Garland family.One VC but four dead sons.

[Owen]

After reading Thomas Gray VC was a Wiltshireman I took more interest in the story of the attack on the Albert Canal Bridge.
There is a sad story about his Pilot, Donald Garland VC.
Three of his brothers also died in the War.
Can anyone add to the story of the Garland family dead?
How did they die? Is there a Memorial to all four of them?
Were there anymore siblings who survived?
Here are their CWGC details.

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Name: GARLAND, DONALD EDWARD
Initials: D E
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flying Officer (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 12 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 12/05/1940
Service No: 40105
Awards: VC
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and of Winifred Irene Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland, Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Coll. grave 6. F. 14-16.
Cemetery: HEVERLEE WAR CEMETERY
Citation: The citation in "The London Gazette," for 11th June, 1940, gives the following details : Flying Officer Garland was the pilot and Sergeant Gray the observer of the leading machine of a formation of five aircraft that were ordered to destroy at all costs a bridge over the Albert Canal which had not been demolished by the land forces and was allowing the Germans to advance into Belgium. In spite of very heavy defence of the area surrounding the bridge, the formation made a successful dive-bombing attack from the lowest practicable altitude, after releasing their bombs they were attacked by a large number of enemy fighters. Only one aircraft of the five returned to its base. Much of the success of the operation must be attributed to the formation leader, Flying Officer Garland, and to the coolness and resource of Sergeant Gray, who navigated the leading aircraft under most difficult conditions in such a manner that the whole formation, although it subsequently suffered heavy losses, was able successfully to attack the target.

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Name: GARLAND, JOHN CUTHBERT
Initials: J C
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Age: 32
Date of Death: 28/02/1943
Service No: 101796
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland and of Irene Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Cons. Sec. Grave 1274.
Cemetery: MIDHURST CEMETERY, Sussex

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Name: GARLAND, DESMOND WILLIAM
Initials: D W
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Pilot Officer
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 50 Sqdn.
Age: 27
Date of Death: 05/06/1942
Service No: 115223
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and of Winifred Irene Garland, of Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. Patrick James Garland, and Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 69.
Memorial: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

CWGC :: Casualty Details

Name: GARLAND, PATRICK JAMES
Initials: P J
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Unit Text: 2nd Sqdn.
Age: 36
Date of Death: 01/01/1945
Service No: 49602
Additional information: Son of Patrick Joseph Garland, C.M.G., and Winifred Irene Garland; husband of Mary Elizabeth Garland, of East Finchley, Middlesex. His brothers, Flying Offr. Donald Edward Garland, V.C., Flt. Lieut. John Cuthbert Garland and Pilot Offr. Desmond William Garland, also died on service.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: 4. A. 11.
Cemetery: BERGEN-OP-ZOOM WAR CEMETERY

[lancesergeant]

You have to feel for the parents to lose four sons to the war - it has parellels to the Sullivans from America.

[adrian roberts]

I've often wondered about the brothers of Donald Garland as well. I can't give specific info but we can make deductions from the CWGC info:

- If John was died in '43 and is buried in Suffolk, he was probably killed in an accident. He could have died of wounds received on ops, but in this case the reference would probably give his squadron; as it just says RAFVR he may have been with some kind of second-line unit, possibly a training unit, in which case as a Flt-Lt he was more likely to have been an instructor than pupil.

- Desmond was with 50 Sqdn. This was very much a Bomber Command unit; June '42 was about the time they converted from Manchesters to Lancasters. As there is no cemetary listed, only the Runnymede Memorial, he was almost certainly Missing in Action.

- Patrick was with 2 Sqdn. This was an Tactical Reconnaissance Unit; they had been operating Mustangs but by January '45 had largely converted to the Spitfire FRXIV.

Ironic that the youngest died first, and the oldest last.

You have to feel for the parents to lose four sons to the war - it has parellels to the Sullivans from America

....and to the McCudden family in WW1 (and numerous less famous). The loss is just unimaginable.

Adrian