For general information about this person, below are the details recorded on Ancestry. England & Wales, FreeBMD Birth Index, 1837-1915 about Doris Gertrude Dicken Name: Doris Gertrude Dicken Registration Year: 1910 Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun Registration district: Walsall Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District Inferred County: Staffordshire Volume: 6b Page: 734 1911 England Census about Doris Gertrude Dicken Name: Doris Gertrude Dicken Age in 1911: 1 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1910 Relation to Head: Daughter Gender: Female Birth Place: Walsall, Staffordshire Civil Parish: Walsall County/Island: Staffordshire Country: England Street address: 46 West Bromwich Road, Walsall Occupation: Nil Registration district: Walsall Registration District Number: 370 Sub-registration district: Walsall ED, institution, or vessel: 21 Household schedule number: 22 Piece: 17178 Household Members: Name Age Thomas Dicken 40 Annie Dicken 41 Mary Ann Elizabeth Dicken 16 Millicent Annie Dicken 12 Albert Edward Dicken 9 George Henry Dicken 6 Thomas Dicken 4 Doris Gertrude Dicken 1 Please note: There is another Doris Gertrude Dicken born 1899 whose address in the 1911 census is 47 Dale Street, Palfrey, Walsall UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 about Doris Dicken Name: Doris Dicken Given Initials: D G Rank: Private Death Date: 12 Sep 1943 Number: 88841 Birth Place: Walsall Residence: Walsall Branch at Enlistment: Women's Services Theatre of War: Middle East Regiment at Death: Auxiliary Territorial Service Branch at Death: Women's Services UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947 about Doris Gertrude Dicken Name: Doris Gertrude Dicken Age: 33 Birth Date: abt 1910 Death Date: 12 Sep 1943 Cemetery: Heliopolis War Cemetery Eg 1 Burial Country: Egypt Service number: W/88841 Region or Memorial: Egypt England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 about Doris Gertrude Dicken Name: Doris Gertrude Dicken Probate Date: 26 Jun 1944 Death Date: 12 Sep 1943 Death Place: Staffordshire, England Registry: Birmingham, England The family tree that includes Doris has little more info than the above, but that is not to say they know more (or maybe they do not) and have not included it in the tree. If you wish me to contact them just say. TD
Hi Doris is my aunt she was my dads younger sister she was shot in the back on his birthday 12/9/1943 She had just posted his birthday card and was walking back to camp with a trooper who was also shot I have photographs and her medals also the plaque that was paid for by her workmates I also have the original photograph album of her funeral that has been handed down through the family Tom2 member.
Doris Dicken was my Great Aunt, the family would love to know why she was in Cairo and what was her post there please? I remember my Grandad telling me about my great Aunt Doris been shot in the back in Cairo after posting her brothers birthday card , my Grandads brother, she was late posting it, he got it after wards in England. The war office at the time wouldn't tell the family any thing because of the secrecy act, but Doris was buried with a 21 gun salute and full military honours in Heliopolis War cemetery in Cairo ,I visited her grave a few years back but I didn't realise at the time Thomas Hood the trooper who was shot and died with her is actually buried next to her. Doris was given three war medals, the family has the pictures of Doris's funeral, the 21 gun salute and the actual burial that were taken on the day and given to the family afterwards. Tom 2 on this site is my relative, it was his Dad that got the birthday card from Doris , very sad. Tom has all the information, pictures and medals. I did hear that more information has been declassified and released in England very recently. So if anyone can shed some light on what Doris was doing In Egypt and why she was shot, it would be much appreciated by our family. Thank you Julie Dicken
Morning Tom and Julie My interest in Doris is that I have spent 20 years researching War Memorials and Rolls of Honour in the Walsall and district area (well over 10,000 names so far). Doris is on the Walsall RoH, which, as you probably know, take the form of brass plaques in the Town hall and a leather bound book held by the local history centre in Essex Street. The memorial you mention was provided by her comrades at Matthew Harvey and Company Limited of Glebeland Works, Bath Street, Caldmore, this being unveiled by the Managing Director, Mr. Edgar Harvey on Saturday 20 November 1943. It was dedicated by the Reverend E. Faizey, Vicar of Caldmore. I have spent some years trying to trace the memorial as the company has now ceased to trade. Good to know it was not scrapped. I would dearly love to add pictures of Doris, her headstone and the memorial etc to my research. Would the family members be willing to share these ?? If so I can provide an e-mail address by PM. I have added the page from the book, as this is rarely seen or known about Look forward to hearing from you, Regards, Graeme
Hi Graeme I would be happy to let you see some photographs of Doris's funeral also her medals and the Plaque given by her workmates I also have information about this money she was sending to a prisoner of war I met him a few years ago at his home I would have to think about these photographs appearing on the internet as they were given to my Dad who passed them on to my older brother then after he passed on they came to me if you can let me have an email address I will talk to you that way. Regards Tom2
Hi Graeme Thank you for your reply and for posting the picture of the page out of the book with Doris's name on it , I didn't know the book existed , it was lovely to see it , thank you again. Please send me your email address and I will send you the latest pics of Doris's head stone in Heliopolis War cemetery for you records, no worries. Tom is taking care of the older pics and pics of the medals for the family. Thank you also for your dedication in collecting all the data for the coming generations to see , appreciate it . Best wishes Julie
Julie and Tom2, I am really glad that you have found this thread on the forum as it is great to know that you are lucky enough to have memories of Doris. I like many others have been following this thread originally started by TonyM in 2007 and who collects information on all the British Women who died during war to ensure that they are not forgotten. I have provided Tony some from Australia. A photo of Doris and one of her Headstone on this page would be a fitting tribute. My personal project is the collection of the headstone/memorial photos of the 11,400 Australian Men and Women who died in the RAAF and other allied Air Forces during WW2 of which I have collected over 10,800 so they will not be forgotten. Cheers Geoff Australia
I was wandering around some older topics on the forum, and then doing a quick Google search came across some youtube videos on Doris Dicken which seem to be about the same person as this thread. I have not watched all of them, but they do seem interesting. The first I came across is here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEaO2EiuVAg with others in the right hand menu Does this mean that somewhere the details of her have been released and someone has made a 'play' from her activities???????? TD
Hi Tricky Dicky, This play was put on in honour of Remembrance Day by a High school Drama class in front of a High School assembly I gave them what I knew about Doris's death in Cairo in 1943 and they made up a play with a bit of artistic licence thrown in ? but it was very informative of what was going on in Cairo at the time. I have sent Tonym 11 pics of Doris's funeral, war medals, Auxiliary service record and Staffordshire Red Cross and St John War Organisation. Doris Auxiliary War record form 'Army form E.511.P. Shows Doris's cause of death as a Gun shot wound to the head? by person or persons unknown on Sept 12th 1943 serving with M.E.F. Her contribution to the Prisoners of War Fund went through The Staffordshire Red Cross and St Johns War Organisation to the wife of :- 10231231 Sgt E J Eccleshall. R A S C Stalag XX1 To help pay for his food supply. Hope this help clear up a few points, Best Regards Julie Dicken
Hi Julie Many thanks for taking the time to update the thread. For info Name: E J Eccleshall Rank: Serjeant Army Number: 104803 Regiment: Royal Army Service Corps POW Number: 704 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 344 Camp Location: Lambinowice, Poland Record Office: Royal Army Service Corps Record Office, Ore Place, Hastings, Sussex Record Office Number: 29 Out of interest was there a connection between her and Sgt Eccleshall and/or his wife? TD
Some possible news articles on Dolly. Text is scrambled, as I'm not subscribed to the newspaper archive site.
I do not know how I have overlooked this very interesting thread. I do get the impression that she may have been attached to Intelligence or SOE. Perhaps Steven, one of our members, who specialises in SOE matters may be of help in this regard. Regards Tom
Morning The first newspaper, The Daily Mirror of 26 October 1943, appears to be most interesting if anyone has FMP or BL access, please. Ive scoured the NA search but without success but, of course, that does not mean anything !!!! Still interested in what happened. The Trooper with her and killed art the same time was Trooper 7887496 Thomas Albert Hood, 7th Royal Tank Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps. he is buried next to Doris. Re the Red Cross business, I believe Doris answered some sort of request to assist PoWs and may not have any personal knowledge of the man himself. This was organised through the Walsall Civic Guild of Help and the Staffordshire Red Cross. Regards, Graeme
Graeme The CWGC details of Thomas Hood are: Trooper Service No:7887496 Date of Death:12/09/1943 Age:27 Regiment/Service:Royal Tank Regiment, R.A.C. 7th Grave Reference: 5. L. 2. Cemetery:HELIOPOLIS WAR CEMETERY Additional Information:Son of Arthur Frederick and Sarah Hood, of Reading, Berkshire. So he would have been born about 1916, the only family tree I can find for his parents names living in Reading, Berks show they married in 1922 Arthur Frederick Hood Birth: Abt 1902 - Berkshire, England Death: Abt 1957 Marriage: Sept 1922 (Sep 1922) - READING, Berkshire, England Spouse: Sarah Ann Rabbits/Morgan (sometimes Rabbits is written Rabbetts) Although Sarah was married previously to a Mr Heath in 1916, so Thomas may have 'been carried forward' and changed his name to Hood. The plot thickens perhaps - more searching to do TD Edited to add: Changes in red above)
Morning, Julie Dicken has been most patient with us and sent numerous photographs of Doris and her funeral. I've resized them for the thread, but if anyone wants larger pictures, please PM me with an e-mail address. Many thanks, Julie, Regards, Graeme
Julie - thank you for letting us see the photos Graeme - thank you for your hard work Doris Gertrude Dicken I still feel that there must be some sort of file somewhere TD
