Tag Archives: Netherlands

Noel Evans

23 Monday Mar 2026

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Noel was born in Wolverhampton in 1914, the son of Evan and Lucy Ann Evans. By 1921, the family was living at 1 Burleigh Road, along with Noel’s older brothers Charlie and George Llewellyn. In 1938, he married Alice Maud Gough in Wolverhampton, and the couple later lived at 52 Chetwynd Road.

Noel enlisted with the 254 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a Flying Officer (service number 179138). On 17 January 1945, Noel was acting as navigator to pilot Frank Trautman and took part in an attack on a convoy in the Marsdiep between Den Helder and Texel in the Netherlands. Unfortunately during the operation the aircraft crashed, and Noel was killed in action. The value of his effects were £800. He is buried in the Wieringerwaard General Cemetery in the Netherlands, and is remembered on the War memorials of the Royal School, St Chad and St Mark’s Church, and the MEB Works Club.

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The research for this blog post was completed by remote virtual volunteer, Doug Lewis.

Reginald Herbert Vaughan

07 Monday Jul 2025

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The brother of Bernard, Reginald was born on 17 September 1905 in Wandsworth, London, the son of Herbert Guest and Mary Helen Vaughan. Due to the death of both parents, he, too, attended the Royal Wolverhampton School. But by 1921 he was living with his aunt in Battersea. In 1932, he married Gladys White, and the couple were living in Fulham in 1939, with Reginald working as a commercial traveller.

Reginald enlisted as a Pilot Officer with the RAF Volunteer Reserve, 144 Squadron (service number 78770). However, he was unfortunately killed on 12 May 1941 at the age of 32, when his aircraftwas shot down by a night fighter at Hoohkarspel near Enkhuisen during a raid on Bremen. He is buried in Bergen General Cemetery in the Netherlands, and remembered on the Royal Wolverhampton School memorial.

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The research for this blog post was completed by remote virtual volunteer, Ann Eales.

Neville Gardner

10 Monday Mar 2025

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The son of William Henry and Mabel Edith Ada Gardner, Neville was born in Wolverhampton in 1923. IN 1939, they were living at Cambas-O-May in Windmill Lane, Wolverhampton, along with Neville’s brother, Geoffrey.

Neville enlisted as a Pilot Officer with the 107 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (service number 169214). Unfortunately he was killed in action on 22 October 1943 over Holland. He is buried in Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery in the Netherlands. He is remembered on the Old Intermedians War Memorial.

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The research for this blog post was conducted by remote virtual volunteer, Doug Lewis.

John Howard Beebee

13 Thursday Feb 2025

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The son of John Howard and Lilian Gertrude Beebee, John was born on 1 June 1926. In 1939, they were living at 395 Cannock Road along with John’s siblings Lilian E. and Joan G. John was still at school.

John enlisted in the 2nd Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment (service number 14494831). The Regiment’s last significant action of the war occurred on 12 April 1945, when there was an assault across the River Ijssel at Arnhem. Unfortunately John died of wounds received during this action on the 15th April, at the age of only 18. He is buried in the Uden War Cemetery in the Netherlands, and is remembered on the rolls of honour for Holy Trinity Church in Heath Town and the war memorial for Old Intermedians.

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The research for this blog post was completed by remote virtual volunteer, Doug Lewis.

Arthur Ernest Rew

21 Monday Oct 2024

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Arthur was born in Glamorgan in Wales on 31 December 1920, the son of Ernest Victor and Ada Rew. By 1939, they had moved to Wolverhampton and were living at 80 Woodfield Avenue, along with Arthur’s older brother, John. Arthur was working as a wire broadcasting wireman for a company looking after electrical commercial signalling systems.

Arthur enlisted with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve in the 466 Squadron as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (service number 1187995). He took off from RAF Leconfield in Yorkshire in a Wellington bomber, but unfortunately the aircraft was shot down in the North Sea, six miles north of Terschelling in the Netherlands, and Arthur was killed in action on 30 Jan 1943. He is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey.

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The research for this blog post was conducted by remote virtual volunteer, Doug Lewis.

Howard Anthony Nelson Mander

29 Tuesday Mar 2022

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The son of Howard Vivian Mander who served in the First World War and Monica Christian Mander, Howard was born in Wolverhampton on 8 April 1920. His father divorced his first wife and remarried to Clarice M. By 1939, Howard was living with his father and stepmother at Congreve Manor in Penkridge, and was working as a trainee accountant. Howard married Monica M. Lloyd in Staines in Middlesex in 1942, and their daughter, Carole Anne T., was born in Eton in 1944.

Howard served as a Captain in the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment (service number 160875). Unfortunately he was wounded, and died of those wounds in Mierlo, Netherlands, on 16 October 1944. By the time of his death they were living in Blackheath in London, and the value of his effects was £4392 4s. He is buried in Mierlo War Cemetery. He was a Director of the Mander Brothers Paint and Varnish firm, and is remembered on the firm’s memorial at Wightwick Manor.

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The research for this blog post was carried out by remote digital volunteer, Jacky de Escofet.

Victor Chillingsworth

24 Wednesday Nov 2021

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The son of Ernest John and Edith Ellen Chillingsworth, Victor was born in Wolverhampton on 11 November 1918. He later worked as a grocer’s assistant, and was in Staffordshire General Infirmary as a patient in 1939. He married Marian Williams in Wolverhampton in 1942. The couple had a son, Victor R., born in Wolverhampton in 1944.

He served as a Lance Corporal with the 2nd (Airborne) Battalion of the South Staffordshire Regiment (service number 4916424). Unfortunately, he was wounded in the Battle for Arnhem Bridge, and he died of those wounds in the Netherlands on 25 September 1944. He is buried in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

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The research for this blog post was carried out by remote digital volunteer, Jacky de Escofet.

Albert Edward Holland

18 Monday Oct 2021

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albert hollandThe son of Albert C. and Lilian M. Holland, Albert was born in Wolverhampton on 6 January 1921. In 1939, they were living on 44 Trysull Road, Wolverhampton, along with Albert’s sisters, Jean L. and Stella M. Albert was working as a Store Clerk. He was also serving as an A. R. P. Messenger.

Albert enlisted at Cardigan, Bedfordshire, in the 106 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as a Sergeant (Air Bomber) (service number 1210474). On 27 January 1943 he took off at 17:39 from Syerston, Nottinghamshire in a Mark 1 Lancaster bomber (serial number R5637). Unfortunately the aircraft crashed at 20:00 after being shot down at Linne 4 miles southwest of Roermond, Netherlands during a raid on Dusseldorf. Albert is buried in the Jonkerbos War Cemetery in the Netherlands.

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The research for this blog post was completed by remote virtual volunteer, Doug Lewis. Albert’s sister, Kathleen (born 1923), was the mother of Doug’s aunt.

Charles William Dunn

14 Saturday Sep 2019

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Charles was born in Wolverhampton in 1882, the son of Charles and Mary Ann Dunn. In 1891, they were living at Dean Road, Wednesfield, along with his siblings Thomas and Hannah. He married Phoebe G. Willetts in Wolverhampton in 1911, and the couple went on to have seven children: Alexandra M. (1911), Annie (1913), Price William (known as Sonny – 1914), Ellen (1920), Mary (1922), Eileen (1928) and Jean M. (1933). Unfortunately, their only son, Price, died in 1930 at a young age after falling down a mine.

At the age of 16, Charles lied about his age to join the Staffordshire Cavalry, and was later in the Infantry. He served in the Siege of Cape Colony and the Siege of Mafeking, as well as being a guard at Queen Victoria’s funeral in 1901. He served during the First World War, including in the Battle of the Somme in France.

After leaving the Army he worked at the “Five Field” mines, due to his knowledge of explosives. Charles died on 12 May 1941 of pneumonia in Moseley Village, Willenhall.

Thank you very much to Edith Geurts-Schreuders for the information concerning her grandfather. Her mother Eileen married a Dutch officer in 1948, and they moved to the Netherlands. She is keen to find out more about the family, including a brother of Charles’s who apparently died in the First World War, so if anybody has any further information, please get in touch!

 

 

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