Royal Artillery/Royal Horse Artillery - Roll of Honour, 1939-47

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Captain GEOFFREY HOWARD ADLARD

89449, Adjutant 79 A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 29
on 19 February 1941
Son of Howard Tindale Adlard and Jessie Winifred Adlard: husband of Dorothy F. Adlard, of Stanmore.
Remembered with honour
HARROW (HARROW WEALD) CEMETERY

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Gunner RONALD WILLIAM COPELAND

1597714, 392 Bty., 48 Searchlight Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 27
on 06 September 1943
Son of William and Ada Copeland; husband of Grace Emily Constance Copeland. of Wealdstone Harrow.
Remembered with honour
HARROW (HARROW WEALD) CEMETERY

[Crosbygirl]

Just arrived here and as the daughter of a gunner who was the son of a gunner I applaud the task you have set yourself. My late father served with the 39th LAA in UK, North Africa and Italy. Went to Italy last year with Italy Star Veterans, we visited Anzio cemeteries and Monte Cassino and Polish Cemetery. All thought provoking and has led me to to compile a book on Italy Campaign Veterans Memoirs. So far, I have collected very many from both here in the UK, Poland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, America and the Jewish Brigade - still require more, (South Africa, Free french, Medical staff (nurse/doctors) Gurkhas etc) so if any member can help, please get in touch.
In the meatime I have photographs of RA headstones at both cemeteries at Anzio of they will help your project.
Good luck
Ann

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Major HERBERT JAMES MICHAEL SAYERS

49920, Royal Artillery
who died age 32
on 06 December 1943
Son of Sir Frederick Sayers, C.I.E., and of Lady Sayers (nee Boyan), of Newtown, Co. Waterford, Irish Republic; husband of Sheilah Joan Sayers.
Remembered with honour
AYLESBURY CEMETERY

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Gunner JOSEPH CLARKE

1739143, 527 Coast Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 33
on 01 March 1942
Son of Peter and Dorothy Clarke; husband of Lilian Clarke, of Aylesbury.
Remembered with honour
AYLESBURY CEMETERY

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Gunner JOHN WILLIAM NARVIDGE

1838936, 463 Lt. A.A. Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 22
on 07 December 1942
Son of Charles Alex and Lucy Narvidge, of Canewdon, Essex.
Remembered with honour
AYLESBURY CEMETERY

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Lance Serjeant PETER HENRY GEORGE POPE

912202, 99 (The Royal Bucks.Yeomanry) Field Regt., Royal Artillery
who died age 26
on 02 August 1941
Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Pope, of Aylesbury; husband of Joan Catherine Pope, of Stockport, Cheshire.
Remembered with honour
AYLESBURY CEMETERY

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Bombardier HUBERT EDWARD COOK

815533, 2 Field Regt., Royal Artillery
who died
on 19 August 1940

Remembered with honour
GREAT BERKHAMSTED (ST. PETER) CHURCH CEMETERY

[ramacal]

RIP - PERCY GEORGE DOWDALL

FOR SOME INEXPLICABLE REASON, 2 DAYS AGO, I STARTED LOOKING FOR A CITATION OF A BATTERY SERJEANT MAJOR WHO SERVED IN THE SAME BATTERY (336) AS MY FATHER AND MAY HAVE KNOWN HIM.

HE WAS BSM (WO11) PERCY GEORGE (KNOWN BY HIS FAMILY AS BILL) DOWDALL AND WAS AWARDED THE M.B.E.

THE CITATION READS AS FOLLOWS:-

BSM DOWDALL HAS BEEN TP. SEGT MAJOR OF A TP OF 102 LAA REGT, RA DURING THE WHOLE OF THE PRESENT CAMPAIGN SINCE D+9. AT ALL TIMES HE HAS SHOWN THE HIGHEST SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY AND BY HIS QUIET CONFIDENCE HAS SET AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE TO HIS MEN.
DURING THE FIRST ADVANCE INTO HOLLAND, THE REGT WAS DEPLOYED AS INFANTRY AND TOOK OVER PART OF THE LINE. IT WAS PERHAPS DURING THIS PERIOD THAT BSM DOWDALL HAD MOST OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW HIS REAL VALUE AS A LEADER. INEVITABLY THE MEN OF HIS TP WERE IGNORANT OF MUCH THAT WAS REQUIRED OF THEM AS INFANTRY BUT NOTHING DAUNTED BSM DOWDALL AND THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD HE WAS OF THE GREATEST ASSISTANCE TO HIS OFFICERS.

ON ONE OCCASION PATROLS HAD DISCOVERED THAT THE AREA IMMEDIATELY IN FRONT OF THE POSITION HAD BEEN HEAVILY MINED. NO ADVANCE WAS POSSIBLE UNTIL THESE MINES WERE CLEARED AND NO RE PERSONNEL WERE AVAILABLE TO DO IT. BSM DOWDALL WAS PUT IN CHARGE OF A PARTY TO CARRY OUT THE WORK AND FROM THE MAIN ROAD, SIDE ROADS AND VERGES, THEY LIFTED 76 MINES OF DIFFERENT SORTS ALTHOUGH NEITHER THIS NCO OR ANY OF THE MEN CONCERNED HAD EVER LIFTED A “LIVE” MINE BEFORE.

AWARDED THE M.B.E.
LG 21 JUNE 1945

THIS MORNING, I FOUND THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF HIS ELDEST DAUGHTER AND SPOKE TO HER HUSBAND. SADLY, BILL HAD PASSED AWAY ON SUNDAY AFTER A LONG ILLNESS, THE DAY I STARTED LOOKING FOR HIM

B.S.M. PERCY GEORGE DOWDALL, M.B.E., 336 BATTERY, 102 LIGHT ANTI-AIRCRAFT REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY/7TH BATTALION, THE LINCOLNSHIRE REGIMENT.

MY CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY.

REGARDS - ROB

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Gunner FRANCIS JOHN SMITH

790250, Royal Artillery
who died age 36
on 28 March 1945
Son of George and Ellen Smith; husband of Rose Smith, of Hang Hill, Tring.
Remembered with honour
TRING CEMETERY