Sheffield Scout Archives
 

 

Sheffield Scouts - Roll of Honour - World War II
Additional Information

 

George Henry Ambler - Rover Scout - 228th (Langsett Road Methodist)

Rover George Ambler was killed whilst flying a Fairey Barracuda (MD963) over Close Moss, Marsden, West Yorkshire. It appears that coming out of the clouds, Ambler saw the the ground and to avoid a crash pulled away in a tight turn. The plane stalled and fell to the ground exploding on impact.
More details can be found here.

Douglas Alexander Arthur - Rover Scout - 79th (St Timothy's)

Rover Douglas Arthur was killed when the Halifax bomber he was piloting crashed whilst on a bombing raid to Berlin

Henry (Harry) Biggin - Rover Scout - 180th (Holy Trinity Millhouses)

Rover Harry Biggin was killed, whilst on a bombing raid to Oberhausen, when the Lancaster bomber on which he was navigator was caught by a night fighter and the aeroplane fell at Castle Doorwerth, west of Arnhem in Holland
More details can be found here

Robert Carter Booth - Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall Church)

Rover Robert Booth was killed when the Stirling bomber which he was on crashed whilst on a re-supply mission to Arnhem

Philip Willoughby Browne - Rover Scout - 167th (King Edward's School)

The name of Philip Willoughby Browne does not appear in the Rover Memorial Book. SLABS, the Rover Newsletter, edited by W Jenkins Gibson, records him as "Reported Missing". It would appear that "Reported Missing" was never followed up.

Eric Kenneth Cartledge - Rover Scout - 191st (Beauchief)

Shortly after the outbreak of war, Rover Kenneth Cartledge returned from South Africa to the UK to join up, working his passage on a boat as a gunner. After his training in the RAF, he took part in over 60 flights over enemy territory. He was killed flying with 58 Squadron on 7th September 1941 when the Whitley bomber on which he was wireless operator/gunner crashed in Germany
More details can be found here.

David Colquhoun - Rover Scout - 150th (Wadsley Church)

Rover David Colquhoun served with the 6 Airborne Divisional Signals, and was killed taking part in the D Day landings in June 1944

Stanley Brian Critchison - Rover Scout - 143rd (St Aidan's)

Rover Stanley Critchison was killed when the Wellington bomber he was piloting was shot down whilst on a "gardening sortie" (minelaying) off the Frisian Islands, crashing NE of Terschelling.

Reginald Crofts - Rover Scout - 74th (Oak Street)

Rover Reginald Crofts was killed when the Halifax bomber he was flying on crashed between Kieselhorst and Beckeln
Following his death, his mother answered an appeal for clothing from the Dutch people and sent his old Scout uniform. When this arrived in Holland, a new Scout Group was being formed in Biltoven, south of Utrecht. It was decided that the Group would be named "The Rover Croft" Group.
The Group visited the 74th in 1957 (and made a day visit to the Jamboree) with a return visit to Bilthoven by the 74th the following year.

Vincent Crookes - Rover Scout - 46th (St Paul's Norton Lees)

Rover Vincent Crookes was killed when the Lancaster bomber he was on crashed on a mission to Hannover

Harry Oxley Dransfield - Rover Scout - 217th (Millhouses Methodist)

Rover Harry Dransfield Joined the RAF in June 1940. He received his training in America and Canada. He obtained his "wings" and was commissioned with the rank of Pilot Officer. He also passed the necessary examinations to become a civil airways pilot after the war. After operational work with the Coastal Command in Nova Scotia he returned to England to perform similar duties and was promoted to Flying Officer in June 1943.

James Ronald Elwis - Rover Scout - 162nd (Burngeave Methodist)

Rover Jame Elwis was a prisoner of war of the Japanese. He was held at Kanchanaburi on the Death Railwayhaving probably been captured in Java (Thailand).
He died from peritonitis
Further details can be found here

John Michael Fulford - Rover Scout - 167th (King Edward's School)

Rover John Fulford was champion of the King Edward VII's School Sports in 1937. The same year, he went to Sheffield University and where he studied medicine. He played for the University at both cricket and football and was chosen on several occasions to play for Sheffield United. In 1940, he played for the English Universities against the Army
He was killed in action whilst co-piloting a Wellington bomber on a bombing raid on the U-boat pens at St Nazaire.
His brother, David, was killed whilst flying a Spitfire over the Channel whilst on a mission to Le Touquet, France.
More information can be found here.

Austen Malcolm Gascoigne - Rover Scout - 36th (Ranmoor)

The name of Austen Malcolm Gibson does not appear in the Rover Memorial Book. SLABS, the Rover Newsletter, edited by W Jenkins Gibson, records him as "Reported Missing". It would appear that "Reported Missing" was never followed up.

Rover Gascoigne was a member ofthe crew of HM Submarine Utmost  which left Malta for a patrol in the Mediterranean in November 1942. On the 23rd, she sank an enemy ship, but on 25 November 1942, during her return journey to Malta, she was located, attacked and sunk south west off Sicily by depth charges from the Italian torpedo boat Groppo.

More information can be found here.

Frank Gordon Hart - Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall)

Despite being a Rover, Frank Gordon Hart's name does not appear in the Rover Memorial Book. SLABS, the Rover Newsletter, edited by W Jenkins Gibson, records him as "On Active Service", then as "Reported Missing". It would appear that "Reported Missing" was never followed up.
However, his name does appear on the Roll of Honour of 20th (Ecclesall) Scout Group.

Rover Hart was killed whilst a member of the crew of a B-17 Flying Fortress, shot down whilst on a bombing raid on the "Admiral Scheer". Further details can be found here.

George Walter Hewitt - Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall)

Rover George Hewitt was killed in action whilst acting as Wireless Operator/Air Gunner on a Lancaster bomber shot down over the Dutch-German border whilst taking part in a a bombing raid on Leipzig
More information can be found here.

Geoffrey Hood - Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall)

Rover Geoffrey Hood was killed when the Lancaster bomber on which he was second pilot crashed near Bielefeld whilst on a mission to Kassel

Walter Chadwick Jackson - Rover Scout - 183rd (Hillsborough Congregational)

Despite being a Rover, Walter Chadwick Jackson's name does not appear in the Rover Memorial Book. However, his name does appear on the Roll of Honour of the 183rd (Hillsborough Congregational) Scout Group.

Rover Jackson was killed whilst a member of the crew of HMS Hurworth, which sank after striking a mine in the Aegean Sea.
More information can be found here.

Arthur Whiteley Jones - Rover Scout - 74th (Oak Street)

Rover Arthur Jones died when the Halifax bomber he was crewing was lost on a mission to Flensburg.

Geoffrey Goddard Lee - Rover Scout- 167th (King Edward VII School)

Rover Geoffrey Lee was killed whilst part of the crew of a Blenheim bomber which crashed into the North Sea whilst on a bombing raid to attack ships in the Keil Canal.
More information can be found here

Joseph Nowill Lister - Rover Scout - 183rd (Hillsborough Congregational)

Rover Joseph Lister was killed when the Wellington bomber he was crewing was lost on a mission to attack Hamburg

Neville Craig Middlemass - Rover Scout - 59th (St Augustine's)

Rover Neville Middlemass was killed whilst acting as Observer on a Blenheim bomber on a mission to attack the bridges at Maastricht.
More information can be found here

Roy Vivian Nelson - Troop Leader - 146th (Old Norton)

Roy Nelson was killed whilst flying a Master trainer. The plane spun into the ground off a turn and caught fire. He died at Kennell, Montrose where his body was buried on 30 April 1941. His body was subsequently disinterred and reburied at Abbey Lane Cemetery

Percy Dryden Nixon - Rover Scout - 167th (King Edward VII School)

Rover Percy Nixon was killed whilst acting as Observer on a Hamden bomber which crashed into the North Sea whilst on a "gardening" operation to lay mines at Freidrichshaven
More information can be found here and here

Alec Webster Oates - Rover Scout - 36th (St John's Ranmoor)

Rover Alec Oates died in a flying accident during his final operational training in South Africa, within a week of receiving his wings.
He was "... an inseparable friend of Sergeant Pilot Steve Skerritt (qv)..." they were at school together, joined the RAF at about the same time and each was killed in a flying accident within a month of each other
His foster brother, Harry Armison, was also killed in the Second World War

David Alan Pettigrew - Rover Scout - 146th (Old Norton)

Rover Alan Pettigrew was killed in a flying accident in Canada on 20 July 1943 when the piloted by him with LAC Charles McNaughton Miller as pilot under instruction crashed 15 miles south-west of the main aerodrome at Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Both occupants were killed and the aircraft completely destroyed.

Colin Stanley Read - Rover - 183rd (Hillsborough Congregational)

Rover Colin Read was a Convoy Signalman on board the SS Aguila. En route from Liverpool to Malta, it was part of the first convoy to be attacked by a U-boat wolfpack and was torpedoed and sunk by U-201.

Jack (Jason) Hartley Rodgers - Cub Master, Assistant Scout Master and Rover Scout - 16th (Westbourne)

Rover Jason Rodgers was killed when the Blenheim bomber which he was crewing, crashed into the sea whilst on a "squealer" beat over the North Sea

Thomas (Tom) George Rutter - Rover Scout - 140th (St Cuthbert's)

Rover Tom Nutter was killed when the Liberator bomber on which he was a crew member was lost whilst on a mission to supply fuel to the stores at Kunming, China.
More information can be found here

Maurice Allen Scott - Rover Scout - 16th (Westbourne)

Rover Maurice Scott died from septacaemia at Kirkham Hospital, Lancashire, and was buried on 27 December 1940. His body was subsequently disinterred from Blackpool and reburied at Sheffield (Crookes) Cemetery.

Stanley Walker Shepherd - Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall Church)

Rover Stanley Shepherd was Navigator on a Wellington bomber which crashed whilst on a cross-country training exercise near Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire
More information can be found here

George Sherwin - Rover Scout - 199th (Meersbrook Congregational)

Rover George Sherwin was killed when he was knocked down by a car travelling in the same direction and died in hospital two days later - West Sussex Gazette Thursday 16 January 1941

Gordon Strange - Patrol Leader - 167th (King Edward VII)

Patrol Leader Gordon Strange was a Patrol Leader with the "Scout Service Bureau" on duty at Sheffield War Weapons Week Exhibition in the foyer of Sheffield City Hall.
A live round was left in a gun and it was fired during a demonstration of the weapon killing Gordon and 18 year old Alan Tucker
More information can be found here

Paul Derrick Sykes - Rover Scout - 36th (Ranmoor)

Rover Paul Sykes joined the RAF in 1940. Having gained his wings, he was sent to the Middle East. After a forced landing in North Africa, he was interned but was later liberated by British and American troops. Later, restarting on operations, on the night of April 23rd/24th 1944 on a flight in the course of which his plane was attacked by fighters and was hit. Fire broke out and he gave orders for the crew to bale out. He was last seen at the controls. Later his body was recovered near Hjealn.
More information can be found here

Tom Wilson - Assistant Scoutmaster and Rover Scout - 20th (Ecclesall Church)

Rover Tom Wilson joined the RAF in early 1942 and proceeded from being a Wireless Operator to an intensive training course as a Wireless Mechanic and went to Normandy in July 1944.
He was killed serving with the British Liberation Forces in Ghent, Belgium

John Philip Winfield - Rover Scout Leader - 29th (Montgomery)

Rover Scout Leader Philip Winfield was injured on Malta and was killed whilst a patient in the RAF Hospital in Torquay when it was bombed by German aircraft.

Maurice Ernest Langton Wood - Rover Scout - 193rd (Woodseats Methodists)

Rover Maurice Wood was killed when the Wellington bomber he was crewing was brought down by flak near Osnabruk on a mission to bomb rail targets in Germany

 

Sources

The Rover Scout Roll of Honour
Sheffield Local Association of Boy Scouts Annual Report (Year ending 30 September 1941)
SLABS - The Sheffield Rover Scout Bulletin - Vols 4-8
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
W M Rotherham of Sheffield War Memorials
Chris Hobbs

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