were Frederick and Gwladys Lloyd of Highbury Avenue, Prestatyn. He was just 19.

Frederick Ernest Richard SHEPHERD was a Sergeant Pilot in 611 Squadron, Royal Air Force (Auxiliary). He was one of Churchill’s “few” and lost his life during the Battle of Britain on September 11, 1940. His squadron of Spitfires was a part of the Duxford Wing, based at Digby, Lincolnshire. He died at the age of 22 and is buried in the churchyard of St. Luke, Whyteleafe, Surrey. Married to Thelma, he was the son of William and Blodwen Shepherd.

Fourth Engineer Officer Adam Anthony WOOD was serving on the merchantman S. S. Empire Bison when it was torpedoed and sunk by U-124 on November 1, 1940 off Iceland. His parents were Adam and Sarah Wood. His name is on the Tower Hill London Memorial for the Merchant Navy and Fishing Fleets who gave their lives and have no memorial but the sea. He was 30.

Eileen Beatrice WYNNE was the daughter of Thomas and Susannah Wynne of Preswylfa, Penrhwylfa Crossroads. She was a nurse in London’s Hackney Hospital and died at the age of 25 on January 11, 1941, outside Liverpool Street Station, London, during an air raid. She was brought back to Meliden and lies with her family on row A in the lower graveyard.

In the same grave is William Herbert WYNNE R.N., Eileen’s older brother who was killed in action six months later on July 25,1941. He was an ordinary seaman on board the destroyer H.M.S. Achtates which was escorting aircraft carriers in the far northern waters off Norway where it was mined and severely damaged. He was 27.