The Scottish War Graves Project

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

OS map ref: NR728193

Contains 103 CWGC graves BUT they're not all concentrated in the CWGC plot at the eastern end of the cemetery on the hillside. It is a large cemetery and I only located just over half the graves.
On a hill behind these graves the Cross of Sacrifice has been erected.

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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Here is the CWGC plot just below the Cross of Sacrifice

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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: WHITE, JAMES WILFRED
Initials: J W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Naval Airman
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Furious
Age: 23
Date of Death: 03/03/1940
Service No: FX.76338
Additional information: Son of Thomas James White and Mabel Alice Mary White, of Bognor Regis, Sussex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 579A.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: HANAGHAN, JOHN VICTOR
Initials: J V
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Aircraftman 1st Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: (Serving in H.M.S. Furious)
Age: 19
Date of Death: 03/03/1940
Service No: 616195
Additional information: Son of Major A.V. and May Clare Hanaghan of Lewes, Sussex.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 580.

The following information on John was sent to me by Sarah Castell, his neice:

I'm attaching two photos of my Uncle John. The one where he is bare-headed was only taken a few days before he was killed. His parents - my Grampi and Nan - were in India at the time, and had been for years because my Grampi was in the Indian Army. Strangely, they were at the cinema at around the time my Uncle was killed and my Nan turned to my Grampi and said 'Something's happened to my John', just like that out of the blue. He told her not to be so silly, she was imagining things. Sadly of course she was right and they received the telegram the next day which stated:

'Records Ruislip REGRET to inform you your son 616195 Hanaghan killed in aircraft accident at Kintyre 3rd March letter following.'

How dreadful those words must have been to my grandparents - I can't imagine how awful it would have been. My mother, being younger doesn't remember her brother a lot, but remembers how upset her parents were. I never knew Grampi - he died the year before I was born - but I was very close to my nan and until she died in 1974 I remember she always had a picture of her son in pride of place.

It was thanks to my mum's efforts years later that we finally found out what happened that day at Kintyre. My nan had sort of closed things off and hadn't wanted to go to his grave because she said she couldn't bear the thought of her John under the ground - she wanted to keep him in her mind as he was when she'd last seen him, full of life and laughter. For a few months after John's death, his fiance Sybil, a local Scots girl, had written to my nan, I suppose it was a comfort to them both. After some time she wrote to say she was getting married to John's friend and she hoped my nan would understand. Nan wrote back saying she did and that she sent her blessings to them.

So, my mum ended up writing to the Ministry of Defence 15 years ago and asking for any information they had on the accident that killed her brother. This is their reply:

Our records show that AC1 Hanaghan was attached to No 816 Squadron, and was based at Kintyre Airport, Campbeltown. It appears that on the morning of 3 March 1940 at approxiamtely 06.10hrs, he was working near seven picketed aircraft whilst a Swordfish aircraft was about to take off. The aircraft commenced its run, but when partly airborne, swerved, and crashed into the stationary machines. An explosion followed which regrettably killed your brother instantly. He is buried at Campbeltown Cemetary, Argyllshire.

My Uncle was born in Lewes, East Sussex on 4th March 1920, which means he was killed the day before his 20th birthday. My mum succesfully applied in 2003/4 I believe it was, to Lewes council to have his name added to the Lewes War memorial and there was a small article about it in the local paper and through that a man got in touch with mum because he was writing a book entitled 'Lewes at War' and wanted to hear about her brother. She told him what she knew and he looked into the incident further. This is from part of the letter she received from him afterwards:

The airfield was originally operated by Scottish Airways from 1934 for services from Kintyre to Glasgow. It was requisitioned on February 12th 1940 by the Admiralty with shared use by Scottish Airways. Swordfish and Albacores were the usual aircraft operated. Fleet Air Arm Squadrons 816 and 818 arrived in February and March 1940. These two squadrons of Swordfish aircraft had been disembarked from HMS Furious on December 12th 1939 and located firstly at Abbotsinch, Glasgow, and then at Campbeltown. In the early days of the war it was commonplace for RAF pesonnel to be seconded to the fledgling Fleet Air Arm.

On the morning of March 3rd 1940 a Swordfish aircraft was rostered for a dawn patrol over the sea and on take off veered to starboard and collided with two parked aircraft. The three crew of the Swordfish, Pilot, Observer and a naval airman, lost their lives in the crsh. I can only surmise that your brother was carrying out maintenance duties as a specialist armourer on one of the parked aircraft at the time.

I am pleased to tell you that your brother's name is on the memorial tablet in the Priory school chapel, formerly the County Grammar School for Boys.

Although I never knew my Uncle John, I've grown up with photos of him around the place and with a feeling of sadness that I never got the chance to meet him. I'm so glad that I have this chance to add his story and picture to your wonderful site - thank you so much for making that chance possible. One day I will get up to Scotland and I will make a point of laying flowers on his grave.

As a last note, I see that the grave beside my Uncle has the same date on it - could this be one of the Swordfish crew perhaps? Or perhaps another was killed on the ground as my uncle was?
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: COUTTES, JOHN ALFRED
Initials: J A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Petty Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Landrail
Date of Death: 21/06/1941
Service No: C/234819
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 582.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: PARKE, THOMAS ROBERT VERNER
Initials: T R V
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A)
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Caroline
Age: 21
Date of Death: 07/07/1941
Additional information: Son of William Alexander and Isabel Emily Parke.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 583.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: MILLER, EDWIN FRANCIS
Initials: E F
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Leading Airman
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Caroline
Age: 19
Date of Death: 07/07/1941
Service No: FX. 78923
Additional information: Son of Oswald George and Charlotte Ellen Miller, of Stutton, Suffolk.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 584.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: DOWN, JOHN MAURICE
Initials: J M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Midshipman (A)
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Landrail.
Age: 19
Date of Death: 18/08/1941
Additional information: Son of Charles Maurice and Florence Alice Down, of Harpenden, Hertfordshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 586.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: KEAST, PERCY
Initials: P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Obs.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 24
Date of Death: 25/07/1941
Service No: 1250023
Additional information: Son of Percy and Florence Hilda Keast, of Cornwall.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 587.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: BRATHERTON, WILFRED
Initials: W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Wireless Operator
Regiment/Service: Civilian Technical Corps
Age: 24
Date of Death: 25/07/1941
Additional information: Son of Wilfred and Mary Bratherton, of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 588.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: WINCH, PETER ROXBURGH PAYN
Initials: P R P
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sub-Lieutenant (A)
Regiment/Service: Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: H.M.S. Landrail.
Age: 20
Date of Death: 14/12/1945
Additional information: Son of Hugh Edward and Dorothy Beatrice Winch; nephew of Elena Fabel, of Flackwell Heath, Buckinghamshire.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 590.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: SOUTHWELL, The Hon. JOHN MICHAEL
Initials: J M
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Lieut-Commander
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Landrail
Age: 43
Date of Death: 22/12/1944
Additional information: Son of Arthur Robert Pyers Southwell, 5th Viscount Southwell, and Viscountess Southwell; husband of Daphne Lewin Southwell, of Bournemouth, Hampshire. Also served in the 1914-1918 War.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 591.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: HOOPER, RONALD ALFRED ARTHUR
Initials: R A A
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Air Mechanic 2nd Class
Regiment/Service: Royal Navy
Unit Text: H.M.S. Landrail
Age: 18
Date of Death: 26/07/1944
Service No: FX.574477
Additional information: Son of Cecil Alfred and Winifred Doris Hooper, of Thornton Heath. Surrey.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 592.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: CURD, VICTOR SELWYN
Initials: V S
Nationality: New Zealand
Rank: Lieutenant (A)
Regiment/Service: Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve
Date of Death: 04/07/1944
Additional information: Son of Henry and Clara Elizabeth Curd, of Pukekohe, Auckland, New Zealand.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 593.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....

DerekR · Joined: 04 Oct 2007 Posts: 809 Location: Hawick

Name: SYDENHAM
Initials: S W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Radio Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Ferry Command
Date of Death: 01/09/1941
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Division 4. Grave 594.
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There must be a place under the sun where hearts of Olden Glory grow young .....