Sports day 1941

Roll of Honour: Jack Knight

Sgt. (Observer) J. H. Knight

51 Sqn. RAFVR

918519

Killed in action, 31 October 1941, Netherlands. Aged 21.

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Jack Knight was born in Woking in 1919, the son of John Matthews and Nellie M. Knight of 54 Goldsworth Park. John was a churchwarden at Christchurch, Woking. Jack’s name does not appear on the school roll of honour but has been added by hand to the memorial service programme kept at the Surrey History Centre in Woking.

Jack was educated first at Maybury School and then the County School. On leaving school he worked at a branch of Lloyds Bank at West Smithfield in London for three or four years. He was also treasurer for the Junior Imperial League. 

Jack volunteered for the RAFVR in 1940 and was promoted to sergeant at the beginning of 1941. 

On the night of 31 October 1941 Jack was observer aboard Whitley Mk. Z9141 of 51 Sqn. when it took off from RAF Dishforth on a bombing mission to Hamburg, it was his twelfth mission. The aircraft was airborne at 1939 and was last heard from at 2152. It was shot down at 2350 by a night fighter piloted by Ofw. Paul Gildner of 4/NJG1. The aircraft crashed north of the dam on the Dutch island of Texel. All five crew were killed. One other 51 Sqn. Whitley was also lost on the same mission.

The crew that night were as follows:

Flt. Lt. (Pilot) Eric Barsby - Aged 26 from Minehead, Somerset. KIA.

Pilot officer (Pilot) Stanley Steel - RNZAF. KIA.

Sgt. (Obs) Jack Harris - Aged 22, from Woking. KIA.

Flt. Sgt. (W. op/gunner) Eric Warburton - RCAF. KIA.

Sgt. Vincent Sature - RCAF. KIA.

Jack and his four comrades are buried in Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery, Holland (plot K, row 4, coll. grave 76A-79).

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Last updated 3 April 2010

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking News and Mail

Roll of Honour: Cyril Horwood

 

Pilot Officer C. E. Horwood

489 (RNZAF) Sqn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

66538

Died on active service, 2 October 1941, England. Aged 21.

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Cyril Ernest Horwood was born in 1920, the eldest son of Mr and Mrs Arthur and Lena Horwood (nee Gilbert) of Branksome Close, Walton-on-Thames. He attended Woking Couty School from 1931-1937. Before the war he worked as a clerk at Brookwood Hospital. After he enlisted his younger brother Ronald (another Old Wokingian) took over his job at the hospital. Ronald then followed his brother into the Air Force and in 1941, was also killed in action. He was also 21.

Cyril served with 489 Sqn. (RNZAF) which was formed in 1941 at RAF Leuchers in Fife, Scotland the most northerly air defence station in Britain. The squadron was formed with pilots from the New Zealand Air Force and operated twin-engined Bristol Beauforts on anti-submarine and reconnaissance missions under Coastal Command.

Bristol Beaufort Mk. I

On 2 October 1941 Cyril took off from Leuchers in his Beaufort (N1075) on a solo training flight. He crashed into the River Eden on his approach to Thornaby airfield in Yorkshire. His body was later recovered from the sea.

Cyril Horwood is buried in Thornaby-on-Tees Cemetery, Yorkshire (plot O, row N, grave 11). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Last updated 4 July 2010

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking News and Mail

Woking County School magazine

Roll of Honour: Paddy Coote

 

Wing Commander P. B. Coote

211 Sqn. Royal Air Force

26155

Killed in action, 13 April 1941, Macedonia. Aged 31.

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Patric, better known as Paddy was born in Eton on 7 January 1910, one of five sons of Commander Bernard Trotter Coote OBE, RN and Mrs. Grace Coote (nee Robinson). His brothers were all Old Wokingians.

At Woking County School Paddy and his four brothers (Denis, Henry, Roderic and Philip) all excelled at sport. At the school sports day in the summer of 1923 Paddy won the Junior championship having come first in the 100 yards, 220 yards, 440 yards, hurdles, high jump, long jump and throwing the cricket ball. He first played for the school cricket team aged 13.

After leaving school and passing the boy mechanic exams for the RAF in 1923 Paddy joined the RAF in September 1926 as an aircraft apprentice. Three years later he gained a cadetship to the RAF College at Cranwell in Lincolnshire. In July 1930 he justified his selection by winning the Sword of Honour, beating classmate Douglas Bader (of ‘Reach For The Sky’ fame) in what became a two horse race. He was then posted to a fighter squadron.

His love of sport continued after joining the RAF where he was awarded colours in hockey, athletics, boxing and rugby. He was also RAF squash champion. The pinnacle of his sporting career came when he was chosen to represent Ireland in their four nations match against Scotland in April 1933. He played at centre in the 8-6 defeat at Lansdowne Road, Dublin.

In September 1931 Paddy was accepted for the flying instructors course which he passed Category A1. He returned to Cranwell as an instructor until 1933 when he was transferred to the staff at the Central Flying School at Upavon in Wiltshire. In December 1934 Paddy was appointed adjutant to a bomber squadron.

On 1 June 1935 he married Muriel Elsmie, daughter of Major General Alexander Elsmie and they set up home in Chobham. They were to have two daughters. Anne born in 1937 and Brigid born in 1939.

Paddy was promoted to Flight Lieutenant in January 1936 and in October 1936 he resumed flying duties and was posted to the Middle East as an instructor. In February 1938 he was seconded to the British Military Mission in Egypt and in October of that year was promoted to Squadron Leader. In December 1940 he was again promoted to Wing Commander of British Air Forces, Greece.

In early 1941 there was a very real threat of a German invasion of Greece. The Greeks adopted a soft approach and the RAF were only permitted to operate from Albania. Paddy was sent to 211 Squadron in Paramythia, a well hidden airfield 3,000 feet up in the mountains with only tented accommodation for the crews. He arrived on 19 February to establish an Advanced Operations Wing at the base. In spite of the spartan conditions the airfield was considered important enough to attract visits from Anthony Eden and Field Marshall Wavell (Commander Middle East forces) in February. Peter, the young exiled King of Yugoslavia was also based there at the time.

Tented accommodation at Paramythia

(Copyright RJ Dudman)

On 28 February Paddy was piloting a single seat Gloster Gladiator, the bi-plane was rapidly being rendered obsolete by the development of mono-planes yet Paddy was able to confirm his only kill of the war. He shot down another bi-plane, an Italian Fiat CR42a near the Tepelene coast in southern Albania.

On 13 April 211 Squadron undertook two raids during the morning on vehicles and troop concentrations in the Florina area near the northern Greek border under escort from Hurricanes (no resistance was encountered). 

At 1500 the unit was briefed to send six more bombers to the area. No Hurricanes were available as escort. Paddy Coote decided to go on the raid as observer to ‘have a look’ at the progress of the German advance. The formation was led by Squadron Leader Irvine, the commanding officer.

At 1605 the Blenheims approached Lake Prespa on the border of modern day Macedonia, Albania and Greece some 40 miles short of the target area. They were spotted by three Messerschmitt Bf108e’s of 6/JG27 based at Gazala in Libya. The fighters closed rapidly on the three rear Blenheims and immediately opened fire. In just four minutes all six Blenheims were shot down. The fate of the aircraft and their crews is as follows:

L8449 - Crashed near the village of Karia.

Shot down by Hauptman Hans-Joachim Gerlach.

    Flt. Lt. Alan Godfrey - Bailed out and escaped to Greece. Killed in flying accident in 1946.

    Sgt. James O’Neill - KIA.

    Sgt. Jack Wainhouse - KIA. Aged 21.

L8664 (or L8604?) - Crashed near the village of Karia.

Shot down by Unteroffizier Fritz Gromotka.*

    F/O Charles Thompson DFC - KIA.

    P/O Peter Hogarth - KIA. Aged 26.

    Flt. Sgt. Wilfred Arscott - KIA. Aged 38.

L1539 - Crashed near the SW shore of Lake Prespa.

Shot down by Feldwebel Herbert Krenz.

    Flt. Sgt. Arthur James - Bailed out but was shot down and killed two days later. Aged 22.

    Sgt. Andrew Bryce - KIA. Aged 24.

    Sgt. Arthur Waring - KIA. Aged 24.

L1434 - Ditched near SE shore of Lake Prespa.**

Shot down by Hauptman Hans-Joachim Gerlach.

    Flt. Lt. Lindsay Buchanan DFC - Died next day in hospital. Aged 24 from New Zealand.

    S/L Leslie Cryer DFC - Died next day in hospital.

    Sgt. George Pattison DFM - KIA. Aged 26.

L8478 - Crashed near the village of Vigla.

    S/L Anthony Irvine MID - KIA. Aged 27. Old Etonian.

    P/O Gerald Davies - KIA. Aged 24.

    P/O Arthur Geary DFC - KIA.

L4819 - Crashed near the village of Trigonon.

Shot down by Unteroffizier Fritz Gromotka.

    F/O Richard V. Herbert*** - Bailed out but the aircraft was too low. KIA. Aged 21.

    W/C ‘Paddy’ Coote - KIA. Aged 31.

    Flt. Sgt. William N. Young - KIA.

                                                         

Luftwaffe ace Felix Gromotka

*The first of 29 WW2 kills attributed to Fritz Gromotka.

**The remains of L1434 were recovered in 1993 and can now be seen in the Greek Air Force Museum in Athens.

*** Both Richard Herberts brothers were killed on active service.

Paddy Coote is buried in Phaleron War Cemetery, near Athens, Greece (grave 4.C.19). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking and Woodham war memorial.

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Last updated 20 December 2009

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking County School Magazine

London Gazette

home.freeuk.net/johndillon/index.htm

Aviation Safety Network

users.cyberone.com.au/clardo/index.html

surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/index.html

The Fight At Odds by Dennis Richards

www.irishrugby.ie

www.raf.mod.uk

Roll of Honour: Denys Cooper

Leading Airman D. A. Cooper

Royal Navy

FAA/FX 77302

Lost at sea, 17 January 1941, North Atlantic. Aged 19.

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Denys Cooper was born in 1922, the son of Cyril and Elizabeth Cooper (nee Mills) of Woking, Surrey. He left the County School in 1939 and was awarded football colours.

On 17 January 1941 he was aboard the 15,000 ton Almeda Star. She was a passenger steamship, the first to run the route to South America. When war broke out she was converted to an armed vessel to run the same route under Captain Henry Howard.

Almeda Star

On the morning of 17 January 1941 she was running in heavy seas without escort 25 miles off Rockall in the north Atlantic en route to the River Plate when she was spotted by U-96 commanded by Captain Lehmann-Willenbrock. The U-boat made three attacks on the steamship all of which were avoided by Captain Howard and his crew.

On the fourth attack she was hit by a torpedo and broadcast a distress message giving her position. She was hit by a further two torpedoes after which the U boat surfaced and fired its deck gun at the burning ship. A final torpedo hit her causing her to sink in three short minutes.

Several ships came to her rescue only to find an empty sea. No trace was ever found of the ship or its 136 crew, 29 gunners and 194 passengers.

Denys Cooper’s body was never recovered. He is remembered on the Lee-on-Solent Memorial, Hampshire and on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Last updated 7 July 2009

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking County School Magazine

Roll of Honour: Frank Collins

Flying Officer F. G. Collins

45 Sqn. Royal Air Force

40992

Killed in action, 18 April 1941, Egypt. Aged 25.

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Francis Godfrey Collins was born in 1916, the younger of two sons born to Arthur and Edith Collins (nee Brothers) of Ferndale Road, Woking. He attended the County School from 1926 to 1932 and later married Doris from Mount Florida, Lanarkshire in Scotland.

Francis served with 45 Squadron RAF. They were based in the Western Desert and operated Bristol Blenheims against the Italians and Germans.

Francis was posted as missing, presumed killed in action on the night of 18 April 1941. It was his 53rd mission.

Francis Collins has no known grave and is remembered on the Alamein Memorial (column 241). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking and Horsell Village war memorial.

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Last updated 25 August 2011

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking News and Mail

Roll of Honour: Walter Boon

Flight Sergeant W. H. Boon

252 Sqn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

1192418

Killed in action, 9 February 1944, Greece.

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Walter Boon trained in Canada before serving with Coastal command. He joined 252 Squadron, RAF on 26 September 1943. The squadron mostly flew anti-shipping sorties over Greece and Crete from its base at Mersa Matruh in Egypt and was equipped with two man Bristol Beaufighter Mark X heavy fighters.

On 9 February 1944 Walter Boon was navigator of a Beaufighter on a mission over the Greek island of Kalymnos, north of Kos. His pilot that day was 23 year old Flt. Sgt. Fred Squires from Middlesex. Their plane was shot down by a German Me-109, one of three Beaufighters lost on the four plane mission. Neither Walter or Fred’s bodies were ever recovered.

                                         

Bristol Beaufighter of 252 Squadron

Walter Boon has no known grave and is remembered on the Alamein Memorial, Egypt (column 279) and on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Last updated 10 January 2013

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Paul Boon personal research.

Roll of Honour: Phillip Black

  

Sergeant (Observer) H. P. Black

90 Sqn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

915945

Killed on active service, 22 June 1941, England. Aged 19.

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Horace (better known as Phillip) was born near Dorking in 1922, the son of Horace Simpson Black and Evelyn May Black (nee Pike) who later lived in New Haw, Surrey.

In March 1941 prior to entering the war at the end of the year, the US government passed the Land-Lease law empowering their War Department to lend or lease war material to ‘the government of any country whose defense the President deems vital for the defense of the United States’. The RAF quickly ordered twenty Boeing B-17C Flying Fortress’s . They were keen to acquire them because their defensive fire power was considered suitable for high altitude unescorted daylight bombing raids.

The USAAF did not consider the B-17C to be combat ready. During high altitude tests the guns had a tendency to freeze up but the RAF considered them to be relatively easy to fly and  replaced all but one of the machine guns with British made Brownings.

The aircraft (known as Fortress 1 by the RAF) were to be flown by 90 Sqn. based at West Raynham in Norfolk (part on No. 3 Bomber Group). Things got off to a bad start when the first Fortress crashed off the end of the runway on its delivery flight. Its undercarriage was destroyed and the plane sat on the grass for the rest of the war, slowly being dismantled for spare parts.

The first raids using the Fortress 1 were planned for July 1941 and 90 Sqn. spent June testing and training.

On 22 June 1941 Fortress AN-522 J-Johnny was prepared for a stratospheric test flight. The crew that day were Flying Officer J. ‘Mike’ Hawley (RAF pilot), Sgt. Thomas Wills (20 year old Canadian second pilot who had recently graduated from Yale), Lt. Foley ‘Jim’ Bradley (USAAF instructor), Sqn. Leader David Robson (West Raynhams chief medical officer, 32 years old), Flying Officer Tony Barwood (90 Sqn. medical officer, 26 years old), Flt. Sgt. George Garwood (22 year old wireless operator from Dagenham) and Horace Black who was just 19 years old.

For Tony Barwood this was to be his first ever training flight aboard a Fortress but just as he was about to board two specialists arrived from Farnborough and ‘pulled rank’ requesting a priority flight. Barwood stood aside as his place was taken by Flt. Lt. William Steward (medical officer at Farnborough) and Flt. Lt. J. B. Henderson (test pilot).

After the final pre flight checks the Fortress with its 100 foot wingspan lifted off from the grass runway. The operational ceiling of the B-17 was a little over 35,000 feet. The aircraft had reached 33,000 feet over Catterick in Yorkshire when it entered a cloud and disaster struck. The cloud was filled with hail ‘the size of golf balls’. The Flying Fortress immediately broke into pieces. William Steward was in the tail section as it broke away and plummeted towards the ground. At 3,000 feet he managed to pull himself free and bailed out. He parachuted to safety, the only crew member to survive.

The planes wreckage covered a radius of some ten miles around the area of Catterick Bridge.

Mike Hawley is buried at Dishforth cemetery in Yorkshire. Thomas Wills, George Garwood and David Robson are buried in Catterick Cemetery. Jim Bradley was the first American in the USAAF to be killed on active service in WW2. William Steward went on to become head of the RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine. Group Captain Tony Barwood who was taken off the flight at the last minute died in 2008 having dedicated his career to aircraft safety, particularly ejection seats.

Horace Black is buried in Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire (CoE row M, grave 24). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Last updated 30 December 2009

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

London Gazette

Woking County School magazine

Woking News and Mail

Daily Telegraph

www.armyairforces.com

Roll of Honour: Jack Benham

   

 

2nd Lieutenant J. A. Benham

Royal Engineers

158201

Died of illness, 6 October 1941, Iran. Aged 22.

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Jack Armstrong Benham was born in Chobham in 1919, the eldest of three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Benham of Coppice Wood. Ernest was a member of the well known firm of Messrs. F. W. Benham and Sons, owners of the Chobham Town Mill and a district and parish councillor.

Jack attended Chobham C of E School before passing to Woking Grammar School in 1929 where he matriculated and gained his higher school certificate and inter-B.Sc.

He left the Grammar school in 1937 and worked for a time in London as a trainee Quantity Surveyor with the firm of Widnell and Trollope, a company that still exists today. He was also Hon. Secretary of Chobham Agricultural Association.

Jack joined the Royal Engineers as a territorial before the war and was called up for service on 25 August 1939. He rose to the rank of Sergeant before being sent to 142nd Officer Cadet Training Unit based at Aldershot. He received his commission on 23 November 1940.

In the first week of January 1941 Jack went out east and was attached to the Indian Army.

On 6 August 1941 Mr. and Mrs. Benham received their last letter from their son. On Sunday 12 October they received the dreaded telegram informing them that Jack had died of pneumonia the previous Wednesday (6 October). He was 22 years old.

Jack Benham is buried in Tehran War Cemetery, Iran (grave 6.B.9). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Last updated 27 August 2011

Sources

1911 UK Census

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

London Gazette

Woking County School magazine

Woking News and Mail

www.unithistories.com

www.chobham.info

Roll of Honour: John Beardmore

 

Sergeant (Pilot) J. C. Beardmore

78 Sqn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

918433

Killed in action, 17 August 1941, Netherlands. Aged 22.

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John Clifford Beardmore was born in 1919 and served with 78 Squadron RAF based at Middleton St. George near Darlington. The squadron was equipped with Armstrong Whitworth Whitley Mk. V twin engined medium bombers and operated as a full time night bomber squadron under Bomber Command.

On the evening of 16 August 1941 John boarded Whitley Mk. V Z6754 as it prepared to leave on a bombing mission to Cologne. After final flight checks the bomber took off at 2305.

                                        

Whitley Mk. V bomber

The aircraft crashed at 0350 the following morning near Buggenum, Holland. All five crew members were killed. The cause of the crash is unknown but some sources claim the aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter. Three Whitleys of 78 Sqn. were lost on this mission.

The crew of Z6754 were as follows:

Sgt. (Pilot) John Malet-Warden - KIA.

Sgt. John Beardmore - KIA.

Sgt. (Obs.) Anthony Millard-Tucker - KIA.

Sgt. (w/o and gunner) George Buchanan (RCAF) - Canadian. KIA.

Flt. Sgt. Arthur Brown - Aged 23 from County Durham. KIA.

John Beardmore is buried (together with the other four crew members) in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, near Nijmegen, Netherlands (coll. grave 12.B.1-3). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking and on Byfleet war memorial.

                                        

Jonkerbos War Cemetery

(Copyright CWGC)

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Last updated 3 April 2010

Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

www.bomber-command.info

Aviation safety network

Woking County School magazine

Roll of Honour: Sidney Armstrong

Captain S. G. Armstrong

2nd Bn. Queen’s Royal Regt. (West Surrey)

189082

Killed in action, 7 December 1941, Libya. Aged 35.

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Sidney Armstrong was born about 1906 in Egham, the son of George and Mary Armstrong. George was a police Constable who later rose to the rank of Inspector. Sidney had two sisters (Edith and Frances) and a younger brother (Richard). About 1910 the family moved from Egham to Dawney Hill in Pirbright.

Sidney appears to have had some health problems as a child. In April 1911 when the national census was taken he was a patient at the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford.

He attended Woking County School from 1919 to 1923 and as a youngster one of his hobbies was bell-ringing and he was well known in many local churches.

Sidney first enlisted with the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), possibly serving in the ranks and then spent time at the Officer Cadet Training Unit before being commissioned as Lieutenant in the Queen’s Royal Regiment on 29 December 1940.

In May 1941 the Vichy French government signed an agreement (the ‘Paris Protocols’) allowing the Germans use of their airfields and railway system in Syria, which together with Lebanon was under a French mandate. This would provide support to the pro-German Iraqi forces fighting the British near Mosul. It could also over time provide a springboard for an attack on the British in Egypt who were pre-occupied fighting a major campaign against Axis forces in the deserts of North Africa. The allies attacked Syria in June 1941 (Operation Exporter).

At the time Sidney was based in Northern Palestine with the 2nd Battalion Queen’s Royal Regt. which formed part of the British 6th Infantry Division. The Division was held in reserve for the initial invasion but as the fighting grew more bitter they advanced. Sidney was taken prisoner at some point but later released.

Following his brush with danger Sidney took the opportunity to get married to a girl called Helen, from Durban, South Africa. This was probably during leave in Cairo where Helen was working (possibly as a nurse).

Meanwhile in North Africa the strategically important harbour city of Tobruk in Eastern Libya had been taken from the Italians with little resistance in January 1941 during Operation Compass which was intended to drive the Italian forces out of North Africa. However, Churchill’s decision to then move the most experienced troops to Greece following the fall of Tobruk left it exposed to Rommel’s Afrika Korps.

By 10 April 1941 Rommel had surrounded ‘the poor Desert Rats of Tobruk’ and so began the siege of the city. At first it was held by the 9th Australian Division but in August it was decided they should be relieved, partly to allow all Middle East Australian troops to fight under one command and partly due to the sheer numbers of casualties they had suffered (some 3,000 wounded and almost 1,000 taken prisoner). Newly married Sidney and the 2nd Battalion Queen’s were now part of the newly formed British 70th Infantry Division. They were brought into Tobruk by sea to complete the relief of the Australians during September and October.

The plan to end the siege of Tobruk was code named Operation Crusader. The battle plan was for the British 8th Army to engage Rommel’s Panzers whilst the British 70th Infantry Division broke out of Tobruk to cut the German communication lines. On 21 November the 70th Division advanced out of Tobruk. The 240 day siege had ended.

The 2nd Battalion Queen’s were ordered to exit the perimeter and swing right to take the German strongpoint at Tugun. At first they were driven back and only with the aid of reinforcements from the Beds and Herts and 7th Royal Tank Regiment were they able to take half of the post. After two days of fighting the remaining Germans surrendered.

A planned link up of the 7th Armoured Division advancing from the east with the Tobruk garrison failed to materialise when Rommel’s 21st Panzer won the day at Sidi Rezegh and captured the allied airfield.

At Tugun the night time temperatures were starting to drop and heavy rainstorms settled the dust giving good daytime visibility for both sides.

The 2nd Queens were to advance eastward in a sweep to the main Badia Road supply route but the commanding slopes of Bir Behamed were occupied by the enemy and providing a vantage point over the Queens route across the plains. Sporadic fighting took place over the following week in an attempt to dislodge them.

On the night of 6/7 December the 2nd Queens were ordered to support an attack on the hillside of Bir El Azazi. Their orders were to attack the heavily defended enemy strongpoint known as ‘Queen’, it was intended as a harassing raid rather than an attempt to take the position. Nine men of the raiding party were killed in the attack including Captain Armstrong.

When Sidney’s parents heard of his death George had retired from the police force and he and Mary were living at Cobden, 357 Woodham Lane.

Sidney Armstrong is buried in Tobruk War Cemetery, Libya (grave 8.N.11). He is also remembered on the Woking County Grammar School roll of honour located in Christ Church, Woking.

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Sources

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

Woking News and Mail

London Gazette

1901 UK Census

1911 UK Census

Australian report on Ed-Duda

www.unithistories.com