Marystowe The War Memorials

MARYSTOWE - THE WAR MEMORIALS

The War Memorials in the church of St. Mary the Virgin, Marystowe

THE 1914 - 1918 BRASS
H. WOOLWAY	622605 Private Hedley John Woolway of the 43rd Battalion, the Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Son of the late John Woolway and Elizabeth Woolway. Born in Cullompton July 9, 1892. Died 12 August 1916 aged 25. He had Canadian Nationality.
G. COLLINSON	Lieutenant George Edward Cleather Collinson of the Royal Flying Corps; transferred from the Cameron Highlanders. Died 14 April 1917 aged 20. Buried in the churchyard at Marystowe. Courtesy of the magazine "Flight" dated 1917: "Lieutenant George Edward Cleather Collinson, Cameron Highlanders, who has been killed in a flying accident, was the only child of the late Mr. George Cleather Collinson and Mrs. Collinson of 11 Foulis Terrace SW, and a nephew of Anna, Countess of Moray. He was 20 years of age and was educated at Marlborough College. Early in 1915 he went to the front and, proceeding later to Egypt, he went quickly through his training and received his wings in the RFC, in which he was considered a keen and clever pilot. He returned to England in December and was sent to one of the northern flying stations, where he was stationed at the time of his death."
W. ROWLAND	19498 Private William Rowland of the 5th Battalion, the Dorsetshire Regiment. Son of William and Bessie Ann Rowland (née Jordan) of Lewdown. Born in Thrushleton in the March Quarter of 1888. Died 11 January 1917 aged 29.
T. BICKLE	25735 Private Thomas Bickle of the 9th Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of James and Maria Bickle (née Tredinnick), of Liddaton; husband of Mary Jane Bickle (née Hitt) of Holster-Yard, Marystowe. Born in Coryton in the June Quarter of 1885. Died 26 October 1917 aged 37.
W. GALE	This man is believed to be William John Gale, the son of Samuel and Harriet Gale, who was born in North Lew in 1890 but was brought up in this area. The record for William John Gale is as follows: Leading Stoker William John Gale of the Royal Navy, HM Submarine K17. Died 31 January 1918 aged 27. In a disastrous incident during a period of radio silence while on a night time exercise, now referred to as the Battle of the Isle of May, HMS Fearless struck K17 and sank the submarine in eight minutes. The escaping crew were then mown down by HMS Fearless.
G. MEDLAND	28394 Lance Corporal George Medland of the 2nd Battalion, the Devonshire Regiment. Son of George and Mary Medland, of Holster Yard, Lew Down. Born in Marystowe in the December Quarter of 1879. Died 28 April 1918 aged 39.
T. EGGINS	G/76107 Private Tom Eggins of the 1st/4th Battalion, the Royal Fusiliers Son of the late William Eggins and Elizabeth Marlow, of Park, Chillaton, Lewdown. Born in Milton Abbot in the March Quarter of 1899. Died 23 August 1918 aged 19.
T. OSBORNE	39787 Private Thomas Osborne of the 21st Reserve Battalion, the East Surrey Regiment. Son of John Osborne. Born in Lifton. Died 10 April 1919. Buried in the churchyard at Marystowe.

THE 1939 - 1945 BRASS
J. DESPENCER-ROBERTSON	Lieutenant-Colonel James Archibald St.George Fitzwarenne-Despencer-Robertson, OBE; MP; of the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Son of Sir Helenus Robert Robertson and his wife Lady Kate Roberston of Lewdown. His country seat was at Sydenham Damerel nearby. Born in Liverpool 7 November 1886. Died 5 May 1942 aged 55. A serving officer, he was MP for Salisbury at the time of his death and is buried in the village of Newton Tony, Wilts.
E. HOWARD	5622320 Sergeant Edward John Howard of the 2nd Regiment. the Reconnaissance Corps of the RAC; transferred from the 6th Battalion, the Loyal Regiment (North Lancs). Born in 1917. Died 25 February 1945 aged 28 and commemorated on the Rangoon Memorial.
F PROUSE	7883485 Sergeant Franklin John ("Lofty") Prouse DCM, of the Royal Tank Regiment, RAC. He also held the India General Service Clasp, the 1935 North West frontier medal and the Africa Star. (His medals were sold at auction in 2006). Son of John Byron and Ida Mary Prouse (née Penwill); husband of Ivy Prouse of Milton Abbot. Born near Launceston in the December Quarter of 1913. Killed during the action at Torbruk 28 November 1941 aged 28. His DCM was gazetted in the London Gazette 9 May 1941 Page 2646. "His tank was stationary under artillery and anti-tank gunfire for 4 hours but despite this, he and his crew repaired the tracks and brought the tank out of the action." The award was made by the King to his wife in March 1942.
W. SIMPSON	1919427 Corporal William Leslie George ("Joe") Simpson of the 1st Parachute Squadron, the Royal Engineers. Son of Walter and Mary Ann Simpson (née Routley) of Chillaton, Lifton. Born in Lifton in the December Quarter of 1914. Died 20 September 1944 in the action at Nijmegen. Buried in the Arnhem War Cemetery. Mentioned in Despatches (gazetted 23 September 1943) and awarded the Silver Star by the USA.
J. STICKLAND	Lieutenant John Robert Anthony Stickland of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, HMS Gould. Son of George Cuthbert and Kathleen Mary Stickland (née Fossick) of Lewdown. Born in Fulham in the September Quarter of 1921. Killed aged 22 Tuesday 1 March 1944 when HMS Gould was sunk by U-boat 358 in the North Atlantic.