I am researching the deaths of Privates Gerald Moran and Leonard Wilson as the result of enemy bombing of cliffside fields in a remote part of Cornwall in 1941. Does anyone have the War Diary for their regiment the 8th Battalion Duke of Wellingtons (West Riding Regiment) and could let me have a copy of any entries from May that refer to the incident please? Also does it give any indication of what role the regiment were playing in Cornwall at that time? Any help appreciated.
This is not very specific, but in 1941 the 8th DWR (raised July 1940) were a Home Defence Formation serving in South West England as part of 203rd Independent Infantry Brigade (Home), until November 1941, when they converted to 145th Regiment Royal Armoured Corps. 145th_Regiment_Royal_Armoured_Corps
OK - seems his first name is not Gerald UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Gerrard Moran Given Initials: R Rank: Private Death Date: 15 May 1941 Number: 4625311 Birth Place: Halifax Residence: Halifax Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: United Kingdom Regiment at Death: Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding) Branch at Death: Infantry Casualty Private MORAN, GERARD Service Number 4625311 Died 15/05/1941 Aged 29 8th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) Son of Joseph and Sarah Ann Moran, of Halifax; husband of Kathleen Mary Moran, of Shibden, Halifax. England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Gerard Moran Death Age: 29 Birth Date: abt 1912 Registration Date: Apr 1941 [May 1941] [Jun 1941] Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun Registration district: St Austell Inferred County: Cornwall Volume: 5c Page: 298 Might be worth seeing what the certificate says - there may also be a coroners report UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Private Gerard Moran Death Date: 15 May 1941 Cemetery: Stoney Royd Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: West Yorkshire, England Has Bio?: N Private Gerard Moran (Unknown-1941) - Find A Grave... TD
Seems Leonard died the day after Gerard UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current Name: Pvt Leonard Wilson Death Date: 16 May 1941 Death Place: Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England Cemetery: Fairpark Cemetery Burial or Cremation Place: St Columb Minor, Cornwall Unitary Authority, Cornwall, England Has Bio?: Y PVT Leonard Wilson (Unknown-1941) - Find A Grave... Casualty Private WILSON, LEONARD Service Number 4618273 Died 16/05/1941 8th Bn. Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment) England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007 Name: Leonard Wilson Death Age: 23 Birth Date: abt 1918 Registration Date: Apr 1941 [May 1941] [Jun 1941] Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun Registration district: Bodmin Inferred County: Cornwall Volume: 5c Page: 238 Again the death cert may give you something as again might a coroners report if there was one - there may be something in Police archives and also in the local press of the day TD There deaths are also registered in different areas - seems odd but then my Cornwall geograpgy is not as good as yours, perhaps they were taken to different hospitals, many injuries from the incident could have dictated who went where - more digging for you sir
Odd looking at the Cornish war history site which has a map showing the bombings on Cornwall there appears to be no raid on either the 15th or 16th May 1941. The closest appears to be the raid on Penryn on May 13th which killed 17 people however there is a memorial to the victims of that raid and neither of these two men appears on it. Bombings « Cornwall War History
The only bomb site that fits the description in the OP was a grouse farm near Newlyn hit on 24th April 1941. No casualties mentioned but fire fighters were later machine gunned returning to Penzance. Is it possible that these two were DOW from than incidence?
From: BBC - WW2 People's War - "When Bombs Fell" - The air-raids on Cornwall during WW2 : Part 4 - 1941 May to August. May 1941 14th: In the early hours, Falmouth, Penryn and R.N.A.S. St. Merryn were bombed. More than twenty bombs were dropped. Three houses were demolished at Falmouth and many others severely damaged at Clare Terrace, Killigrew Street, near the Railway Station, and at Quay Hill, Penryn, where fourteen houses were destroyed and telephone services and gas supplies severely interrupted. In all, twenty persons were killed and thirty injured; Several houses were also damaged at New Quay Hill, Flushing and minor damage was caused at Wayland Farm, Looe. 15th: Some thirteen bombs were dropped at St. Just-in-Roseland, those near St.Ervan causing damage at Tregotland only. 16th: In the early hours, four high explosive bombs fell at Falmouth Docks, damaging a small launch in the sluice pit. Eight bombs fell at Hemmick Beach killing a soldier, injuring two others and damaging two dwellings. One large bomb was dropped on Portreath Aerodrome, but no damage or casualties were reported. Tim
According to the regimental history, the Battalion was located at Newquay, Cornwall in May 1941. No mention is made of the bombing, though. The roll of honour does include both names: 4625311 - Private Gerrard Moran - 15 May 1941 4618273 - Private Leonard Wilson - 16 May 1941
Just been checking UK, WWII Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945 The only civilians killed in Cornwall nearest to the dates they died are shown as 13 May 1941 and are based in Penryn [mostly] and a few in Falmouth. The next cicvilian deaths are shown in April - so it could be: 1. Military accident on the 15th [or before both dying of wounds] one died later than the other of wounds received 2. Bombing raid on 13th [or 14th] caused casualties and they died of wounds received Again perhaps death certs may help and if a military incident/accident then there may be a coroners report TD
As has been pointed out they may have been in seperate incidents - my assumption was that they were together - this could have been Leonard Wilson TD
Thanks for all your replies and interest. Apologies TrickyDicky it was my mistake in typing up the first name for Moran. The incident is the bombing of Hemmick at 0240hrs on Thursday 15th May 1941. 8 HE bombs were dropped. Moran was killed outright. Wilson and an Auxiliary Coastguard, Oliver, who was with them were seriously injured. The casualties were taken to Bodmin where there was a Military Emergency Hospital at St Lawrence's Hospital (the military had a wing of the County Psychiatric Hospital) where they died from their wounds within 24 hours. For the record a cow was also killed and there was severe damage to a nearby dwelling and lesser damage to another. (Forget Penryn, Falmouth and any other incident.) Moran was taken home and buried in Halifax (Stoney Royd) Cemetery. Wilson is buried in Newquay Fairpark Cemetery, but if dryan67 is correct about the regiment being based in Newquay at that time, that would explain that. Oliver is buried in the Gorran Parish Church graveyard. I have the Police War Diary entries and relatives of Oliver are good friends of mine. The purpose of the original post was to try and establish what the two soldiers were doing at 2am 30 miles from where their regiment were based and on the opposite coast of Cornwall. The Coastguard was part of the local coastwatch team so I can only presume the soldiers were part of a coastal defence patrol given the fears about a German invasion in the spring of 1941. I am looking for the documentary evidence to support that presumption. Hemmick Beach has (and still has) an anti-tank wall across the back of the beach, otherwise I am not aware of any other installation in that immediate locality. (See my photo below). It is still possible to make out some of the pock-marks in the fields behind the beach of the stick of bombs.
Hi Cornwall Phil I have the War Diary for 8DWR for 1940 but not for 1941. They arrived in Cornwall in Oct 1940 However at the end of 1940 they were dispersed in small units (platoons and smaller) at a number of coastal locations and beaches (eg Constantine). They seem to have been in the Newquay to Padstow area then but may have swapped with another Battalion of the Brigade later?
Hi Skoyen89, Yes I am aware of the defence of Cornwall being a thin khaki line - four men here and half a dozen there! Being responsible for a stretch of contiguous coastline such as Newquay to Padstow makes sense. Whether they swapped coasts I think I'll need the 41 war diary to find out. I feel a request to Drew coming on!!
